History of Bogart Park
North of the city of Beaumont, where Cherry Avenue meets Noble Creek, is the District s Bogart Park facility consisting of over 400 acres of mostly open space and large trees. Although it is one of our most picturesque parks, few people today realize the civic-mindedness that went into the founding of the park during the depths of the Great Depression.
On March 30, 1930, the city of Beaumont and the Beaumont Rotary Club hosted the first official Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival held in the United States. It was a great success – in fact, it was too much of a success. Fully 32,000 people descended on Beaumont (when its population was only 1,332). Noting the tremendous success of the Festival and the need for a better facility, Dr. Guy Bogart, who at the time was president of the Beaumont Rotary, began searching for a more suitable location and found it in the vicinity of Noble Creek north of Beaumont.
The area he found consisted of 200 acres owned by the Beaumont Irrigation District (precursor to today s Beaumont/Cherry Valley Water District), and 80 acres that were for sale. The property was covered with Live Oaks and other trees, which made it a natural treasure. In addition, within the hilly area, there was a natural amphitheater that Bogart and others thought would be perfect for future Cherry Blossom Festivals. Bogart s dream was to create a large county park on the land, opening the majority of it to picnickers and campers while planting the amphitheater in a Japanese style.
To make these plans a reality, he and several other businessmen in Beaumont convinced the Beaumont Irrigation District to lease the 200 acres to the County for a park if the County would purchase the 80 acres, which were for sale for $2,500. Bogart approached the Board of Supervisors early in 1931, but at the depth of the Great Depression, the Board lacked the money to make the purchase. The Supervisors approved of the idea, though, and gave Bogart their word that once the money was available during the next year, they would purchase the land. Bogart, desperate for a location for the 1931 Cherry Blossom Festival, convinced 25 Beaumont businessmen to loan $100 each to purchase the land. The land was purchased, the lease was signed, and the second Cherry Blossom Festival was another great success.
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