The Sunset Park Project: Creating a New Destination for Nature and Recreation Enthusiasts

Written by Dr. Susan Isenberg , PhD

Florissant Parks Foundation Board Member

Sunset Park, hidden at the end of Humes Lane, is Florissant’s city park with nearly 90 acres of dramatic landscape on the bluffs of the Missouri River.  It has always been a quiet, natural, respite for picnickers, hikers, bird watchers and star gazers brimming with trees and flowers and teeming with wildlife.  But, steep foot trails make it hard for hikers to venture down to the water.  And, without a boat ramp, launching or docking a boat is next to impossible. There is no reason for boaters to venture upriver past St. Charles to Sunset Park without access to docking and gas.  But, Mayor Lowery and the Florissant Parks Foundation are ready to build a new Sunset Park that will keep the natural beauty while creating a destination for walking and river recreation, learning, and enjoyment for people of all ages. 

                                                                                   History of Sunset Park

Sunset Park is the newest Florissant Park and is the result of the acquisition over time of four land parcels that total nearly 90 acres of rolling and wooded terrain by the Missouri River in North St. Louis County.  It all began when Mayor Henry Koch was in office in the 1960s.

Sunset Park was first created through a generous river bluffs gift deed from the Minerva Oil Company and philanthropist Joseph Desloge, President, by authority of its Board of Directors.  The 26.75 acres of property

in North St. Louis County by the Missouri River was sold to the city of Florissant for $1.00 on December 11, 1961 and dedicated to the public and for the benefit of the residents of the City of Florissant.  Florissant,

in turn, agreed to improve the land and real estate with a playground or other recreational facilities

“as soon as it is practicable”.

Joseph Desloge, Jr. is 82 years old and still lives on his family property next to Sunset Park.  He said that his father, Joseph Desloge, a graduate of MIT and decorated for bravery in World War I, made his fortune in mining and manufacturing.  He wanted to move out of the city of St. Louis to “God’s Country” and bought the land during the depression for “next to nothing”. “He was a gentleman farmer – raising only his hat!” Joe Desloge, Jr. said of his father.  An article in Readers Digest at the time said that his father bought “bad” land because it was rolling and unsuited for farming.  Before donating a parcel of land for Sunset Park, Joseph Desloge donated the land for Johnson Shut-ins State Park as well as the money to build Desloge Hospital in St. Louis, now known as St. Louis University Hospital.

Joseph Desloge also sold Pelican Island (2300 acres) in the middle of the Missouri River to St. Louis County for $119.00/acre.  “Kind of a sweetheart deal”, says Joe Desloge, Jr.  Part of it is entrusted to his children.  The island has wolves and deer – a real wilderness area very close to and visible from Sunset Park.

On August 16, 1962, the City of Florissant leased 13 acres adjacent to the Desloge property from the Union Electric Company for $1.00 annually, with a promise to maintain the land in a “neat and orderly condition”.

Then, on February 1, 1963, the City of Florissant expanded Sunset Park further purchasing nearly 15.5 acres bordering the Union Electric Company’s leased land opposite the Desloge acreage.  The land was sold to Florissant by Willis and Luella Ehrhardt for $25,000.

A contest was held in May, 1964 to name Sunset Park, which was won by a young man named Vincent Fonte, Jr. from Florissant who received a $25.00 US Savings Bond.  This contest was sponsored by the Junior Park Board Members and the Park Board.  Prior to the contest, the park was known as Desloge Park.

The rustic 53-acre site on the Missouri River bluffs was dedicated July 12, 1967 as the City of Florissant’s fifth major park.  Known as Sunset Park, the area was to be maintained in its natural wooded state with a plan for four major picnicking areas for use by residents of the city and local scouting groups.  At that time, the only recreation facility planned for the park was an archery range.  Mayor James Eagan presided over the brief ceremony at 8:00 p.m. followed by a concert under the stars played by the Laclede Concert Band.

Later in 1967, two old houses located near the river’s edge were used by Sunset Park.  One was occupied by a Florissant Police officer, who kept an alert on the park premises during both on and off duty hours.  The second building was renovated and had meeting rooms available for organizations, and civic groups but not for overnight events such as scout camping. At the end of 1974, it was reported that the following activities had been held at Sunset Park:

-22 soccer teams using the field

-150 archers using the archery range

-40 residents were involved in programmed nature hikes

-2 full weeks of Girl Scout Day Camps during the summer

-29 scout groups were issued permits for picnicking and cook-outs

As years passed, the park use increased.  A Council Fire Ring was built for the use of Scout groups in their training programs.  Overnight camp sites have been designated for use by Scout groups, but only through written permission.  Projects planned for the future were a) a water tower, b) an observation tower, and c) a waterfront dock.  There was even a wedding held on the hill in the middle of Sunset Park with a picnic-type reception afterwards.  In 1975, snow sledding was popular but became prohibited due to the many tree injuries.  Even star gazers were attracted to the park late at night with their telescopes to take advantage of the high location and low ambient light.  The park was enjoyed by many Florissant residents between 1967 and 1975.

