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1896
NOBLE PARK.
_______
Texas
and Pacific Railroad Making
Extensive Improvements.
The
Texas and Pacific Railroad company officials are inclosing their
grounds in the East Dallas yard, developing certain streets heretofore
undefined, such as Gaston, Good, Monument, Floyd and Hawkins,
and making Poyner alley twenty-two feet wide from Good to Hawkins
street. The triangle on south of Floyd street from Good to Hawkins
streets will be [prepared?] and cultivated. It will be named
Noble park in honor of the late Col. George Noble.
- April
30, 1896, Dallas Morning News, p. 8, col. 4.
- o o o -
1907
LOCATION
FOR
A NEW PARK
_______
R.
C. Porter Files Recommendation
With Commission.
_______
PLOWMAN
TRACT OF LAND
_______
Writer
Declares That This is an Ideal
Location for Recreation
Grounds.
Yesterday's
Times Herald told that R. C. Porter had been in conference with
the members of the park board relative to sites for new parks.
Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Porter filed the following with Mayor
Hay:
Dallas, Tex., Oct. 5, 1907. --
The Honorable Mayor and Board of Park Commissioners of the City
of Dallas, Dallas, Texas: Gentlemen -- Should the Park board
deem it wise to purchase property for park purposes on the west
side of the Trinity river, and located in what is known as the
Oak Cliff territory, then I respectfully beg to invite the attention
of said board to the consideration of what is known as the Plowman
tract of land, located just north of the present Cliff park,
and to offer the following reasons why said tract of land, known
as the Plowman property, should be purchased for park purposes
in behalf of the city of Dallas:
1. Said property consists of between thirty-six
and forty acres of ground admirably located for park purposes;
there is also an additional tract of land of about twenty-five
acres adjoining the Plowman tract, which could be purchased,
making a tract of about sixty-five acres in all. This would include
all the ground between Burroak street on the north, Plowman avenue
on the west and Cliff park on the south, extending as far as
the east end of the dam, then extending in a northeasterly direction
to Zang's boulevard. If the city does not desire to purchase,
just at this time, more than the Plowman property, it can defer
the purchase of the rest until such time as is deemed advisable.
No other place of such dimensions can be purchases suitable for
park purposes in the city of Dallas.
2. The Plowman tract is the most centrally
located for park purposes of any property now located in or near
Dallas that would be suitable for park purposes. This property
is almost as near the center of the city of Dallas as is the
City Park of Dallas, and in the purchase of ground for park purposes,
it would seem to us that due regard should be had, not only for
the territory of Oak Cliff, but for the entire city of Dallas,
as well. And, in this connection, we beg to refer you to resolutions
passed by the Oak Cliff Improvement League of Dallas on the night
of September 28, and hereby attached and made a part of this
petition.
3. The Plowman tract is located practically
on the car line, while the other piece of property, known as
the Marsalis park, is located about three blocks from same, and
which distance is quite an objection to the ground for park purposes.
The Plowman tract is just as accessible for all parties who are
compelled to use the street car to get to the park, and after
you arrive at the park, the Plowman tract is much more convenient
to the car than the Marsalis tract.
4. The Plowman tract is now accessible to the
public on account of Zang's boulevard running through same, and
in addition to this, said tract has a street on the north boundary
of same and on the west boundary of same.
5. Should said Plowman tract be purchased for
park purposes, the main station fl all parties getting on and
off the car to visit the said park would be at the main entrance
of the Cliff park, and therefore all persons patronizing said
park would have the benefit and convenience of the beautiful
park entrance heretofore constructed by the Cliff park.
6. The natural beauty of the Plowman tract
is incomparable with that of any other property located in Oak
Cliff. An inspection of this tract for park purposes will convince
the most skeptical of its great beauty and desirability for park
purposes.
7. The City of Dallas, at present, has no tract
of land of any consequence which has the appearance of a forest
park. All men love to go into the forest at times, and as a piece
of woodland property, the Plowman tract would satisfy the most
exacting. There may be other pieces of property that are as beautiful
in this respect as the Plowman tract, but I know of none located
in or near the city of Dallas that will begin to compare with
the same.
