Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-10-26

aspect, especially if this is done in
an organized way toward securing a
definite result
1t may well be the province of a
town improvement society to do such
work and to lay out a plan for indi.
viduals to work to on each street to
give it distinction. For example.
one street may be a Lilac street.
another Rose street, by having
each lot owner pay for the planting
of a single plant or few plants.
which would then be so arranged that
the paintings on one lot would merge
with the ones on other lots, and the
whole street in season be a most eff
fective mass of color.
Total Acreage.
The total acreage as summarized
on page one of the accompanying
appendix is 146 acres. This includ-
es the roads inside the plotted city
which would be required in any e
vent for the development of mac
cessible land within the city, and
represents nearly one-haIf of the to-
tai road acreage. The remaining
acreage made up of the 100 it.
wide reservation for the river side
drive which would include land for
shore control that would not be re
quired for driving surface. The riv-
er shore roads included extend from
Centralia bridge on the south along
both sides of the river to the city,
and north to the end of the island
on the east side and to a proposed
park north of the west side. Such
roads will also open up inaccessible
land which, however, is not likely to
be required for homes as rapidly as
that nearer the city, although it
should be borne in mind that the
tendency of the day in many cities
is to build homes on small estates
in the country with fine outIooks ra-
Their than on crowded city lots.
In the park proposed are 149 acres,
this providing for a little over fifty
people to the acre, which is about
the average of towns having an ade
quate park and playground system
For Grand Rapids it is a conser-
vative not an excessive taking, con
sidering the probable future growth
If in addition to this city owned land
such companies as the Consolidated
Paper Company should be willing to
make their large holdings always ac-
cessible to the public under proper
restrictions, then Grand Rapids WOulC
be very literally endowed with open
recreation space.
If the future water supply system
of Grand Rapids and adjacent towns
is taken from a storage reservoir
on Four Mile Greek as seems likely
instead of from driven wells, anoth-
er notable public reservation will be
established, especially if the shores
of this creek can also be preserved,
for l am told that this stream is a
very beautiful one.
The first essential in the acquire
ment of such a system as l have out
lined is to acquire the land by gift
from owners, who can thus establish
a memorial more enduring than any
structure made by man, or by pur-
chas when an owner is obviously not
benefited by the reservation.
The next essential is to open the
public holdings to the use of the pub
lie in a simple and inexpensive way,
leaving expensive construction to
come when public use is such as to
make it necessary.
1t is important, too, that there be
an assistant to the public who shall
serve as a guide and friend, not as
a policeman alone.