Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-05


The report of the Board of Park
for the past year,
's,ich has Just been issued from the
',,ssa If John M. Rogers, is one Of
~ most attractive ever gotten oul
W va contains much valuable informa
s;nn Ii is tastefully illustrated, the
being as follows: Fronts
.i;oce from photograph by George >
babinson "Outlook from Washington
Street Bridge, 2 from photograph by
= p HALL. New First Dam, 1904,
s,om photograph by John M. Rogers
haadband. from pen drawing by Greg
~. 4. Crosby 1.-THE Race Side, y from
~ ~ tcgraph u by Charles r. Jones
Rsa,fh Drive . from photograph by
,,berles r. Jones stRelic Of the Old
Dnriay MILL. from photograph by
Tobn M Rogers Candy Memorial,
so ssant ana back views, from photographs |
by John NJ. Rogers.
'Tba total area of park land in Viii |
.,;naton. owned by the city, is 290. B3 |
aarss II which 26O. 43 acres comprise |
P-andvwine and Rockford Parks. In |
a. sr3all parks under the control of |
.ho park Board, Kirkwood, Delamore
ana Eden Parks, there are l7S5 acres.
Cool Spring Park, which adloins Cool
Snring reservoir, is controlled by the
peard of Water Commissioners, as is
no Rodney Park, at Rodney street
rsservoir; Eighth Street Park at
Eigbth and Franklin, Garfield Place, at
ne1aware avenue and Washington street
Kennett Place, at Pennsylvania ave
ma and Franklin street, and Shlpley
Place at Twelfth and Market streets,
ave under the control of City Council,
gbile the plot around the Soldiers
and Sailors Monument, at Delaware
avepue and Broome street, is looked
after bv individuals. In the parks not
nnder the control of the Park Board
there are -. 50 acres. The area of the
citv is To- Is sauare1miles, making one
acre of park land to every p acres Of
city area, and one acre of park land
to every 264 inhabitants.
As to park loans the report says:
Summarized briefly, the resources Of
this character consist of $40, 600, for
park improvements, not yet issued, the
remainder of $50, 600 authorized IN
1901 5000, in the custody of the city
treasurer, an unexpended cash balance
from an issue of $50, 600 also author
ized in 1901, and available for the
purchase of land: and provision made
by an act of the Legislature of 1905,
enabling City Council to borrow
$40 900 for improving the parks and
$50. 600 for the acquisition of land.
Since the report was compiled City
Council has authorized a loan Of
$40, 600, $50, 900 for the purchase q
land and S15, 600 for improvements
-t-,,s rrvnvr, Aal lrav, a d41rfrrr Ahn rna r
looking toward the purchase Of addi-
tional land, a report of which follows
"The advisability of having a small
park in the neighborhood of Fourth
q and Pine streets having been suggested
u the board, the executive committee
was instructed to look into the matter,
and after a visit to the locality, recon-
mended the acquisition by purchase ol
lease of that plot of ground lying
between Third and Fourth streets, anc
Bridge street and the Christiana River
belonging to the p, B. a. w. r. II,
Co In pursuance of this recommends.
tion, a conference was held with ths
railroad officials, who stated that the.
did not care to consider the question
until the completion of the elevated
road. but after that they might b
s. willing to discuss the subject. Earl.
in the year City Council took up tn
matter of concentrating the purchas
of land near Kirkwood Park. desire
for a play ground. Having only sl,2O
available for such, that portion neares
the creek was all that could be secure
and on February 18th, the land /
question, lying Immediately south {
Thirteenth street between Pine stree
and Kirkwood Park was bought frol
the Edward Pusey estate for 81, 0Ol
No provision was made for the acquls
tion of the other tract, but the unde
standing was that the deal would soc
be closed. The above mentioned pa
cells of land insured only portion
the creek front between KirkwoC
Park and Pine street, but the remail
ing land has been secured by gif
from the Diamond Ice Company, of
triangular piece bounded by the we
side of Pine street, northside of Ihi
teenth street and Brandywine cree
containing .07 of an acre. Short
after this, the city came into posse
sion by gift, from the Clement
Smyth estate, Of several parcels
ground lying along Jessups road /
tween Market and Tatnall streets
portion of the bed of Glenn avenue
proposed being within the land SO I
quired. This was divided into d
sections, the larger including all
the gift between the north proper
line of Glenn avenue and Lea's ra,
comprising Al acres was decided
fee simple, the remaining porti
lying north of Glenn avenue and cC
tanning .08 acres was decided to
Security Trust and Safe Deposit G
to be held in trust for the city and
be managed and disposed Of, as
Board of Park Commissioners shol
direct. Efforts have been made
secure enough ground between Mar
Hnd Iatnall streets along the bed
Glenn avenue to enable it to be opel
and graded, making an outlet for
north drive. At the present til
there IS q petition pending in the
Oounclf asking that such an amo
OF GROUND be secured, also request
tine purchase OF two tracts on "
street, one on each side, south of
south park drive and also the RIOS
dale lot situated on the southwest I
ner of Lowering avenue and CLAY
street. An inquiry has been reeei
from the Soldiers and Sailors Mo
ment Lot Association, as 10 whet
the Park Commission would undert
the care of the monument. In renl
was stated that such trust would
accepted, if the City Council shc
SO request; it being the opinion 81
Board, that the lot should be dee
to Council and by them turned
to the Park Commission. y
A history of the Rockford Park I
way matter is given, showing
granting the franchise, the obiec