Veterans Park
Location: Mt-Hwy 2/Main Street, East Neal Street, & N. 1St Avenue East
The land for this park used to be a gravel storage site for road maintenance. Volunteers from Three Forks and Trident took it over by cleaning up the site, asking Ideal Cement to donate the concrete for curbing and began cultivating the land to form a park. In 1947 those volunteers stamped a corner stone essentially, and unofficially, created the park.
This park was dedicated in 1947 after members of the Three Forks community had served and died in World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. In 1970, a plaque with all the names of veterans lost between 1918 and 1968 were individually listed and memorialized on the large placard.
Today, this park also serves to memorialize our veterans lost in more recent wars, as well as to honor those who have been able to return home to us. It stands to remind us of our freedom, the cost of that freedom, and the sacrifice of our brothers and sisters who serve our country.
In 2016, the Veteran of Foreign Wars Post #7621 installed six flagpoles to fly the flags of all branches of our military (Army, Navy, Marine Corp, Coast Guard and Air Force), as well as the USA flag with POW-MIA flag flying below it. These are kept lit at night and serve to honor all those servicemen and women who sacrifice their time, and lives, for us.
The annual Headwaters Trail Race starts at this park the third Saturday of July.
The City moved what was a home-made memorial plaque dedicated to remembrance of Japanese citizens who fought in World War II to Veteran’s Park in February 2020. The City was awarded a grant and paid half of its own Park Funds to recreate the memorial in a bronzed plaque and held a dedication ceremony thanking the Veterans and the Lilly family for this idea to honor our local heroes.
No reservation required, this park is first-come, first-served.