Howarth Park had its beginning back in 1873 when the Santa Rosa Water Works Company was first formed. The first water works company Board of Directors, Jackson Temple, E. T. Farmer, James P. Clark, C. F. Juilliard, and F. G. Hahman, were responsible for securing the Howarth Park property and constructing the original earthen dam.
The Santa Rosa Water Works Company was later acquired by Mark L. McDonald, a San Francisco stock broker. He built the famous “Mableton”, known today as the McDonald Mansion, where the movie “Pollyanna” was filmed. He enlarged the reservoir in 1894 when the earthen dam was raised seven feet to its present height. After the dam was enlarged, McDonald named the new lake after his wife, Ralphine North.
Leonard Howarth was a British-born industrialist who became a millionaire in paper mills, mining, and lumber in Washington. Stricken by paralysis in his mid-30s, he came to Santa Rosa in 1906 to seek treatment. For the remaining thirty years of his life, he divided his time between Tacoma and Santa Rosa. Upon his death in 1930, he left $75,000 to Santa Rosa to be used for parks. The original Board members bought land adjacent to Burbank School and built the City’s first “modern” playground. The remainder of the Howarth bequest was invested, and eventually the playground was sold to the Board of Education. By the mid-1950s, the funds from Leonard Howarth and the sale of Burbank Park were used to develop the community park around Lake Ralphine.
The Santa Rosa Parks division of Public Works acquired Lake Ralphine and the surrounding property from the City Water Department for development as a recreation facility in 1956. Saturday sailing lessons began on Lake Ralphine in 1960, due to the joint efforts of the Tomales Sailing Club and the Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks Department.
In June, 1961, the City hired Carlo Bottini to take over the job which was getting beyond the scope of volunteer help. Carlo Bottini continued to teach sailing and boating lessons for 31 years! Through the efforts of the Tomales Sailing Club, with Dr. Bowdon in charge, a boathouse was built and dedicated in October, 1963. After many years of serving the community, the boathouse was torn down in 2000. The new "Bottini Boathouse" was buildt and dedicated in May 2004.
In 1958, “Pop” Lampson, a retired railroad engineer from Lakeport who owned and operated amusements, moved his miniature steam train, carousel and roller coaster to the Howarth Park property. The miniature steam train and the carousel were originally from England. The horses were hand-carved and date back over 70 years. One of these original horses is on display at the Finley Community Center. After many years of popular use and thousands of rides, the original carousel became tired and worn. In 1991, it was replaced by a brand new carousel with 30 horses, 2 chariots and over a thousand lights. The first steam train was replaced when the boiler burned out. A machinist friend of Pop’s took an auto engine and constructed, out of fiberglass, a replica of a diesel Santa Fe Chief. When Pop retired, the City purchased the train and carousel, and the roller coaster was sold.
A five turnstile pony ride was also in operation, and was later converted to a trail ride enclosed with a split rail fence. The pony ride concession was run by Dolores Bible for many years. In 2007, Linda Aldrich and her “Pony Express” celebrated 25 years of offering pony rides in Howarth Park.
In 1969, ground breaking ceremonies were held for Big K-Land. This was a sizable undertaking by the three Kiwanis Service Clubs in the Santa Rosa area. Big K-Land was designed by the landscape architect Leland H. Noel to utilize the area’s natural beauty.
The first development of Big K-Land was the construction of the animal farm by the Optimist Club, affectionately naming the building “Old Man Olson’s Farm” for the volunteer efforts of the Olson family. Further development of Big K-Land followed as the railroad track was relocated, a new railroad station built, new restroom built with adjacent picnic facilities and the landscaping of the large lawn area with Monterey Pine trees. A new train had to be purchased due to the steep grade of the tracks. The City purchased the present simulated 1863 C. P. Huntington steam train with covered cars.
A “Frontier Village” was added to the Big K-Land play area in honor of the Country’s Bicentennial celebration in 1976. It was removed in 1993 due to the deterioration of the wooden structure. Through the cooperative efforts of the local Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, the Land of Imagination Play Area began construction in 1999. This unique play area was designed for “kids of all abilities” and is a “walk through time”. Many generations have enjoyed Howarth Park. It is still amusing children and adults of all ages nearly every day of the year!
Camp Wa-Tam
This unique summer day camp named after the Pomo Indian phrase “beautiful lake” originated in 1958 and was the first organized recreation activity in Howarth Park. Taking place in the hills of Howarth Park, camp is available to children in the community between the ages of 6 and 12. It provides an opportunity for them to meet new friends, learn about the environment and wildlife in our area, and develop new skills as they participate in activities such as boating, archery, arts and crafts, hiking and swimming.