St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-18
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
A SYSTEM OF PARKS.

10 the Editor Of the Globe:
Iae subject Of parks and boulevards for
the city Of st. Paul is attracting more and
more attention from our most thoughtful
citizens. The chamber of commerce, COM
posed or our leading representative men, has
committee on roads and parks, aud from
LINE TO Time resolutions are presented bear
Ing upon this question. The great multi
pncity OF subjects that come before the board
ol directors of that body preclude any care
!ui ana full discussion OF this whole subject
III the broad sense which it deserves. The
locai pressure for some small 'breathing spot"
ofeates temporary interest and draws out
tuo hastily expressed. views of few citizens,
ano generally results in some action in favor
OF or against the particular project under
CONSIDERATION. What we need now Is most
| carelul and searching consideration OF the
whole subject of parks and bouleyards and
Tue adoption of some system as whole look
| ing to the future of large city, rather than
to the present of town with
population of only $50, 600 people. If you
VIII open your columns to discussion of this
Important subject l think the views of diff
| Iefent citizens can be ELECTED which will
throw considerable light upon the subject
ana prepare the way for some practical legis-
| iatlon, which should be had next winter. A
broad AMI comprehensive system should be
devised looking to the future demands and
necesslIIeS OF large population; and while
IL would perhaps not be advisable to make
large expenditures Immediately IN laying out
ana emDeiishing boulevards and parks, it GER
| tainly would be wise to plan the general system
| ana let the development, as 1t progresses, tend
toward final and complete whole. The
lnterspersing of small squares through the
business portions OF the city, for "breathing
spots, Whlle they may be pleasant enough
Tor those residing in the vicinity are not
specially beneficial, and are certainly not ad-
VantagoS from Il business point of view. They
break the continuity of business and thus de-
crease the value of surrounding property for
business. This is especially the case with the
small park in Whitney Smiths addition,
bounded by Wacouta, Fifth. Sixth and Sibley
streets There is no residence property
properly speaking) within several blocks of
THIS small square, aud if the city could sell it
for its fair value it would bring somewhere
from three to five hundred thousand dollars,
converting it to
BUSINESS PURPOSES
would enhance the value of all the surround
ing property and the proceeds would buy
broad acres enough in the suburbs to make a
genuine park whore multitudes could find
recreation and health. The same general
principles will, in time, apply to Rice, Lafay
cite, Central and Irving parks.
1t should always be borne in mind that the
area for business in st. Paul is the plateau Or
basin circumscribed by the surrounding cliffs.
This area in round numbers is only about 600
acres II. We get population here in the
near future of from 250,U00 to $4,000 people,
every square foot of room in this
| basin will be needed for business
| purposes, exclusively Men talk as though
| we were building city on an open prairie,
| and seem to forget that nature has here set
| limits and bounds to the business heart and
| center OF this city. Heavy wholesale busI-
| ness can never pass Trout Brook valley and
| climb up the rugged face of Dayton's bluff.
nor is 1t likely q hlI1ffS a nd
| hills north of the city to any considerable ex-
| tent or to climb upon st. Anthony hill to
| the west. A certain amount of local retail
| trade will go out in every direction, and SO
will manufacturing plants, but the heavy
| business that will make and keep St. Paul
the great center of supplies and the CONNER
| oial center for the Northwest will necessarily
| be done on about 600 acres of land lying in
| an amphitheater reaching from Seven corners
| eastward to Kittson street, and extending
| from the river front back to Pleasant and
| college avenues, Bluff street and Aurora
| avenue. In this area there is no room
| for parks. 1t will all become so necessary for
| business and so valuable in dollars and cents
| that we can't afford and should not now toll
| crate any considerable expenditures looking
| to the perpetual maintainance of even these
| little squares as parks or pleasure grounds.
| In other words, If their value becomes such
that the same money judicously expended
| three miles out would buy so or 100 acres
where thousands can enjoy pure air, boating
| and athletic sports, would it not be wise tC
| secure the broad acres and allow these squares
| TO be covered with business structures? Take
Rice park on concert evenins, and what
| comfort or pleasure is there to go and stand
| wedged in crowd like sardines in a box OF
bidders at an auetion? 1t did very well for a
village square, when a few hundred people
only could be called out by musical program
| but we need now, AMI ought to have broad
| acres where ten, fifteen or twenty thousand
| people can assemble and not crowd each
| other. Central park wis generous gift OF
surrounding property owners, but it GER
| tainly is not wise now to spend $500, 900 to en-.
large it by adding a small strip of ground or
each side of it. That ground will be needed
for wholesale houses within twenty years
from this date. Twenty years ago there were
but few stores or even shops on Seventh
street, and much of the area north of Seventh
and east of Jackson street was "unrecIaimed
swamp" almost bottomless. as the ground OF
which our union depot now stands and the
area covered by railroad track. A suggestion
that business houses
WOULD BE BUILT
north Of Seventh street was as visionary
as my suggestion will appear to some when
say that every foot of ground to the bluffs
will be required for business within the next
twenty years. The small squares wenow
have are well enough for the present, but lei
US not enlarge them, make no expensive i'm
provements thereon and do not consider
them as permanently dedicated for park pur
poses.
What shall be done? The necessary legis
lation should be procured next winter for 8
park commission. Before next winter the
ground should be carefully looked over by
the most prudent, public-spirited citizens
and the general outlines of a park and boule.
ward system should be determined upon
That system should embrace considerable
| land so located rive c0mDete system
of parks to the various districts of this city
Say one large park for the Daytons bluff dis
trict which should embrace either a river
frontage, including the mounds, OF
q considerable portion of Lake Phalon fthe
more OF It's shore the better). Como park
should in some way be enlarged, either rs
taking in more land or by extending wide
boulevard entirely around Lake Como's beau
tiful shores, which can now be done at small
| expense, thus making most beautiful drive
around that picturesque lake.
A large tract Of land should be procured
for the st. Anthony hill district park, and Sc
located as to accommodate the wonderful de-
Yelopment now in progress between the tive
cities. Reserve township is itself natural
park, and it only needs some power to buy
and hold ''iu state of nature" a few hun
dred acres of this beautiful high plateau. Ii
could be procured almost in the line of the
development of the midway district
aud should embrace both shores OF
the Mississippi river and as much
of the natural scenery as possible
This park could be made to rival Paramount
park of Philadelphia, and one end of it should
be in Minneapolis and the other in st. Paul.
The West st. Paul district should also be pro-
vided with park somewhere on the high
bluffs overlooking the valley of the river and
the city. This system OF parks should then
be connected by wide and
BEAUTIFUL BOULEyARDs,
handsomely laid out and shaded by double
rows of thrifty trees, planted as early as pos
sible after the surveys were completed and
grades determined upon.
This whole park and boulevard system
should be planned to connect with Minneap
oils system, and the enterprise of our sister
city will meet us more than half way
The natural beauties of bluff and river and
lake scenery can all be combined SO as tt
surpass in variety and loneliness any parl
and boulevard system ever yet planned upor