The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-17

any in the country, considering our size.
The fair grounds is the more important
as it will be the largest park of all, and
when improved will more nearly COM
pare with the large parks of the great
cities. Any legal obstacles in the way
of securing the fair grounds should be
removed as soon as possible, and the
work of planting trees begun. All
of the open field between the present
exposition hall and the grand stand
ought to be laid out and planted to
trees in graceful and artistic arrange
ment following plans of a competent
landscape artist. A part of the fair
grounds is sufficiently rolling to make
a very picturesque landscape. In the
lowest land lying to the east of the
grounds, a lake of several acres could
be excavated and after being once filed
with water from the Waterworks could
be easily maintained.
That Topeka's park facilities are in
adequate to the needs of the city is
accepted and that Topeka with it's sew
en- months summer needs rOOmy, pub
lie parks is voiced by all, but as yet no
concentrated movement towards a
park or series of parks has been made.
The Improvement of the City park
has been proposed many times and once
it was the intention to include the land
west of the City park and make a large
park along the river front extending as
plating of some of the land into lots,
the erection of buildings and the
switching yards by the Rock Island,
the idea of a long riverside park and
drive commencing with the City park
must be given up. The City park will
ultimately become one of a series of
small parks but it can be no more.
park capable of accommodating such
a crowd as assembled at the GrOcerS'
and Butchers picnic last fall is needed.
There is but one site available for such
With the fair grounds properly laid off
with drives and walks a crowd such as
attended the big picnic could be com
fortably accommodated as could even
a much larger crowd.
The fair grounds have been standing
idle, it might be said, for several years.
Since the Kansas State Fair associa-
ton gave up the fight the fair grounds
have been used only for circuses and
race meets with the exception of the
Fall Festivals. The grounds have been
rented and the buildings used for feed
ing stock and with the abandonment
of them for better uses, they have
crumbled and decayed until now there
is hardly a building safe or in condition
to use. The grounds have been a white
elephant on the hands of the county
commissioners ever since they passed
from the hands of the Fair association
to the commissioners
County Commissioner Scott Kelsey
says: Il am sure the county commits
sioners would be glad to have the city
OF topeka OBTAIN the r1SnL TO trans
form the fair grounds into park. They
are an expense to the county and we
would be better off to be rid of them.
They will never again be used for
fairs
City Attorney Bird said: There is
no reason why the city of Topeka could
not lease the fair grounds for 80 or 999
years and transform the grounds into
a park. The fact is think the county
should give the city a quit claim deed
to the grounds The county commits
siOners have the right to dispose of the
grounds as they see fit. When the bonds
were voted for the grounds the
grounds were purchased by the county.
The city paid the largest amount of the
taxes. For my part I think no better
use could be made of the grounds than
to transform them into a park
The fair ground tract proper contains
rs acres and Swift & Holiday own a
tract of four acres on Tyler and Eu-
cid avenues With the four acres the
tract contains so acres, part of which