The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-02
System Is Praised in Christian
Science Monitor.
An Illustrated Article Was Pub.
lished This Week.
WRITTEN BY ONE WHO KNOWS
The Subject, ~Topeka's Parks
Made Practical"
Article Read I'm All Parts of the
United States.

"Topeka's Parks Made Practical Is
the subject of an interesting illustrated
article in the September % issue Of the
Christian Science Monitor. published in
Boston and circulated in all parts OF
the country.
The photographs reproduced are Of
attractive spots in Gage and the Chill
dren's parks. The article in question
follows:
Twenty-seven tracts Of land, varying
in size from a plot SO feet across to an
area containing 80 acres. making to-
tai of 1905 acres, comprise Topeka's
park system.
Gage park. located three miles west
Of the center Of the city, containing 80
acres, is the largest and one Of the most
beautiful Of the kind in Kansas. and
contains a great variety of trees and
shrubs. In this same park are a me-
nagerie. teeter boards, giant strides and
a swimming lake. The city is planning
to put in also some tennis courts, golf
course and a baseball diamond, to- be
completed by next spring.
About Gage Park.
The greenhouse, with 3,12O square feet
Of floor space, allows the storage of
decorative plants to be used in other
parks in the spring. About four acres
of this park are given over to nurseries,
where hardy plants for the other parks
are started. With the herd of buffalo
and deer, numerous water fowl, shrubs
and trees lakes stocked with different
kinds of fish, and the proposed play
grounds completed this park will be an
attractive place for the use of both
children and adults.
Children's park lying at the extreme
west of the city limits and containing
five acres of wooded land, is beauti-
full natural park. which is inexpensive
to maintain. With the addition of a
swimming pool which is now planned,
and the installation Of more playground
apparatus, 1t will be very attractive for
children and so will answer the purpose
for which the donor intended it.
Spot Used for Picnics.
Lakewood park, located one-half mile
south Of the city limits and containing
20 acres, is traversed the full length
by pretty, wooded stream. At present
it contains a number of picnic tables,
is lighted by electricity and with the
addition of city water, rustic bridges
| across the creek and more tables it will
soon become all the more popular as
place for clubs, societies and families
! to have pichics.
| Chesney and Central parks, both To-
ca in the central part of the south
west residence portion of the city. al
though two blocks apart, serve the peo-
pie in different ways. While Chesney
| park is devoted more to the play of chill
dren and used as place for picnic
iuHCHcS, IL COutdlHS u DdnuStdnO WacTc
| the city gives concerts. These concerts
sometimes are attended by 5000 people.
Central park is more of q beauty spot,
containing three good-sized lakes which
are stocked with fish and where there
are also a large number of ducks and
geese and by two fine pairs of white
swans. Central park resembles Cages
| in that shrubs and young trees predomi-
| nate. Its chief purpose is to furnish a
| place for people to walk through, or to
sit on the park benches and enjoy the
| many pretty scenes which the park af-
fords.
Triangular Parks.
| Willow, Euclid, West Lawn. Huntoon,
and Holiday parks are all triangular
shaped tracts. This Is due to the changing
| Of one street system to another. They
contain from one to five acres EACH All
are admirably located among residences.
and the immediate neighborhoods-
! The City park, centrally located and
| until recently an amusement park. con-
| tains eight acres. 1t is gratifying to
large number Of people that this park
can now be used for the purpose for
which it was intended. Near it are To-
Gated a number of industries where there
men and boys, who as rule eat their
| lunches in the buildings where they are
employed. 1t is the plan of the park de-
partment to install benches and tables
and to make it pleasant SO these people
may spend their noon hour in the park
away from their places of employment.
A baseball diamond installed here a year
ago has been much used.
Garfield park contains 20 acres and Is
located in the extreme north portion of
| the city. 1t is Of triangular shape, bound
on two sides by streets and on the longer