5800_01_1890

Park Commissioners of the City of Seattle. Dec 8th 1890 Be it remembered that on this the 8th day of December AD 1890 the Board of Park Commissioners of the city of Seattle holds its final regular meeting pursuant to Law in this room in the New City Hall: At roll call the following mambers are present to wit: chairman Danl. Jones, W E Bailey, A Barker, D E Burgess and Chas. N Evans: Wm B Drorn Depty Clk The follwing proceedings are had: The meeting was called to order by the Chairman who then proceeded to state to the Board his views on the duties evolving upon each and every member of the Board: He said: Gentlemen: Public Parks are [?] for Great Cities places for recreation and for rest. No City is fully equipped without some grounds for public resort: Every Village and Hamlet should have some [?] spot which [?] a right to enjoy. If we have faith in the future greatness of Our City we must use all our efforts to secure while we may, such laws as will be adequate to the wants of a large City. We m ust not fail to secure Lands because it seems too costly nor because they are out of proportion t our present needs. We must look forward to twenty or thirty years when the Queen City of Puget Sound will have a population fo 500,000 or more and think what peoples' wants will be. They will then have

2 Journal of the Proceedings of the Dec 8th 1890 Wealth to buy what money can buybut they can't buy a lost opportunityThe subject of public improvement in the form of Public Parks usually meets with oppositioin. In the minds of many people it means an immediate outlay of a very large sum of money Their minds are filled with apprehension of heavy taxation. They imagine the whole scheme is devised to benefit the rich at the expense of the poor. The asurdity of this is proved bythe repeated experiences of other Cities in this country as well as in Europe. In tenyears preceeding the Commencement of work on Central Park new York the increased valuation of taxable property in the Wards immediately surrounding it was no less than $54,000,000 Affording a surplus after paying interest on all the City Bonds issues for the purchase and Construction of the Park costing $3,000,000It is but a few years since the Country was ringing with denunciation of the Extravagance of the Authorities at Washington in the system of improvement which was inprogress. We hear nothing of it now and instead of a filthy shanty town they have a City whose magnificence is attracting a Wealthy Class of residents who can afford to bui;d houses in Keeping with the surroundings. The expenditures which were determined yesterday have found the best investment that could possible have been made. We shall indeed be wise of we take warning from other Cities (for example New York) and

3 Park Commissioners of the City of Seattle Dec 8th 1890 Secure Lands that are needed before they become so occupied or acquire such value as to place them beyond our reach. Having secured the land 'we may take our time for improving and spend money upon it only as it is warranted by the means which the growth of the City will afford. The first and most important thing to do is Employ a thouroughly Competant Landscape Gardner to Examine the lay of the land and around our City to designate Certain available Lands best adapted for Park purposes as well as Certain Streets for Drives and Boulevards Connecting these lands to afford opportunity for pleasure riding No time should be lost in laying plans for the general arrangement of Parks and Parkways for the city so that the anount and character of each year's work may be determined and kept in progress with the certainty that every step we take and every dollar we expend is tomorrow the ultimate object and the unity of design be present throughout. Moved that the Chair appoint one other Member to act with himself to confer with the County Commissioners in regard to the school lands surrounding the City ans to find out at what figure the same are likely to be had: the Chair appointed W E Bailey:

4 Journal of the Proceedings of the Dec 8th 1890 Moved that a Com of 2 be appointedto investigate what funds will be av ailable for Park purposes in the next year: The chair appointed Messers Burgess & Barkley as such Moved that the Chair as as a com of one to report on permanent order of business- motion carried. Moved that teh Clerk be instructed to send for copies of the rules and regulations (covering as many years as possible) governing Parks in the different Cities St Louis, Boston, ]]New York]], Chicago- Baltimore Cleveland Philadelphia- Denver & Brooklyn: Also Laws Creating Commissioiners etc. Moved to Adjourn until Thursday EveDec 11th ad 1890 Carried Attest H W Miller City clk Approved By W P Drorm Depty Clerk Chariman Daniel Jones

5 Parks Commissioners of the City of Seattle Dec 11 1890 Be it remembered that on this the 11th Day of Dec ad 1890 the Board of Park Commissioners of the City of Seattle meet pursuant to Adjournment on the New City Hal at roll Call the following Members are present: A Barkley W E Burgess and Chas Evans Depty City Clk C K Drorm The following proceedings are had to wit: Minutes of the last meeting read & approved. The report of Comptroller C W Ferris stating the amt of money (estimated) for Park purposes was read and ordered placed on file. Chairman Jones sttaed that Mr Bailey & himself as the committee appointed to confer with the County Commissioners inthe regard to securing land for Park Purposes, had consulted with Mr. Gasch chg of the Counts Com's and that he had promised then his hearty support in the matter that he had recommended a committee of prominent Citizens be requested to confer with the Park Com's with a view to securing suitable grounds. He stated that schoollands could be bought at from 100 to 150 per acre in 10 equal payments with 6% interest.