The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-08-31
The Old Town Formers Had the RIGHT
Plan Of Many Small Parks
Scattered All Over
Town.
COUNCIL SOLD BIRTHRIGE
Three Parks Most Used Today, and
Some Of the Finest Views in the
World are to be Found
There.

KeOkukS principal park IS n0Le0
all over the country for its beauty
and its outlook over Lake Keokuk in
the Mississippi river. John T. Nc
Cutcheon once said that view Is un
surpassed in the world-and he has
travelled into every nook and Granny
in the world.
Keokuk was originally planned with
with a park sytem not surpassed, and
perhaps not equalled, by any other
American city. The originators had
exactly the right idea, approved by
all sanitarians and city builders to-
day.
But a city council got parsimoni'
GUS. or hard up for money to meet
political payrolis, and sold Keokuk' s
birthright for a mess of pottage. In
stead of parks in exactly the right
places and plenty of them, there are
now in those locations store build
ings. churches and residences en-
numbering the ground intended for
breathing spots for the city.
When Council, Made Mistake.
The blocks legally described as
squares were these park places in
the original plan. and there were
plenty OF them. Chatham Square
afterward gave its name to church.
Ayers Square was another which is
now about the middle Of built-up
Main street.
Small parks scattered all over
town is the accepted method OF SAM
tarians Free movement OF the at
mosphere has much to do with the
prevention of disease and the conser'
vation OF health. Nothing insures air
| IL osS as
vacant places free from buildings,
especially those covered with grass
instead of paving. These act like
chimneys and there Is a constant
current OF air through them. reversed
lie direction every twelve hours. 1T
was in accordance with this plan
that the several squares were re-
served for parks in the original city
Of Keokuk plan.
Rees Had a Good Idea.
Later, the father of the Rees
brothers, now well known here and
in Illinois, initiated still better
plan in an addition he plated in
West Keokuk.
Every block in his addition had a
large vacant area reserved for PARK
ing as q sort of court in the midst
OF the houses. This park area did
not 20 with the lots, for it was SO
arranged that it must be kept vacant
forever as community ground.
The chief movement Of population
went in the other direction here, and
| the Rees forethought did not bear as
much fruit as it's originator hoped.
But he had the right idea.
Some keokuk Parks.
The really useful park system OF
Keokuk today consists Of Rand park,
Kilbourne park and Bluff park.
Rand park was laid out by an ex-
pert engineer who died five years
ago in the South Seas. 1t was named
after George D. Rand, a beloved
mayor Of Keokuk and long promi-
nent here 1t is meant when keo-
i kuk people and regular visitors speak
OF The Park.
Kilbourne park, between Nine
hteenth and Twenty-first and Bank
and Timea streets, is coming into it's
sown and is being used to large de-
sgree now, after being neglected Tor
many years as park only on the
imap. Picnics occur there frequent
lly. and it is the public gathering
place for the large negro population
of Keokuk, who use 1t for all kinds
| of gatherings. A tent holiness re-
vival is closing there just now, which
had good audiences.
Magnificent View at Bluff Park.
West Keokuk has always been
TRUE to It's own, and 1t is proud OF
Its Bluff park, which has magnifi-
Icent view of the Mississippi, the Des
HMoines. and over three states. If 1t
were given as much attention as
uRand park, it might exceed the lat
ter in beauty.
II is used for West Keokuk COM
Immunity meetings of all kinds, and
3this summer has had weekly band
concerts on Thursday evenings, at
which everybody over there meets
Everybody else, and everybody has
good time.
When Keokuk gets somewhat
larger and the city council gets
around to it. Bluff park may be prop
|erly beautified and cared for-and
when that day comes 1t will be in
Tie class with Rand park and the
Davenport famous scenic park, and
II will make Grape park at Burling-
Ton look like circus ground.
Triangle Is a Diamond.
Triangle park, on Orleans avenue
between Fifth and Sixth streets, is
little park half the size that the
Rquares were inended to be all over
Eown in the original plan.
1t is the apple of the eye to the
people who live near it, and they keep
beautified and charming by their
bwn personal efforts from year to
Fear.
Some people say that the city
Council should begin now to provide
FOR future parks by buying acreage
while it is cheap outside the present
Yuilt-up part of the city. Des Moines
fas big park miles out OF town