Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-11
FORMAL DEDICATION
Caldwell Park Officially Opened By
Mayor Picker.
ELOQUENT ADDRESSES DELIVERED
Yesterday Afternoon the First Public
Park Ever Owned by the City Was
Dedicated-Was Notable occa
sion.
tFrom Wednesdays Daily.I

/ tFrom Wednesdays Daily.J
in the name of the city of Ottumwa
4 hereby dedicate Caldwell park
These words were spoken by Mayor T.
Fl. Picker yesterday afternoon in the
/ presence of the large crowd assem-
bled to witness the dedication of the
first public park ever opened in the
city OF Ottumwa. Several addresses
We're delivered during the afternoon,
interspersed with music by the FIT
tieth Regiment band. In the evening
a band concert was given at the park
! which was attended by large number
OF people.
The dedication services opened with
/ the Invocation by Rev. j. HOLSTER
! Lynch, at the close of which Mayor
Picker, who was chairman of the
meeting, introduced the first speaker,
! Captain S. B. Evans. This was fol-
/ lowed by addresses by Major Samuel
| Mahon and S. A. Brewster. Rev. j. T.
| Simmons, Major A. H. Hamilton and
| o. c. Graves, who are three of the old
! est settlers of Wapello county, then
We're called upon for a few words. and
their remarks giving "reminiscences of
| the early days were much appreciated
| by the audience. Captain Evans adj
dress had to be heard to be fully en-
ioyed. His description OF the pro-
| phetic vision of Blackhawk, the noted
Indian chief, was extremely amusing
and added touch of gaiety to the
most suspicious occasion.
| Capt. Evans Address.
| The following 10 the, address of Cap
tain S. B. Evans in part:
| Honorable Mayor, Ladies and Gen
tlemen: When the committee called
upon me, requesting me to say a few
words upon this OCCASION | endeavor-
ed to beg off and told the committee
that | was not public speaker and
did not know as much about the sub
ject as many others. but the gentle
men attempted flattery and told me |
knew more about the early settlers
| than anyone else. Failing in my at
tempts to beg off | told them a fairy
tale, which | will relate to you: Back
in the days when the Indians roamed
the prairies | was walking one day
with old Chief Blackhawk, and we
stood on this same plateau which ex-
listed the same as it does today, only
instead Of these beautiful trees there
was heavy forest There was the
same view of the beautiful silver
stream flowing down and looking on
this stream the chief became entranc-
ed with a prophetic vision and rolling
his eyes to the skies he said: q see
a great city stretched out below me.
The thon
the leaves on the trees of the forest. |
see great wagons running up and down
carrying loads of people, and Chief
Springfield make them go heap
quick.
A Great Change.
Since the days of Blackhawk's Wis
ion there has been a great change.
Coming down the corridor of time we.
reach the period when the nation is
plunged in civil war When brother
was fighting against brother and
father against son. At last peace
came and the shaclsles of thousands
and tens of thousands of slaves were
freed by that great emancipation Abra-
ham Lincoln. Coming down further
in the corridors of time we come to-
this locality and this particular spot
and | would like here to refer in few
words to the men who brought about
this change. The one among the num-
Der who deserves probably the great
est praise for the labors he performed
and the obstacles he overcame without
encouragement is Mayor Picker.
There is another gentleman who
should not be forgotten. He lives near
here and has been constantly talking
the necessity of park, Need | say
that refer to Newton L. Arrison.
Deserve Credit.
The city council is also entitled to
large measure of praise for the part
it took in the work, as is also Chief
John w Gray and City Solicitor w. H.
G. Iaques. The work done by the city
officials in securing Caldwell park will
go down in the history of the first city
park.
Another man whose name is al
ready connected with the park, that
grand old settler. Paris Caldwell, who
saved these trees that we might re-
ceive the benefits of them today, and
his son, Joseph Caldwell. who has fol
lowed out the intentions of his deceas-
ed parent, should be gratefully remem-
Derea.
In conclusion | want to consratu-
late the mayor, the city council and
the street car company whose efforts
made these things possible, congrat. |
ulate the able superintendent. Mr..
Springfield who fulfilled the prophetic
vision of Blackhawk and makes the
big wagons so heap quick"
Major Mahon's Address.
Following Mayor Picker, Major Ma
hon said:
Friends and fellow citizens: con
slider this one of the notable DAYS in
the progress of Our young and growing |
city. We have listened to the pre-,
vious speaker portray his beautiful |
vision of the past, but l desire to deal
with the present and the future. The
enterprise of .Ottumwa's citizens has
always been directed toward indus
trial advancement. We have all work. |
ed together for factories and indus |
tries, the employment of labor and the |
support OF man and his family. but
while we We're doing this the other
towns of the size and magnitude of
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