The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-15
CITY PURCHASES
LARGE PARK SITE
Acquires 100 Acres at Green
Springs for $4,000
WARD MAKES STATEMENT
Property Is Situated In an Ideal Place
for a Public Park of Large Dimen-
sions, and Will Be
Improved.

almost adjoining the city limits.
! The property cost SS1 900, which is a
fraction over $500 per acre. At present a
large portion of it is vacant. but some
few houses occupy small sections. Some
of the property is under cultivation.
The entire property will be vacated on
| September l and the city will at that
time take possession and commence I'M
proving the property so that it will be the
largest city park in the south. The prop
| erty lies within a hundred yards of the
ldlewild car line and almost adjoins the
beautiful residence section, Idlewild.
1t is the only piece of property in the
vicinity adapted to park purposes on such
a large scale and the Mayor and Alder
men are congratulating themselves on
having acquired it.
Mayors Statement.
| Mayor Ward yesterday morning issued
the following statement giving the facts
about the purchase and the reasons for
making it:
1T is with much satisfaction the Mayor
and Aldermen inform the public that the
picturesque Green Springs property has
been secured to the people of Birming-
| ham.
The tract comprises one hundred acres
more or less lying southwest of High
land park and between the Louisville and
Nashville railroad and Red mountain.
THE main body consisting of approx
! imately seventy-ive acres was purchased
from Daniel Coleman of Huntsville for
$4,000, payable $4,000 cash and four notes
of $4,000, each payable in one, two three
andNour years.
In order to vacate streets, avenues
and alleys the city was compelled to buy
in about twenty-five settlers as per the
following list, for which cash was paid
making total of about $S2Oj0, for the
entire tract or about $500 per acre.
John Weaver, part lots IA. 10 and 49,
block 5, $3.50.
w. d. Paris, lot l. block 6, lot 10, block
Y. $500.
w and L. HILL lot r. block I, $1,000.
NJ. NJ Warren, lot 10, block 7, $1,000.
w NJ. Warrington, lots 10 and ls, block
Z. 5000.
Sumter Bethea, part lots and o block
8, $3.50.
George Billups, part lots and 2. block
8, $500.
Hill Davis, part lots and 2, block s.
$780,
John T. Reed, trustee, lot g. block 49,
and lots ID and a. block 8, $3.50
]. w. Miller lots 10 and IA, block 8, $500
E. T. Baker. heirs. lot IL. block g. $s75
Annie NJ. Colley, lots 10, IA, Is and 1s,
block 8. $1,000.
Patrick Coyle, lot 4. block 10, $500.
George A. Jannette. lots and 8, block
16. $4O45 %
zinzer and Wilder. lots and 10, block
IS, $500.
]. T. Meredith, lots II and Is, block Is,
$4,000.
Railroad fare to Huntsville, etc, $40.
Material and labor, fencing five lots,
$3.50
Taking one Acknowledgement, so cents.
Weber Iron Works Davis Hill time
taken). $780,
Recording twenty-four deeds, ST.
Alabama Abstract company commission
agreed, title work, $1,000.
Total 31,015.SS.
Only Tract.
THE people are fortunate and should
be particularly gratified at securing this
land as it is the only large track left
contiguous to the city limits.
lit can now be sold at an advance. and
in the course of a few years the public
wisdom of what has been done.
Some of it consists of excellent houses
that can be sold or used for rental pur-
poses as long as the city sees fit. thereby
bringing in some revenue.
ut is naturally a park already, since
1t contains meadows, fine large forest
trees and several splendid springs
Engineers and park experts who ex-
amined it reported back that an expendi-
ture of $4,000 for improvements on
similar size vacant tract and an interval
of seventy-hve years would not repro
duce what we have secured ready made,
and that 1t would be a great loss to the
people and posterity If the land were not
secured and held intact before too late
In buying out these small owners the
city was probably held up in two or three
instances in small way This must al
ways be expected, however. In transac-
lions of this kind. As whole these small
This was due to large extent to the
able way in which E. N. Cullom, who had
entire charge of the matter for the city,
handled 1t.
Much Labor.
There was an immense amount of la
Dor and Investigations necessary to per-
feet titles. owing to numerous transfers,
mortgages, liens, tax titles and other com
plications always involved in a deal OF
this magnitude.
IT M. Bradley, who obtained the option
from Mr. Coleman. is also entitled to
credit for giving the city an option and
the first chance al the proposition. es-
pecially as he had several offers at an adj
vanced price.
ssWhile the citys financial condition is
very much strained. the people will doubt
less be willing to make some temporary
sacrifices to have us cinch an invest
ment that will last forever and the value
of which grows greater and greater as
the years go on.
by the nature of its service to every
man. woman and child in this district
the park will be a municipal asset Of in
comparable value.
Personally / feel that no act of the