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PARK AND CEMETERY. 
SITE OF ARNOLD PARK, FORT WORTH, BEFORE. 
THE CIVIC AWAKENING 
By Geo. E. 
ARNOLD PARK, FORT WORTH, AFTER THE IMPROVEMENT. 
OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS 
Vinnedge, Snpt. 
Fort Worth, Texas, did not fully awaken 
to the need and value of public parks un- 
til 1909. In that year the city charter was 
amended to include provision for the ap- 
pointment of a Board of Park Commis- 
sioners and the levying of a special tax 
for the purpose of creating a park fund. 
The first Board of Commissioners was ap- 
pointed in April, 1909, and after going 
NEW PARKWAYS, FORT WORTH. 
At this time the public park area was 
thirty-three acres and was under the con- 
trol of the Federation of Women’s Clubs. 
The Federation, however, had no funds to 
expend for this purpose and the so-called 
parks were practically unimproved and 
very few of the citizens visited or even 
knew there were any public parks. 
The park fund amounted to $42,000 the 
first year, $50,000 the second year and 
$55,000 the third year. With this money 
the Board of Commissioners has purchased 
269 acres of property in nineteen parcels 
varying in size from city blocks to 75-acre 
tracts. A force of twenty men is regularly 
employed, thousands of trees, shrubs and 
perennial plants have been planted, three 
streets aggregating one mile in length have 
been parked down the center and the park- 
ways planted with trees, shrubbery and 
grass; two and one-half miles of city 
streets have been uniformly planted with 
placed around almost all of the other parks 
bordering upon the city streets. 
SPECIAL LAWS OF TEXAS 
GRANTING CHARTER TO FORT WORTH. 
CHAPTER V. 
Section 1. As soon as practicable after the 
adoption of this charter on the fourth Tuesday in 
April, 1909, and biennially thereafter, the Mayor 
shall appoint three qualified voters of the city of 
Fort Worth* without respect to their political af- 
filiations, subject to confirmation by the Board of 
Commissioners, who shall, with the Commissioner of 
BORDER IN HYDE PARK, FT. WORTH. 
over the ground carefully, Geo. E. Kess- 
ler, the noted landscape architect, was em- 
ployed to make a city plan. 
FOREST PARK, FORT WORTH. 
trees, one-third of a mile of bitulithic 
pavement has been built around one of the 
block parks, and concrete curbing has been 
Streets and Public Grounds, constitute the Park 
Board of said City, of which said Commissioner 
shall be Chairman, and who shall serve for a 
period of two years and until their successors are 
appointed and qualified. Said Park Board shall 
have exclusive control and management and main- 
tenance of the Public Parks of the City of Ft. 
Worth, and shall have the management and control 
of the beautifying and parking of any ground, 
street or boulevard or part thereof, or any ceme- 
tery belonging to said City, which the Board of 
Commissioners may designate to receive such im- 
provements. 
Sec. 2. Said Park Board shall have authority to 
acquire, by gift, or devise land in the name of 
the city for park purposes, and may arrange the 
terms of purchase, and purchase and land for 
park purposes. 
Sec. 3. The Park Board shall adopt such rules 
and regulations as it may deem best for the man- 
agement of the public parks of the City, and shall 
elect one of its members Vice-President of the 
Park Board and a Secretary thereof. 
Sec. 4. The Board of Commissioners when levy- 
ing the taxes for each fiscal year shall levy an ad 
valorem tax of 10 cents on each $100 of the as- 
sessed value of all real and personal property in 
the city not exempt from taxation by the Consti- 
tution and laws of the State for the use and benefit 
of the park fund. Said tax, when collected, shall 
be deposited with the City Treasurer to the credit 
of the Park Fund, and. said sum, together with all 
sums appropriated by the City in the Annual Budget 
for Park Purposes or received from other sources, 
shall be deposited and held by the City Treasurer 
in a separate account to the credit of the Park 
Fund, subject to the order and disbursement of 
the Park Board for the purposes and in accord- 
ance with the authority herein specified), and 
same shall be paid out upon warrants issued by 
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