USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1931 > Part 19
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Whiton Park
A beauty spot. Drinking fountain equipped with dry well to drain off water. Shrubs and grass plot under care of park workers.
Pollard School
Combination picnic tables erected. Playground apparatus re- paired and replaced. Pathway built with stepping stones, making it one of the most ideal playgrounds naturally shaded in the city. Two instructors in attendance eight weeks. Pageant and display of work held at end of season.
Daniel Webster School
By a special act of his Honor the Mayor, playground apparatus was installed and two instructors provided for organized play. Well attended and proved a popular spot for the small children of the district.
Elm Street Playground
Strictly a children's playground, a most popular one, supervised by two instructors, well shaded, an ideal spot for supervised play. Settees, sand box painted, gate shifted and new wall built. Base- ball team from this playground were runners up in playground league. Comfort station needed. Doll carriage parade at the end of season one of the high lights of exhibition. Two instructors.
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318
CITY OF QUINCY
Ward 3-Robert Burns Monument
Keep statue clean and cut grass; spot lights here for night lighting.
Bradford Street Playgrounds
Tennis court amiesite, playground under supervision of two in- structors, sand box and flagpole painted. Pageant and display of work held by supervised classes. New backstops for tennis courts recommended. Two supervisors.
Cranch School
The yard of the Cranch School, a well shaded spot, proved a popular place to erect apparatus and conduct supervised play. Re- cently enclosed by the School Department with a chain link fence, it was a safe place for the large number of children in this district who were regular attendants. Two supervisors in charge received good cooperation and accomplished excellent results.
Smith Field Playground
Largest attended playground in the city. Three instructors, merry-go-round erected, a new novelty in Quincy which proved very popular. Infield received 30 loads of sifted loam on infield turtle back diamond to comply with regulations. Foot bridge erected in back of bleachers. Back stop raised 15 feet. Leech drains laid from first base and third base to home plate to care for surface water after rain storms. Flood lights for football prac- tice provided. Baseball and football games played here in season. Recommend that the brook be covered. Comfort station is an ab- solute necessity. Pageant, display of work and sports of the super- vised playground season was held by the children of this district and was attended by the largest gathering of parents during clos- ing week.
Ward 4-St. Moritz
The State reservation in the Blue Hills, the winter playground of the South Shore. The Park Board cooperated with the Blue Hills Recreation Club to obtain betterments from the Metropolitan District Commission. Painted large toboggan slide and ski jump. Erected children's toboggan slide and hockey rink. Cleaned the ponds for skating. Sixteen flood lights installed for two skating ponds and toboggan slides. The Park Board acted as judges during the winter carnival of 1931. Amateur hockey league teams played their games in the rink on holidays, Sundays and evenings. Six toboggans, property of Department, in constant use.
West Quincy Baseball Field
Field used mostly for baseball by Industrial League, semi-pro and amateur teams. Infield rebuilt with 30 loads of sifted loam making a turtle back diamond. Grass cut, field lined for ball games. Floodlights for football practice. Recommend that the outfield be filled in and graded. Fill in around the playground apparatus, and grade to street. Comfort station needed.
319
REPORT OF PARK DEPARTMENT
Playground
Popular place for the children of this district well attended. Two instructors. Flagpole and sandbox painted. Dry well dug around drinking fountain. Grass cut and ground cleaned weekly.
Shea Park
Playground apparatus installed, chain link fence built for a hun- dred feet on West Street side for protection of children. Proved a popular place for hundreds of children in this section. Two in- structors. Recommend that the park be completely enclosed with a chain link fence.
Ward 5-Merrymount Park
Fifteen acres of natural beauty, making it one of the most beautiful parks in the state, with a pageant field, bathing beach, soccer field, football gridiron, cinder track, baseball fields, tennis courts, picnic grove and band stand.
Third Field
Picnic benches erected in convenient spots. Permits issued for outings every week-end during the summer and early fall. Meet- ing of playground instructors held August 5 with John Lane of the Boston Park Department and Ernst Herman of the Newton Park Department as speakers. His Honor Thomas J. McGrath and Councillors Lawrence Curtin and John P. Flavin were pres- ent and spoke to the gathering. Refreshments were provided by the Park Board and games featured the afternoon's sport.
Recommend that a charge of $5 be made for refreshment booth to all who apply for permits.
Bowling Green
A special item on the budget provided a Bowling Green. This was erected by the Public Works Department on the Black's Creek side of the third field. Enclosed with a chain link fence, will be ready for play in the spring of 1932. Providing a long felt want for older citizens to enjoy the outdoor sport enjoyed by our younger people on this beautiful park. Recommend a caretaker be appointed to supervise and issue permits for the Green.
Second Field
This field was used for baseball, soccer and parking.