On February 6th, 1975, the final and largest parcel of land was purchased by the City of Florissant from William J. Riley and Molly T. Riley, his wife, for the sum of $1.00.

Over time, the park was disrespected by those using it.  Debris was dumped in the park ravines and in early the year 1976, the condition of Sunset Lodge was a concern.  Because of vandalism, all the windows of the lodge were boarded up, furniture removed, and utilities disconnected.  Vandals continued to tear off the boards, enter and have parties.  The lodge was leveled and a wooden pavilion with one restroom was erected in its place.  The cost of the project was around $10,000.  Around the same time, the park ravines were being used as landfills causing unsightly conditions in the park.  A letter of concern from the Desloge family about the debris in the ravines caused a change in policy and the ravines were cleaned up.

In 1979, Mayor James J. Eagan expressed an interest in developing the park.  He had a vision for a park that would meet the national standards for city parks, which at the time (between 1969 and 1985), according to Ron Veach, Director of Parks and Recreation, included a swimming pool, archery place, and ball diamond.  If the park was listed as a “waterway”, it had to have a marina and boat launch.  And, an ice rink was required for every 50,000 people.  However, “the national standards are no longer in existence” says Ron Veach.

In May 1979, a Master Plan was submitted for the development of Sunset Park at the request of Mayor James Eagan.  The plan was prepared by Warren & Van Praag, Inc. – Consulting Engineers and Architects.  Ron Veach and Tom Stevener worked on the plan together, which included attractions such as a boat ramp and slips, walking paths, camp sites and a nature lodge. 

Ron Veach and Tom Stevener had a scale model built according to national-city park standards and showed it to the community.  The total cost to carry out the plan was estimated to be about $2 million dollars.  The project was not in the city’s budget at the time, so they applied for a National Land and Water Conservation Grant but were turned down.  The paperwork was filed and the model was thrown away. 

New Plan for Sunset Park

In 2001, Mayor Robert Lowery was elected and wanted more activities for children in Florissant.  In 2002, he was ready to improve the parks.  Ron Veach remembered the old Sunset Park master plan, found it, and gave it to Mayor Lowery.  The Mayor took it home, came back with it the next day and said, “I want to do this”.

This time, Ron Veach and Bob Russell were put in charge of the Sunset Park project.  They researched it for a couple of years visiting other parks and talking with experts.  The original plan was revised, Ron and Bob took it back to Mayor Lowery and 2004 and it was approved.  The new plan includes a nature lodge, boat marina and store, lighthouse, restaurant, walking trails throughout the park and along the river, 5-acre scout camp and of course restroom facilities, park benches and picnic areas.

Because there was again no real money in the city budget for the park project, a 501c3 charitable foundation was created in 2004 to seek funding from individuals and organizations in the form of donations and in-kind services.  The Foundation’s Founding Fathers were Ron Veach, John Caravelli (President of Citizens Bank), Melina Clark (President of DePaul Hospital), Reverend DeClue, Mayor Lowery, Mike O’Mara, Don Zykan, and Diana Weidinger.  Since 2004, new members have joined the effort as follows:

Mark Behlmann – President

Tim Lee – Vice President

Diana Weidinger – Treasurer

Don Zykan – Secretary

Current Board Members:

Dan Boyle

Hank Bruemmer

Reverend James DeClue

Susan Isenberg, PhD

Chris Lotz

Steve Robbins

Ex-Officio:

Mayor Robert Lowery

Bob Russell

Ron Veach

To date, the Nature Lodge structure (the first of the new structures to be built in Sunset Park) is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2008.  It sits high on the bluff overlooking the river with a spectacular view.  Many schools have expressed an interest in bringing their classes to the Nature Lodge for instruction and experiential learning.  A Naturalist will be employed to educate, lead nature hikes and answer questions.  Other ecological and natural science opportunities are being explored such as demonstrations of home gardening, wind and solar power and of course natural habitat preservation.  Many companies have pledged contributions for further development and relationships are forming with local universities, non-profit organizations, for-profit companies and interested groups and individuals to collaborate for the project’s success.

Joseph Desloge, Jr. recently visited the Nature Lodge under construction and was given the grand tour by Mark Behlmann, Ron Veach, and Don Zykan.  “I really like it!” he said.  “I am particularly impressed by the beautiful view and the efficient heating and cooling system that is being installed.”  Joe is committed to

following the park’s progress.  After all, it’s right in his backyard!