St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-13
PUBLIC PARKS.
81. Paul Has TWentysEight of
These BreRIhing-P laces--AId Van
SIVIxess AdeaS,

These Breathing Places-.Aid. Van
Sykes sdeas.
''Few people have any any idea of what
we have for parks in the city," said eX-
Aid. w. A. Van Slyke. referring to the
question of the proposed park commission,
Il know of twenty-eight parks. some good
and some indifferenly So" and the park
enthusiast handed over a list of twenty four
parks to which he added two more from
recollection. The twenty-fOur parks had
all been dedicated or purchased previous to
two years ago. Mr.. Van SIyke recOllected
positively that four more had been secured
since then, but he could only tell two of
them.
do you think these are parks enough for
a city of the size and population of st. Paul?''
he was asked.
''Well, they might be enough for the pres
ent size aud population, but it is to the fut-
ure we must look. We will surely need more
parks as the city grows"
''Does the public clamOr for more parks?''
Eyes, the people, that is, the the public as
a whole, are interested. and they want more
parks. True, there are instances when OBJ
jections are raised Take Como park, which
was purchased in the seventies i forget now
which year, and would have TO look it UP in
the records. When the city bought that The
it. But time has brought them around, and
at present Como park would bring double.
and probably more, the price paid for it if
sold again.
During the conversation Mr.. Van Slyke
also referred to park at the intersection of
Laurel avenue and st. Adams street, i'll
HOlcombe'S addition:
'sMr. Moves wants to have that vacated
now" he said. ''Our intention in cutting
into hoe Lots os7A fhat hi
was to put a fountain, say nice $1,000
fountain in the center, so that it
would be ornamental, and people driving
through there could give their horses drink.
It's nice thing to have fountains here and
there where horses can get an occasional
swallow of water on hot, dusty summer days.
People can drive around it just as well, and
it makes pretty street ornament to the city,
and it's as little as we can do to make our
streets pretty"
''Do you think the park commission should
be board of three commissioners, aud APP
pOinted?'
Eyes, the people want a park commission
like that. aud 1 think it should he kept cut of
politics. believe it ought to be appointed
by one of the justices of the district court
taken out of politics altogether. Then We'll
have good park commission
ST. PAUL'S PARKS.
The list of parks furnished is: .
July 81. 1919.
Irvine park, 155,916 square feet; dedicated
July 2. IS49.
Rice park, 1928 square feet: dedicated
July 2, 1S49.
Park mo name) in Park Boat lots. 1886
square feet; dedicated Nov. 10, 1872.
Park place, 1885 square feet; dedicated
Sept. Z, 1873.
Park Ito name) in Dawsou's addition, $40
square feet.
Foundry park, Il ,245 square feet; dedicated
April Il, 1888.
Lafayette park, 81, 1853 square feet, and
Summit park g., $50 square feet, both pur-
chased
Stewart park, SO, 127 square feet. dedicated.
Park tho namel in Lyton's addition, 1911
square feet, dedicated May l9, lSS3.
Park mo name) in Lytons addition, dedica-
ted May 10, 1858.
Dawson park, 79.OSO square feet, and Walsh
park. 35,6iO square feet, both dedicated June
IS. 1881.
Stinson park, 58, 4eO square feet, dedicated
Oct. 81, 1856.
Highland park, 49.SO1 square feet, dedica-
ted Aug. 19, 1854.
Central park, 99,55S square feet, dedicated
Sent. l6, 1884.
Merriam park, 7acres and 3O.91O.s4 square
feet,
Como park, 256.55 acres.
Park, mo name) Shidmore & Cassidy's adj
dition, 1882 square feet dedicated March
Is, 1884.
Park (no name) in Lewis second addition,
SO. 923 square feet. dedicated Sept. -. 1883.
Park (no name) in Highland Park addition.
IA, 239 square feet, dedicated Sept. /. 1884.
Park mo name) in LockwOoj'S addition,
81, SIS Square feet, dedicated Aug. 4, 1888.
Park mo name) in Helderman's addition,
"a $50 square feet, dedicated Aug. 1, 1888.
Park mo name) in Holcombe' s addition.
st. Anthony park, l41a acres.
From this list it is to be seen that Como,
Summit and Lafayette parks were pur
chased, Merriam and st. Anthony parks
taken in under the city extension bill, while
Smith, Irvine and Rice parks were ded-
Gated III 1S69-the three first parks secured
by the city. The most of the parks were
dedicated in 1888 and 1884. The rule is
now that whenever a new addition is
plated. certain fraction of land is dedi-
Gated for public park purposes.
CAPT. STARKEY'S IDEAS.
Capt. James Starkey, who with Mr.. Van
Slyke constitute two of the three plat COM
m:SsiOnerS, treats the park commission
question in this way:
OF course. we ought to have park COM
mission. You see, at present we have no
system in oar park matters. What we want
is a public commission. TO be paid by the
public. tor attending to these public matters.
The rapid developement of the city Ge
mands it.
Mr.. Van Slyke compared the Minneapo-
lis method with St Paurs. There he
said. 1.-The park commission gets together.
First they resolve that a park is needed;
then they resolve that the park is needed in
such a location. and finally they resolve to
condemn the property for park, That
settles it"