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Frederick Nussbaumer (November 7, 1850 – October 21, 1935) was a landscape architect who served as Superintendent of Parks in St. Paul, Minnesota from 1891 to 1922. During this time he was responsible for developing Como Park Zoo and Conservatory as well as other city parks.

Early Life

Nussbaumer was born in Baden, Germany in 1850. He learned about gardening through his family's business and also went on to study engineering, botany and landscape architecture at the University of Freiburg. During the 1860s he worked at London's Kew Gardens. He also spent time working in Paris and may have met Horace Cleveland during this time.

He fought for Germany during the Franco-Prussian War and continued to work in gardening after the war.

St. Paul Parks

Nussbaumer emigrated to the United States in 1876 eventually settling in St. Paul and working as a landscaper. When Como Park was first formed in 1887 Nussbaumer worked there as a gardener. When Parks Superintendent John Estabrook resigned in 1891 Nussbaumer was promoted to be his replacement. He would serve for the next 30 years.

The city's plans for Como Park were based on Horace Cleveland's vision. Shrubs and trees were planted and paths and roads were developed across the park's 396-acre (160 ha) area. By 1895 the park had over 20 miles of paths and 14.5 miles of roads and thousands of trees and shrubs had been planted. Cleveland's vision for the park was very naturalistic but Nussbaumer also felt recreational and fitness facilities were important.

References

{Reflist} https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13482260/nussbaumer-obituary-mn-star/ http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/58/v58i01p040-058.pdf http://www.spphs.com/history/1899/park_system.php