Mark Fischenich: Ask Us: Origin of Thomas Park name may be lost to history

Mark Fischenich, The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
·4 min read

Nov. 5—Q: Wondering if you know or could find out who Thomas Park is named for?

I'm a very close neighbor to the park.

Thanks!!

A: The park, located just east of East High School along Hoffman Road, has been in the news repeatedly the last couple of years because the 50-year-old facility was the site of a $6.4 million upgrade, completed this summer, to create a top-notch youth softball complex.

But as for the origin of Thomas Park's name, no one knows. Or, at least, no one Ask Us Guy knows knows.

He looked through City Council minutes and found the resolution unanimously passed on Jan. 8, 1973 "DESIGNATING 17 ACRE TRACT OF CITY OF MANKATO PROPERTY AS THOMAS PARK."

There was nothing in the resolution or minutes explaining why it was named Thomas.

Presented with the question, Mankato city officials did some impressive sleuthing without success.

"We have been researching the name and at this point cannot come up with a definite answer," said Community Development Director Paul Vogel, whose tenure with the city extends back into the previous century but not quite all the way back to 1973. "From what we can gather the property for East High School and the park were purchased from the Ackerman family — doing business as Mankato Hilldale — in the late 1960s. The property may have originally been owned by Julius Stockman, the family of one of the Ackerman spouses."

Vogel also asked the Blue Earth County Historical Society to take a look, but even the society's archives didn't offer a definitive explanation.

The park's origin actually dates back to 1969, according to a Free Press story. It was that year that a person named Adolph Ackerman of Madison, Wisconsin, agreed to sell 30 acres to the school district and city at a steeply discounted price of $4,160 per acre provided the land was used for a new school and a park.

As the park was being developed in the mid-1970s, Ackerman — whose family was creating a residential subdivision on adjacent land — was disappointed with the city's plans for a park dominated by ballfields. He wanted a "family-type park" with playgrounds, picnic areas, lots of shade trees and a wide variety of sports/recreation amenities ranging from a skateboarding rink to touch-football fields.

Park-related Free Press articles found by Vogel and BECHS mentioned numerous council members, the mayor (Herb Mocol) the city manager (Bill Bassett), a public works director (Paul Baker), a parks director (David Sears) and others — not a "Thomas" in the bunch.

The late great Free Press editor Ken Berg wrote a column in 1996 about the origin of local park names. With his signature eloquent-but-breezy parlance, Berg wrote about Sibley Park ("the appellation reflects no compelling local imprint,") and Hilltop Field ("an erstwhile high school gridiron") and Wheeler Park ("a near miss for pertinency, sitting as it does in what once was the clay pit of A.L. Wheeler's brickyard, circa 1866.")

Thomas Park and Rasmussen Woods "among other enclaves represent endowments or contributions from families ...," according to Berg's column.

Vogel, though, could find no evidence of a "Thomas" associated with the donor or other previous owners of the land that became the park.

"We have also reached out to a former school board chair in office in the mid-1970's, but they don't remember either," Vogel said. "There was a school board member at the time of acquisition named Thomas Adams. We contacted several people, including family members, but they doubt it was named after Mr. Adams."

Something of a volunteer historian of Mankato city government, Vogel isn't giving up on finding an answer.

"We have a contact with the original owner's family that we sent a message to but have not heard back as they indicated they would be checking with other family members," Vogel said, conceding that "Ask Us" readers might need to come to the rescue. "Will keep you posted on what we find out, but the readers may also have some leads after reading the article."

Be warned, however, that Vogel preemptively shot down one seemingly strong possibility.

"I will note that it was not named after Thomas Anderson, long-time Community Recreation Director," Vogel said. "The name predates Tom's tenure, but the soccer fields near Kennedy School are named after him."

People who have questions — or an answer to previous questions that stumped Ask Us Guy — can contact him at The Free Press, 418 S. Second St., Mankato, MN 56001. Call Mark Fischenich at 344-6321 or email your question to mfischenich@mankatofreepress.com; put Ask Us in the subject line.