101 Years Ago
The September 3, 1925 Colorado Transcript announced that the Golden Kiwanis Club wanted to name their new park in honor of George W. Parfet. The Kiwanis Club was new at that time, having been formed in 1921. Mr. Parfet was the club's first president and was serving in that role when he died in 1924. The plans for the park were already underway when he died, and making this new park a tribute to him seemed fitting.
The southeast corner of 10th and Washington was originally the site of one of Golden’s first buildings, the Boston Company. For a number of years, into the early 1920s, that area served as an unofficial town dump.
Transitioning the land from dump to park required significant clean-up. Some of the trash was removed, while some was shoved over to the east side of the park, where it remained for a few more years. The park was dedicated in 1929.
Shared Ownership
In 1924, Golden opened a new high school on the other side of 10th Street and the new park was intended to serve a dual purpose--both city park and recreation grounds for the high school.
For a number of years, Parfet was Golden’s only downtown park. Formal and informal summer camps were conducted there beginning in 1935. Softball, football, and tennis were played in the park. Scout troops often met there. Frequent band concerts were held in the park, and many organizations used it for picnics and potlucks.
Council approved a plan to build restrooms in the park in 1945, but it took until 1955 before they were built, with labor provided by the Golden Lions Club. The restrooms were repeatedly vandalized, with plumbing appliances pulled out of the walls. (“Hoodlums” also smashed picnic tables and threw them in the creek.)
The Mill Race
Parfet Park was bisected by a mill race (a ditch) for many years. The water running through the mill race powered the grinding operations at the Golden Mill. It was an attractive nuisance, and reportedly several children drowned in the water. The final death was a 19-month-old boy in 1949.
In 1952, the city negotiated a deal with the Peery family, who owned the mill. It paid them $12,500 for the water rights so they could close the ditch. The ditch was filled in 1954. According to the Transcript, Jesse Quaintance dug the ditch to power his mill in the 1870s and his great-grandson, Arthur Lowther (the City Manager) filled it in 80 years later.
Complications of Shared Ownership
Ownership and maintenance of the park was an ongoing subject of dispute between the city and the school district. The school district complained that the city wouldn't let them develop the property as a playground or athletic field. The city said the school maintained the property very badly, letting it go to weeds. Gym teachers had their students run laps around the perimeter of the park, leaving bare dirt all around the edges. One teacher cut down a tree to make more room for his classes. Issues over maintenance continued for many years, and finally in 1972 the school district deeded the land to the city.
Today, despite not having any playground equipment, Parfet is probably Golden’s hardest-working park. During the summer, Buffalo Bill Days is followed by Movies in the Park, National Night out, the Golden Fine Arts Festival, and the Chili Cookoff. In January, UllrGrass fills the park and in the spring, there’s the Easter egg hunt. On any given day, dozens of people hang out there. Through it all, the City does an impressive job of maintaining the grass and trees.
The concrete bench and artfully arrayed boulders were designed as a memorial to George W. Parfet and the bronze plaque on the central boulder is inscribed with his name.
