The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-19
CITY TOEQU|P
PLAY CENTER
ON WEST SIDE
Site to Occupy Four Acres
in Little Eagle Creek
Park, SaIlee Says.
DIRECTOR TO BE NAMED
Activities of Local Children
to Be Supervised Six
Days Each Week.
DIRECTOR TO BE NAMED
Editorial on Page Twelve)
BY JOHN MURPHY

-
Children of the West Side are to
enjoy fully equipped and super
vised playground this summer,
Charles A. Sallee, city park super
intendent, announced today.
The playground, which is to an
swer a long-felt need on the West
Side, is to be constructed in Little
Eagle Greek Park near the terminus
of Tomlinson-st and Little Eagle
Creek. 1t is to occupy between four
and five acres and is to be equipped
with swings, slides and other mod
ern playground apparatus, Mr.. Sal
lee said.
Play is to be supervised eight
hours a day, six days of the week
during the summer. The supervisor
is to be appointed in June.
Delay Additional Work
Two weeks ago the park board
purchased 100 acres of land ada
cent to the present park. The board
planned to construct the playground
on the addition. When it was dis
covered that legal formalities would
prevent any work being done on
the newly acquired land for at least
three months, the board decided to
construct the playground in the
present park.
Land purchased by the board in
cludes 81 acres known as the Henry
Harding farm and nine acres known
as the Nelson farm. The board in
tended to build the playground OH
the Nelson land when representa-
tives of the Nelson's agreed to grant
permission pending final closing of
the deal.
Works Progress Administration
regulations, under which the inn
provement was to have been made,
forbid the setting up OF project
unless the government subdivision
seeking the project possesses clear
title to the property.
Construction Of a bathing beach
along Big Eagle Greek, which runs
through the Harding farm. also has
been delayed because Of this reg;l-
lation and other complications. :
Cabin to Be Opened
The playground is to be situated
northeast of the log cabin now be-
ing completed on the bank of Little
Eagle Creek. The cabin is to serve
as a community house for the park.
It was used for the first time re-
Gently for Boy Scout meeting and
is to be open to the public for
similar gathering as soon as lights
are installed. -
When the way is cleared for the
development of the additions, the
old Harding home is to be trans
formed into a second community
house. The two structures are ex-
pected to provide ample accomnlo-
dations for West Side community
projects. Both are to be operated
in the same manner as community
houses in other city parks.
A regulation baseball diamond al
ready is situated near the play
ground. Both banks of the creek
have been "rip-rapped" near the
cabin, and a footbridge has been
built across the creek at that point.
The board plans to construct a
small dam across the creek near
the playground to provide wading
pool.
Future Development Considered
Commenting on the possibilities
offered by the West Side recreation
site composed of the present Is
acres and the newly purchased 100
acres, Mr. Sallee said he believed
it could be developed into one Of
the show spots of the city.
He limited that there was posi-
bility of changing the course of Lit
tie Eagle Creek, so that a boulevard
could be constructed from the inter-
section of w. Michigan-st and Dim
av into parking space within the
grounds.
Construction of a boulevard would
require the erection. of a bridge at
the intersection to take the place
of an old bridge on Olin-av, he said.