St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-13
PUkLiC PARkS.
ST. Paul Has TgentY.Eight of
These BreaIhiHg-P laces--Ald. Van
SIykess Ideas.

ST. Paul Has Tyyenty.Eight of
These Breathing Places--Ald. Van
Sykes Ideas.
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 indifferently 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 Slyke recollected
positively that four more had been secured
since then, but he could only tell two Of
thei1.
do you think these are parks enough for
a city of the size and population of St. Paul?''
he was asked.
We'll, they might be enough for the pres
ent size and population, but it is to the fut
ure we must look We will surely need more
parks as the city grows
docs the public camor for more parks?''
Eyes, the people, thai 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
the records. When the city bought that The
people said we paid altogether too much for
it. But time has brought them around, and
at present Como park would bring double.
and probably more, the price paid tor 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:
&O-pS fO hot tad
now" he said. ''0ur intention in cutting
into those lots ana making that nig square,
was to put a fountain, say g nice LOCO
fountain in the center, so that it
would be ornamental, and people driving
through there could give their horses drink.
It's a 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
he board of three commissioners, and APP
pointed?'
Eyes, the people want park commission
like that, and | think it should he kept cut OF
politics. I believe it ought to be appointed
by one of the justices of the district court
taken out of politics altogether. Then Wen
have q good park commission.
ST. PAUL'S PARKS.
The list of parks furnished is:
Smith park, $500 square feet; dedicated
July 81. 1919.
Irvine park, 155,9l6 square feet; dedicated
July =, 1S49.
Rice park, TO- 1893 square feet; dedicated
July ?, 1919.
Park mo name)in Park Boat lots sos
square feet: dedicated Nov. Is, 1872.
Park place, 1885 square feet; dedicated
Sept. Z, 1878.
L., n
Foundry park, 1,245 square feet: dedicated
April Il, 1888
Lafayette park, 34,763 square feet, and
Summit park 32,550 square feet, both pur-
chased.
Stewart park, SO, 127 square feet, dedicated.
Park mo name) in Lyton's addition, 1911
square feet, dedicated May 10, 1883.
Park (no name) in Ly toms addition, dedica-
ted May 10, 1888.
Dawson park, 79.OSO square feet, and Walsh
park, 35,6lU square feet, both dedicated June
is. 1881.
Stinson park, SO, 400 square feet, dedica ted
Oct. 81 1856.
Highland park, 49.SG1 square feet, dedica-
ted Aug. 10, 1884.
Central park, 99. 55S square feet, dedicated
Sept. Is. 1854.
Merriam park, 7acreS ard 3O,9lO.S4 square /
feet.
Como park, 1885 acres.
Park. (no name) S.lidnOre s. Cassidys adj (
dition, 1862 square feet, dedicated March !
Is. 1884.
Park (no name) in Lewis second addition, |
SO, 923 square feet. dedicated Sept. %, 1883.
Park mo name) ia Highland Park addition, |
1929 square feet, dedicated Sept. L. 1884.
Park mo name) in LockwOods addition, |
81, SIS Square feet, dedicated Aug. 4. 1883.
Park (nO name) in Reldermaus addition, |
CA. $50 square feet, dedicated Aug. /, 1883.
Park mo uame) in Hocombes addition.
st. Anthony park, AZ 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 in 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- I
Gated for public park purposes.
CAPT. STARKEY'S IDEAS.
Capt. James Starkey, who with Mr.. Van !
Slyke constitute two of the three plat COM
missiOners, 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 our park matters. What we want !
is a public commission. to be paid by the
public. for attending TO these public matters
The rapid development of the city Ce-
mands it.
Mr.. Van Slyke compared the Minneapo-
lis method with ST. PauIs. There" he
said, 1.-The park commission gets together.
First they resolve that park is needed;
then they resolve that the park is needed in
such a location. and finally they resolve to
condemn the property for a park, That
settles it,