DEPARTMENT OF PARKS. 21 3 



Revolution it became generally known as Fort Greene, and by a 

 resolution of the Common Council of Brooklyn was made Wash- 

 ington Park. 



THE BEGINNING OF PROSPECT PARK. 



In April, 1859, an ac ^ °f the Legislature was passed appoint- 

 ing John Greenwood. J. Carson Brevoort, William Wall, James- 

 Humphrey, John A. Cross, Nathaniel Briggs, Abraham J. Berry, 

 Samuel S. Powell, Thomas H. Rodman, Nathan B. Moore, 

 Thomas G. Talmage, Jesse C. Smith, Daniel Maujer, William H. 

 Peck and Luther B. Wyman as a commission to locate parks 

 and a parade ground, and to report such selection to the Common 

 Council on or before November, 1859. They were allowed two 

 hundred and fifty dollars for expenses and no other compensation. 



In their report they suggested the selection of a portion of 

 the land now within the boundaries of Prospect Park, a park at 

 Ridgewood, comprising the territory now in Ridgewood and 

 Forest Parks, a park at Bay Ridge, including most of the Bay 

 Ridge Parkway, a parade ground in New Lots south of the 

 Howard House and east of Van Sinderen avenue, a park on 

 Brooklyn Heights bounded by Remsen, Montague and Furman 

 streets and Pierrepont place, a park bounded by Ewen, Smith, 

 North Second and Ainslie streets, a park bounded by Third and 

 Sixth streets, Fourth and Fifth avenues, with Atlantic avenue as 

 a parkway to connect Prospect and Ridgewood Parks in connec- 

 tion with Washington avenue. This report was signed by all of 

 the commissioners excepting Messrs. Humphrey, Wall and 

 Briggs. 



The population of the City of Brooklyn at that time was 

 about 300,000. An act of the Legislature was passed April 17, 

 i860, in which the only recommendation of the Commission 

 adopted was that in relation to Prospect Park and the parade 

 ground in New Lots. The Commissioners were named in this 

 bill. They were James S. T. Stranahan, to whose untiring efforts 

 and zealous work Brooklyn owes its parks and parkways, and 

 who has earned the honor of being known as Father of the Park 

 System ; E. W. Fiske, R. H. Thompson, Thomas G. Talmage, 

 Stephen Haynes, Cornelius J. Sprague and Thomas H. Rodman. 