The pond which has been more or less a nuisance and breeding place for mosquitoes has been filled in. A new baseball field should be laid out to help the over demand of the upper field.
Welfare Department built a new road, sidewalks through the field, which will greatly add to the appearance.
Upper Field
This field was in constant use during the spring and summer months for band concerts and baseball.
The baseball field was put in excellent condition by having a turtle-back diamond in the infield built, and treated with calcium chloride.
The bleachers, backstop and players' benches were painted and repaired.
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CITY OF QUINCY
The dressing room under the bandstand was equipped with hooks and a shower bath installed. New fence built along drive- way. Tool house enlarged, equipped with necessary implements to properly carry on the work.
The baseball field was used by the Quincy Amateur Baseball League, South Shore League, amateur, semi-pro teams and the Industrial League. Posts erected to keep autos off the playing field. Outfield seeded, fertilized, and watered, which made this field a beautiful sight from Hancock Street for people passing through our city.
Tennis Court
It was in constant use at all times under the supervision of a caretaker. Backstops repaired, 18 tons of stone dust treated with calcium chloride rolled in to make a new playing surface. New nets provided. Caretaker on duty eight weeks.
Pfaffmans Oval
A natural spot to view athletic contests. During the summer this was a popular place for drills. Sundays and holidays during the football season the Quincy Amateur Football League spon- sored by the Park Board drew upwards of 30,000 spectators, and the field was roped off and policed for each game.
Field House
A park this size should have a field house equipped with dress- ing rooms, shower baths, a storage room for park equipment. As this is centrally located it should have a room for the Board to hold weekly meetings and properly carry on the growing activi- ties of the Department.
Band Stand
The band stand's present location is not in a suitable place to accommodate the large turnout of our citizens who enjoy band concerts. It is located alongside of a road leading into the park. Facilities for parking are inadequate.
To protect the baseball field from the damage wrought by machines driving over it, the Board was forced to prohibit this practice. As the majority of the people enjoy a concert sitting in their cars, we recommend that this band stand be discontinued and moved to the lower field, where cars can park all around it if erected in the center of the field.
A series of free concerts were given during June, July and August by the Wollaston Post 295, American Legion Band and were largely attended. The band stand was equipped with a new control box, making it possible to carry a heavier load on the light system. The Board are heartily in favor of building an acoustic shell band stand and accommodations, so thousands of our citizens could enjoy good music.
As in our last year's report we recommended concerts as sug- gested by Walter M. Smith, Quincy's well-known band leader and trumpeter. We hope our City Council will approve of such a project this year.
Park Roadways
The two roadways leading into the park are the cause of a real dust nuisance on windy days. As an absolute necessity these roadways should receive attention this year. A crushed stone surface with penetration will eliminate this unpleasant feature.
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REPORT OF PARK DEPARTMENT
Pine Island
A bridge to Pine Island will open up this popular picnic grove to the public. At present it can only be reached by boat-the bridge was wrecked three years ago by ice and tide. Would rec- ommend that a pontoon bridge be erected for summer use and pulled ashore during winter months.
Wollaston School
The playground facilities are available only during the super- vised playground season. The group dancing and display of work, especially by the basket weaving class, were the features at the end of season exercises. Playground yard enclosed with chain link fence and resurfaced with amiesite by the School De- partment, making conditions better for supervised play. A mem- ber from this playground won the Horseshoe pitching Tourna- ment conducted by the Board. Two supervisors.
Massachusetts Fields
This playground proved to be one of our most successful this year, for the first time a male instructor was assigned here. By the cooperation of both instructors and their ability to organize this was made one of the outstanding of the system.
A track and field team was organized which scored the highest points at the Pfaffman's Oval Meet August 16, thus winning the Park Department championship for Track and Field. A success- ful program was conducted at the conclusion of the season.
Butler's Pond
Butler's Pond, flood lights erected by a special act of the Mayor. Ice cleared of snow and flooded when necessary for good skating.
Safford Park
Considered the most striking of the smaller parks, well shaded, laid out with shrubs and flower beds, well cared for by the park workers. Suggest that permanent cement settees be placed here so that the people in this section can enjoy its beauty. A cap- tured German field piece placed in center of park and dedicated by the Wollaston Post 295 American Legion, Armistice Day, No- vember 11, attended by veteran bodies, national, State and city officials and thousands of citizens. Will be a fitting memorial to those Quincy boys who made the supreme sacrifice.
Ward 6-Montclair Playground
No work of a permanent nature was attempted on this field still in process of construction; at this writing the brook has been covered; with the coming of spring work should be started with a view to completing this long delayed project. Shelter built over sand box. Horseshoe pitching for young and old pop- ular feature. Propose to build a regulation horseshoe pitching court this year. Two supervisors in attendance during season. Excellent results.
