From Slaughterhouse Slough to Henderson Lake
Before 1912, that was the marshy slough beside a slaughterhouse. Then Lethbridge landed the 1912 International Dry-Farming Congress and wanted a showpiece. The city dammed one end, dug it deeper, added water and built a beach, change rooms and a dock.
It was named for William Henderson, a hotelier and mayor in 1908 and 1909, and the only Lethbridge mayor to die in office.
The lake was once much bigger. The rose garden, Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden and golf course all sit on ground that used to be underwater. A streetcar line even ran out across the bald prairie to the park (yes, a stop on that trolley story).
Then the community planted the park by hand. In 1916, 150 people showed up and put in 2,000 seedlings.
Next time you're walking Henderson Lake, remember that a swampy slough became one of the city's best places because Lethbridge decided to show up and make it so.
