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

The president be and is hereby author
lied to accept the deeds of land for
Lyndale park and for widening Du-
pont avenue from Thirty-eighth to
sixth street from Dupont avenue to the
Lake Harriet boulevard, this rendered
by William S. King and wife, which
deed bears date the 10Th day Of June,
lS91,' etc.
Adopted-Yeas, IL; nays, opas fol-
lows:
Adopted-Years, II; nays, o, as follows:
Yeas-Commissoner Allen. Bradish, Brown,
Dahn, Demeules. Folwell Loye, Rfdgeway, Ryan,
Stoft, Mr.. President, (Haugan).
The acquisition of Minnehaha park
way was largely achieved thru the ac.
tivity of the committee, of which the
present secretary of the board, j. A.
Ridgeway, was chairman, and Pro-
fessor Folwen was chairman Of the
special committee for the acquisition
of st. Anthony parkway.
The boundaries of Kenwood parkway
were designated by resolution of the
board Feb. 1, 1892, and the deed cf
Dean boulevard by the Dean heirs to
the city was recorded Aug. 10, 1892.
Park Development Period of 1s95-1ao5.
The first ten years of the Minneapo-
lis board of park commissioners 1883 :
1892, was the great period Of park ae-
QUESTION. The panic years, 1891,
called halt upon park purchases and
improvements. Then began in 1895
writing, 1905, the period of gradual de.
velopment and improvement in which
the park properties acquired during
the earlier period were improved and
developed into an orderly park system,
erticulated with connecting parkways.
Financial retrenchment was forced
upon the board by the hard times of
1884, and excellent business marriage
ment was required during this 10-year
duce the park indebtedness and make
substantial improvements upon COM
paratively small tax levy.
For this difficult and important un-
dertaking the city was fortunate in the
election Of Professor w. W. Foiwen in
1895 to the position of park board pres
ident. His service during the civil
war in the engineering corps of the
army, and his later experience during
a long period of years in the university
| Of Minnesota, had given him especial
board, where he had already served
with acknowledged ability during six
years. In~this correction, it may be
observed, that DR.. Folwel has had the
| longest service of any citizen as MEM
| Der of the Minneapolis Board of Park
| Commissioners. First elected at thel
general election Of 1888, he is now COM
| plotting his third six-year term, which
will make On Dec. 81, 1906, eighteen
years of uninterrupted service. eight
Of which were spent as president Of
! time as chairman of one of the leading
committees. Commissioner G. NJ Lor-
ing, who ranks second in length Of
service, and is now filing out the unex-
pired term of James w. Raymond re-
signed, will have served at the close
of 1906 total of twelve years; and
President Fred L. Smith, the present
head Of the board, will have seen
/ twelve years of service at the close Of
his present term, three years hence. :,
One of the important financial
! presidency of DR.. Folwell, in the years
1S95-1902 inclusive, was the reduction
Of the park certificate indebtedness
from total of $747, s47.27 unpaid and
outstanding on Dec. 81, 1894, to the
small unpaid balance of 81, 952.72 on
Jan. /, 1908, a net reduction of over
100000; and this signal Achievements
was brought about during the severe
period of depression following the 1893
PahlG anu uullns Giae Wnen Inc park
board was compelled for several years
to do business on reduced tax levy.
i Notwithstanding the fact, that the
fixed charges of the park board, during
1995-1902 reached close upon 100000
year-fncluding $4,000 for interest,
$4,000 for maintenance, $4,000 for sal
aries, and $4,000 to $4,000 for repairs
and that the income from taxation
did not average 100000 a year, the
board during this period succeeded in
concentrating many substantial i'm
provements.
i For example, pursuant to President
1 Folwell IS earnest and persistent plan as
pressed upon the city in his successive
annual reports, the West River Bank
parkway of 40.776.s4 acres, connecting
Minnehaha park with Riverside park by
several miles Of river bank scenery, was
secured, and this important enterprise
has since been expanded during the
terms of Presidents Adams and Smith
further lands including islands In the
Mississippi river; and yet the total cost
for purchase price and improvements
to date is only $40, so4.06. The above
acquisition is partial consummation
of Professor Cleveland 8 conception of
the "Grand Rounds,o of which Pro-,
lessor Folwen has been consistent adj
vocate.
During 1S95-1902 the park board like
wise added materially to the extent and
improvements of Mfnnehaha park, en-
larging the 1875 acres of 1896 to 139
acres and bringing to the park large
numbers of animals, besides adding ma
terially to the improvements in the mat
ter of both buildings and grounds.
Minnehaha parkway also has a num-
Der of new acres of extension, and up
wards of 100000 have been expended In
grading and putting the parkway in
J shape for travel.
+ Upwards of $4,000 was expended in
developing and improving st. Anthony
parkway on the east river bank, par
allel with Riverside park, and West
River Bank parkway on the west side
of the river.
Among other parks and parkways
; which have been materially improved
: and enlarged during 1S95-1905 are Pow
derhorn Lake park, Kenwood parkway,
Lake Harriet and Lake of the Isles
. wards, Lyndale avenue and King s high
. way and the Lyndale and Riverside
Z parks.
In fact, the total park acreage of
1852 acres in 1895 has been enlarged to
: 1900 acres. and the "a miles of park
: way drives i'm 1895 have besr extended
to 34.3 miles on Jan. i, 1905.
!, AT the same time, notwithstanding
$3,227,338 of investments in park prop
E critics and improvements, including S5s,.
3 726 worth of trees planted by the park
! board in the city streets, the park board
: during this ten-year period of develop
: ment has largely reduced the park debt,
while calling upon the city for a tax