The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-11-06
M. G. Willard Offers to Donate Large
Addition to Park System.
Will Present City With Slopes and Ra.
vines Along Glenwood Avenue.
Gift Comprises Nearly Thirty Acres of
Most Magnificent Scenery.
The City Asked Only to Lay Out a Few
Walks and Driveways.
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
The city of Mankato is about to b,
presented with magnificent addition tt
its park system, consisting of from TWEEN
ty-five to thirty acres of SCENERY un
surpassed in the state. The proposed
donor of this property is NJ. G. Willard
and the matter is in the hands of the
Civic Improvement league, which will
probably bring it before the council al
the next meeting Mr.. Willard asks
nothing in return, but makes the gift
purely out of public spirit. He has had
the matter under consideration for some
years, and approached the last council
about it, but the aldermen then mis-
understood his motives or his prOpo-
sition, and, while favorable to the city
acquiring the property, did not take up
the negotiations on the ground of ex-
pense.
The Civic Improvement league took
the matter up with Mr.. Willard, not
wishing to see it drop, and the result is
that it will have definite proposition to
present to the council Friday night, that
no one will have any reason about hest
tating to accept.
The land which Mr.. Willard proposes
to give to the city in perpetuity consists
of the bluffs and side ravines along a
good part of Glenwood avenue. 1t in
cludes half a mile along the north side.
from the roadway past the top of the
bluff, and an equal distance along the
south side, except that part owned by
the Swedish cemetery association. 1t ex-
tends from point little beyond the
last house on the right, going up the "a
vine, as far as Glenwood cemetery.
The gift is one that the council should
not hesitate moment about accepting,
as very little expense will be required to
take care of it as part of the park sys-
tenn of the city. 1t will give Mankato a
park system such as any city would
envy, and such as can be equalled in
natural beauty by the systems of no
city in the land. This land is almost
continuous with Highland park, being
only stones throw away, and drive
way could be arranged with little ex-
pense from Highland park down one of
the side ravines into Glenwood avenue.
Few even of our citizens appreciate
the wonderful beauty of the bluffs and
ravines along the outskirts of the city,
and Glenwood avenue goes along the
largest and most beautiful of all of the
beauty spots that enclose the city on
every side These places will be appre-
ciated far more fifty years from now
than they are at present, and those who
have hand in preserving them for the
use and benefit of the public will be
blessed by future generations. The OPP
portunity to acquire some of this prop
erty free of cost may never occur again,
and it behooves our citizens to make
good use of present opportunities.
At the request of the committee of the
Civic Improvement league, Mr.. Willard
yesterday afternoon took the reporters
of the daily papers over the ground that
he proposed to donate to the city. 1t was
an hour well spent. Clamboring up the
sides of the bluff, over dead leaves and
among a variety of trees, denuded by
Jack Frost of everything except last
summers BIRDS nests, the submits
were successfully gained, and what mag
nifcent views spread out before the trio
The purple haze of Indian summer add
ed charm to the scene, and "half con-
cealed, half revealed" the beauty of the
landscape. Glimpses of the valley be-
low could be caught occasionally, with
the city peeping through, but the city
noises and smoke and dust were alb.
sent. How restful it was to stand or
those everlasting hills and think that il
was but ten minutes walk home, yet
to enjoy that sense of rest and peaceful
ness that the city dweller has SO little Of
unless he seeks it in the country. II
seemed as though nature had intended
the splendid scene to be forever preserv
ed for the favored citizens of Mankato
and she was certainly prodigal in hel
gifts.
In among the bluffs, just step from
the well travelled road, are little spot!
where picnic parties can spend a day
in absolute seclusion, surrounded on al
sides with bluffs, with tall trees ovel
head, and trickling streams underneath
If it is preferred to go up the bluffs, tn
fine, pure air of the country is encoun
tered, and splendid view had in all di
rections. The city, after it has accepted
the generous gift, should erect a few
tables and seats at advantageous points
and make every part of the property
available through walks and driveways
that will cost very little to prepare
This will be all that the city need eve