Evening journal., 1909-02-20
PLANS BIG PARK
FOR THE CITY
William P. Bancroft Gives
Reasons For Desiring a
Change in Law

At a meeting Of West Brandywine
Grange on Thursday night a resolution
was adopted favoring the bill before the
Legislature giving the park commission
ers power to extend park land five miles
beyond the city limits. instead of two
miles, as at present. The resolution was
passed after a statement from William =.
Bancroft, president of the park commits
sion, had been read. Mr.. Bancroft's com
munication was as follows:
1t has been a hobby or a concern with
me, for more thap twenty-six years, to
endeavor to get park land for the advan-
tage Of the people Of Wilmington and its
vicinity.
For many years have been thinking
and working as to getting the woodland
on the northeasterly side of the creek be-
tween the lower powder yard and the
Augustine Mill. William NJ Candy was
very much interested in this hope we
will succeed In the endeavor to promote
It l have bought about one hundred and
twenty acres of the Mousley and Elliott
land and some years since secu ed about
seventeen acres that had belonged to
Isaac c. Elliott and his sister. and put it
in trust, to go to the city If It shall get
other park land I'm that neighborhood.
For many years had been saying that
I wished someone would gather up the
rough land along the Brandywine above
Rockland, and hold 1t for the future Will
mington. a Wilmington of hundreds Of
thousands of people.
About two years since the land on the
easterly side OF the BrNldywine above
Thompson's Bridge was in the market
and I concluded that perhaps I ought to
do something toward what / had been
wishing others would do bought sew
eral tracts then offered. and have bought
others since.
MY thought is that the hills along the
creek, some Of the valleys running up
from the creek, and few Of the finest
view points on the hills should be owned
/ by the city and kept open for the public
and that the land further back from the
creek being largely in one ownership
may be laid out with roads on good grades
and leading TO the good building sites /;
which will have easy communication with
Wilmington, so as to make a very at
tractlve and desirable residence district.
OF course 1 cannot live to see much Of
this. II may take a hundred years to
work out. Perhaps I may be able to so ar
! range tiiuSH AlidA IL VIII WOIk OUT even
if it shall be very far in the future.
I have no idea that there will be much
pecuniary profit in the operation. certainly
nothing Of that kind for very many years.
I believe it will never pay anybody FIVE
per cent. compound interest on the invest
ment. I doubt whether it will ever pay
three per cent
AS the law in regard to parks IS now,
the city has no authority to hold land for
that purpose more than two miles outside
it's limits have had bill introduced in
the Legislature entitled "An act to amend
an Act entitled. an act to provide for
public parks for the use of the citizens Of
Wilmington and its vicinity
There are but two points in IT,
First to enable the city to accept or ac-
quire land as much as five miles out.
and second. to make. more clear the
method Of procedure by which the city
accepts or acquires land.
The city has for twenty-five years had
power TO take land in the city or within
two miles Of 1t by condemnation. This
power has hardly ever been used. and IL
/ is not likely TO be used often. but Il is
proper that the city should have the power
and under the proposed act II would have
II as far out as five miles.
think It will be very much to the ad-
vantage Of the neighborhood II my plans
are carried out.
VIM. p Bancroft
wilmington, Del. End mo-, 18th, 1909.