LOCAL HISTORY: Oregon’s first state park, in Polk County, anchors centennial celebration

A sign at Sarah Helmick State Park details the family’s original donation to the state (Wikimedia Commons)

This column was originally written for the Willamette Valley Genealogical Society’s publication in a slightly different form and is shared here with permission.

Did you know that the Capitol Mall in Salem is an official state park? It is currently funded and maintained by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. This department grew out of and evolved over…