Chergosky Park

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Name: The park was referred to in the neighborhood as Chergosky Park long before the park board acquired the land in 1992. Chergosky was the name of a neighborhood grocer and Andrew Hargens, who built the first park as an Eagle Scout Project in 1982, named it after him. The park board continued using the name although it was never formally adopted.

Acquisition and Development

Prior to the acquisition and development of the totlot currently located at the southeast Minneapolis location, Chergosky Park was created for an Eagle Scout project, by member, Andrew Hargens, in 1982. At that time, on what was a vacant and overgrown patch of land, Hargens spoke with the City Councilor and State Representative to approve the building of the park. Hargens compiled items to build the park through donations from then, Weyerhaeuser Facility and a local utility company, along with funds from Troop 195. With the help from fellow Scouts and neighborhood members, the park was constructed out of two large wire spool tables, buried log seats, railroad tie entry steps, wooden benches and a wooden sign. Hargens then chose to name the park after local grocery store owner, Don Chergosky, to honor his legacy after his passing.

It was not until February of 1992, that the neighborhood requested a playground for Chergosky Park.   The acquisition and development of this small park and playground for children, separated by a sound wall from I-94, may have set a speed record. In response to requests from the neighborhood to take over and develop the land as a park, the park board expressed its support in April for efforts to revitalize the park. In July of that year the park board applied to the state for acquisition of the land, which was originally acquired by the state for non-payment of taxes. In its application to the state for the land, the park board called it “vacant and unused” and “suitable for park purposes.” The development of the small park was aided by a donation of $7,500 from the Weyerhaeuser Foundation in August and initial improvements to the park were completed by September of 1992.

What makes the speed of development especially noteworthy was that at the beginning of 1992, the City of Minneapolis, not the state, owned the land. The city had acquired the land from the state in 1942 to be used exclusively for street purposes. At that time the land was on the state’s list of property forfeited for failure to pay taxes. Due to that restriction, using the land for a park required that the city return the land to the state and the state then give it to the park board.
The park board has acquired significant properties over the years from the state’s list of tax-forfeited properties, including parts of North Mississippi, Bossen, Northeast, Peavey and McRae parks.

Park history compiled and written by David C. Smith and updated by the Archivist, Katelyn Morken, with the help of Andrew Hargens, in 2021.