IDAHO FALLS– This month, Tautphaus Park is turning 115 years old, but how many people remember anything about the old racetrack, the lake or the monkey that escaped from the zoo?
Charles Tautphaus first bought the land that would eventually become Tautphaus Park back in 1890. Tautphaus was a man with a dream, who sought to create an oasis in land that used to be a desert. Through the creation of canals, many of which still exist today, Tautphaus created a sanctuary of greenery that used to include a 6-acre lake.
When Tautphaus died, the land that would eventually become the park went through a period of change in both ownership and name. The Reno family owned it for a time, leading to it subsequently being renamed to Reno Park, and when the Renos were ready to give it up, the city of Idaho Falls bought it and renamed it to City Park. That was something residents couldn’t tolerate. A petition was created and enough support garnered that the city renamed the park back to Tautphaus Park in honor of the man that made it all possible.
Rodeos and celebrations
In its earliest years, Tautphaus Park hosted the War Bonnet Roundup, which now takes place over at Sandy Downs. The rodeo, hosted at a racetrack and arena that used to be in the park, featured numerous events such as men’s and women’s horse relay races, “trick and fancy riding,” Indian relay races, and bronco riding. In addition, Tautphaus Park used to be the site of both Pioneer Day celebrations and Fourth of July festivities, much like it is today.
The racetrack that used to be at Tautphaus Park hosted several events outside of the War Bonnet Roundup. Chariot races, automobile races and even a biplane graced its track and fields at one point or another.
The biplane was supposedly flown by an individual called Willard the Birdman who performed an aerial show, according to a 1911 article from the Idaho Register. During the show, weather conditions were too poor to perform any stunts or things of that nature, but the Birdman was able to take off and land several times for a crowd that overflowed from the grandstands. Birdman’s biplane was one of the first planes ever flown in the state.
Monkey goes bananas for cigarettes
The zoo moved to the park in 1937, where it has stayed ever since. During its time there, it has been host to a list of oddities.
“Most people that grew up here my age or a little older, probably remember there was an old monkey that smoked cigarettes. I know I’ve heard of a cougar getting out and and wandering the facility,” said PJ Holms, Director of the Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation Department.
A Post-Register article from 1948 even references one occasion in which a monkey escaped from the zoo, and it took officials the weekend before they found her. A resident who lived near Tautphaus Park found the monkey swinging around and reportedly having a great time with its “weekend liberties.” (It does not appear that the jailbreaking monkey and the smoking monkey were the same primate.)
POW camp
The zoo wasn’t the only place with residents held under close watch, though. German prisoners were housed in the park during World War II.
Roughly 500 to 600 German POWs were held at Tautphaus Park, where they were leased out by farmers for various tasks in order to make up for the absent labor force caused by the war.
By most accounts, this arrangement was beneficial for all sides. The farmers received cheap labor in a time when labor was hard to come by, and the German POWs saw a slice of American life. Many of the POWs reportedly chose to immigrate back to America and work the farms they had formerly been employed at or build careers in other areas.
That’s not to say the POW camp at Tautphaus had no issues, however. In 1946, the Idaho Stateman referenced one occasion in which four German POWs escaped from the Tautphaus prisoner of war camp around the same time that four escaped prisoners from a camp in Oregon sparked a manhunt across the Pacific Northwest.
Lake and Funland
Also gone from the park is the lake.
It varies in reported size. Some sources say it was around 20 acres, but most sources report 6 acres. Either way, it’s agreed that the lake was a popular recreation spot with frequent swimmers and boaters in the warmer months, and ice skating in the winters. After a string of drownings though, the city decided to drain the lake in 1947.
After the lake was drained, it was replaced by Funland. The small, local amusement park opened the same year the lake was drained, in 1947, and many of the rides were allegedly made from parts that had been scrapped from WW2 B-17 bomber planes.
The original park had its merry-go-round, the Ferris wheel, the octopus ride and a train ride. Many of Funland’s original attractions still operate today.
The future of the park
Changes to Tautphaus Park haven’t ended. The city plans to continue developing the park for public use, especially as the city’s population continues to grow.
The Tautphaus Park Master Plan, published by the city in 2016, makes numerous proposals for future changes to the park. For example, the master plan discusses the potential for adding new trails to the park or installing a splash pad near the park’s accessible playground. Additionally, the master plan proposes expansions to pre-existing facilities like the zoo and the ice rink. Read the plan here.
Holms emphasized that even with the changes in store for the park, the city has no intention of getting rid of the current historical pieces like the zoo, Funland or the old log buildings.
“All sorts of fun, all sorts of fun things have been around here over the years,” said Holms, and with more additions to the park planned, Tautphaus Park should remain an Idaho Falls landmark for years to come.
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