Lincoln Memorial Garden was envisioned by local advocate Mrs. Harriet Knudson during construction of Lake Springfield in the 1930s. Jens Jensen, a renowned leader in the prairie school of landscape architecture and one of the state's earliest conservationists, was commissioned to design the Garden in 1934. It was Jensen's last major public project. The Garden has been growing according to his plan for more than 75 years. Jens Jensen's original design provided a framework that guided the work of the many volunteers who provided wild flowers and young trees, then performed most of the labor as the Garden grew. Today, with the help of a small staff, that tradition of volunteerism continues. Lincoln Memorial Garden, which is on the National Register of Historic Sites, is a 501c3 nonprofit organization supported by memberships, fundraisers, bequests, and donations.