Visionaries build parks from scratch – even when the odds are against them. Such is the case of Samuel H. Morgan and the battle for Afton State Park. One of seven founding members of what would come to be known as Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota, Morgan learned in 1967 that lands with the best beaches on the lower St. Croix River were for sale. At the time, P&TC didn’t have the funds necessary to negotiate with the landowners who were fast recognizing the tremendous value of their land. To further complicate matters, legislation establishing the park and its boundaries couldn’t happen until purchase options for a substantial amount of the proposed park were secured.
Fundraising efforts began in earnest through the Afton Land Company, an entity created by Morgan and others with the sole purpose of soliciting and managing loans and donations for the park. Despite many trials and tribulations, they managed to purchase or negotiate options on 827 acres valued at $876,000 by the time a bill to create Afton State Park went before the Legislature in 1969. Strong local opposition to the park led to a last-minute legislative battle in which park supporters eventually prevailed.
Samuel H. Morgan chronicled this story in his book, Environmental Recollections.
