Have you ever wondered where the Union Park District name comes from? 

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“In 1880, the Milwaukee Short Line Railroad opened up development in today’s Macalester, Groveland, and Merriam Park neighborhoods, then on the outskirts of St. Paul. Union Park, as it was called, was a thirty-acre site that contained Lake Iris. Land there was purchased by people for an entertainment area with a pavilion and bandstand that could be rented out by church groups and was soon opened to the public. One of the more exciting events at the park was theascensions. The site was eventually platted into lots for homeowners, with streets following the natural contours of the land.” (From the Winter 2005 Ramsey County History Magazine; article originally written by The Minnesota Junior Pioneers).