Can you name this park?
Photographed by Darylann Leonard
The steady rumble of cascading falls provides the soundtrack to this popular picnic spot at the river’s edge, where tulips dot the landscape come springtime and the stark geometry of an old rail bridge frames iridescent evening skies. Before becoming a park, the lot served as a rail yard for the local train depot, often called an “Ellis Island” to thousands of French-Canadian immigrants in the early 20th century. The falls previously powered several major textile mills. Now they lend their name to a hot-air balloon festival every summer. Perambulators enjoy trails across the river, while runners, cyclists, and revelers descend on the park in fall for an annual series of charitable races and concerts hosted by a certain McDreamy television actor and native son of the city. Most of the time, though, local families and college students come for the tranquility, and history buffs might stop to examine some of the park’s artifacts, including an artillery shell from the ill-fated battleship USS Maine.
If you can name this park, send us a note at P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843 or shoot an email to editorial@downeast.com. We’ll feature our favorite letter in an upcoming issue — and send the winner a Down East wall calendar.