Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-17
ARE INVESTIGATING
PUBLIC PARK SITES
Trades and Labor Assembly
Think it May Secure an Ex-
cellent Location
ANXIOUS FOR COOPERATION
Open to Suggestion. and Will Look at
Anything That May Be Offered Be-
fore Deciding the Matter-Ground
Along the River, This Side of Sol
diers' Home. the Plot Most Suitable.

Last evening a party consisting of
iS 7. Austin. John Tallman and Joseph
N1ohr, the park committee recently put
into commission by the Marshalltown
Trades and Labor Assembly of this
city, accompanied by Mr.. Charles w.
Hughes. viewed the prospective park
site west of Fourth street, north Of
Jerome and south of the mill property.
The site includes fourteen acres.
owned by the city of Marshalltown, six
acres of which are now the grounds of
longing to ]. G. Trotter. one block from
Third street and south of Center. Also a
part of the new addition to Marshall
town called the High View addition.
The suggestion is made that the Trot-
ter tract may be bought at fair price,
the city tract added and the Hughes
property donated to the city for park
purposes by its owner. This Mr.. Hughes
has already offered TO do, beside con-
tributing other park improvements The
committee seemed greatly impressed
with the natural advantages offered by
the site under consideration and ex-
pressed itself to that effect.
Fishermen who have been accus-
toned 10 cross from past the ice houses
to North Fourth or Fifth street are
familiar with the tract. The Trotter
property lies east of the river, rising to
q beautiful little eminence crowned
tween the hill and the river and 1t was
suggested last evening that hand
some lake might be formed from this
pond and fed from the large springs
near the hospital. all at comparatively.
slight expense. Trees would be planted
on the rolling ground south of the
Trotter tract and boulevard lead from
Fourth street at the Ferneau place
down a natural draw to the park
grounds and out about the hill to Je-
rome. This drive might be extended to
the Soldiers Home grounds if advisa-
BILE before making a junction with Je-
rome street. The six acres now consti-
tuting the grounds OF the detention
hospital seemed to offer an excellent
situation for a three eighths mile Gin
der path for foot and bicycle racing,
base ball grounds, tennis courts, etc
The fact that between 5000 and 1000
of the city population ara located with
in walking distance of the proposed site
also struck the COMMITTEES as an obvious
advantage. The perfect drainage of the
entire site, and its natural adaptation
for park purposes which call for a COM
paratively small outlay, were COM
mended by the committee. If this site
is finally selected the hospital, of
course. will be removed to some other
place.
The committee is one appointed by
the Trades and Labor Assembly at a
recent meeting, when the project OF a
public park was brought up and en-
Enthusiastically received by its members.
The trades unions wish 1t distinctly I'M
derstood that this is in nowise a labor
movement, but simply an agitation to
attract the attention of the people Of
Marshalltown to the ciry's need OF a
public breathing place. The assembly
liz in a position to make the movement
definite on account of the number of
organizations (twenty-three) repre-
sented and the numerical strength Of
these organizations. They are anxious
to secure the cooperation Of the
Federation of Women's Clubs and other
organizations of the city
The committees visit last evening
was for the information of the assem-
bly, on the proposed sites and in the
hope to awaken comment and interest /
from the public. Other sites have been
notably one on South Sixth |
street and one west OF the Soldiers
Home