The New Cherokee Park

Stone Bridge on Beargrass Creek

Of course, Cherokee Park in Louisville, KY, is not new by any means. In 1887, a city park system was proposed (and designed by Frank Law Olmstead) with three large suburban parks: east, west and south. The initial name of the eastern park was to be Beargrass Park, but in 1891, as was fashionable in the late 19th century, a name that evoked the romantic imagery of Native Americans was chosen, thus Cherokee, Iroquois and Senecas Parks. 

Phaecilia

When Dick and I were younger (define that as you wish), his folks had a house at the top of  Maple Road which leads down into the park. At the time, all the roads were two-way, and Dad used the park as a short-cut to everywhere else in Louisville. As he drove his big Cadillac down Maple Rd., I closed my eyes, praying that no one would try to drive UP the narrow street while we went down into the Park. Mom had a few bird feeders, but Dad was mostly concerned about keeping the deer out of his roses. We seldom walked down Maple Rd. to see the flowers bloom. Now I see that those limestone cliffs are home to many species of Kentucky native wildflowers. If we went to the park at all, is was on the roads.

Last year, in 2020 after my cancer recovery, we saw lots of emails from birders listing the wonderful birds they saw in Cherokee Park and Nettleroth Bird Sanctuary (which is part of the park). This spring, however, I have lost both my balance and some of my vision somewhere, and I'm limiting myself to flat locations, such as Cherokee Park, and searching more for wildflowers than birds (who make me dizzy flying over my head). The city is blocking off some of the trail bikes, making it safer for pedestrians. We still stay on one side of the park, and get lost quickly if we try to explore those trails leading to the other neighborhoods in town. 

Much of the park was heavily damaged in the April 3, 1974, tornado Super Outbreak. The tornado was an F4 on the Fujita scale. A city forester surveying the aftermath said, "I don't believe that anyone alive today will see Cherokee Park as it was before the storm." Since then, many of the re-planted trees have grown back, but invasive plants have really taken hold. Because of the loss of thousands of mature trees, a massive re-planting effort was undertaken, financed in large part by a grant from the United States government under the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. However, to qualify for these funds, the park had to be restored to its pre-tornado design as faithfully as possible. 

Dogwood Tree in bloom

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Sessile Trilliums and others

Since the pandemic, the city closed all the roads in the parks to vehicular traffic, which I appreciate. It seems that most of the park users I see are running, pushing baby strollers and walking dogs (mostly on leases). Sometimes you find a birder with binoculars. I an amazed at the native wildflowers growing in the park, and have focused on the flowers this spring.