Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site
State park located in Oregon, U.S.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site, also known as Helmick Park, is a state park located south of Monmouth, in Polk County, Oregon, United States. It is located on the floodplain of the Luckiamute River and is forested by Bigleaf Maple, Douglas-fir, and Black Cottonwood trees, among other varieties. The park is named for Sarah Helmick, a pioneer to Oregon in 1845 who donated the original land. Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site is the first state park established in Oregon.[2] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.[3]
| Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site | |
|---|---|
Picnic area | |
  Location within Oregon  Location within the United States | |
| Type | Public, state |
| Location | Polk, County, Oregon |
| Nearest city | Monmouth |
| Coordinates | 44°46′54″N 123°14′16″W[1] |
| Operator | Oregon Parks and Recreation Department |
History
Establishment
The land for the park was the first land acquired by what was then the State Highway Commission for use as a park when Sarah Helmick donated 5.16 acres (2.09 ha) and James and Amanda Helmick donated 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) on February 15, 1922.[4]
The park's namesake, Sarah Helmick (1823-1924), was an Oregon pioneer who settled a donation land claim which included the park land with her husband during the second half of the 1840s.[5] The resident of Albany, Oregon gifted the original parcel of land for use as an "automobile campground."[5]
Expansion
In 1948, 23.65 acres (95,700 m2) were purchased and added to the park, followed by a gift of 1.7 acres (0.69 ha) later that same year.[4] Currently a day-use only park, the park used to have overnight camping facilities.[4]
