The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-08
NAMING OF THE PARKS
MIR. CLAYPOOL'S HISTORICAL
SKETCH READ TO THE BOARD.
Perry Prefers n Big Tract ON the East
Side-The Dean Proper
ty Accepted.

At the meeting of the Board of Park
! Commissioners yesterday afternoon, after
the board decided to accept the proposition
to buy the Dean property on Madison ave-
nue. for $4,000, Commissioner Perry inter-
posed an objection to the board spending
any money for small tracts in the east part
of town. George F. Miller some time ago
offered to sell the Davidson property, on
| East Ohio street for $4,000. Yesterday Mr..
| Holt moved that this proposition be rejected
and a committee appointed to see if a bet
| ter proposition could not be obtained. Mr..
| Perry was in favor of rejecting the propo-
sition but wanted it TO go further, and
said that he thought all negotiations should
| be dropped in that respect. He was in favor
! of putting a little more money to the
| amount asked for the Davidson property in
order to buy the eighty-acre tract east OF
| Rural street, which citizens of the north
east part of the city have been urging re-
| Gently. 1t is their claim that there are no
| parks east of Delaware street, and that
! they are entitled TO more consideration than
| has been shown by the board. Mr. Perry
| thought that it was better TO eXpend money
| intended for the east side for park that
| would rank with Garfield Park on the south
| side, the river front parks and Military
on the west, and the Fall creek sys-
tenn to the north, instead of dividing it
up into several small lots Mr.. Holt sug-
gested that the appointment of the COM
mittee would not bind the board to make
the purchase, and he simply suggested that
in order to ascertain whether it could be got
at more reasonable figure. Mr.. Perry
alone voted against the notion Messrs.
Holt and English were appointed to secure
| a proposition from Mr. Miller
The board will probably sell the house
that'is standing on the Dean ground if ii is
bought City Attorney Curtis will be re-
| quested to examine the abstract of title.
| There is an ncumbrance of 1913 which the
| board will have 10 assume, beside taxes for
! 1897.
On motion of Mr.. Lieber the Board Of
| Public Works was asked to open and ex-
| tend New York street from Mauss brewery
| TO the proposed line OF the River-front
Park. Mr. Perry said that he believed this
| was good idea.
Il understand Mr. Lieber is going to take
up the railroad tracks across New York
street, said he with a smile.
'Iney are already up" replied Mr.. Lieb-
er Mr.. Lieber said at the time the injunc-
ton suit to prevent the city from taking
up the tracks was filed that the tracks
would be taken up If the board decided to
buy park land III that neighborhood.
kirkpatrick q Wheelan were awarded
the contract for restoring the stone mason
| ry that was washed out at Garfield Park
at the time of the recent high water. The
| work is to be completed by July l. 1t is
/ the intention to strengthen all the stone
work so that the lake will never wash out
! again.
E. F. Claypool, president of the, board.
| brought up subject in which there is
considerable interest. 1t is with reference
to naming the new parks. He said that
| there a historic interest to much of the
| land the board will acquire. In 1911 Lieut.
Zach Taylor held a powwow with Tecum-
| sch. the Shawnee chief, at the place where
| Fall creek and White river have their con-
| fiuence. AS a suggestion he asked that the
portion of the river front park extending
! from Fall creek to Washington street be
| of naming parks after individuals. Two or
three other members of the board listened
| with considerable interest to an historical
sketch Mr. Claypool had prepared on this
| subject.
The sketch was filed and will be taken up
later 1t reads:
as desirable for the parkway and the sys-
tenn of parks along White river and Fan
creek, the first step to be taken for their
Improvement is very important one, ana
| that is we procure the best and most ar
tistic plans that can be obtained in order
that any changes and unnecessary expense
| may secure the most satisfactory results.
Plans like an architectural design for an
UP to every detail for years, and such as
will enable us in the beginning to realize
what it will be at the finish.
ION account of the peculiar formation
and topography of the lands we have Sc
lected, that system VIII necessarily com m,
a wide parkway and along which water
falls and artificial lakes are contemplated,
with here and there wide spaces OF land Tor
| park purposes, each of which should be
known and designated by appropriate
| names.
by referring to such information as has
come within my notice, | find that a por-
ton OF the land selected have quite his
valley, in which the city of Indianapolis is
located, once belonged to that notable and
awares descendanfs of those who signed
the treaty of peace with William Penn over
two centuries ago under an IN, old elm tree
in their native village, Shackamazon,
where Philadelphia now stands From the
banks of the Delaware, by force of circum--
through the States of Pennsylvania, Vir-
ginia and Ohio and about the year 1890
they took possession Of the White river
valley and maintained full control of it un-
til 1918, when it was purchased by the gov
eminent. They remained here however,
about two years longer, when that tribe
was transferred to the State of Arkansas.
From there they removed to Kansas Terri
tory and later on to Indian Territory. Year
by year the tribe became less In numbers
until now it has become nearly extinct.
Indiana was admitted into the Union in
| 1916, and at a session OF the State Iegisla-
ture which was held at Corydon in 1919 and
1890, ten commissioners were appointed to
select a site for the state capitol, with in
structions to place 1t as near as possible
in the middle of the State. During their
! research for a location. after they had in
vestigated several other localities they
made a camping ground near the mouth of
Fall creek, at its junction with White river.
streams and the surrounding country, they
decided to place the seat of the State gov
eminent here. 1t was at the junction Of
those streams the trail of the Indians led
them from their abandoned homes i'm the
East to their new ones in the West, and 1t
was there Lieutenant Zachariah Taylor, in
1911 with his small army encamped and
crossed his way from Louisville Ky,
TO build Fort Harrison and while there he
met and conferred with the celebrated
Shawnee Chief 'Tecumseh,' an embassy OF
the Delaware tribe
After the location OF the capital had
been determined upon the question as to
the name Ii should bear was carefully con-
sidered; among those suggested were Te-
| cumseh and Delaware, but finally that or
Indianapolis was proposed by the represent
| tative from jefferson county, Mr.. Sullivan,
and 1t was unanimously accepted.
so it would seem that the location at the
park system has important history con-
nected with il. such as, in my opinion,
should be perpetuated. And 10 mat end
ask for your consideration that the south
| section of the system be named Fecumseh
| Park, name that can be linked together
with that of our State and our city and
| their ancient renown. And | further Sug-
| gest for your consideration that the pro-
| posed boulevard be named 'Elyaian Drive
| as / am of the opinion that II constructed
| in accordance with our wishes 1t Will be-
| come all that its name would imply"
Krauss's Residence Damaged.
The residence of Paul II. Kfauss. 90,
North Liberty street, was slightly damaged