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Salem Parks

The pride and joy of any town is the public park system. Salem boasts hidden gems located inside neighborhoods, larger community parks with reservable areas for weddings, reunions, company picnics, and athletic tournaments, plus special event parks for concerts, festivals, movies, and run/walk events. Salem is fortunate to have historical sites and park features not found anywhere this side of the Mississippi. Salem's thriving volunteer base works in tandem, contributing assistance to support these wonderful City resources.

Waldo Park is considered one of the world's smallest public parks at .005 acres. The tree was purchased from a travelling salesman in 1872 by pioneer and prominent citizen, Judge William Waldo, who planted the Sequoia Gigantea (Redwood Tree) on the corner of his farmland, which at the time was just outside city limits. The tree remained in place even after the Judge left his property to make room for a state highway. After his death in 1911, the Sequoia was designated a traffic hazard several times and each time the street was widened and paved, citizens fought to have the tree preserved. In 1936, the Salem chapter of American War Mothers convinced Salem Common Council to declare the giant Redwood, plus the 12x20 foot piece of land it sits on, a public park to be named after Judge Waldo, placing a plaque at the base of the tree in his honor.

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