In the early 1900s, the Graves family bought the property (Bird Hills Park) as a potential development site. At this time much of the main ridge in the park was still cattle pasture and was nearly treeless. The absence of plant cover increased the amount of runoff from the high ridge after a rain event. This caused severe erosion in the steep ravines running down to the river. To make the land more appealing for development, Henry Graves planted a variety of trees on the open site. This contributes to the diversity of woody plants in Bird Hills today, and explains why many non-native trees such as Scots pine, Douglas fir, and white fir can be found there. However, these development plans never came to be.
