RIMSHOTS: Rumsey is Rodney Dangerfield of parks

By Noble Collins
Gazette Columnist

Within the town of Payson lies one of the nicest and most versatile public parks of any in Arizona.

Its 40-plus acres contain covered ramadas for picnics, hiking trails, basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, a skateboard rink, baseball and softball diamonds, soccer fields covered with Astroturf and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

The park is well maintained and inviting. It even has a large separate area where dogs can exercise their bodies, and a wonderful public library where people can exercise their minds. It is not fenced in, nor is there a gate to keep folks out.

It also appears to be one of the least known areas within the town, if you ask around. I know. I did.

Ask folks the name of this park or even where it is, and watch the blank stare on some faces. Ask if they know the name, Rumsey Park, and you'll get mostly “yes” answers, but many who still can't tell you much about it.

Ask young people in particular to tell you about Rumsey Park. I did, and I was surprised at how little is actually known. Rumsey is the Rodney Dangerfield of parks.

Perhaps the most definitive document telling the story of Rumsey Park is a newspaper article done some time ago by Payson historian Stan Brown.

I have borrowed from it liberally for this article. Other documentation about the park only exists in bits and pieces, here and there. Some of it is well organized. Some is contradictory or confusing. As far as personal interviews, history is remembered quite differently by various people.

This account is an attempt to pull together as much of the real story as possible, but even so, some parts are still incomplete or difficult to describe with perfect accuracy. I invite anyone with real knowledge about the park to contact this author, either to add information or to correct errors. The following is pretty well documented, though:

As with most things dealing with Payson history, the rodeo played an integral part. The town itself was only incorporated in 1972, but the rodeo had been a centerpiece of the community for many years, giving Payson a special identity and the people something which was widely shared and enjoyed.

If there was a problem, it was that the rodeo never had a real home for most of its life. It was frequently moved from place to place due to crowd needs or property issues.

At one time or another it was held on Main Street, Pieper’s Field (the old sawmill grounds), back on Main Street, and for a long period of time on the Wilbanks Ranch just west of town.

More or less permanent stands were built there, and the beginnings of the Northern Gila County Fair resulted from folks bringing in their prized produce and canned goods to display. The annual gathering took on the name “August Doin's” and a festival atmosphere was enjoyed.

After a long period, the Wilbanks family decided in 1957 to sell their property, and it was offered to the chamber of commerce (the rodeo sponsor) for $2,500. The offer was turned down, and this resulted in a frantic effort to relocate the rodeo.

The property at the intersection of highways 87 and 260 was suggested, but it was Forest Service land. Even so, an arrangement was made and the Rodeo was moved there for a few years. No improvements were allowed to the property, however.

Enter Mr. Dale Rumsey, a land baron from either Phoenix or California (accounts differ.) There was a listing for a Rumsey Company on South 23rd Street in Phoenix which apparently belonged to Dale Rumsey, his brother Donald, and his wife.

Actually, Mr. Rumsey did not appear, but a Mr. Milt Franz was on the scene buying up land for the Rumsey family. The land where Basha's is now located and the land where Walmart now stands are two of many properties he eventually acquired.

Another piece of property, amounting to just over 20 acres, west of where Walmart is now located was acquired from the Forest Service. Depending on the source, this property was acquired by Rumsey for “the express purpose” of giving the Rodeo a home. Certainly it did him no harm to have the town's most popular event staged on his property, and no doubt this added value to his other holdings.

Once the new property was acquired, the Rumsey family did, in fact, make an arrangement with the chamber to use this property as a rodeo grounds. In 1961, the chamber purchased 10 acres from Rumsey to establish a permanent rodeo home. The property was later valued at $7,000 dollars an acre, but it is not clear that the chamber paid that much. It was, however, more than the original Wilbanks offer.

In 1968 grandstands were built along with several other amenities. Lumber for the stands was donated by Kaibab Industries, although several sections of bleachers were constructed of steel, some left over from the grandstand on the Wilbanks Ranch. Food booths were located underneath the stands, and many people recall the wonderful smells coming from them during rodeo week.

Later, as the area was more developed, some folks noticed more objectionable odors coming from stalls and pens, and this would play a part in the final move to another location. For 27 years, though, the rodeo prospered on the land that now holds a soccer field on North McLane Road.

By 1976, the chamber paid off the mortgage and donated the 10 acres to the new town of Payson. The town had begun to study the possibility of building
a public park, and negotiated with Mr. Runsey for the remaining 10 acres.

Having a total of 20 acres qualified the property for a grant from the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Coordinating Commission (AORCC). Mr. Rumsey then sold seven acres to the town and donated an angular piece of three acres. For this donation, the new park was to be named Rumsey Park. AORCC granted $383,295 for construction and landscaping. It is said that George Randall graded land for the baseball field on his own bulldozer.

The park became a huge success, so much so that an expansion became desirable, and Payson obtained a long term land use permit from the Forest Service for 40 adjoining acres. Several small parcels were actually purchased including one for building a large swimming pool complex.

A grant was obtained, again from AORCC, for this purpose. Mr. Willard Taylor was Mayor of Payson at the time and instrumental in obtaining the grant. The pool was named for him.

In time, the remaining Forest Service land was deeded to Payson. U.S. Congressmen John Kyl and Eldon Rudd moved the bill through Congress.

On July 4, 1976, a formal inaugural of the original 20 acres of Rumsey Park was held. Attending the celebration was Mr. Dale Rumsey, and it was apparently his first and only appearance in Payson. As the additional land was acquired, it became known as North Rumsey Park.

The Rodeo was continuously held in Rumsey Park for 27 years. A fair amount of money for expenses was often generated from slot machines and other forms of “unofficial” gambling in various clubs around town.

In 1995, however, the old wooden stands were judged a fire hazard and the company issuing insurance refused to write a new policy. The grandstand was burned to the ground with the Payson Fire Department keeping watch. It is said that Mr. Bill Armstrong struck the first match. Some of the steel bleachers were salvaged.

The intent was to rebuild on the property, but encroaching housing developments and objections about odors and traffic were beginning to raise concerns. Mr. Barry Swartwood then stepped forward and donated some land just south of town for a new rodeo arena,

The rodeo was moved, but Rumsey Park continued to thrive and supply the people of Payson with wonderful outdoor facilities. It remains a monument to people with a vision and a drive to provide their town with something special – something to contribute to the health and enjoyment of their bodies and the serenity of their minds.

Every person in Payson should know and appreciate the effort.