41 

 THE PARK BOUNDARIES. 



Speech of the Honorable J. S. T. Steanahan, President of the 

 Brooklyn Park Commissioners, at a public meeting, called for 

 the discussion of the question of the boundaries of the park, 

 at the Court House, on the 30th March, 1869. 



I do not know what may be the pleasure of the meeting, but I have 

 conversed with a few gentlemen since I came into the room, and it 

 seems that I am expected to make a statement on behalf of the Board, 

 and perhaps in some degree on behalf of myself. I should make that 

 statement at the very commencement — at the opening of the meeting. 

 If there be no objection I will proceed to do so. 



We have met to consider a proposition for an act of the Legislature 

 to change the boundaries of our Park. That we may take it up intelli- 

 gently, I propose first to briefly state some of the more important facts 

 in the history of the proceedings which have brought the proposition 

 in question before us. 



In the year 1859 a demand was felt for legislation to secure public 

 grounds in this city about equally for two objects; first for parks, 

 secondly for the purpose of parades. 



Influenced by this demand the Legislature appointed a Commission, 

 composed of highly respectable citizens, partly chosen to represent the 

 park, and partly the military demand, who were charged with the duty 

 of selecting suitable sites for each purpose. 



This Commission reported the following year, recommending ground 

 to be taken for parks at five different localities. Of the proposed parks 

 two only need to be particularly referred to now. The more important 

 one was proposed to be located in close connection with the two great 

 cemeteries and the reservoir at Ridgewood. The ground recommended 

 to be taken for it amounted to thirteen hundred acres. Another, about 

 one-fifth as large, (two hundred and sixty-seven acres), was proposed 

 to be located so as to include the reservoir at Prospect Hill. 



It will, perhaps, at this time not be at once apparent why those inte- 

 rested in the question should have been led at first to propose that the 

 more important park for our city should be established at Ridgewood 

 rather than at Prospect Hill. An explanation may be found in the fact 



