The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-21
THE MINNEAPOLIS JOURNAL.
Editorial Section.
The following is the proposition re-

The following is the proposition re.
rerred to:
If the city Of Minneapolis wishes to pur-
'Lase a lot Of land for city park, propose to
leA Of section 81. Of town 20. range "a, for the
'um Of $4,000. payable in the bonds Of the city,
.unning twenty.hve years. at 8 per cent; bonds to
(Stgned) r. j. MendenhalI.
On motion of Alderman Stickney the
report was received and ordered on file.
Alderman Beebe moved that further,
of the subject be post
poned Until the next regular meeting
of the council. Motion not adopted.
Alderman Bracket introduced an ordi-
nance entitled, An ordinance relative
to purchasing lands for city park, ~
which. was read the first time. Alder
man Stickney moved that the report OIL
the committee on public buildings and
grounds be accepted. Alderman Morse
moved that the report be referred to
the committee on ordinances. Not
sented the following resolution as a sub
stitute for the motion of Alderman
Stickney:
Resolved, That the city council of the city Of
MINNEAPOLIS accept the proposition of r. J.. Men
denhall for the sale to the city of the property
grounds be at once selected and purchased for
parks In the first and fourth wards, provided said
IN aVs IF city 6ond, n0s sa tS
bonds not to run a less time than twenty five
years and to bear interest at q rate not exceed
aldermen Of the respective wards, and the sum
Of $4,000 be applied to each of said wards.
Also that the committee on ordinances be in
with the conditions Of this resolution and re-.
port the same at the next regular meeting of
waee faop eisEk A K
ney, Thompson and the president. Noes, a.
Aldermen Beebe, Heffelnnger, Morse and Oswald.
aAltho the proposition secured the
support Of two to one Of the council
members present and voting, it required
a two-thirds vote Of the total council
for passage. and failed by one vote.
This proposed park property, lying
between Nicollet and Third avenues s,
was located in the heart Of the present
most valuable and fashionable residence
section Of the city. Ten acres of this
beautiful forty is now Hon. w. D..
Washburn IS well-known home, Fair
Oaks.
This was the closest and one of the
most costly defeats which the park In
terests Of the city ever suffered.
Movement for Special Park Act. f
This defeat at the hands Of the city
council taught the friends Of the park
idea that no substantial progress In the
direction Of developing a park system
was possible until the city had an
amended charter or special park act to
be administered by a board Of park
and providing legal measures for the
ACQUISITION and administration Of park
property.
The movement to secure legislative
enactment creating a park commission
finally centered in the Board Of Trade,
in which Dorilus Morrison, John s.
Pillsbury, Thomas Lowry, w. D. Wash
burn, George A. Bracket, Isaac At
water, g. M. Loring, E. N. Wilson, W.
| w. McNair, Daniel Bassett, RI. Men,
denhall, w. S. King b. 81. Corser, B. q
Nelson. j. g. Oswald, r. CT. Benton, r
! j. Baldwin andsothers were active and
| influential park champions
On Jan. 81, sls78, the Board Of Trade
started the ball rolling with the draft OF
la proposed bill, as an amendment to the
city charter, creating a board OF park
| commissioners and authorizing the mod
! est bond issue Of 100000 for the pur,
chase Of fparks and q tax levy OF $io,oOu
a year for operation. The legislative
delegation from Hennepin county was
urged to secure the passage Of the bill qlll
lat the state legislature then in session
1 In order to strengthen the hands OF
the legislative delegation in securing
the bill % passage, It was sproposed,T1te
securesa popular votein support of the
proposition. e sne gfTs,i
Accordingly, at the council meeting Of
Feb. Z, 1878, Alderman p. IS. lCorse1
moved that the city council order
special election to be held for the pur
pose on Tuesday, Feb. Ii.
The vote on this motion stood:
Ayes-Andrews, Conkey, Corser, Evans. Girls
4 void, sJobnsons Kruckeberg,y Pattee snyder-9.
Noes-Baehrne, Bohan, Brown, Camp, Duncan
Glenn, Lyons, Stevens Thompson, Watt an
Mr.. President-11.
So the motion was lost, and the FRS
adoption of "a park act failed by twt
votes. The legislative delegation fail
ing of home support did not press &C
ton upon the bill in the two houses
and awaited further development OF
home sentiment. That the park ldes
had secured strong public sentiment
however, was apparent from the FAC
that the mayor, John De Lalttre, In hi
/ message Of April 8, 1878, gave it strong
backing, calling the attention Of thu
public to the fact that the city, thel
in. its infancy, had beforesit the grea'
| opportunity Of securing at nominal COS
property which in few years would o.
beyond reach. He strongly favored tn,
i cited the fact, that tax levy Of one
4 fourth Of a mill for the sinking fun'
Z. won1d redeem the bonds in fifteel
wears, that one fourth mill more woul'
4 meet the interest, and another one
{. fourth mill would pay forSthe improve
! ment and superintendent Of tho prop
erty.
The Park Act Finally Passed.
Finally, the park idea triumphed i
1898 by the adoption at the hands o
u the legislature of 1883 of specis
+ park act as an amendment to the Min
neapolis city charter, and the act wa
approved Feb. 81, 1883. This act wa
far more comprehensive and broad tina
] any of, the bills Of preceding years an
!, was based on the laws and experience
I . of the most progressive eastern cities
! Tn the main it is the act under whlc
E the present park system Of the city
: operated. R. G.. Benton. and R. /.
I Baldwin were the principal authors Q
. credit for the valuable services eel
81 dered; and Messrs. Pillsbury, Bracket
i Loring, Washburn,. Lowry, King, Ne
= son and Morrison were among the mos
!. active rins furthering its passage.
3 The first meeting of the park boar
: under this act was held for organiz'
{ ton at the mayors office on Marc
! IA, 1883, at which c.. M. Loring We
elected president, Mayor A. a. Anne
. vice president and r. j. Baldwin, Sc
: rotary.