South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-01-17
CITY PARKS NOW
TOTAL 346 ACRES
Valuation of Property is ESti-
mated at S610,674 by
Park Board.

A total Of 546.15 acres are now in
eluded IN the parks Of the city. &C
eording TO the report Of the years
work just completed and presented
10 the park board Dy Supt Perley.
4 total valuation OF SGIO.G74 has
been placed upon this half section
That Is scattered over the CITY i'm 20
parks, lots and tracts varying in
s-Ze from rs acre 90 1885 acres.
The first is the size OF the Wiltrout
lot and OF Nass park and the lat
ter Is the extent of the newly ac-
CURED municipal playground. Rum
Village park The total valuation Of
the parks vary from $I79.042, the
estimated value OF LeepCr park, 20
$500, the cost Of Harper park.
Most Of the attention of the park
board during the past year has been
devoted 10 the Improvement of
Leeper park and the WiltrOut lot
which is really a part of Howard
park. At Leeper park the con-
structiOn OF river abutment has
been started along the banks Of the
river utilizing the material torn
down and donated TO the park sys-
tenn at the installation of the new
Leeper bridge. The east pond was
also drained and converted into a
sunken garden and the two tennis
courts were destroyed and grassed.
Grading and considerable scdding
was also done 10 enhance the beauty
of the park
Hill i'm Wiltrout Lot
More than 5000 loads OF dirt.
practically All OF 90 donated 20 the
city was used in the hlling OF the
Wiltrout lot which is across the
river from Howard park This set
ting Co the park was filled and
1900 square feet of sod placed i'm
the way OF greatly improving the
appearance OF the bank. The i'm
pr0vement which is valued at $1,000
was done at total cost of the labor.
The sod was cut from Haley park
and oil OF the work done by the
employees Of the department
The largest park of the city has
not yet been turned over TO the park
board Rum Village includes over
TOO acres and is still under the care
Of the common council Some work
however. was done in preparation
for the municipal celebration OF the
national birthday by the park
board Considerable work, I'M con-
nection with the Improvement of the
golf links was done at the Stude-
baker park Trees were removed
81 a.. & fr.
ing of grass and number OF the
ereens put i'm first class condition.
Pipe was also laid permitting the
spraying OF every green. Ii il eN-
pected that the links viii be ready
for the public late i'm the spring.
Labor j. Greatest Expense.
Most OF the funds Of the park
board were devoted To the payment
OF the labor and 20 the purchase
price Of some of the land of the
parks Laborers ma the employ OF
the department were paid S16.920.30
while S1f.0o6.61 was devoted 10 mis-
cellaneous expenses leaving "a fund
of S1.122S5 I'm the treasury.
Practically $4,000 was used by
the board i'm making the payments
on land purchased or leased. which
consumed the most OF the misceI-
laneous fund. I'm the use OF the re-
manning $4,000 the board has ac-
complished the seemingly impossible
by making improvements valued at
approximately $500. This was
made possible i'm part by the con-
tributious Of pu3lic spirited citizens.
who are profuseIy thanked 10y the
board
Following is list of the parks
rf the city. their acreage. the amount
of improvements done during the
year and their total valuation al
present.