The City of Madison Parks Department is actively planning improvements to our two neighborhood parks: Harvey Schmidt Park and Fraust Park. Please follow the links below for the latest developments in the planning process. Adam Kaniewski, akaniewski@cityofmadison.com, from the Parks Department is the lead contact person for these projects. There are many moving parts in these multiple years long projects. For more detailed responses from them about specific concerns neighbors have raised regarding the City’s changes to the Parks please visit this page: City Response
Who are the Parks named after?
Fraust Park
Edison Fraust (1898-1974) lived in Madison for over 50 years spending his youth working at the famed Cleveland’s Lunch Room restaurant downtown. In his later years he owned and dealt in real estate in and around Madison. In 1957 the Town of Madison board voted to appropriate $6,000 to buy 2.6 acres of land adjoining its new town hall from Fraust. About 1.5 acres of that land was to be used for a park and named in his honor.
It’s interesting to note that originally Fraust wanted the property to be zoned ‘heavy commercial’ but the Lake Forest residents adjoining the property protested.
Harvey Schmidt Park
Harvey Eugene Schmidt (1925-2002) was a respected Town of Madison Chair in the ‘60s and ‘70s and the park was named after him in appreciation. (There is some speculation that he owned all the recorded lots along the lagoon that constitute the park site which he then gave to the Town.)
Harvey owned the greenhouse/nursery at Irish Lane and Fish Hatchery Road (named Schmidt Nursery and which is now K & A Nursery).
He and his family also lived in the house that he built on the south side of Martin Street at the end of Irwin Place. An 8-unit apartment is currently on that site.
This is a photograph of Harvey Schmidt pointing to the boundary lines of the township around the City of Madison. (October 1965)
Arboretum Neighborhood Association 