The Knoxville Library Park project is nearing completion.

This project is on the west side of the library and includes a garden, sidewalks, trees, greenery, a stage for library programming, picnic tables, and a memorial bench. The garden at the park will be called “Dixie’s Garden” to honor Knoxville native Dixie Gebhardt, who is known for designing the Iowa Flag. Knoxville City Manager Heather Ussery tells KNIA/KRLS that the project is considered substantially complete at this point and is just waiting on a circular bench and two picnic tables that will arrive in mid-September. Knoxville Public Library Director Roslin Thompson says the garden will be a good memorial for Dixie.

“Knoxville is the birthplace of the Iowa flag and Dixie Gebhardt is known as the designer of the flag. We’ve talked to the family and we know that Dixie really loved her gardens because that was the site of the house where she lived. This is just a memorial for Dixie to remember her by. We will have a rock to indicate the name of the garden. This is just a memorial to her.”

The library says they will have a ribbon cutting for this project in the future.