The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-21

day, Sept. 1, 1865: i
to sell h .so nais & do block No foI $500
scription and $1,000 and no more to be raised
taxation within sixty days
Voted to accept the proposition.
Voted to purchase land for q park.
That the supervisors, with s. a.. Madison |
and Dorilus Morrison. be a committee to inquire
what tract Or tracts can be purchased for park
It was voted 70 adjourn to O'Clock am Fri
the report Of the committee purchasing land
for park and to take action thereon.
Special Town Meeting.
Sept. IL, 1865.
The COMMITTEE appointed at the special town
belonging to Messrs. Jones & Cutler could be pur
chased for park, provided the property can be
for mot to exceed
Sf eaa ss sss
Board Of Supervisors.
A proposition having been received from ".
". McNair, attorney for Mr.. Jones. in relation
to the sale Of the Oliver place for public park,
The ena prposan Of Mr. TO MIN
The result Of these meetings Of 1868
was the acquisition Of the Eastman
property, abutting Market square, at
the junction of Nicollet and Hennepin
avenues, in the heart Of the then bust
ness district Of the city. On this site,
after the adoption Of the first charter
in 1868. was erected the gray limestone
building which for over thirty years
served Minneapolis as city hall, and is
The proposition to purchase the Jones
and Cutler property-the Jones here
named being the late EdwinS S. Jones,
the well known pioneer citizen and faith
er Of Mayor D. p. Jones-fell thru be-
cause Of The limited funds available for
park purposes in those days. IL,
Another proposition which failed for
the same cause at one Of these early
meetings Of the park pioneers at Morri-
900 tract of twenty acres on Grant
street.
The Nicollet Island Park Project.
Finally the pioneer friends Of the
park idea, among the most active of.
whom, in those days Of the first park
movements were Dorilus Morrison,
Franklin Steele, Paris Gibson, W. w.
McNair, E: NJ. Wilson, w. w. Eastman,
A. Bracket, conceived the idea Of az
quiring the whole Of Nicollet island,
then beautiful forest. tract covered
with maple groves, surrounded by the
Mississippi river Oh all sides and: lying
between the two towns Of Minneapolis
and ST. Anthony, as q park. This con-
ception appealed to the board Of town
Of the people. This property, now val
ued at 100000 or more, Messrs.
Bracket, Morrison and their colleagues
got W. w. Eastman to offer to the town
for the sum Of 1913 ,000.s But there We're
not enough voters in Minneapolis with
foresight to look into the future, and
the proposition-perhaps, all in al, the
to the town or city-failed by sixty
First Parks After the City Charter.
On Feb. 6, 1867, the city of Mime
apolis, then including only the west
side, Of the river, received It's; hrst
charter.
Among the first acts which marked
the transformation of the pioneer town
QUESTION Of two small parks-one being
obtained by gift and the other by ne
The first is still a part Of the Mime
apolis ,park. system and !, IS known as as
tFranklin Steele square, & being a DO 70
| Wy
Franklin Steele IN memory Of their
father and his early labors and love
for the city.
The other was known for years as
"Market square, being the twenty,
one lots in block 80, located on the east
bank Of the river and afterward the
being a site which the st. Anthony
Falls Water Power gave to, the city
in exchange for city bonds in aid of
the preservation Of the falls.
AS the net result Of these pioneer
struggles and the gift Of generous 90
|. nors, the city Of MINNEAPOLIS thus TAI
had acquired four small parks and was
making Roadway.
Park Efforts in the City Council.
When the old town Of Minneapolis
became by legislative charter the city
lof Minneapolis, the efforts OF the fr1end'
of the park idea were transferred from
the town board Of supervisors to-. thu
new CITY council. Work to- secure cit,
parks naturally centered in the plan
q and endeavors Of the council committee
on public grounds and buildings. For
4 tunately, George A. Bracket, the chair
q man Of the committee, was staunc|
champion Of the park idea, who had rem
dered woman service in the same caus
while q member OF the town Doafd o
supervisors. Associated with Mr.. Brack
EFT on this committee were the late well
B known citizens, j ohm III. Thompson an
Godfrey Scheit1in.
George A. Bracket, the chairman o
the committee, discovered that q fnel
wooded tract of forty acres, now par
5. of the most fashionable residence dis
!. trict of the city and worth several mil
!. ions, could be secured for the city as
park for the moderate sum of, $25, 90
i and was instrumental in getting thi
!, proposition submitted to the council fe
! consid eration. his was in the summe
: Of 1869. s
: The following is partial transcrip
lof the proceedings of the city cound
at the regular meeting Of July 8:
? Thursday, July 8, 1859
! The committe on public grounds and building
! presented the following report on the petition
tI. S. Burd and others for a city park. IT
committee to whom was referred the petition
s + s. Burd and others have had the tier sund,
consideration and would report as follows: III,
f | in their opinion we should at once take steI
! to procure public park. and would recommeI
: the acceptance of the proposition made by r.
d Mendenhall. fereto attached. provided the san
a be SO amended as to read per cent per annur
George A. Bracket.
e J. III. Thompson.
q. Scheitlin.