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- Mid 1880s: A few pioneers settled in the communities of Lakeside, Pinetop and Woodland.
- 1897: Members of the Hansen family filed for water rights and began to construct a dam to create Woodland Lake.
- 1908: Apache and Sitgreaves National Forests were established. The Forest Service excluded meadows, farmland and the tiny villages.
- Early 1900s: The construction of Highway 260, Woodland Road and Woodland Lake Road formed a triangle that, along with the growing settlements, separated about 550 acres of timber from the rest of the National Forest.
- Early 1980s: Navajo County designated the forest triangle as Woodland Lake Park. It remained owned by the U.S. Forest Service.
- 1984: Pinetop and Lakeside formed a town which included the Forest Service land called Woodland Lake Park. Various improvements were made by the Town in the park, but the Town did not own the property.
- 2006: The “park” began to show up on lists of “excess” property that the Forest Service sought to liquidate to consolidate its holdings.
- 2007: The Town formed a task force which explored ways of preserving the park.
- 2008: Save Our Park was established as a non-profit 501( c )3 organization to work toward purchase of the park.
- 2020: With the help of Save Our Park and donors, the Town purchased 107 acres of the park surrounding the Lake.
- 2023: Save Our Park identified approximately 200 acres to purchase for the community, including a Nature Preserve along Walnut Creek.