8. The accessibility and convenience of the
Plowman tract makes this property exceedingly desirable for the
entire city of Dallas, not only because of its nearness to the
City of Dallas, but it is so located, that if anyone driving
or riding for pleasure so desire, in going from Oak Cliff to
Dallas, or vice versa, a trip through the park could be made
without any inconvenience whatever. In this particular respect,
we believe that if the Plowman tract was converted into a park,
the visitors to this park would be at least ten times greater
than there would be to the Marsalis park, should said property
be purchased for park purposes.
9. An item of special interest in the Plowman
property is that this property could be used for years at a very
small expense on the part of the city in making drives, highways,
etc., and if the city is limited in means for the next few years,
and in funds for improving parks, then the adaptation and use
of the Plowman tract for park purposes, at a small expense, is
worthy of much consideration by this board.
10. The Plowman tract is so located that both
sewerage and water can be obtained for almost any part of same,
and that, too, without any very great expense; while water can
be obtained at the Marsalis park, yet we do not believe it to
be possible to obtain sewerage for that park; but at best, sewerage
can be obtained only for a very small portion of same.
11. The Plowman tract has plenty of ground
to improve same, and this is quite an item to be considered in
the building of walks, driveways, etc.; and in addition to this,
there is a good place for the locating and building of a large
lagoon on the said tract.
12. The Plowman [tract] [approximately three
lines of text are missing] [con]venience, for visitors to the
park should be taken into consideration in the purchasing of
ground for park purposes. In order to reach the shade or grove
in the Marsalis park, one is compelled to go down a steep embankment,
and when one finds the grove, the breeze is almost entirely obstructed;
and in point of comfort in the grove of the Marsalis park, and
in the grove in the Plowman park, there can be no comparison,
because the latter is so located as to get a splendid breeze,
while the breeze from the former is almost excluded. R. C. PORTER.
The resolution referred to by Mr.
Porter was published in these columns last Sunday.
- October
6, 1907, Dallas Daily Times Herald, Sec. I, p. 8, col. 3-4.
- o o o -
1913
ASK BOARD TO BUY
PARK NEAR CEMETERY
_________
Pointed Out
in Petition That Site Is
Ideal For Park and if Otherwise
Used Would Mar Beauty.
A
petition which is being signed by many is being circulated asking
the park board to purchase a tract of land adjoining the Greenwood
cemetery for park purposes. According to those interested in
this matter, the land belongs to an old family of Dallas and
it is the belief of those working on the matter that the property
could be purchased for a reasonable sum. It is pointed out in
the petition that if the land in question was used for any other
purpose it would mar the beauty of the cemetery, where many of
the city's dead sleep their last long sleep.
The petition is as follows:
Hon. Chairman and Members Park
Board, City of Dallas, Tex. Your petitioners, residents and taxpayers
of the city of Dallas, would respectfully call your attention
to and ask that you purchase, if obtainable, the following described
tracts of land, if same can be purchased at a reasonable price,
and dedicate the same as a public park.
This land lies adjoining the Greenwood
cemetery, and if used for any other purpose, would greatly damage
and destroy the beauty of this last home of the very best of
our citizenship who have gone before. It would also damage, very
materially, all of that part of North Dallas. This property fronts
on Oak Grove avenue about 1,000 feet and extends back about 200
feet average to the northwest line of Greenwood cemetery, and
is bounded on the northeast by Hall street and on the southwest
by McKinney and Howell street. This property has a small drain
through it and some beautiful shade trees, in fact, would make
an ideal park and playground.
- April
12, 1913, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 3.
- o o o -
MASS
MEETING OF
NORTH DALLASITES
__________
PROPERTY
OWNERS NEAR GREEN-
WOOD CEMETERY WANT PARK
BOARD TO BUY LAND.
A
mass meeting of the North Dallas citizens who are favorable to
the purchase of four and one-half acres of land north of Greenwood
cemetery by the Park board for park purposes, will be held Thursday
evening at 7:30 o'clock at the William B. Travis school. George
Stewart, one of the leaders in the movement, said Tuesday morning:
"We believe the city should
have this land for park purposes. It is in the center of a thickly
populated section of North Dallas, and there are no other parks
near by. The William B. Travis school, with its hundreds of children,
is located just a block away. It is unnecessary to point to the
advantage that would accrue to the children. Then the park would
be a protection to Greenwood cemetery. I think all who own lots
in Greenwood cemetery should be interested in protecting this
beautiful burial place from the encroachment of buildings in
the future.
