The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-27
ONCE THE TOWN COMMONS
FORSYTH PARK WAS FORMALLY
LAID OUT IL 1881.

in 400 to. Belong to the LOt-HoId-
erS of the Town-How the MiIit,r.
Parade GRIND Was Acquired.
There is pop ular belief that Savannah
acquired what is known as "Forsvth
Park" by purchts-e from the former own.
ers MI Isaac I2eekett was seen yester.
day at his absu act OF title Office con
corning The mattes.
Mr. Beckett has made study of ~.
land history of Chatham county. and +,
equipped with a fund of information in ~,
gard to it. He claims to be able to mama
by his abstracts the owner of ever, II,
of land in Savannah al any date since
1850, when grants were first issued. whom
and TO whom the land was sold and tba
prices paid for it. He produced a COM,
OF plan of Savannah made by Thomas
Shruder, deputy surveyor general Of the
province of Georgia, in the year ITO.
You win see," said he, '-that this nlan.
the original of which is on file in the Of.
flee of the Secretary of State, shows that
tie town of Savannah, as it existed in INA
is bounded on the south by the street now
known as Oglethorpe avenue, on the YVES,
by Jefferson street, on the east by Lincoln
street. and on the north by the Savannah
river.
The town commons from which the part
of the present city embracing the ground
rent" lots was carved, extended on the
east to East Broad street prolonged to
Wheaton, thence in a southeasterly direc.
ton along Wheaton to Liberty street, west
along Liberty to point thirty feet six
inches. west of the west line of Price
street, thence along that line to Gwinnett
street; west along Gwinnett street to TAFT
nall street; north along TattnaIl TO Lib
erty street; west to West Broad strickland
north along West Broad street to the Bay
or strand. These boundaries embrace
Forsyth Park which was formally laid
out from the town commons" by ordi-
nance of council passed on April 26th, 1851.
and you observe, disposes of the claim that
the park was purchased by the city from
private parties"
The map shows that the White Bluff
road-desgnated as 20 feet in width start
ed from Oglethorpe avenue, at the termn-
alton of Bull street, and that 1t is in fact
simply continuation of this street. 1t 10
marked on the map "Publick Road" The
Western Road now known as the Louis
vile or Augusta road, branched off from
the White Bluff road az point between
the Savannah theater aEAl Baptist Church.
and ran in direction a, little south OF
west. The Ogeechee road named in tho
map Southern Road" started from the
White Bluff road at about the southern
line OF what is now Jones street, and fol-
lowed southwesterly direction to point
crossing over what is now, about the cor
ner of Tattnall and Hall streets.
The Thunderbolt road, designated Pub
lick Road, S. E." started from she corner
of Broughton and Lincoln strCets and
continued in a straight line to and formed
what is the present Wheaton streGa, in d
direction about southeast
The Church Cemetery 211 feet from
north to south, and 1896 feet from ISL 10
west, is shown about 100 feet south of the
north line of Oglethorpe avenue, it's Wes-
tern line being a continuation of Absr-
corn street, just as it exists to-day and
its eastern line projecting a little beyon
the east line of Lincoln street
Forsyth park is a part of the ancient
Town Commons" of Savannah, which,
by act of the provincial assembly, ap-
proved May 1, 1850, was declared to be the
property of the lot holders in the town.
In reply to questions as to the manner in
which the military parade ground or park
extension was acquired Mr.. Beckett said:
The city, as l have shown, owned by
right of succession to the town of Savan-
nah all the land between Hall street the
southern boundary of the park proper and
GWlnnett street. To make the matter
clear as to the remainder Of it, must de
gress little. On April %, 1897, the United
States acquired by purchase the tract OF
land then known as the northern half Of
farm lot number one, Holland tything,
Perclval ward, which embraced the land
lying between Gwinnett street on tho
north, New Houston on the south, Mont
gomery on the west and the White Bluff
road, or Bull street extended, on the esst.
This land was used for five years as
cantonment, and on it was situated The
quarters of the United States troops star
toned in Savannah.
On Aug. 27, 1893, the Mayor and alder
men of Savannah conveyed to the United
States, for the consideration of $4,000 the
entire block of land which is now occupied
by the De Soto Hotel. The price gwen
was about $500 per lot, the land which
would be covered by Liberty street lane
being included. When it is considered that
the city sold the neghborlng lots
about the same time to private individ-
uals at prices ranging from $500 to $1,ao
each, it will appear plain that no hard
bargain was driven with the general gov
ernment.
Jan. 20, 1853 Congress, by joint resou-
ton authorized the Secretary of War 10
convey the north half of the Farm LOT,
about twenty-five acres, to the city of Sa-
vannah, in recognition, as the resolution
states, Of "the liberality of the city in sur
rendering to the government heretofore
certain lands now known as the new bar
racks in said city" The dee1 made by the
Secretary Of War is dated Feb. %, 1899, ana
embraces In the description the statement
that the land conveyed is 1.-The site OF the
old Oglethorpe barracks, adjacent to sald
city, which site had long been abandoned
doubtless the 'liberallty' referred to was
the low price charged to the government
for the new barracks property.
In the early Cos the city laid out the mill
tary parade ground, and to carry out us
purpose purchased from various parties,
ell the lots Of land between Gwinnett ana
New Houston streets, from Bull to Dray-
ton, and paid liberal prices. in many IN
stances exchanging other lots. on the OPP
poste side of the parade ground