The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-01-17
Has Decided Upon An Ex-
tended Park and Boule-
ward System.
WORK OF MAKING A CITY BEAU
TIFUL WILL BE UNDER SUPER
VISION OF A PARK BOARD
PLANS DERE DRAWN AFTER
LENGTHY CONSULTATION WITH
A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.
Special TO The Journal.


Indianapolis, Jan. I6.-After several
months of careful investigation and
consultation with one of the leading
landscape architects the park board
of this city has completed a plan
which assures the realization of what
need.
In recent years there has been
much talk of an Indianapolis Beauti-
full" Up to this time no general
civic movement toward that end has
resulted, and the board of park COM
missioners, appropriately the origin
atOr of such a movement, has deter
mined TO take the initiative, believing
that it will have the hearty approval
and tie cooperation of every citi-
zen with a spirit of civic pride as it
includes the building of park syS-
TEN with boulevards that will link its
parks, preserve and enhance the ma
tural beauty OF its streams and make
Indianapolis city that will be point
ed to with pride, not only by its own
citizens, by by the people throughout
the state who have an interest IN an
attractive capital.
The park board will not present its
cause as a dream fancy hurriedly
evolved For many months its men,
bers, DIR. Henry jameson, president,
and Charles Z. Coffin, John j. Appel
and Ferdinand Mayer, with George E.
KeSSler, one of the best landscape
architects in the country, have been
discussing every legal and technical
point of the proposed measure with
a view of going before the people
with carefully laid plan for the en-
hancement of the city's natural
charms
Indianapolis has for years been
working steadily on the development
of it's parks. The park system mas
not been keeping pace with the
growth of the city, however, for In
dianapolis has been gradually widen
ing its borders, and the increased
population must be provided with
summer retreats and Fairgrounds
There is the Sunday excursionist from
out in the state, TOO. He has become
a problem. A few years ago there
was adequate room for the entertain
ment of every visitor at the city
parks. The coming of the inteTUrban
systems. which now bring hundreds of
cars laden with our neighbOrs from
nearby towns and cities every sum-
mer Sunday, have added another
phase to the park question. Indian
aDoIis must welcome them and try to
make them comfortable and happy.
The attractiVeneSs of the city must
necessarily be their magnet.
individuality of Cities.
Mr.. Kessler has been connected
with the Indianapolis park department
for about a year and his work during
that time has consisted mainly of
careful preparation. He has insisted
IL 10 foaf which tho
members of the board of park COM
missiOners have felt as strongly as
he-that each city has it's individual
needs in park work that can be met
only nv a careful study of its indi-
vidual physical conditions and their
possibilities of development The
work Of Mr.. Kessler has advanced to
such a point that, while he has as
vet made no formal report containing
recommendations to the board, he has
outlined in broad way what he feels
is the logical end toward which this
city should work in eventually build
ing up of a comprehensive. dignified
and entirely adequate system OF
parks, bOulevards and Fairgrounds,
consistent with the needs of this par
ticular city.
Work Toward Harmonious End.
The general proposition which the
board has had TO face is, how to do
park work on a larger scale than has
ever been attempted in Indianapolis,
in such a way that whatever work is
done, whether much or little, each
wear, shall work toward a final and
harmonious whole.
Need of Complete Plan.
The question naturally arises in
the minds of those who give attention
to this proposed new plan, what does
the board of park commissioners pro-
pose to do if it receives these larger
ideas2 II is a fault of Indianapolis
in common with other American
cities. that its park work has been
disconnected. It has never been pos
Sible to coordinate the various divi-
Sions of the park system so that they
seem to constitute a harmonious
whole. The boards first step would
be to adopt such a plan of park work
that. no matter how much is attempt
ed in any one year, every dollar that
is spent would go toward co-ordin-
ated, comprehensive system of parks
and boulevaTds.
To Link Parks Together.
Mr.. Kessler's ideas for Indianapolis
contemplate this carrying out OF
boulevard work to tie together the
parks already in existence along the
lines OF the open streams that are the
most significant feature Of the city's
topography. Whether this means q
matter of ten or twenty-fv years. IL
is expected to result in a splendid
system OF boulevards.
This is a tremendous undertaking,
but a careful investigation of condi-
tions in other cities has convinced
the members of the park board that
il NAV be accomplished almost before
the city is aware OF the fact, at much