T. P Scott and other North Dallas
residents are active in the movement to have the Park board buy
the land. They expect the mass meeting to be largely attended.
- April
15, 1913, Daily Times Herald, p. 4, col. 5-6.
- o o o -
NORTH
DALLASITES
ANXIOUS FOR PARK
___________
Meeting Will
Be Held Thursday Night
at Travis School to Take Steps to
Urge Purchase of Plot.
North
Dallasites who are interested in having the park board purchase
the [fou]r and one-half acres just north and [adj]oining the
Greenwood cemetery, for [par]k purposes, are to hold a meeting
[at 7]:30 o'clock Thursday night at the William B. Travis school.
All residents in the community of this school [and] the entire
section of North Dallas are urged to attend this meeting.
Those behind the movement point
out that the location is an ideal one for a small park and say
that it will serve two purposes, that of preventing the encroachment
of business and dwelling house in close proximity to the cemetery
where many of the older residents sleep the last long sleep and
will add much to that portion of the city from a beauty standpoint.
The plot of land is almost across the street from the William
B. Travis school and this is urged as another reason why it should
be transformed into a park.
- April
17, 1913, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 7.
- o o o -
NORTH
DALLAS WANTS
CITY TO BUY PARK
__________
SELECT SITE
NEAR TRAVIS SCHOOL
WHICH THEY WILL PURPOSE
TO PARK BOARD.
At
an enthusiastic meeting of North Dallas property owners, held
last night at the Travis school, it was decided to ask the Park
Board to purchase property in North Dallas for a park, out of
a portion of the money to be obtained through the $500,000 bond
issue recently voted. The land in question fronts on Oak Grove
avenue, running back to Greenwood Cemetery, between Hall, McKinney
and Howell streets.
Thomas Scott was elected chairman
of the meeting and George W. Achilles, secretary. A committee
of three, consisting of Thomas Scott, Gilbert Irish and George
Stuart was appointed to call on the owners of this property and
see for what price it can be bought. They are to report to the
next meeting, at which time another committee will be appointed
to wait on the Park Board.
There are already many beautiful
trees on the land in question and a little branch running through
it, which could easily be utilized in carrying out landscape
effects. The children from the Travis school are beautifying
a portion of this property now.
The total area of the ground which
it is desired to change into a park is between four and five
acres. It fronts on Oak Grove avenue for about a thousand feet,
extending back about two hundred feet to the northwest line of
Greenwood Cemetery. It is bounded on the northwest by Hall street
and partially on the south and west by McKinney avenue and Howell
street.
"Unless we transform this
ground into a park, there is a chance that it will eventually
be taken up by an inferior class of houses, on account of its
proximity to the cemetery," said Mr. Achilles last night.
"We feel that North Dallas should reap some benefits from
the big bond issue and the location in question is naturally
one of the most beautiful spots that could be secured."
The date for the next meeting has
not yet been announced.
- April
18, 1913, Dallas Morning News, p. 4.
- o o o -
MAY
LOCATE PARK
IN NORTH DALLAS
_______
MEETING OF
NORTH DALLAS PROP-
ERTY OWNERS HELD THURS-
DAY NIGHT.
_________
WILL
VISIT COMMISSION
_________
Committee
Is Named to Confer With
Owners of the Property -- To Ask
Use of Park Bond
Money.
North
Dallas property owners met Thursday night at the Travis school
building and decided to petition the city commissioners to purchase
a tract of land for park purposes. The committee will urge that
a portion of the $500,000 park bond issue voted at the April
election be used for the purchase of the property. The tract
of land proposed to be bought is bounded by Oak Grove, running
to Greenwood cemetery, between Hall, McKinney and Howell streets.
It covers nearly five acres and is declared to be an ideal spot
for a park. Its natural resources gives promises of one of the
best little parks in the city. It already has on it many large
and shady trees and a small branch traverses it.
At Thursday night's meeting, a
committee composed of Thomas Scott, Gilbert H. Irish and George
Stuart, was named to confer with the owners of the property and
report at the next meeting of the citizens. Thomas Scott presided
at the meeting and Geo. W. Achilles was secretary. After next
week's meeting a committee will be named to present the object
to the city commissions.
