By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews
WALDPORT – More than 125 people and a slew of dignitaries turned out Monday for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the city’s new Louis Southworth Park, with the hope that work will start this summer on the $1 million project.
Speakers reminded attendees of Southworth’s contributions to the community 140 years ago and how fitting it was that a former school site was now a park named after him.
Southworth was a former slave who bought his freedom, homesteaded just east of Waldport in the 1880s, donated the land for the community’s first school and served as president of the school board. A life size bronze statue of Southworth playing his beloved fiddle – already finished and on display at the Alsea Bay Bridge Interpretive Center — will be placed at the park’s east entrance.
Waldport Mayor Greg Holland told the crowd that it had been 10 long years since the city decided to turn the former site of Waldport Middle/High School into a park.
“The proudest day for me was when the council voted to name it Louis Southworth Park,” Holland said. “Now it’s our legacy today to build this park.”
Jesse Dolin grew up in Waldport, still lives nearby and works for the Oregon Coast Visitors Association, a regional arm of Travel Oregon, the state’s tourism promotion agency. Dolin was the one who brought to local prominence Southworth’s history in Waldport and suggested the city honor Southworth’s legacy by naming the park after him. He then got Travel Oregon to pay for the statue.
“Here we are, honoring him now,” Dolin told the audience while standing at what will be the east entrance to the 12-acre park, and unfolding more stories of Southworth’s path to freedom.
Dolin said James Southworth opposed his slave’s petition to buy his freedom. Yet, Louis Southworth took in and cared for his former owner “when he fell on hard times.” Dolin said it was fitting that the former school site be named after the man who donated land – four miles east of the current downtown – for the community’s first school.
“This is a wonderful piece of property named after a wonderful man,” he said.
Two Lincoln County legislators also spoke briefly.
Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, thanked Waldport residents for “being willing to dig into your history and share that history.” Rep. David Gomberg, D-Otis, called Southworth’s life “a remarkable story of resilience, reconciliation and caring.”
The city received a $750,000 from Oregon State Parks & Recreation and will spend $198,000 of its own money to develop the site.
Plans call for a playground area, two to eight picnic shelters, a sports court, a hard-surface walking trail around the outside and retaining – but possibly moving – the timber skills competition area set up last year for Beachcomber Days.
While there is nothing yet ready to be installed or built, city manager Dann Cutter said Monday’s groundbreaking “is a symbolic event to let people know we’re getting ready to start.”
Cutter said he plans to begin writing “requests for proposals” this month for the various elements of the park and hopes to begin work on some parts of the project by late summer.
