The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-10-13
TORREY PARK.
Name of Honesdale's New Park,
Land of Which Was Donated
by Mrs. Andrew Thompson

Land of Which Was Donated
by Mrs. Andrew Thompson
Council in accepting the donation
of new park site from Mrs. An
drew Thompson recently, very grace
fully acknowledged the towns debt
to her and the past generations of
her family. The offer of the land
was made in the following letter:
Mrs. Andrew Thompson desires
in this informal way to offer to the
chief burgess and assistant burgess
Honesdale the accompanying deed,
believing that it's acceptance will
contribute to the pleasure of Homes
dale residents, and make our town
more attractive to it's visitors.
Mrs. Thompson begs leave to
state that the fence enclosing the
herein described land, is reserved by
the previous owners for use else
where and will be removed at their
earliest convenience.
"A kindly desire expressed by ''The
Citizen" to recognize the giver in
the selection of name for this park,
leads Mrs. Thompson to give ex-
preston to her wish, that if no
borough action has reserved the
name of Torrey park for the plot of
land donated by Stephen Torrey at
the intersection of North Main and
West streets, that this name be ap-
piled to this new park, and that the
name North park be retained for the
above mentioned gift of Stephen
Torrey, as seems to have been his
desire. This appears the more de-
sirable, as at meeting of your coun-
Gil held March 5, 1888, you passed
resolutions accepting Stephen Tor
rey's gift with it's designation as
North park and copy of this reso-
luton is filed with his papers. Will
you kindly investigate this matter
and if possible consider the donors
desire to dedicate the park to the
memory of Major Jason Torrey."
September 2S, 1909, motion was
made and seconded that the follow
ing resolutions. be drawn up and
that the same be spread on minutes
of council:
debted to Jason Torrey and his de-
scendants, not only for the original
establishment of the municipality as
the metropolis and county seat of
Wayne, but it's subsequent develop
ment and prosperity, and,
Whereas, To the religious and
moral trend of the Torrey family,
from the advent of it's founder to
the present day, many of the churches
in the borough are indebted for the
site upon which it's house of wor-
ship was built and it's Gods acre
respected; and
Whereas, The public education
al institutions of the borough are un-
der admitted obligations to the same
source for gifts of many of the lots
upon which their buildings were
erected; and
Whereas, Central park and the
court house grounds were the joint
gift of Jason Torrey and the Della
ware and Hudson Canal company,
while Riverside and North parks
were presented to the borough by his
honored son, the late Rev. Stephen
Torrey, and another descendant,
Mrs. Andrew Thompson, daughter
of the late Hon. John Torrey, has
now generously rendered to the
borough the gift of the valuable plot
between West Park street and Park
lake as an additional public park,
thus adding another and permanent
feature to the attraction of the
borough, therefore be it
Resolved, BY the burgess and the
town council of the borough of
Honesdale, in regular session assem-
bled, on this seventh day of October,
1909, that the gift from Mrs. An
drew Thompson of the plot above
mentioned, conditioned upon its
maintenance by the municipal au-
thorities as public park, is hereby
thankfully accepted; and further
Resolved, that a copy of these
preambles and resolutions be pre-
sented the donor, and the same be
spread upon the minutes of the coun-
Gil as durable record by the official
board of their appreciation of the
benefactions heretofore bestowed
upon the town by the Torrey family,
and now crowned by the generous
gift under consideration.
Resolved, That this park be call
ed Torrey park"