It is not known what the property
can be purchased for. The land, it is said, will never be used
for handsome homes because of its near proximity to the cemetery.
For this reason, the North Dallas people are anxious that a park
be established there. The site will be easily accessible by electric
cars, the Highland Park and Oak Lawn cars passing near by.
- April
18, 1913, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 6.
- o o o -
1914
LARGE PARK
PLAN; OFFER
MADE TO CITY
_______
A park
tract of 305 acres, situated a little over a mile beyond the
city limits at Fair Park, on the lower Orphans Home road, has
been offered to the park board at a nominal cost to the city.
M. N. Baker and Emil Fretz of the park board will inspect the
property Friday afternoon and make a report at the meeting next
week.
George P. Jones, well known local
real estate man, who has offices in the Gaston building, is negotiating
the deal by which the people of Dallas may be able to secure
a great out of town park at a comparatively small expenditure
of public funds. Already, pledges for bonuses in the amount of
$10,000 and other tentative offers of money, by interested property
owners and business men, have been made.
The new park land is situated on
a hill side which overlooks the city. The Terrell interurban
will run right through the property and the Texas & Pacific
Railway skirts one edge near the main entrance. The property
is valued at $250 an acre, but can be secured for less than that
amount.
About 100 acres of the park land
is thickly wooded. Several groves of pecans and other native
trees make the place ideal for picnic purposes. About 200 acres
is smooth and flat table land. This space is said to be ideal
for the construction of a series of baseball diamonds for public
usage, or for play parks. The ground could easily be adapted
for an automobile speedway or race track of a mile and a quarter
around.
Two swimming pools or small lakes
for boating and fishing can be made on the property, if a couple
of inexpensive dams are built across two streams, it is said.
A running spring will supply water for picnic parties.
The plan of George P. Jones is
to raise the majority of the $75,000 needed for the land purchase
through adjoining property owners whose land would be enhanced
by the establishment of the big park. The interurban company
would also, in all probability, help in securing the park land.
"All other cities of importance
in Texas have great out of town parks donated by people who have
the public good at heart," Mr. Jones says. "While I
hope to secure much money to defray the cost of the property
purchase from interested property holders, yet, I think that
many Dallas business men would pay their part in such a public
enterprise if the park board thinks well of the location. The
land should cost the park board only about $10,000."
- July 10, 1914, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 1, col. 6.
- o o o -
TWO BOARDS
UNITED IN
LAND DEAL
For the
first time in the history of Dallas, the park board and the school
board will combine in the purchase of property for play park
purposes.
The park board, Saturday, agreed
to pay for half of a tract of land adjoining the Colonial Hill
school, and the school board will pay an equal share toward its
purchase. The lot in question in the Colonial Hill school block
is 225x407 feet, and will cost $28,000. The two branches of the
municipal government will play $14,000 each.
The land adjoining the school campus
will be made into an ideal play park for the children, at the
expense of the park board.
- August 2, 1914, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 3, col. 4.
- o o o -
GASTON PARK
IS VALUABLE
TO THE CITY
The acquisition
of the lease on the Gaston Park property by the Park Board and
directors of the State Fair of Texas, which was announced in
The Times Herald Saturday, is one of the most important park
transactions to take place recently.
For a long while, the growth of
the State Fair of Texas has made essential an outlet at Fair
Park. The property was secured from Captain W. H. Gaston by the
city some years ago on most generous terms. The leases of the
Dallas Baseball Club prevented its use by the public, however.
These leases were bought for the sum of $12,000, after negotiations
by a joint Park and Fair Board committee.
Adjoining Gaston Park, many other
pieces of property have been bought at various times by the park
board facing on Grand avenue. Many of these pieces of land have
been secured during the past few months. These lots will increase
the acreage of the Gaston tract from twelve and one-half acres
to about fifteen acres. This land will be added directly to the
present Fair Park.
Many improvements will follow on
the heels of the Gaston addition. It is planned to alter the
street car tracks from Exposition to Second avenue and to change
the entrance to Fair Park.
The land, which will be available
for use during the 1915 State Fair of Texas, will give more room
for the amusement of the State Fair throngs and will be ideal
for general and lay park purposes.
