Minto-Brown Island Park is the largest park in

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

History

In 1857, Isaac Brown established his home on what came to be known as Brown's Island, near the west bank of the Willamette River. There Brown raised livestock, farm produce, and tobacco. In 1867,

John Minto John Minto (born ) is a New Zealand political activist known for his involvement in various left-wing groups and causes, most notably Halt All Racist Tours. A 2005 documentary on New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers listed him as number 89. Tod ...

purchased and cleared land on an island near the east bank, turning it into productive farmland. That island would later come to be named Minto Island. Due to flooding the land those two men settled are no longer true islands. The area is still subject to periodic flooding, which prevents it from being developed. Instead, restoration projects have added thousands of trees and converted many agricultural acres to native plantings. This prevents soil erosion, improves wildlife habitat, and promotes water quality.

Features

The park has a playground, a reservable shelter, walking, jogging and bike trails, picnic areas, a

dog park A dog park is a park for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners. Description Dog parks have varying features, although they typically offer a 4' to 6' fence, separate double-gated ...

, several fishing spots, and a paddle boat area.

Future development

In 2013, a purchase of of

Boise Cascade Boise Cascade Company (), which uses the trade name Boise Cascade, is a North American manufacturer of wood products and wholesale distributor of building materials, headquartered in Boise, Idaho. with sales over $7.9 billion in 2021, it is trad ...

property was added to the existing park for a total of . The property is the landing point for the Peter Courtney Pedestrian Bridge from Riverfront Park, completed in 2016. As of 2015, additional paved trails are being planned and a new master plan is being developed.

References

{{Reflist Parks in Salem, Oregon