City rededicates Nevada's first park

Treadway Park, a grassy acre of land dotted with giant cottonwood trees at the end of William Street, was rededicated as a city park at a celebration Saturday that recounted the colorful history of the park and the man who created it.

About 100 people turned out to hear testimony about how the park came to be. Pete Livermore was master of ceremonies, and was lauded as a driving force behind the effort to have the city take over the park.

"You can see the opportunities for this park, and how this park can be used for a huge amount of activities for years to come," Livermore said.

Carson City Mayor Bob Crowell read a proclamation rededicating the park, and recounted his boyhood growing up down the street from the property.

"Treadway Park, being the first park in Carson City, somebody back in the 1800s had a great vision on how to create and sustain quality of life in our community," Crowell said.

The property started out in 1866 with a federal land patent that deeded 300 acres to Aaron Draper Treadway. Affectionately known as both Farmer Treadway and Uncle Tread, he planted cottonwoods and fruit trees on the property and turned 20 acres of the land into a private park. It would be the first park, public or private, in Nevada, according to retired State Archivist Guy Rocha. The park was popular with citizens of Carson City and the surrounding area, and Rocha recounted how many people from Virginia City and elsewhere would ride the train down to spend the day at the park.

"It is fitting that we celebrate this rededication on July 4th, because there were many Independence Day celebrations held at this park in the latter 19th century," Rocha said.

Rocha quoted the Carson City Appeal newspaper at the time stating that "by the establishment of the Treadway Park, he made a resort that was the finest picnic grounds in the state." The article went on the say "Everyone who can remember the great picnics will remember the farmer, and bless the day that he planted the trees in this valley."

Philip Earl told the audience how the park was used as a training facility for National Guard personnel during the later part of the 19th century. In 1898, it was converted for a short time to be Camp Clark, and housed soldiers training to take part in the Spanish-American War.

Treadway helped form Nevada's territorial government, and was active in Republican politics, elected to Nevada Assembly representing Ormsby County. He unsuccessfully ran for governor in 1882.

His health failing, Treadway sold the bulk of his ranch to George Bath in 1901. A few months later he sold the rest to his stepdaughter, and lived with her on the property until his death in 1903 at age 87. The property passed out of the family's hands two years later.

The land eventually was used to build the original Carson Tahoe Hospital in 1949, and its replacement in 1968. The opening of the new hospital in north Carson City in 2005, and the sale of the old hospital to a private firm provided the impetus to transfer the park to the city.

Charles William Treadway "Bud" Rickey and daughter Rita Rickey Thomas are decedents of Aaron Draper Treadway, and were honored at the event. Bud Rickey, who lives near Winnemucca, said he had known about the park for some time, but didn't see it until 1988.

"I got hit in the head by a bull, and I was in there (the hospital) getting my head sewed up," Rickey said. "And I asked the doctor, 'Where is Treadway Park? And he said, 'You're laying in it.'"