St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-03
FLOUR CITY PARKS.
Completion Of the Work of the Year on
the System of Parks Of the
Falls City.
ihe uood Showing at the End of Three
fears Of Constant and Judi
clous Labor.
ana Four Boulavards
at a Cost Of Half Million
Dollars.
Is.ew lev OF the Work, Showing the
fresent Situation and the
Expense to Date.

on L 3D. |i' 1883, an act Of the state leois-
latufe was approved entitled sAn act nrnvid.
ing Tor the designation, acquisition. lavina
out and Improvement of lands in the citv re
pilnneapoiis for system of public parks and
Parh"ays. In pursuance Herewith the
several persons named in the act as park
commissioners met and perfected an organ.
ization in the city hall as follows:
President, Charles NJ Loring
Vice president, Albert A. Anes
Secretary, Rufus j. Baldwin
| Following is the first board:
Albert A. Ames, mayor; Henry c. Morse.
Nathan Fl. Roberts, chairmen of council commit
tees; Charles NJ. Loring, Eugene NJ. Wilson, Dor
nus Morrison, John s. Pillsbury, Samuel H Chute,
ZEN Sen]]anin f. Nelson, John c. Oswald
william W. Eastman, George A. Bracket. Judson
N. Cross, Daniel Bassett, Adm c. Austin. An.
are" z: Haugan, commissioners by appointment.
April u OF that year the city council
turned over to the board all the public parks
oi the city. namely, Murphy park, Franklin
| sefeeC square, Hawthorn park and Market
! square, as they were christened by the CON.
mission.
Soon after DR.. ]. C. Elliot donated Elliot
Park. which was subsequently enlarged by
lhe purchase OF the strip lying to the north
ana extending to Eighth street. so that the
PARK comprises four acres. 1t was at about
this time that the services of Prof II w. s
| CleVeland a landscape architect of note from
Chicago, were engaged, and to the present
time Prof. Cleveland has continued in thar
capacity, and has prepared all the plans for
the system.
| The board, in accordance with Prof. Cleye
| lands suggestions, acquired lands under the
act OF the legislature for Central park. 80 and
| 16-l0O acres, Prospect park, 20 and 2-IOO acres
First ward park, 10 and S-l00 acres, Riverside
| park and Lake Harriet boulevard and work
| improvements w In,
THE PAST YEAR.
Atthe annual meeting held last March. Mr..
Loring was reelected president, and Dorilus
Morrison was elected vice president R. J,
Baldwin being reelected, and Daniel
Fish was employed as attorney
and later in the season w. NJ. Berry was ap.
| pointed superintendent. The present board
| stands:
Adm c. Austin, Daniel Bassett George A
| Bracket, Edgar 7. Comstock, Charles NJ. Loring
Dorilus Morrison, Charles A. Nimocks John c. Os-
wald, John S. Pillsbury, George A. Pillsbury, By
ron Sutherland, Eugene NJ. Wilson, William S.
! King, Charles johnson, 8. C. Cutter.
| By vigorously pushing the work all the
| plans for improving the various parks in the
| system have been completed. The last work
on Prospect park was done on THANKSGIVING
| day. The only work planned for next year
| is the completion of probable boulevard
around Lake of the Isles, and probably the
| Improvement Of large park which Thomas
| to donate in the section just south of Kee-
gans lake, and a boulevard thence to Pros
| pect park, connecting the tier with Lake
| Harriet parkway and with Central park. as
published in these columns few days ago.
| The Thirty-fourth street boulevard, which
was projected to connect Riverside with the
balance of the system, has been abandoned,
| as have the lands designated for a parkway in
| the Second ward. Within the coming wear
the commission may accept the offer of
| Thomas Lowry and largely add to Central
| Park. 1t is also possible that boulevard
| following the river and connecting Riverside
Park and Minnehaha. may be planned, having
| been already under consideration.
FIRST WARD PARK.
No work of importance has been done on
| the First Ward park since last spring, when
the grading was established, the soddinH
done, and trees and plants set out, save put
ting in the water connections for irrigation.
The park will be thrown open to the public
in the spring. 1t is located in thickly-
settled portion of the city, comprises twelve
acres and is perfectly level. The cost to date
has been S62, 1850.
CENTRAL PARK.
The improvements at Central park have
| been mainly setting out trees and fixing
! lawns and mall. The superintendent has re-
| Gently planted vast amount Of shrubbery
| throughout the park. The little island in the
| lake has been densely planted to thicket
and this is designed as the home for water
fowl, A flock of swan will be put in in the
spring. During the summer a handsome
iron bridge was built across the narrow neck
of the lake, but it is a foot bridge
only. In fact Central park is purely pedes-
trian park, but is surrounded by beautiful,
broad driveway. Central park has cost the
City S220, ,562.2S, of which nearly $4,000 was
expended for additional lands
PROSPECT PARK,
in the Third ward, is appropriately
a
park, comprising thirty acres and the highest
tract adjacent to the city. 1t overlooks the en-
tire city and broad expanse of territory
outside. The peak Of the knoll in the center
is reached by winding or circuitous drive
way. 1t was covered with natural growth
of small timber, which has been artistically
trimmed out. A deal of excavating has been
done to perfect the symmetry. The citizens
of that locality already appreciate the advan-
tage, and have built two magnificent stone
residences facing the park. The total cost
has been only S41, ,926.s5.
RIVERSIDE PARK
comprises a tract of twenty acres in the
Sixth ward and is laid out in drainways and
paths. The natural grove has been thinned
out and trimmed the past year and beauti-
full mall laid out. 1t is locared low and next
to the river, and admirable system of
under-drainage has been completed.
MURPHY PARK
has been plowed up, leveled off and sodded.
large number Of trees have been planted
and the park is entirely finished. 1t was
originally laid out and donated by Edward
Murphy and is only few blocks distant from
Riverside park. Murphy park has cost the
city S1,644.11.
ELLIOT PARK.
This beautiful little park on Tenth street
and Tenth avenue has been open to the public
all the summer. A fountain has been play
ing in the center of the lake and the park has
been popular resort.
LAKE HARRIET PARKWAY.
The boulevard near Lake Harriet is finished
and will be opened to the public in the spring.
1t is about three miles in length. By build
ing into the border of the lake, 100 feet of the
lake shore has been set off for ornamental
ton. The cost has been S26, 623 40.
SUMMARY.
Following is a summary of the parks:
PARKS To To To Totals