The Beginning...

This garden is part of the Land Bank's demonstration plantings. The site was chosen based on the amount of vacancy in the area, the large number of vacant parcels owned by the Land Bank , and the commonly accepted idea that there is an underground river or aquifer or some sort of water that makes the soil in the area unstable.


















People living and working in the area have had problems with streets buckling, sewer mains moving, foundations shifting and the like. Staff from Salem said that the city no longer gives out building permits in the area, and the properties that no longer have housing have become rather overgrown to the point where they look "natural" or to some "wild".

I've attached a few maps that show the level of vacancy, land bank ownership and even the elevation to give you an idea of the area's characteristics. The larger area considered to be Hamilton Dip runs from Hamilton to Dayton Streets between Mason and Iroquois Streets.