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Shute Park (Oregon)
Encyclopedia
Shute Park is a municipal park
in the city of Hillsboro
, Oregon
, United States
. Acquired in 1906, the 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) park is the oldest park in the city. Located at southeast Tenth and Maple streets along Tualatin Valley Highway
, Shute Park includes an aquatic center, a branch of the Hillsboro Public Library
, and a community center. The park used to have a pavilion that included a skating rink, and was the center of civic activities before the opening of the Washington County Fairgrounds. Named for businessman John W. Shute
, the park once included land on the east side of the highway that consisted mainly of a baseball field.
for $1,622, with the condition that the land be used as a park and named in his honor. The city passed a levy to finance the purchase of its first park at 1.8 mills per assessed valuation
. At the time the total assessed value in the city was just over $600,000. The land had previously been the site of a brickyard
, whose brick had been used in the construction of several buildings in downtown Hillsboro.
In June 1920, voters approved a levy to finance the construction of a pavilion at the park. Finished in June 1921, the 71 feet (21.6 m) by 117 feet (35.7 m) building was designed and built without in posts in the floor and included a stage. At first the pavilion was used mainly for dances, but was later used as a roller skating
rink. It also was home to an infantry unit and later artillery unit, and during World War II
was used for drill by the national guard. Over time the building eventually no longer meet building codes, but the city felt the costs were too much to remodel the facility so the pavilion was torn down in 1974.
Beginning in 1925 until 1951 the Washington County Fair was held at the park. During this time the park contained additional structures, including a poultry building. In 1935, workers from the Works Progress Administration
improved the park. Enhancements included extensive landscaping, the addition of a baseball diamond, construction of a stone-arch bridge, a creek, and the addition of lighting. The improved park was dedicated on July 2, 1936. Hillsboro's Happy Days festival was also previously staged at Shute Park. The pavilion at Shute could seat as many as 1,500 and was used for events that included a circus
.
In 1962, the county's historical society
looked at the park as a possible home for their museum, which was not built at that time or at that location. However, the society temporarily moved their museum to the park's pavilion that year. The city decided to re-zone
a 5.5 acres (2.2 ha) section of the park in 1972. The section was located across Tualatin Valley Highway and contained a baseball field. Hillsboro High School had used the ball field for its home baseball games until Hare Field
opened in 1965. The park's department wanted to sell of the land in order to pay for improvements at other park facilities in the city. Hillsboro's city council elected to re-zone the parcel as commercial in order to maximize the value of the land.
The city's parks commission approved plans to build the permanent stage in the park in September 1982 using private funds. In 1987, the 25 feet (7.6 m) Peter Wolf Toth
statue, Chief Kno–Tah
, was added along the eastern side of the park. It is one of 74 such statues collectively known as the Trail of the Whispering Giants
. In 2006, the city celebrated the 100th anniversary of the park that included people in period dress and a performance by the Oregon Symphonic Band. Many of the Douglas-fir
trees at the park were found to have schweinitzii
butt rot
and red ring rot in 2008. In May 2009, the city began removing those diseased trees that posed a danger to park visitors as the trees slowly died.
as part of his Trail of the Whispering Giants.
The Shute Park Aquatic and Recreation Center opened in 1980. The indoor and outdoor pool facility also contained indoor exercise areas and racquetball courts. Beginning in 2004 it was remodeled and re-opened in 2006. Additions to the facility included a massage room, child care area, a spa pool, a pool slide, and a play feature in one of the pools.
Shute Park also hosts the annual Showtime at Shute free summer concert
series. These outdoor concerts are held each Thursday beginning in July, and run through August.
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
in the city of Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Acquired in 1906, the 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) park is the oldest park in the city. Located at southeast Tenth and Maple streets along Tualatin Valley Highway
Tualatin Valley Highway
The Tualatin Valley Highway No. 29 is an Oregon highway which passes through the Tualatin Valley, between the cities of McMinnville and Beaverton...
, Shute Park includes an aquatic center, a branch of the Hillsboro Public Library
Hillsboro Public Library
The Hillsboro Public Library is a two-location public library system in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. First opened in 1914 in a Carnegie library building, the system provides services to a population area of 157,000 people. As of 2004, the system had a usage of 674,000 visits per year...
, and a community center. The park used to have a pavilion that included a skating rink, and was the center of civic activities before the opening of the Washington County Fairgrounds. Named for businessman John W. Shute
John W. Shute
John Wright Shute was an American banker in the state of Oregon. He was the founder of the first bank in Washington County, Oregon, and both Shute Park and Shute Road in Hillsboro, Oregon, are his namesakes.-Early life:...
, the park once included land on the east side of the highway that consisted mainly of a baseball field.
History
On December 21, 1906, the City of Hillsboro purchased a 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) tract of land from banker John W. ShuteJohn W. Shute
John Wright Shute was an American banker in the state of Oregon. He was the founder of the first bank in Washington County, Oregon, and both Shute Park and Shute Road in Hillsboro, Oregon, are his namesakes.-Early life:...
for $1,622, with the condition that the land be used as a park and named in his honor. The city passed a levy to finance the purchase of its first park at 1.8 mills per assessed valuation
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
. At the time the total assessed value in the city was just over $600,000. The land had previously been the site of a brickyard
Brickyard
A brickyard is a place or yard where the earthen building material called bricks are made, fired, and stored, or sometimes sold or otherwise distributed from.-See also:...
