Natural History. Stewardship. Sustainablility.
Timeline of Human History in Hartley Park
1853 - Guilford Graham Hartley is born in New Brunswick.
1883 - Guilford marries Caroline Woodward in Minneapolis.
1890 - Guilford Hartley purchases 80 acres of land straddling Woodland Ave. in Duluth, Minnesota. The land is cleared for commercial produce and dairy, and becomes the Smaller Allandale Farm.
1900-1911 - Hartley purchases another 700 acres, expanding both produce and dairy capacity, thereby becoming the largest private farm in Duluth (known now as the Greater Allandale Farm).
1913 - Hartley Road and Hartley Pond are constructed, the latter by a man-made dam on Tischer Creek.
1919 - A Farm House and Root Cellar are built at the base of Rock Knob, the remnants of which are some of the only traces of the farm left today.
1922 - Guilford Graham Hartley passes away.
1923 - A change in zoning increases the farm tax load by 20%, resulting in a rapid decline in both profit and interest that will mark the end of the farm.
1931 - Hartley Estate fails to pay taxes and the fields are abandoned.
1941 - The Hartley Land is cleared of buildings and earns park status from the City of Duluth.
1961-1968 - An asphalt Soap Box Derby track is constructed and used until interest declines.
1975-2001 - Various improvements for public enjoyment are made, including cross-country ski trails, vehicle prohibition, and the pond amphitheatre construction.
2003 - August, the new Hartley Nature Center Building officially opens, marking a new era of stewardship and sustainability for the Park and for Duluth.