Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-07-30
MORE THAN HALF Of
UVACQUIRED PARKS
TContinued From First Pagel

have all that data mere IN this office,
but no effort was made to get 1t here.
without discussing the subject at all
with me, Mr.. Bowman several weeks
ago, offered a resolution in Council
directing me to negotiate with a view
to purchase by the city of the park
tract along the river"
The park head said, however. that
he does not believe it fair to the own
ers who nave urned over their
ground, for the city now to buy he
unacquired properties.
so" resumed Mr.. Taylor, 81 didn't
follow out to the letter the Bowman
resolution. 1 wrote these owners and
suggested that 1t be turne over to
Harrisburg" Here is the letter:
The Letter
My dear Sir:
AS you. are doubtless aware, the
city has long contemplated the
development of our river front
into a continuous parkway, eX-
tending from a point below the
Central Mills to Otis lane. To
date, practically ali of this front
age between Iron avenue n
Hamilton street, as well as much
north of this point, has been ac-
quired by the city.
The acquisition has all been by
gift; either by grant from John
Harris or by gift from the present
day owners.
1t is needless to call you at
tention to the development of the
section from Paxton street north
ward, or to point out the contrast
between what was once a public
dump ana eye-sore, n what is
now a river front unrivaled in this
country.
1t has long been the intention to
complete this rive front treat
ment as rapidly as funds were
available. Now. owing to the CON
struction of the new freight sheds
and subways by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company there is avail
able a quantity of filing more
than sufficient to finish grading
the river bank to Maclay street.
Approaching III value of this fill,
our department has set on foo
negotiations whereby we can pro-
cure 1t at a cost delivered over
the bank) unusually advantageous
to the city.
One Fifth to BE Had
AS vet, however, the city does
not nave title to more h one
fifth of the property between
Hamilton and Maclay streets
your frontage is among those
unacquired+but it has been our
UNDERSTANDING that YOU WeIt III
ing to deed your frontage to the
city Ras soon as assured that it
would be developed at an early
date, in keeping with that further
south.
Now the purpose of this letter
is simply to inquire whether you
will deed free to the city for park
the river frontage which
YOU w between the western side
90 Urr1rf ufroat nnd lou uyntar
mark of the S-usquehanna. Should
the property owners between
Hamilton and Maclay streets
agree to thus give to the city
their river frontage. we are now
able to promise that at an early
late 1t will be developed in a
manner consistent with the treat
ment further south.
Wropping the Work
OF course, if this frontage is
% given to the city, il will simply
mean a dropping of the work in
this section. The city Is not lin
a position to purchase this land,
nor would 1t be fair to expect us
to do so, in view of the fact that
all the other frontage has been
gil en- to the city free. The inn
provement of this land before its
ownership by the city is an i'm
possible consideration.
We feel sure. however, that you
fully appreciate the very marked
benefits accruing to you from
such a river front park and that
we may rely upon your public
spirit in bringing to completion a
river front treatment which has
excited such widespread admira-
ton.
Inasmuch as we must very soon
give a definite answer in the mat
ter of this fill, we will appreciate
an early reply.