Evening star., 1934-11-04
NORTH CLEVELAND
PARK UNIT FORMED
E|GH! YEARS AGO.
Group Was Known at First
as Devonshire Downs
Association.

Seventy-eight residents OF Devon
shire Downs met to organize them
selves as a community on November
l, 1s26-that was the forerunner Of
the present day North Cleveland Park
Citizens Association.
After a general discussion Of local
improvements TO be sought, 1t was
decided to name the new organization
the Devonshire Downs Citizens Asso-
citation. Col. Raymond L. Chesel-
dine was requested to act as chairman.
No boundaries were set for the newly
formed association, this being post
poned until committee drew up a
constitution and bylaws for submis-
sion at the next regular meeting.
The following officers were elected
at this meeting: Col. Cheseldine,
president; Mrs. Henry Parsons, first
vice president; Mrs. Robert Ettinger,
second vice president; Mrs. M. q.
Baughman, secretary, and Robert l..
Bailey, treasurer.
Improvements Sought.
Street Improvements, bus service
and the planting of trees were discus
cussed as being of major Importance
to the community at the first regular
meeting held at the home Of Mrs.
Baughman, then at 1905 Van Ness
street.
The condition of the old Tenley
School was considered early in the
associations history. Mr.. J. Robert
~, Of
Education and Schools, reported on
this at one of the first meetings,
recommending that the building be
razed rather than have needed re-
placements made Another resolution
at this time requested a 16-room
addition to the Janney School, then
only one year old and already over
crowded.
Efforts were made to beautify the
circle on Wisconsin avenue at Ne
braska avenue by planting trees and
shrubbery. The body started out and
has ever since continued to indorse
movements to improve the appearance
Of the area as residential section.
Other business rejecting the atti-
tude of members at this early date
included a request to the Public Utili-
ties Commission for additional trans
portation facilities by extending the
bus line on Macomb street from its
terminus at Wisconsin avenue to the
Wisconsin avenue circle.
Three months after organizing
members decided enough progress
had been made to apply for member
ship in the Federation Of Citizens
Associations. A membership in the
federation has been maintained ever
since that time. Mrs. Raymond L.
Bland and Robert L. Bailey were
named the first delegates to the fed
Grafton.
Petition Circulated.
After early unsuccessful attempts to
have the paving of Van Ness street
completed, the association eventually
accomplished this by circulating a
petition for the signature Of the men,
bers and property owners in the area.
As a result Of an account in The
Star of the Northwest Suburban Citi-
zens' Association protesting against
encroachment on the territory OF the
association by other citizens groups"
it was decided to call special meet
ing to settle the matter. An invita-
ton to join with the Northwest as
sociation was refused at this meeting
since this group had proposed that
the Devonshire body be excluded from
the membership of the federation.
resolution was drawn up requesting
the federation to form Boundaries
Committee for the settlement of such
cases among member bodies. Such
committee was formed in the fedora
ton soon afterward.
Opposition to a $50 400, 900 valuation
as a rate base in the then proposed
charter Of the merged transportation
companies was expressed at meeting
in March, 1928. The association pro-
posed that the rate base should be
determined by the Public Utilities
Commission and the courts, subject
to revaluation from time to time and
opposed a fixed rate of return of
per cent recommending that the
words fair return" be substituted.
Although the District budget has
been prominent in the subjects dis
cussed lately by various civic bodies,
the old Devonshire Downs group IA
vored a 60-40 division of the yearly
budget back in. 1928-the District to
pay so per cent and the Federal Gov
ernment 40 per cent. The resolution
adopted by the group opposed the
lump-sum method Of payment by the
Government on the grounds that the
lump sum so appropriated bears no
sensible relation to the total amount
OF the budget"
Wanted Local Jobs.
In line with many other civic or
eanizations at that time and later
members went on record opposing the
appointment of any person to public
Office in the District who is not
bona-fide resident of the District.
The name of the association was
changed in 1881 to North Cleveland
Park Citizens Association. The action
resulted from a general discussion OF
the limitations placed on the Devon
shire Downs Association, since 1t was
then restricted to property adjacent to
Van Ness street. The newly named
body enlarged its territory to include
the area within Upton and Yuma
avenues.
Carl Mack reported favorable results
of the associations work in the Fall
of 1882. The paving of Yuma street
had begun east of Thirty-eighth street.
work had been completed on Thirty
seventh street between Veazey and
Warren streets and work was progress
ing on the extension of Nebraska ave-
nue. between Wisconsin avenue and
Reno road.
In order that the association might
use its funds for relief work in 1882,
members rejected plans for active par
ticipation in the city Halloween cele-
bration, although on previous years
II had been active In these and other
city-wide programs.
The presidents of the group since
Col. Cheseldine in 1926 were DR.. L. H.
Prince, elected in 1927; R. L. Bland,
1928: Alfred P. Thorn, 1929 (resigned
in December) R. l. Bailey, 1929;