[3] She arrived in Saint Paul in 1847, was involved in the temperance movement, and opened the first school in the frontier city, teaching children of diverse ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds.

[4][5][6] The park at Harriet Island was built by Dr. Justus Ohage, Saint Paul's health officer, who donated the land to the city in 1900.

The park originally had a public bathhouse and beach, along with amenities like playgrounds, picnic grounds, handball and tennis courts, and a bandstand.

The park was initially very popular, but pollution from the Mississippi River forced the bathhouse to close in 1919.

[7] The Kasota limestone used in the construction was salvaged from the former Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse, which was built in 1889 and demolished in 1933.