Dogs and cats were not the only animals to be found in Mayo Memorial Park.
A collection of animals initially located where Down by the Riverside concerts are held today, was a highlight from the early 1900s into the 1940s.
Bears, buffalo (obtained from Yellowstone National Park in 1926), and elk resided in the park as well as smaller caged animals including monkeys. Sadly, it became necessary to shoot and sell the bison to a city meat cutter in 1937.
In 1942, the war effort made it impossible to obtain materials to repair deteriorating cages. Offers of the bears as a gift yielded no takers requiring them to be shot as well. The cabin in this 1914 photo is the Dee Cabin, located for a time in the park, now located at the History Center of Olmsted County.
