Et cetera : Box Memorial Park: Belle Plaine’s Jewel Box

In my many travels around Benton County, I am often times delighted to stumble upon hidden treasures within the county, unknown to most people. One such treasure is Box Memorial Park, or “Box Park”, in the town of Belle Plaine, Iowa.

Upon entering Belle Plaine on the Henry B. Tippie roadway from the east, one barely enters the town and an overwhelming sense of pride and ownership greets visitors as they gaze upon the approximate 4 acre park located on the north side of the road.

The land for Box Park was donated to the city in October 1990 by Hans Glissman in memory of his wife, the late Dr. Jean Box Glissman. A letter written by Dr. Glissman’s sister, Dr. Louise Box Hutchinson, also indicated her wishes were for the land to be used as a park in memory of the Box sister’s parents – Richard and Iona Box. As the city of Belle Plaine did not have the funding necessary to develop the land, it was leased out as farm land for the first five years. After several unsuccessful REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection) grant applications, Bill Daily, then Parks and Recreations Director, used the money from the farm lease to till and seed the land. Daily worked diligently to create trails and flower beds, and plant trees and shrubs donated by the Belle Plaine Nursery. Now the current City Manager, Bill Daily’s pride in his work lives on as Master Gardeners have coordinated and recruited volunteers to adopt 14 of the 18 flower beds within the park. As recently as 2009, a new shelter house/restroom facility was added to the central portion of the park, creating an oasis within. 

2008 saw the opportunity for Belle Plaine to participate in the Iowa’s Living Roadway’s Visioning Program and a “wet” area in Box Park was identified as a landscaping enhancement opportunity. From this opportunity, Belle Plaine Partners for Beautification (BPPB) was formed and was awarded an Iowa’s Living Roadway’s Project Grant. The funding was used to enhance areas near the parks east entrance by planting numerous trees and shrubs and create a bioswale, a landscape element designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water. 

The need for the bioswale came about when volunteers from the local FFA donated time and materials to remove a section of sidewalk that continually flooded and replaced it with a raised sidewalk and drainage tile. With input from Trees Forever, BPPB volunteers sprayed the wet area several times to eliminate the turf grass. In December 2009, two days prior to a heavy snowfall, the area was seeded with a 2.25 lb mixture of wet-mesic and marsh emergent site mix - native seed mixes designed for generally wet areas. The timing couldn’t have been better. The spring thaw of 2010 revealed a plethora of native prairie plants thriving in the once former “problem” area. Native prairie plants have deep roots, often times extending to 20 feet or more below the surface. Acting as filters, the plants help to control pollution, flooding and erosion all the while enhancing the above ground appearance.

Plans to extend the prairie south of the trail have been discussed as mowing is a continual problem even in dry years when the area remains wet. 

As most prairies take up to three years to develop, patience is a virtue. The Box sisters would be proud of the citizens of Belle Plaine; already in its first year the wet prairie produced such wonders as Blue Flag Iris, Cardinal Flower, Swamp Milkweed, Lobelia, Black-eyed Susan, Indian Grass, Purple Cone Flower, Saw-toothed Sunflower, Sedges, and Rushes.

The Belle Plaine Partners for Beautification is always looking for new volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering for ongoing projects, contact Vicki Schwab at 319-444-2086.