Mary Topp’s Love for Hastings Lives On at Alexander Park
For generations, Alexander Park has been more than a beautiful gathering place—it has been a tangible connection to the people and history that helped shape Hastings.
Located on the original 160-acre homestead of Samuel and Harriet Alexander, the park carries a legacy dating back to the earliest days of Hastings. Samuel Alexander, a Civil War veteran and community leader, served as the city’s first merchant and postmaster, as well as city treasurer and mayor. Upon his death in 1908, he was honored as the “First Citizen of Hastings.”
In 1936, neighbor and friend Helen Babcock donated the property to the City of Hastings as a memorial park honoring the Alexander family. Today, the park serves as an important southern gateway to the Central Hastings Historic District.
Decades later, Hastings native Mary Topp helped ensure Alexander Park would continue to tell its story.
Mary grew up in Hastings and maintained a deep love for her hometown throughout her life. Although she eventually moved to Mankato, Minnesota, she traveled extensively, visiting all seven continents. Her connection to Hastings remained strong, and she ultimately returned home to be laid to rest.
Her family also had deep roots in the community. Her parents owned and operated Topp’s Floral Shop in Hastings for more than 30 years, giving Mary a lifelong appreciation for landscaping, greenery and community beautification. Her mother, Ruth Topp, also had a deep appreciation for Hastings’ history and heritage.
In 2004, Mary made a generous gift to the City of Hastings to revitalize Alexander Park, which had fallen into disrepair, in honor of her parents, Tage Winther Topp and Ruth Carlile Topp. The gift reflected the Topp family’s longstanding commitment to beautifying Hastings. For two generations, from 1928 to 1974, Topp’s Flowers and Gifts served Hastings and surrounding communities, combining horticultural expertise, creativity and a dedication to service. Tage’s knowledge of horticulture and Ruth’s talents in business and floral design helped shape countless public and private celebrations and contributed to Hastings’ reputation as one of the most progressive and beautiful communities on the western prairie.
Mary’s gift helped restore Alexander Park while honoring its historic character, including the stabilization and cleaning of the iconic 1938 rustic limestone shelter, improvements to the landscaping, and the planting of new trees and greenery. The restoration culminated in an Arbor Day celebration, when descendants of the Alexander family returned to Hastings for the ribbon-cutting and ceremonial tree planting.
Mary’s commitment to Alexander Park continued long after the restoration was complete. When she passed away in 2026, she left a generous gift to the Hastings Community Foundation to help preserve Alexander Park for years to come. Through this gift, Mary entrusted the Foundation with carrying forward her commitment to a place that held special meaning to her and to the Hastings community.
The Hastings Community Foundation is honored to help carry out Mary’s wishes and ensure her generosity continues to make an impact well into the future.
Her first gift helped restore Alexander Park. Her final gift to the park will help ensure it continues to thrive.
Together, Mary’s gifts represent a lasting legacy of giving—one that began with restoring a treasured piece of Hastings history and continues through an investment in its future.
Through Mary Topp’s generosity and the Hastings Community Foundation’s stewardship, Alexander Park will remain a place where Hastings’ past meets its future, providing generations to come with a meaningful connection to the history and heritage of their community.
