Cutler Park – A Legacy Park

Visalia is fortunate to have within easy reach, two of Tulare County's finest parks. Both contain beautiful remnants of the old oak forest that once dominated the area and both have names of pioneer families that provided the land.

Mooney Grove Park, established in 1909, is a well-known popular county park, and has a well-documented history. While the other, Cutler Park, seems to be is lesser known whose past is less familiar.

Cutler Park encompasses about 75 acres and is located just east of Visalia, nestled along the St. John's River. The land and surrounding area once belonged to John Cutler, Sr., a medical doctor and judge. Born in Indiana in 1819, Cutler came to California as a 49er. He settled in El Dorado County and after California achieved statehood in 1850, he served as a representative to the state legislature.

Cutler came to Tulare County and lived inside Fort Visalia for a time, and was part of the group that helped create Tulare County. He was elected county judge and eventually owned many acres northeast of Visalia.

He married Nancy Rice and the couple had seven children including John Cutler, Jr. The senior Cutler, a well-respected man all of his life died in 1902.His wife passed several years before him.

In 1919, John Cutler, Jr., formerly a Tulare County Clerk, offered a 75-acre parcel to Tulare County to honor his father. It represented one of the few last stands of oak forest in the area and had been in the Cutler family since 1854. All of the Cutlers had been born and raised on the land. The donation was offered without conditions or restrictions and the county agreed that the site would be known as "Cutler Park."

The Visalia Daily Times supported the generous offer and reported on May 10, 1919, that the act "deserves the heartiest of commendation and...should be appreciated by the entire community of Tulare County because it is given outright, with absolutely no provisions such as often attend the presentation..."

J.N. Young, a member of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, accepted the generous donation on behalf of the entire board and said, "The act of John Cutler in donating to the county the fine tract of land to be known as Cutler Park was most commendable."

For the next two years, the county prepared the new park land and on Saturday, October 1, 1921, a formal dedication took place.

There was a huge picnic with hundreds of people in attendance and a formal program. All were invited, but a special invitation was given to those old timers who knew John Cutler. One of the featured speakers was Judge W. B. Wallace, and he proudly announced, "This will always be known as Cutler Park."

John Cutler, Jr. was also present at the event, but due to a serious illness he offered no speech, but instead his brother A. R. Cutler spoke on his behalf. He said, "It is the wishes of our brother...that this park shall always be filled with laughing, happy faces..."

He added the current generation of residents had not always been good stewards of the land and emphasized the importance of this park as a preserve. J.H. Newman, a member of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, formally accepted the park on behalf of the county. Another great natural playground had been saved.

Cutler Park (15520 Ivanhoe Drive) is accessible by driving east on Houston Avenue or by walking or cycling the St. John's River Trail that starts at Ben Maddox and terminates at the park.