Entrance to Weed Park – post card, 1938
WEED PARK By Jennifer Howell & Virginia Cooper
James Weed moved to Bloomington, now Muscatine, in 1839. He was qualified to practice both medicine and dentistry but his true love was horticulture. On May 12, 1899, pioneer horticulturalist James Weed and his wife Mary, deeded 63 acres of their farmland to the City of Muscatine and the Muscatine Park and Floral Association for use as a park. The deed cost $1 and required the city to lease the land to the Muscatine Park and Floral Association, with the Weeds receiving $200 annually for the lease. The Muscatine Park and 2 Muscatine Magazine • Spring 2022
Floral Association was incorporated on June 13, 1899. The lease was paid for with proceeds from fundraisers and the Association’s membership dues. The association was the forerunner to the Muscatine Park Commission. The park became a popular gathering spot for Muscatine residents and remains so today. James & Mary Weed
