| Marion Square Park was platted in the original William Willson 1846 plat of Salem. The park is bordered by Union, Commercial, Marion, and Front Streets and encompasses 3.2 acres. This block-square area was set aside as a park in 1846 and continues in that function today even though it is now somewhat isolated to pedestrian traffic by multi-lane highways. It is easily recognized by a stand of mature conifers planted more than a century ago. For hundreds of years before the Methodists arrived in the Salem area, the site of Marion Square Park had been the permanent camp site for the Chemeketa band and others of the greater Willamette Valley Kalapuyan "tribe". One of the last large encampments on the site occurred in the winter of 1847, according to Henry Brown, writing in 1878 of Chief Quinaby in the Marion County Historical Quarterly. Brown states that all of the Chemeketa and Chemawa Indians formed their winter camp in Salem that year, the camp commencing on the north edge of Marion Square and extending south to North Mill Creek. There were about 400 people camping there when an epidemic of measles broke out. The usual treatment was a stay in a sweat house and then a plunge into the icy water of the creek. This procedure, added to the lack of immunity among the Indians, took a toll of about half the population during the winter. Apparently the burying ground was some distance away from the park site itself. This was one of the last organized encampments at this particular location, however, the park continued as a traditional gathering place and in the 1870s the park was the site of a conference for a treaty. Early settler Fabritus Smith recollects logging in this park during the latter part of the 19th century. In earlier days, the park was surrounded by fine residential development on the river bank; a very small remnant today is nearby Heritage Village. A covered bandstand was built in the park c.1895. A contemporary photograph shows a thickly-wooded park, a 1920 photo, 25 years later, shows much thinning of trees had occurred. The bandstand was in use for about 50 years before its demolition in 1943-44. |
