The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-06
Joseph Smith, Retired Grco- CT, Shows Commissioners Tracts of Land Which Were Owned By Town of Fairfield Before Black Rock Became Part of Bridgeport.

The city owns a slip 50 feet wide facing on Burr Creek and in such a line that it can be used for one of the approaches of the proposed bridge to connect Black Rock with the extended Seaside park boulevard to Fayerweather's Island. Members of the park commission have, discov- cred that the city owns not only this Slip leading from Burr Creek through Haviland avenue to the end of Brewster street but that it owns a tract south on Haviland avenue with a frontage of 200 feet on Black Rock harbor and also a triangular piece of about three-quarters of an acre bordering on the property of the Bar tram estate and of Wallace W. fWelch.
 President. George S. Flames, Vice President Charles Stuart Garfield and Commissioner Wesley F. Hayes of the park board, made a tour of in spection about this property yester- day. They were accompanied by Jo- seph Smith of Ellsworth street, retir- ed grocer Black Rock, and Aubrey Fuller, engineer in theN employ of Scof1e1d & Ford. It was through MT. Smith that the board became ac- quainted with the fact that the city. owns the slip at Burr Creek and also has valuable property on Black Rock harbor. MT. Smith had spoken to a number of city officials regarding the matter but until he dropped a word to the members of the park board no attention was given him.
 Vice President Canfe1d has had the records searched teS establish title to the property. According to the definition of the lines made by MT. Fuller yesterday it would appear that 1,.1A D., E<.s We1ch have encroached on the city's property. The search madeu nder the direction of Attorney Canfe1d re- veals the fact that the three parcels. known as ttThe Slip" .tThe Craving Bank and .tThe Shfpyard'' were set aside by the town of Fairfield in the year S1789 for use of 'the people for ever.'' When the Black Rock district was annexed to Bridgeport this land naturally became city property. Since no other department has made any attempt to use it the park board has taken charge of it.
 Workmen are now placing stakes for a layout for the proposed exten- sion of the seawan at Seaside park. As arranged the wall will make a majestic curve around the east shore of Fayerweather's Island, connecting with the breakwater north of the Black Rock lighthouse. When the wall is finished the island will be laid off into drives and walks and trees and srubbery will be planted. The extension of the boulevard has been mapped out over the island and into Black Rock by means of the bFidge over Burr Greek.
 A tentative plan for the bridge calls for a double leaf bascu1e ma.k- ing a 50 foot span. All. plans are subject to approval by the United States government engineers. The city engineer will lay out the lines of the property which the park board has recently discovered the city owns. In order to have the necessarily width for the approach to the proposed bridge on the Black Rock side it will be necessary to take the dock prop erty south of the slip which is owned by Mrs. Henry c. Woodruff, wife o2 the pastor of the Black Rock Congre-. gationa1 church and one of the Bar tram heirs. It is believed that
 Mrs woodruff, who is a very public spir ted woman, will cooperate with the city in the undertakings