The land will be improved by the
Park Board and made one of the beauty spots of the city.
The baseball grand stands and wooden
buildings will probably be soon torn down by the management of
the baseball club and used when they secure a new location for
the ball grounds.
- September 20, 1914,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 5, col. 4.
- o o o -
Park Plans Progress.
Architects
Lang & Wichell are making rapid progress on their plans for
the construction of a neighborhood house in Trinity Play Park.
The new social center building will be similar to the one under
construction at Summit Play Park.
- September 24, 1914,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 3, col. 5.
- o o o -
Board Pays for
New Park Tract
The park
board, Friday, authorized the issuance of a city warrant for
$30,000, to the board of trustees of St. Mary's College. The
sum was tendered in payment for five and a half acres of property
adjoining the St. Mary's College campus.
The new park was purchased by the
board some days ago. Officials say that it was a most advantageous
purchase for the city.
- September 26, 1914,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 4, col. 7.
- o o o -
1919
MEXICAN PLAY PARK
TO GET NEW MOVIES
______
Arrangements
have been made with several local moving picture distributing
houses whereby motion pictures are to be furnished three nights
each week to be shown at the Mexican Play Park in the rear of
the Mexican Mission on McKinney avenue.
One of the houses will furnish
a picture every two weeks. This will permit of a new picture
being shown at the park on each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
night.
W. F. Jacoby, superintendent of
play parks, stated that the concerns had donated these pictures
gratis and that under the arrangement, made pictures of a very
recent release would be secured.
The concerns donating the pictures
are Metro Picture Corporation, Select Picture Company, World
Film Corporation, Box Office Attractions company, S. A. Lynch
Enterprises and Vitagraph.
Mr. Jacoby stated that the attendance
at the play park was exceptionally large and that with the securing
of the new pictures, he expected a substantial increase in attendance.
- June 20, 1919, Dallas
Times Herald, p. 15, col. 3.
- o o o -
FENCING
OF GASTON
PARK CONSIDERED
The fencing
of Gaston Park and its use by the State Fair of Texas as a ground
for the parking of automobiles during the fair were considered
by the members of the City Park Board at a special meeting Friday
afternoon.
No definite action was taken; a
committee of the Park board, composed of Emile Fretz and Edgar
Hurst, being appointed to confer with a committee from the fair
association on the erection of the fence.
A report will probably be made
at the next meeting of the board, which is to be held Tuesday
morning.
The fair association representatives
have requested [to] the Park Board that the grounds be turned
over to them as soon as possible after Labor Day in September,
in order that preparations for the fair in October might be started
as early as possible.
- June 21, 1919, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 6, col. 4.
- o o o -
1922
Discuss Financing of Park.
The financing
of the community play park in Trinity Heights was discussed by
the committee in charge of the project at a meeting held in Union
Chapel, Trinity Heights, Friday night.
- June 11, 1922, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 3, col. 2.
- o o o -
1923
City Has Park Without Entrance;
Bottled Up by Store Site
click here
for enlarged image
In
spite of strenuous efforts of the park board and the East Dallas
Improvement league, it seems that the new high school site in
East Dallas is to be separated from Randall park by a strip of
land, on which are to be erected a block of stores. The new park
is also to be cut off from all streets.
The accompanying map shows the
school site of seven acres on Glasgow drive, a street opened
so that the tract would be available for school purposes. Across
the drive from the school site is a strip of land that adjoins
Randall park, and separates it from the street. On the opposite
side of the park is the property of the Juliet Fowler Home. This
property cuts off the park from a street on the east side.
Eastside avenue, as shown on the
map is not a street. The situation is that the park is entirely
bottled up and will remain so, unless it is possible to purchase
the tract of land on the side next to Glasgow drive.
When the park board bought the
park and the school board bought the site opposite, it was understood
that the narrow strip would be purchased later. For the park,
$2,500 an acre was paid, but the owners asked $3,000 an acre
for the land in the strip. The school board paid $3,000 an acre
for its land. The park board was about ready to buy the remaining
strip, when it developed that the owners had decided not to sell
the land for the park, but to cut it into small lots and sell
for business sites.
- August 12, 1923,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, Sec. I, p. 4, col. 2-5.
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