St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-08
OUR PARK SYSTEM.
Some Direct Ideas the Commits
sion Should Have in View.

Some Direct Ideas the Commits
sion Should Have in View.
While our park commission is consid-
ering the question of purchasing parks,
writes a prominent citizen. it will not be
amiss for us to look somewhat into the
future. The city that has its parks Sc
cured and laid off according to some
definite plan has great advantage both
in beauty and in convenience over one
that picks up a park here and there
without plan. Now, we have already
outlined certain fine drives and boule-
wards around our city, and they are to
some extent Systematically lad out.
For instance. Phalen and Como avenues
give fine drive along the north line Of
the city, and this can be continued from
the fair grounds to Fort Smelling either
by way of Smelling avenue or through
st. Anthony Park and by way of the
proposed boulevard along the river
front from DeSnOyer Park to Fort Shell
ing. Then from Fort Smelling there is
fine drive into the city either by way
of Summit avenue south along the top
of the bluffs, or through Fort Smelling,
across the Minnesota river by ferry, and
below or above the bluffs on the west
side, and across the high bridge into the
city again. Then again there Will be q
fine drive across the new Sixth street
bridge. by way of the Indian mounds.
and then by some street to Lake Phalen.
Indeed the grand drive should begin
| with the last named, taking in the In
dian mounds, Lake Phalen, Como and
Fort Smelling. Along this whole route
lie beautiful spots, seemingly designed
by nature for parks. and a Sys-
TEN of parks along this grand
the whole city. then, again it is prac-
tically impossible to get large parks
any nearer the heart of the city than
the line of this drive. 1t is we'll enough
to have small parks all through the city.
But our crying need now is for large
parks, and for a system of them. We
are behind most other cities in this re-
Spect, and there is nothing so prOmotlye
of the health and beauty of 4 city as
fine parks. But. with such grand
drive as the one above outlined, with
five or six large parks. and occasionally
small ones along its route, and with
small parks scattered elsewhere through
the city, we should have a perfect sys-
TEN of parks beneftting everyone
equally.
These large parks should be so stu
ated that every part of the city would
be convenient to one of them, and the
greater the population likely to be in
neighborhood the larger should be the
park. One of these parks should be on
Dayton's bluff, at the Indian mounds.
Another should be at Lake Phalen. A
third we have at Lake Como. A fourth
and possibly a fifth should be some
where south of Merriam Park, so as to
have the benefit of the river scenery.
than which nothing in the state is more
beautiful. The last should be on the
West side. near the end of the high
bridge. Then at some later day there
should be another on the West side,
in the direction of South st. Paul.
But undoubtedly either very large
one, or two large ones should be- in the
Midway and Reserve Township district
for in this direction are the electric
lines rapidly shifting the center of
population. SO there should be either
a long, narrow park extending from
Fort Smelling up the river bank to the
Short Line bridge, like Paramount Park
in Philadelphia, or there should be a
large park near Fort Smelling and
another further up the river. Mime
apOlis would gladly respond with some
thing similar on the other side. This
would give a resort for the West
Seventh street district and would az
commOdate all the inter-urban district
not near Como Park. OF course all this
can not be done at once, but something
of the SOFT should be kept in mind, and
our parks should be bought with an eye
to this.