Man’s Dream of Park to Soon Come True

An attorney’s wish to create a park across the Mississippi River from St. Louis’ Gateway Arch will soon become a reality.

Malcolm Woods Martin, who died last year at 91, had bought 34 acres along the river and erected a fountain that shot water nearly as high as the 630-foot monument.

Officials dedicated the land as a park in the impoverished community, a key part of the revitalization of the East St. Louis riverfront.

Martin’s foundation transferred ownership of the Gateway Geyser and 34 acres of land around it to the park district June 7, and it donated $2.5 million to help transform the relatively barren land into a park.