Lithia Park has grown since 1892 into a 93 acre park Photograph by Terry Skibby

Lithia Park's growth came in 1914 with the hiring of John McLaren, who designed San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, date of historic photo unknown Courtesy of The Terry Skibby Collection

The following year the old flour mill was torn down, a park board was elected, and additional acres bordering Ashland Creek were acquired. In 1910 the lower duck pond and waterfall feeding it were constructed, while Bert Greer, an ambitious newspaper editor conceived of making Ashland a world-famous spa by capitalizing on the Lithia springs of the area. The development of today's park began in 1914 with the hiring of John McLaren (also designer of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park) as landscape architect. Lithia Park embodies the distinctive characteristics of park design in the tradition of Frederick Law Olmsted. McLaren's landscape plan for Lithia Park was organic in layout, following the natural canyon of the water course. The plantings were naturalistic to the extent that native alders, oaks, conifers and madrones were incorporated, but other plants, such as willows, maples, sycamores, and numerous ornamental varieties were introduced and selected for hardiness, form and color. Once within the Park, the visitor can walk along the trail on the east side of Ashland Creek to the Park headquarters and obtain a map showing the location of both historic (e.g., 1915: Lithia Water Fountain, Butler-Perozzi Fountain Terrace, Sycamore Grove, Upper Duck Pond) and more modern park features including a trail guide to the most significant trees throughout the Park.

Lithia Park is located at 59 Winburn Way and is open to the public. Trail guides and other booklets about the park can be obtained from the park office of Ashland Parks and Rec. Dept., open Monday-Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm, and free performances are frequently offered at the Bulter Bandshell. For performance schedules and further information call 541-488-5340 or visit the website. The Chamber of Commerce offers nature walks Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10:00am (call 541-482-3486 or visit the website).