FIBST COrXTY PAEK SYSTEM 



be liappy to receive from toit at an early date any sugges- 

 tions that occur to your honorable body as to partic-ular 

 localities in your section 3'ou think could be practically ac- 

 quired by gift or otherwise for park purposes, either sepa- 

 rately or as part of a county system. We further invite any 

 other recommendations or objections that you may deem 

 of importance bearing on this question. 



"Presuming you have in your vicinity lands considered 

 specially suited for a local park or parks, we should esteem 

 any suggestions as to these: also as to what proportion of 

 the cost of such lands and improvements you would think 

 equitable to be borne by your own city, or adjacent property^ 

 or both, and what proportion, if any. by the county at large. 



"'Hoping we may be favored with your early reply, 

 "Yours very respectfuUv, 



"ESSEX COUXf Y PAEK COmilSSIOX." 



Eeplies were very generally received. Many were sent 

 promptly. All were in hearty accord with the aims and 

 objects of the commission. Some of the suggestions were 

 practical and of value : others were visionary or too elabo- 

 rate. Each bore the imprint of good wishes and good will. 

 Mayor Lebkeucher, of Xewark. was one of the first officials 

 to respond. He expressed the intention of co-operating 

 with the commission in its work and stated that he would 

 take up the subject with the Common Council and the 

 Board of Street and Water Commissioners. Mayor Gill, 

 of Orange, sent a similar reply. 



The majority of suggestions favored the location of the 

 large park sites on the Orange Mountain. Montclair. East 

 Orange, Millburn, Bloomfield, Belleville, South Orange, and 

 other places were soon heard from. A number of civic as- 

 sociations, improvement societies, and citizens in various 

 localities throughout the county also responded and ex- 

 pressed a desire to co-operate in some way in the work of 

 the commission. 



Indeed, the recommendations became so varied and ex- 

 tended as to the matter of park sites that the conmiissioners 



