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The City of Portland, Oregon

Nick Fish (In Memoriam)

City of Portland Commissioner

phone: 503-823-3589

Email: nick@portlandoregon.gov

1221 S.W. 4th, Room 240, Portland, OR 97204

Portland’s smallest park is making some big news

March 11, 2013

Driving down Naito Parkway you might pass by Mill Ends Park and not even notice it - but the Guiness-certified “World’s Smallest Park” made national headlines last week when its lone Douglas Fir sapling was missing.

Mill Ends Park is located at SW Naito Parkway and Taylor. The smallest city park is part of Portland lore, and is said to be home to a family of leprechauns. Mill Ends is 2 feet in diameter, and was given its name by Oregon Journal writer Dick Fagan, who could see the plot of land from his office window.

Legend says that Fagan captured the leprechaun patriarch, who granted him a wish (per leprechaun tradition). Fagan’s wish? A park of his own. In 1976, Mill Ends officially became a Portland City park.

On Wednesday, Portland Parks & Recreation replaced the missing Douglas Fir with a new one. Perhaps thanks to some leprechaun magic, the missing tree turned up Friday morning - laid carefully on its side next to the new one.

PP&R staff is evaluating the old tree. If the tree is ok, it will be planted in another park.

The leprechauns have been too busy rejoicing to give any official comment on the park, but sources tell us that they are incredibly grateful to PP&R staff for providing them with the new tree to provide shade from the sunny months ahead.

Tiny Tree Returned To Tiny Portland Park After Theft

Cassandra Profita on HuffingtonPost.com

 

Donor helps world's smallest park in Portland

On KGW.com

 

City receives $3.25 check to cover tree planting at world's smallest park

On KATU.com

 

Tree stolen from Portland's Mill Ends Park returned--maybe leprechaun magic, maybe remorse, officials say

Sara Hottman in The Oregonian

 

Teeny-tiny Portland park has an itsy-bitsy theft

Michael Pearson on CNN.com

 

Stolen tree from world's smallest park in Portland found

KGW staff

 

Only Tree In World's Tiniest City Park Stolen

Cassandra Profita on OPB.com