Central Park
An Early Amusement Park West of Helena
Now the Site of the Green Meadow Country Club

COLORIZED VERSION fROM "VALLEYS OF THE PRICKLY PEAR"
©1988 LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE, INC.
NOW OUT OF PRINT
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE IN A NEW WINDOW

Built by brothers Joseph and Frank Mares between 1892-95, Central Park on Ten Mile Creek was for decades a popular leisure destination. Since 1946, the site has been home to the Green Meadow Country Club. The immigrant Mares brothers made their fortune first through mining investments, then in the meat trade. They leased land for ther operation from Ernest Kranich (sometime misspelled "Kronick"), who operated a kind of pleasure garden on the banks of Ten Mile Creek called Kranich's Grove. The Mares brothers purchased the acreage in 1892, for use as a combination feed lot, pasture, and processing facility. The lake was to be their source of ice for refrigeration. The Northern Pacific tracks bisected the plot, providing handy access to shipping. The brothers saw the opportunity to use the land south of the tracks for an amusement park, enlarging upon Kranich's concept, and constucted a wonderful complex that was a popular leisure destination for a quarter-century.

 

A recent satellite image of the Green Meadow Country Club

 

Central Park Gate, 1904

COLLECTION OF KENNON BAIRD • CLICK ON IMAGE TO OPEN A LARGE VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW

 

FROM "VALLEYS OF THE PRICKLY PEAR" ©1988 LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE, INC. -- NOW OUT OF PRINT
CLICK ON IMAGE TO OPEN A LARGE VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW

Central Park boasted a zoo, a saloon, the grand pavillion, boating on the lake, a bowling alley, stables, an aviary, a baseball diamond and more -- all set on beautifully landscaped grounds with broad walks. An electric streetcar line ran from Helena to the park, making for an easy excursion. The streetcar route from town was north on Benton Avenue, west on Hollins to Central Park, then west to the Broadwater Hotel and Natatorium. The Mares brothers entered into a promotional agreement with the Northern Pacific Railroad to display beside the tracks a kind of living tableau of the west, featuring elk, bison, deer and even some Native Americans, who lived in tipis just east of the park. The trains would slow down while passing through the area, giving passengers an opportunity to see these novelties up-close.

 

The Pavillion

FROM "VALLEYS OF THE PRICKLY PEAR" ©1988 LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE, INC. -- NOW OUT OF PRINT

The ornate pavillion was a multi-purpose facility for large gatherings and special events.

Central Park Beer Drinkers

FROM 'HISTORIC HELENA' ©1964 BY THE HOME BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOC. -- NOW OUT OF PRINT

The odds are good that these folks were sipping Kessler beer, which was brewed nearby.

Central Park Was a Popular Venue

Central Park trade token

 

Picnic Site of the 1910 Montana Saengerfest

KENNON BAIRD COLLECTION

"Helena's most beautiful Pleasure Garden Central Park, Helena, Mont. Picnic site of the Second Montana Song Festival Twenty Minutes from the City Trams every 15 Minutes Brothers Mares -- Owners "

 

 

1902 Sons of Herman Picnic Souvenir

KENNON BAIRD COLLECTION

 

 

Two Carousels

THE TIPTON COLLECTION • CLICK ON IMAGE TO OPEN A LARGE VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW

 

FROM 'HISTORIC HELENA' ©1964 BY THE HOME BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOC. -- NOW OUT OF PRINT

 

Central Park Lake, 1904

COLLECTION OF KENNON BAIRD • CLICK ON IMAGE TO OPEN A LARGE VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW

Gentry Bros. Circus Elephant Bathes in Central Park Lake, 1907

 

History of Central Park, Helena Independent, August 22, 1915

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Alcohol Prohibition and Elimination of Steetcar Service Hurts Business

Prohibition in 1920 and the elimination of Helena streetcar service in 1928 put a damper on business at Central Park. The saloon was opened as a restaurant, the Dixie Inn, but it soon changed hands to become the Three Mile Cafe...

The Three Mile Cafe operated until about 1937

 

3 Mile Cafe Ad, 1932 Helena Telephone Directory

COLLECTION OF KENNON BAIRD

Central Park Land Purchased for Golf Club, 1943

 

 

Green Meadow Country Club Opens, 1946