, whose brick had been used in the construction of several buildings in downtown Hillsboro.
In June 1920, voters approved a levy to finance the construction of a pavilion at the park. Finished in June 1921, the 71 feet (21.6 m) by 117 feet (35.7 m) building was designed and built without in posts in the floor and included a stage. At first the pavilion was used mainly for dances, but was later used as a roller skating
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
rink. It also was home to an infantry unit and later artillery unit, and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was used for drill by the national guard. Over time the building eventually no longer meet building codes, but the city felt the costs were too much to remodel the facility so the pavilion was torn down in 1974.
Beginning in 1925 until 1951 the Washington County Fair was held at the park. During this time the park contained additional structures, including a poultry building. In 1935, workers from the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
improved the park. Enhancements included extensive landscaping, the addition of a baseball diamond, construction of a stone-arch bridge, a creek, and the addition of lighting. The improved park was dedicated on July 2, 1936. Hillsboro's Happy Days festival was also previously staged at Shute Park. The pavilion at Shute could seat as many as 1,500 and was used for events that included a circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
.
In 1962, the county's historical society
Washington County Museum
Washington County Museum is a history museum located in unincorporated Washington County, Oregon, United States at Portland Community College's Rock Creek Campus. Opened in 1975, the museum is operated by the Washington County Historical Society with a mission of preserving the history of the area...
looked at the park as a possible home for their museum, which was not built at that time or at that location. However, the society temporarily moved their museum to the park's pavilion that year. The city decided to re-zone
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
a 5.5 acres (2.2 ha) section of the park in 1972. The section was located across Tualatin Valley Highway and contained a baseball field. Hillsboro High School had used the ball field for its home baseball games until Hare Field
Hare Field
Hare Field is a multi-sport facility located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The facility opened in 1965 and is owned by the Hillsboro School District. Hare Field includes a baseball stadium, a football stadium, practice fields, and track and field equipment. The venue hosts high school...
opened in 1965. The park's department wanted to sell of the land in order to pay for improvements at other park facilities in the city. Hillsboro's city council elected to re-zone the parcel as commercial in order to maximize the value of the land.
The city's parks commission approved plans to build the permanent stage in the park in September 1982 using private funds. In 1987, the 25 feet (7.6 m) Peter Wolf Toth
Peter Wolf Toth
Peter Wolf Toth is a Hungarian-born sculptor, who immigrated to the United States and settled in Akron, Ohio. He later studied art at the University of Akron. He created a series of sculptures called Trail of the Whispering Giants to honor Native Americans...
statue, Chief Kno–Tah
Chief Kno–Tah
Chief Kno-Tah is a wooden statue located in Shute Park in Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Carved by Peter Wolf Toth, it was the 56th Native American head in his Trail of the Whispering Giants series. The tall, statue was the first of two carved by Toth in Oregon...
, was added along the eastern side of the park. It is one of 74 such statues collectively known as the Trail of the Whispering Giants
Trail of the Whispering Giants
The Trail of the Whispering Giants is a collection of sculptures by Hungarian-born artist Peter Wolf Toth. The sculptures range in height from , and are between in diameter. Currently there are 74 Whispering Giants, with at least one in each of the 50 U.S. states, as well as in Ontario and...
. In 2006, the city celebrated the 100th anniversary of the park that included people in period dress and a performance by the Oregon Symphonic Band. Many of the Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
trees at the park were found to have schweinitzii
Phaeolus schweinitzii
Phaeolus schweinitzii, commonly known as velvet-top fungus, dyer's polypore,Norway Chicken, or dyer's mazegill, is a fungal plant pathogen that causes butt rot on conifers such as Douglas-fir, spruce, fir, hemlock, pine, and larch. P...
butt rot
Butt rot
thumb|Butt rot of palm, caused by [[Ganoderma zonatum]]Butt rot is a disease of plants, mostly trees, caused by fungi. The fungus attacks the moist, poorly protected undersurface of tree trunk's thickest part , where the end of the stem makes contact with the soil. It may affect the roots as...
and red ring rot in 2008. In May 2009, the city began removing those diseased trees that posed a danger to park visitors as the trees slowly died.
Facilities
Located at 10th and Maple streets, the park contains a variety of amenities. These include a picnic shelter, softball field, restrooms, picnic areas, playground equipment, and a stage. Also at the park is a branch of the Hillsboro library, a senior community center, and an aquatic recreation center. It also houses the Chief Kno-Tah wood sculpture of a Native American head carved by Peter Wolf TothPeter Wolf Toth
Peter Wolf Toth is a Hungarian-born sculptor, who immigrated to the United States and settled in Akron, Ohio. He later studied art at the University of Akron. He created a series of sculptures called Trail of the Whispering Giants to honor Native Americans...
as part of his Trail of the Whispering Giants.
The Shute Park Aquatic and Recreation Center opened in 1980. The indoor and outdoor pool facility also contained indoor exercise areas and racquetball courts. Beginning in 2004 it was remodeled and re-opened in 2006. Additions to the facility included a massage room, child care area, a spa pool, a pool slide, and a play feature in one of the pools.
Shute Park also hosts the annual Showtime at Shute free summer concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
series. These outdoor concerts are held each Thursday beginning in July, and run through August.