International Peace Garden; History and Progress

              INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDEN, INCORPORATED
History
A C E R T A I N c i t i z e n of C a n a d a w a s r e t u r n i n g i n 1 9 2 8 to t h e l a n d o f h i s a d o p t i o n,
after a t t e n d i n g a g a t h e r i n g of G a r d e n e r s h e l d i n G r e e n w i c h , C o n n e c t i c u t , a n d,
t h i n k i n g of the w a r m w e l c o m e he h a d r e c e i v e d a n d the i n t e r e s t i n g p e o p l e h e h ad
a s s o c i a t e d w i t h , the t h o u g h t came to h i m , " W h y not h a v e a G a r d e n o n t h e Inter­n
a t i o n a l B o u n d a r y L i n e w h e r e the p e o p l e of the t w o c o u n t r i e s c o u l d share the
g l o r i e s f o u n d i n a l o v e l y g a r d e n a n d the pleasures f o u n d i n w a r m f r i e n d s h i p s ?"
T h i s m a n , H e n r y J . M o o r e of I s l i n g t o n , O n t a r i o , h a d g r a d u a t e d f r om t h e famous
K e w G a r d e n s of E n g l a n d a n d h a d taugh t at C o r n e l l U n i v e r s i t y a n d at the O n t a r i o ,
A g r i c u l t u r a l C o l l e g e.
A year l a t e r , the N a t i o n a l A s s o c i a t i o n o f G a r d e n e r s of t h e U n i t e d States met
i n T o r o n t o a n d a p p r o v e d M r . M o o r e ' s i d e a . A n I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o m m i t t e e of three
was a p p o i n t e d , — t w o A m e r i c a n s a n d one C a n a d i a n , to select a s u i t a b l e spot w h e re
t h e t w o n a t i o n s c o u l d m i n g l e f r e e l y w i t h o u t b a r r i e r s . L a r g e l y t h r o u g h t h e efforts
of M r . J . W . P a r m l e y , I p s w i c h , S o u t h D a k o t a , a n d M r . W . V . U d a l l , B o i s s e v a i n,
M a n i t o b a , c h a i r m e n of the C a n a l to C a n a d a h i g h w a y committees in their
r e s p e c t i v e c o u n t r i e s , D r . M o o r e a n d J o s e p h D u n l o p of S o u t h E u c l i d , O h i o,
i n s p e c t e d the T u r t l e M o u n t a i n d i s t r i c t i n e a r l y June, 1931. T h e State of N o r th
D a k o t a m a d e p o s s i b l e a n a e r o p l a n e t r i p over the area, a n d D r . M o o r e d e s c r i b ed
t h e t r i p o v e r t h e M o u n t a i n s i n t h e s e w o r d s:
" W h a t a sight g r e e t e d the eye! T h o s e u n d u l a t i n g h i l l s r i s i n g out of
t h e l i m i t l e s s p r a i r i e s are f i l l e d w i t h lakes a n d streams. O n the south of
t h e u n r e c o g n i z a b l e b o u n d a r y , w h e a t e v e r y w h e r e ; a n d o n t h e n o r t h , the
M a n i t o b a F o r e s t R e s e r v e . W h a t a p l a c e for a G a r d e n !"
T h e State of N o r t h D a k o t a offered to p r o v i d e 8 8 8 acres of l a n d , a b o u t one-h
a l f f a rm l a n d s , t h e r e m a i n d e r tree c o v e r e d a n d g e n t l y u n d u l a t i n g . T h e P r o v i n ce
of M a n i t o b a t r a n s f e r r e d to the I n t e r n a t i o n a l P e a c e G a r d e n c o r p o r a t i o n for as l o ng
as t h e P e a c e G a r d e n c o n t i n u e s , a b l o c k of adjacent l a n d t h a t m e a s u r e d w h e n the
f i n a l s u r v e y was m a d e , 1,451.3 acres. T h i s w a s forest r e s e r v e , e x t r e m e l y u n d u l a t ­i
n g , w i t h r o u n d t o p p e d h i l l s c r o w n e d w i t h p a p e r b i r c h , w i t h p o p l a r a n d oak at
i n t e r m e d i a t e levels, a n d w i l l o w o n t h e l o w e r l a n d s . L a t e r i n t h e year the c o m m i t ­tee
o f fifty met a n d r e a c h e d a d e c i s i o n , w h i c h was a l m o s t u n a n i m o u s , t h a t t h e offer
of these p r o p e r t i e s be a c c e p t e d.
D r . M o o r e , i n a r a d i o address g i v e n C h r i s t m a s n i g h t that same year over
C F R B i n T o r o n t o , m a d e this statement:
" T h e Great G a r d e n w i l l be on t h e C a n a l to C a n a d a h i g h w a y , at i
p o i n t o n t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l B o u n d a r y b e t w e e n D u n s e i t h , N o r t h D a k o t a,
a n d B o i s s e v a i n , M a n i t o b a , a n d s i x t y m i l e s s o u t h of B r a n d o n . T h e l o c a t i on
is almost t h e exact centre b e t w e e n the A t l a n t i c a n d the P a c i f i c a n d but
t h i r t y m i l e s n o r t h of the exact centre of the N o r t h A m e r i c a n continent
w h i c h is at R u g b y , N o r t h D a k o t a . T h e h i g h w a y extends f r om a point
t w o h u n d r e d m i l e s n o r t h of t h e b o u n d a r y to t h e P a n a m a C a n a l , a n d i t is
t o e x t e n d n o r t h to C h u r c h i l l a n d s o u t h to C a p e H o r n . U p o n this M a in
S t r e e t of t h e A m e r i c a s , w h i c h w i l l b e the l o n g e s t n o r t h a n d s o u t h h i g h ­w
a y in the w o r l d , w i l l t r a v e l m i l l i o n s of p e o p l e i n t h e days to come."
T h e H i g h w a y , i t i s h o p e d , w i l l l i n k t h i s G a r d e n of P e a c e w i t h the monument,
C h r i s t of the A n d e s , e r e c t e d b y the A r g e n t i n e a n d C h i l e a n g o v e r n m e n t s on t h e ir
b o u n d a r y i n 1904.
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