Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-04-17
IS CHRISTENED
TUFTS PARK"
w. B. Sherman Tokay Grape King
Gives City Beautiful Tract on
Tokay Heights.

"Tokay Heights" one of the popu.
larly known points on the 350.acre
tract Of land recently acquired by W.
B. Sherman, the grape king, and on
which is locited the old stage house
where the Jones family were killed
by the Rogue River Indians in the
early fifties. was the scene of a
felicitious and impressive ceremony
last Monday, when a parcel of 10 acres
more or less. as the council may elect.
was rendered to the city for park,
and the tract was very appropriately
christened Tufts Park" in honor Of
Mrs. Margaret Tufts, one of the fret
settlers of this section Of the Rogue
River Valley, and from whom Mr..
Sherman purchased the property.
Mr.. sherman had secured trans.
portation by automobile for the ban nd,
the mayor, city council and numerous
citizens to the grounds and the
schedule began at Q 80 Monday morn.
lug. Prof. Rowell and the Grants
Pass boys band Of 81 pieces preceded
the crowd in the four automobiles en-.
gagged for the day and after these
came Mayor Smith and the city
council, followed by some 500 Of the
leading citi liens of the town who
alighted near the old stage house and
ascended the hill overlooking this
historical struture on veritabls
carpet of flowers to listen to q number
of we'll rem dered selections by the
band, which fittingly prefaced the
days ceremonies.
The crowd was then led to the
center Of the tract which Mr.. Sher-
man had generously offered to the
city, and which had been uniquely
marked off by line of small Ameri
can flags on all sides. Here, with
an unexcelled view of the inviting
and prosperous little city Of Grants
Pass the assembly listened to Sc
lection by the band. after which Har
ry Andrews, the affable and eveI
ready secretary of the commercial,
club. opened the ceremonies of the
day with appropriate remarks aud thu
announcement that water would b'
piped to the park and surrounding
ground from the springs couple O.
miles distant.
Mayor Smith was then authorized Il
formally break the ground for one o
series of reservoirs to be built OIL
the tract for irrigation purposes
whereupon the mayor delegated thi
authority to Councilman T. p
Cramer, chairman of the park com
mittee, and Mr. Cramer swung tn
pick with the dexterity of an oil
timer. The assembly then repaire,
to spring just above the old stag
house where attor ney II G. Clement
delivered the address of the day an
the tract was christened "Tuff
Park" Following lie a brief synopsi
of Mr.. Clements address, which wa
attentively listened to and greeted wit
hearty applause;
II do not feel that in this i'm
promptu speech l can do justice
the o'casion or add to what has q,
ready been ssid. We frequently fin
ourselves between two extremes,
fact, physcially We live between tber
the past and the future. From tn, I
two limits the mystery of success
held in solution; the growth an
development Of country sets il
pace by the growth aud deveiopmer
of the men who occupied it. II
natural for man TO expand beyon
the common reach. We get our tbeor
from the Pilgrims and the man
ancestors who developed the Atlant
coast. The early years Of our govern
ment have seen the gradual encroacl
ment upon the Western unoccupi,
! snds. Pouring over the ALE leehrr
! m ountaips into the Mississippi vall'
, until the latter had become bee hi
of industry the pioneer shouldered b
ak and with his OK team and b
slowly sinking sun as compa
2 started over the hills, climbed Il
q Rocky mountains snd settled. TT
! ground upon which we have gather,
o to witness the ceremonies Of dedica
ing a park to the city by w. b. She
a man has coveted history buried
the archives Of a few highly respect
families who followed the burnll