The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-19
DANIEL DAVENPORT'S
 ADDRESS AT UNWILLING OF BEARDSLEY MONUMENT
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CContinued from First Page) upon the dissensions caused by the settlement over it of the Rev. John Davenport, previously the founder of New Haven Colony, he seeded with others and founded the Old South Church of Boston.
 The Rev. Peter Prudden led his lit- the flock from Herodshire in the west Of England, near Wales, in MT. Day exports Company, to Boston, and then to New Haven, and later to Milford which he founded.
 In the next century the Rev. Rich ardson Minor, graduate minister, was settled over what was then called Unity Parish, now the town Of Trum- bull. He was, at the same time, a successful practitioner of medicine in Stratford, Stratfield now Bridgeport, and Fairfield. In 1744, however, he changed his religious views and join ed the Episcopal church in Stratford, taking with him two-thirds of his con- gregation, and sought Episcopal or dination. He sailed for England for that purpose, but was captured by the French, taken to Port Louis and inn prisoned. Later he was released and went to England where, at Salisbury, he soon died of fever. It is said that, even at that early date, the Brit ish government designed to make him the first Episcopal Bishop of North America.
 Mr. Beardsley's deep regard for his W him to acquire the property which he afterwards gave to our city for park. On the 18th of February, 1715, the land where we now stand was laid out by the authorities of Stratford to Robert Walker, the great-grandfather of his mother. It continued in the family for nearly one hundred years when it was sold to outsiders. When later MT. hood, out of money he had earned and saved, he bought it back, every acre of it, and later gave it to the city as 8 lasting memorial of the Beardsley family. It was because the sweat of his great-grandfather, grandfather and mother had mingled with it's soil and from it had come clements which made up their flesh and blood he ac- quired it, and, as we shall hereafter see, there was another tie that bound him to it stronger than any parchment record.
 MT. Beardsley's early education was obtained in the public schools of Mon- roe, and at an academy kept there by Samuel B. Beardsley, for forty-seven years a successful instructor of youth from all parts of the country. But he was his own best teacher in all that made him representative man. He became a farmer and drover, sup plying the butchers of Bridgeport and vicinity with cattle until the coming to that business, industrious. pru- dent. energetic, intelligent and up- right, by diligence and good judg- ment in business matters he accufn- ulated, with what he had inherited, modest competence. He was Demo- crat in politics. He cast his first vote for President Tor James K. Polk in 1884, and his last for Grover Cleveland in 1892 In 1S48 he represented the town of Monroe in the General Assem- bly,. In 1850 he removed to Bridgeport and resided until his death in 1893 in the house near this place which his built in I7ss. GIe never sought or held public off1ce here but, in 1889. he served on the committee of the town having in charge the consolidation of the town and city government.
 At what time the design of turning this property into a park first took root in his mind is not known, but it was probably when he was about fifty years old. At that age, he might reasonably expect to live to execute such a plan. He had never married All of his family of his generation were dead except an older haf-sister. All of his probable heirs would be of the half blood. The rest of his modest fortune would be sufficient for the simple wants of his old age. He had an intense desire to be remembered by posterity for some noble and striking deed, by which his name would be for eyer linked with the public welfare. The population of the city was then about 25.0O0. He had witnessed it's growth from small hamlet of 1900 souls, and had the foresight to. see that it would one day be a large city. He had seen many cities and knew how attractive their parks made them, and how essential they were to the health and well being of the inhabitants He had often studied and remarked upon the superior advantages of this site for such purposes. He often stood with his friends upon the highest point in it. known as Walkers Hill, one hundred and fiftys feet above tide water, and pointed out with delight it's pastoral, sylvan and idyllic aspect, and the opportunities for picturesque effects which its outcropping ledges of rock afforded. He could discern the finished statue in the heart of the shapeless block. As early as 1876 he began to put his design into execu- ton by planting here with his own hands two rows of young elm trees four rods apart and a mile in length.
 But though with clear vision he could see, that the time would come, and within a generation, when this spot would be- one of the ornaments and treasures of the city, he had great difficulty in persuading others to that view. And, since his own means were insufficient to develop 1t as a park, which could only be done by the city itself, this insensibility and opposition of others whose cooperation was nec- essary greatly handicapped him. The city was then small and quite remote. l
 
 'roach to 1t for the public generally. [cble avenue did not extend above forth avenue. The trolley was as yet Inbuilt. unknown and even unthought
 f. We had already, as many thought, Plethora of public parks, very ex- uensive to maintain. The ever grow ng wants of a developing city had run up a large debt. Taxes were high and it was generally considered un- wise to divert the revenues to the pur- pose he proposed.
 The generation then on the stage had | been brought up to work and not to | play, and little realized the advantages l to the city of such a park, especially | since it already possessed others. To | oveDeome these objections and create | public opinion in favor of his project, | Mir. Beardsley devoted several years of his life, and at last succeeded. Those | of us who can recall his efforts in | these directions know that we owe this park quite as much to his. tenacity of | purpose and energy of character as to |