Manito Park History
Manito Park in Spokane, WA is located on the south side of the city on Grand Boulevard between 17th and 25th Avenues.
For a comprehensive account of Manito Park's history, visit Tornado Creek Publications to order the book "Manito Park: A Reflection of Spokane's Past" by Tony and Suzanne Bamonte.
Below is a short summary of the park's history.
E. Charles Balzer, Superintendent of Spokane Parks, was Manito's first supervisor. During his tenure the park became known for its lush flower gardens and beautiful floral sculptures. He also attracted the community to Manito Park with a zoo that eventually contained 165 animals, playgrounds equipment, evening motion pictures, and weekend band concerts and dances. Mirror Lake was used for canoeing and swimming in the summer and skating in the winter.
Originally called Montrose Park, it's name was changed in 1903 to Manito, meaning "spirit" or "spirit of nature" in the Algonquin Indian language. Prior to the formation of the Spokane Park Board in 1907, the 90 acre park was an undeveloped public recreation area under the control of the city.
John W. Duncan replaced Balzer in 1910 and served for the next 32 years. Under Duncan, horticulture became the focus of Manito Park. In 1912 a conservatory was added and he founded a nursery to propagate plants, not only for Manito, but also for parks throughout the city (a responsibility that persists today).
In 1913 Duncan created a three-acre sunken formal garden (later named after him) and the Lilac Garden. In 1940 he began work for the perennial garden. During the Duncan era, park roads were widened and paved, continuous green areas were planted, and at the southern end of the park (Upper Manito), a new ball field, tennis courts, a bowling green, and a playground were constructed.
In 1933, at the depth of the Great Depression, the zoo was closed as a cost-saving measure. It was the end of an era. When Duncan retired in 1942, Manito Park was well on its way to becoming an elegant natural treasure in the heart of the city.
Today, the park is one of few in the nation with such a diverse horticultural display. Manito Park has a reputation as the primary garden showplace in Spokane, and is toured by over 150,000 visitors annually.
