io6 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
THE PARKS OF ST. PAUL, MINN. 
Few cities are more picturesquely situated than 
St. Paul, Minn,, with the “Father of Waters'' a 
leading feature of its scenery, and a diversified 
landscape for its setting. Under such general rul- 
ing conditions it is obvious that a park system for 
such a place, should be broad and comprehensive, 
and developed in harmony with the wide suggest- 
iveness of its environment. The progressive and 
enlightened spirit that has characterized the devel- 
opment of so many of the cities of the great north- 
west has been a dominant feature in the growth of 
From 1873 to 1891 the City Council had charge 
of the parks and the Park Commissioners from 
1887. The total receipts from 1873 to March i, 
1900, were $784.835-97. and the total expenditures, 
including land purchases during the same period, 
$774,895 60. The average expenditure for the 
first twenty-five years has been $28,498.22, and by 
the Board of Commissioners for eight years from 
1891 to 1898, both inclusiv^e, has been $49,042.66. 
Como park is the show park of St. Paul, and is 
indeed a beautiful park. Varied in scenery and de- 
velopment, while replete with the accessories in 
COZY LAKE AVENTK, COMO PARK, ST. PACI.. IMIXX. 
St. Paul, and the friendly rivalry between the twin 
cities has stimulated the acquisition of all the mu- 
nicipal privileges that a refined and enlightened 
community demand. 
The total area of improved and unimproved park 
lands including lakes is 1,160 acres, of which 452 
acres are under cultivation. The principal parks 
and their acreage are as follows: Como park, 490 
acres; Phalen park, 585 acres; Indian Mound park, 
17 acres. Neighborhood parks, in number some 
23, range in extent from a fraction to nearly 10 
acres. There are also a number of intersection tri- 
angles and terraces, which altogether give St. Paul 
46 parks and 3 parkways. 
buildings and conveniences for public recreation 
and pleasure, it is a very popular outing place, and 
it has frequently shown its comparative inadequacy 
to meet the popularity its many attractions have 
created. It is the intention of the commissioners to 
provide every requisite of park development that 
the trend of the times suggest. The floral display 
has been a feature of this park, and this has always 
been more or less profuse. 
It is excused on the ground that it meets a pop- 
ular taste, and while the landscape artist would con- 
demn it for its extravagance, it is certain that it 
pleases a goodly percentage of the people. In 
such a case it is necessary in park management to 
