VETERANS PARK AND BANDSHELL

SIDE ONE: In 1929, the St. Cloud Tribune published a call for the local government to start a beautification program. By the following summer, the city had created a commission to oversee multiple construction projects, including Veterans Park. One year later, the State Road Department donated soil to the project while working on Highway 192 and citizens donated the use of their trucks to transport it to the park. The community raised $50 to hire a landscape architect to finalize plans for Veterans Park. Native plants were chosen to reduce maintenance. The American Legion donated bricks for the walkways. An artificial pool was later excavated using machinery from a nearby project. The pool was one of only a few that had been successfully completed in Florida at the time. On June 13, 1937, Mayor Clarence C. Smith dedicated the park to all veterans of the United States Armed Forces in a large ceremony. A large coquina rock was placed on the north side of the park with a bronze marker that read “Memorial to Veterans of All Wars.” SIDE TWO: The park remained an important asset to the community, who raised $312.64 for the construction of a bandshell. On May 22, 1952, under the direction of Joseph Kneer, ground was broken for the bandshell. The project progressed rapidly, with footers poured for the building by June. However, by the end of the year additional fundraising auctions became necessary. In 1954, the Jaycees joined the effort, working nights and Sundays to help complete the bandshell. In early 1955, despite being incomplete, the bandshell started hosting concerts to raise additional funds. The residents of St. Cloud hosted dances and continued to fundraise to complete the bandshell. On November 20, 1955, the bandshell was dedicated in a ceremony that featured the Presentation of Colors by the Boy Scouts and the St. Cloud High School band playing the National Anthem. As of 2023, the bandshell remained a rare bandshell from that era still being used in the state.