Past and Present of the International Peace Gardens Bryce Martin

What is the history behind the Peace Gardens located in Salt Lake City, Utah? What can we learn about the Peace Gardens today from its history and what lessons about civic responsibility can be learned?

3/19/2014

Introduction Places are constantly changing, and they never stop writing stories about their past, present and future. The International Peace Gardens located in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a beautiful example of the constant change of places. The park is divided into twenty-eight different gardens, each one representing a foreign nation of the world. It was initially made to give international groups a chance to beautify Salt Lake City, but this history is in the past, and the Peace Gardens is now 1 The entrance gate into the Peace Gardens.

facing immense uncertainty about its future. This report will be looking at a couple of things: first, the actual recorded history of the Peace Gardens, using information from multiple mediums. Sources used include website research, cited at the end of the report, and various historical landmarks in the park itself. Secondly, we will look at the park in its current state today by means of photos and notes taken from observation. In closing, the future of this wonderful place will be discussed, hoping to shed some light on the negative state and direction 2 The main statue in the American Gardens. of this neglected establishment.

The History of the Peace Gardens

Conception The idea of the gardens was conceived in 1939 by Mrs. Otto Wiseley, as seen in this image. She was a member of the Salt Lake City Council of Women. The purpose of this Council was to take an active role in community affairs and promote general welfare to communities of the Wasatch Front, as stated on the gardens official website. Wiseleys plan to create the gardens was a way to involve the international community in the beautification of Salt Lake City for the upcoming Centennial Celebration of 1947.The Centennial Celebration of 1947 was only celebrated in Utah because it was a commemoration of the Mormon pioneers 100th anniversary of their arrival to the Great Salt Lake Valley. Wiseleys idea was that different foreign groups would be asked to organize and design their section of the garden inspired by their home country at their own expense. Once the garden was finished, it would be presented to the city, who then assumed permanent maintenance of the garden. It was decided that the garden would be built inside a dedicated eleven acre section of Jordan Park. After the idea was presented to and approved by the Parks department, initiation of the project began that same year, in 1939.

Delays Two years after the initiation of the Peace Gardens project, the planting of the gardens was halted due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the United States entrance into World War II. Mrs. Wiesley shifted her focus to the war efforts, and the gardens were left alone for about six years with no additional progress being made. Starting in 1947, one year after the end of the war, the gardens project jumped back into development. Slow but Steady Completion The same year that the gardens project was resumed, the American gardens were finished first and dedicated on July 1st. The dedication of the Japanese gardens followed on July 11th, 1950. The dedication of the entire Peace Gardens was in 1952; after dedication, the remaining twenty-six gardens came trickling in every two to eight years. Finally, the last gardens, the Tongan gardens, were completed in the year 2000, sixty-one years after the conception of the gardens. Sadly, Mrs. Wiesley never saw the completion of the project because she died on January 8th, 1968.

The Peace Gardens Today

Current Operation The gardens are located in a poorer neighborhood west of downtown Salt Lake at 3 The twenty-eight countries and their location in the park. 1000 South and 900 west. The park is

officially open May 1st through September 30th, although you can still wander them during the rest of the year. This report was written during the off-season in early 2014, so the beauty of the gardens may not be well-represented. Place of Peace The gardens always have something to offer with every visit because all of the gardens are different and unique in their own regard. As shown in the park map, all of the gardens are of various shapes and sizes, and all of them are fairly distinct in their own style and execution. They have always been rather quiet and secluded; on weekends they have a lot more visitors than on typical workdays, but even with the increase in visitors, the gardens evade the busy nature of 4 Props and variation of the Switzerland Gardens

everyday life. Some of the gardens were better designed than others; some feel rather dull, with little thought put in them. A few are nothing more than a grassy lot with about two trees and one small dedication memorial. On the other hand, some of the gardens are very well done, implementing representative features of the country while staying within the environmental boundaries placed by Utahs climate.

The Conspicuous Flaw The Peace Gardens sound wonderful and are, to an extent, but there is one thing about them that is almost impossible to missthe gardens suffer from neglect and apparent lack of maintenance. Many of the statues and props suffer from wear, and some have broken sections. A good example of wear is the Japanese bridge, pictured at left. Another eyesore is the amount of graffiti on many surfaces within the park. While most has been removed, faint scars remain. Another sign of neglect is a large amount of litter around the park. 5 An example of wear on the Japanese bridge, mainly paint scrapes. While it isnt apparent everywhere,

there are some hang-out spots flooded with trash: beer cans, food cans, cigarettes, and even a shopping cart. A possible reason for this disrepair could be the fact that the Peace Gardens are located in a more rough neighborhood; online comments about the park have said multiple times that the gardens dont give off a good vibe at night. With all of the parks beauty, it has a darker side that detracts from the appeal. The Gardens message of peace almost becomes violated when placed in this unsafe and un-kept setting.

Message of Peace
Sacrifices Made In reviewing the history of the Peace Gardens, it is apparent that the project was a significant matter to the past citizens of Utah and to the international groups they recruited for

help; they gave up a lot of their own personal time, without compensation, to create this symbolic park. There is no doubt that these citizens were concerned with the lives of the future generations, because they were committed to making a place symbolic of peace and world understanding. Symbolism Vs Reality The Peace Gardens was planned to be a symbol of the true spirit of democracy and world peace, brotherly love, history, literature and cultural heritage of many lands, as stated on the Peace Gardens official website. It is a place created by multiple ethnic groups to give others a sense of who they are and what their heritage is, and to help promote understanding and acceptance between nations. Ironically, the United States has been at war or has had severe tension with other countries ever since the gardens were created. From World War II, the Cold War, the Korean and Vietnam wars, and now the War on Terror, the United States has had virtually no break from war ever since the gardens were conceived in 1939. The neglect in the Peace Gardens directly reflects our attitudes as a country toward peace, we want to have it, but nothing seems to be done about getting it. We claim to be the ones who are responsible for peace and freedom in the world, but our attitudes and actions point toward neglect in our efforts to do so. If we are to claim civic responsibility for peace between nations, we need to act upon it. What can we do? It is unfortunate to see this beautiful place, created with great effort and considerable thought, become dilapidated and overlooked. The Peace Gardens were intended to be symbolic of our civic responsibility to coexist with one another, to overcome cultural and ideological differences. We need to consider what the past citizens behind the Peace Gardens project are trying to tell us. Even if the Peace Gardens go to waste, as long as they inspire at least a small

group of individuals to work toward a more unified future between nations, they will have accomplished their purpose. The time to stand for peace is now; now is the time to put differences aside and focus on working as one, as a state, as a country, as a union, as a world.

Bibliography
"Ruey Hazlet Wiesley." Ruey Hazlet Wiesley. State of Utah, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

Haddock, Marc. "Celebrating Pioneer Day in 1947." DeseretNews.com. Deseret News, 20 July 2009. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
"Welcome to the Official Site of the Salt Lake City International Peace Gardens." Peace Gardens Home. Salt Lake City Corporation, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. "International Peace Gardens Academy-Jordan Park, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA." International Peace Gardens Academy-Jordan Park, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. International Peace Gardens Academy, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.