Meinig Memorial Park Through Time; Current Renovations Under Works

By Abby Haney, Sandy Historical Society, For The Sandy Standard

A popular name in Sandy is “Meinig,” as seen in the roads, history books and, most notably, Meinig Memorial Park. Meinig Park acts as a fun gathering point for the community. The park was built over time, and today is still improving to address the public needs.

Meinig Park dates back to the 1880s, where its focus was hosting social gatherings, primarily during summer, for 35 years. But that Meinig Park location isn’t where it’s found today, and wasn’t a formal park. Previously, it resided where Sandy Post Office and Sandy Assembly of God stand today. 

Meinig Park was formalized in 1963. The current park's location was owned by Paul Meinig, son of Friedrich Meinig, who settled in Sandy in 1876. In 1963, the Meinig’s heirs sold seven acres – and gifted three –  to the city for $7,000. As a condition of the gift, the city of Sandy was required to name the land Meinig Memorial Park.

Originally, the city of Sandy planned for a special vote on the matter that allowed citizen input, but the idea was never executed. In the end, Sandy bought the land and used a portion of it to build City Hall: the building stands there today. 

Now, the park contains a play structure, trail system, restrooms, an amphitheater, stages, a gazebo, and concession stand areas, features built over time. Many citizens in Sandy recall the sparse beginnings of Meinig Park.

“It wasn’t really a park, it was just an empty field/forest,” Sandy Historical Society Board Member Dan Bosserman said. Bosserman is a longtime Boring citizen and author who has written books on the history of Sandy and Boring. 

To turn the area from a forest into a usable park, the Montgomerys and Gerens opened the space by selectivley cutting down vegetation, careful to retain the park's natural beauty. 

“They got everyone to cut brush and make it the beautiful park it is now,” Bosserman said. 

Today, a stand-out element in the park is Fantasy Forest, Meinig’s famous play structure. Built by volunteers in 1995, Sandy’s citizens worked together to create this beloved structure. In 2008, the gazebo was added. 

Renovations and improvements continue today. In response to citizen concerns, the City of Sandy has been in the process of a project to update the park for the past few years. 

Phase 1 of the Meinig Park construction project will address concerns related to accessibility. Current picnic pavilions will be replaced with three new structures, trail grades will be adjusted, and lighting will be upgraded. Additionally, the city of Sandy plans to add a restroom near the parking lot to provide better access for families using Fantasy Forest and to address accessibility concerns associated with the existing restroom. These improvements will enhance access to park amenities and events such as concerts, Movies in the Park, Winterfest, and the Sandy Mountain Festival.

“These improvements are directly supported by the 2022 City of Sandy Parks and Trails Master Plan and address several critical needs identified specifically for Meinig Park,” Parks and Recreation Director Tiana Rundell explained. “The project is a priority, as the Master Plan notes that ‘existing community park space for the City of Sandy falls short of level of service.’ This project will transform existing community park space that currently has accessibility barriers into a welcoming, inclusive, and barrier-free park experience for all users. We’re really trying to address accessibility and also repair the damage that has taken place over the years. The addition of new lights throughout will improve safety.” 

While improving the park's accessibility has been the primary request by Sandy citizens, protecting its trees has been another. Citizens want to improve the park while simultaneously preserving the natural beauty in Meinig. 

“We also heard very loud and clear was don’t hurt the trees, save the trees,” Rundell said. “With all of the surveys we did with the community and then talking with experts about accessibility, there was a lot of going back to the drawing board to determine how we could best meet the accessibility rules and guidelines and not impact the tree canopy.”

Originally, the renovations were to begin after Winterfest, allowing for a longer window of time between major events to complete the work. Delays intervened, and the renovations won’t start until after Sandy Mountain Festival in 2026, with completion date before Winterfest of 2026. 

The Parks and Recreation Department has long been planning Meinig Park improvements, but financial constraints delayed the work. Awarded funds from a local  government grant program – the Oregon Recreation Parks Association –  and a Travel Oregon grant, they were able to begin some  of the planned renovations. 

“We did a lot of community engagement where we had surveys and open houses and spoke with the community to define what the priority should be right now,” Rundell said. “Ultimately, accessibility rose to the top of that priority list and with the budget, that’s really what we can address right now.”

Moving forward, the Parks and Recreation Department hopes to also renovate Fantasy Forest and No Name Creek. 

Meinig Park has changed significantly since its beginnings, but remains Sandy’s “jewel.” It will continue to improve and grow to meet the public's needs.  

Abby Haney is the Editor-In-Chief at Sandy High School for the Pioneer Press and is a writer at large for The Sandy Historical Society and The Sandy Standard.