Ward 6 Playground
This is an excellent plot of land and was much used. Owing to numerous complaints, ball playing was restricted to smaller boys. This playground had two instructors and ranked with the highest in attendance. A successful pageant and display of work ended the season. Floodlights installed for football practice.
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CITY OF QUINCY
With the discontinuance of baseball and football on the Ward 6 Playground, a double tennis court was erected with Amiesite surface and chain link backstops, proved a very popular rendez- vous for tennis enthusiasts in Ward 6. A caretaker will have to be in charge to issue permits, thus giving all an equal chance for play. A beautiful flower bed laid out near flagpole by Forestry Department.
Norfolk Downs Sand Pit
In rear of Francis Parker School used as a supervised play- ground during the summer season. Apparatus will be moved this year to a more suitable spot on the Dennis J. O'Neil Park. On hot days this playground is unbearable and not a popular place to send children.
Dennis J. O'Neil Park
Dedicated as a city park Sunday, July 26, 1931, in memory of Dennis J. O'Neil, a lifelong resident of the Atlantic district and for many years Ward foreman of the Public Works Depart- ment. Appropriate services were held with members of the O'Neil family, city officials, friends and co-workers of Dennis J. O'Neil and thousands of citizens in attendance.
Quincy Post No. 95 Drum and Bugle Corps headed the parade from the O'Neil Home, Prospect Street, to the park and put on an exhibition drill prior to the baseball game between Atlantic A. A. and Neponset Wanderers.
Backstop and bleachers painted, considerable grading to do to put field in first class shape. Three inches of sifted loam and grass seed in the spring will complete and make this an excellent athletic field.
John Wendall Moses Playground
Squantum, popular playground of the district, baseball, foot- ball and tennis leading sports. Field used by Industrial League. Playground teams, home field of Squantum A. C. in both baseball and football. Floodlights provided for football practice. Infield rebuilt with 30 loads of sifted loam making a regulation turtle back diamond. Playground apparatus moved from range of play- ing field.
Ward 2 bleachers erected on third base side of field. Ladies' comfort station installed in field house; this was painted and repaired, shower bath added in shower room. Flagpole painted. Bleachers painted. Leech drains dug near backstop to take care of drainage. With some grading in the outfield, this will be one of the fastest baseball fields in the city. Many unique ideas intro- duced by the instructors at the end of season, field day. Play- ground well attended. Children showed the results of careful instruction. Two supervisors.
Tennis Courts
Considerable work accomplished on this court. New fence built with heavy chicken wire. Playing surface of stone dust laid and rolled. Two new tennis nets, tapes, and roller and hose furnished. Caretaker in charge during season who regulated play and issued permits.
323
REPORT OF PARK DEPARTMENT
As briefly as possible the Board has stated the needs and ac- complishments of the parks in the various wards. It is our sin- cere desire that some of the recommendations be worked into the program for the coming year.
Daily Program for Playgrounds NINE O'CLOCK
Flag raising. Arrange swings and see-saws.
NINE-FIFTEEN TO TWELVE O'CLOCK
Playground games for smaller children.
NINE-THIRTY
Baseball for large boys (league). Indoor baseball for small boys. Folk dancing and playground games for girls.
ONE O'CLOCK
Modeling in sand, bean bag, ring toss for small children. Quoits, croquet for larger boys. Croquet, weaving for girls.
ONE-THIRTY
Baseball, indoor baseball, volley ball, slug ball (league for girls), weaving for girls. Calisthenics daily when a large number of chil- dren are on the playground, tennis.
THREE-THIRTY
Playground games for boys and girls. Safety campaign instruc- tions.
Pledge of Allegiance
Take down flag at sunset.
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CITY OF QUINCY
REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF PLAYGROUNDS TO THE PARK COMMISSION
Gentlemen :- The playground season for 1931 opened on Mon- day, June 29, and continued until Friday, August 28. This com- pleted the usual nine week period of supervised play under the direction of the Park Board.
The playgrounds this year were more popular than ever. This is due to the general trend toward supervised playgrounds during the last three years. It is also due to extra attractions furnished by the Board, the abundance of equipment, and the fine personnel under whose guidance the program is carried out.
The attendance was greater than for 1930, which had the best previous record. The daily attendance was, however, determined largely by the tides, when hundreds of children would flock to the bathing beaches. The children from Elm, Pollard, Adams, Webster and other playgrounds constantly used Avalon Beach and German- town, which were under the supervision of our swimming instruc- tors. On nearly every playground the attendance was greater than it was during the previous year.
The following is the average high and low attendance per day for the various playgrounds:
Pollard
65
165
Ward 6 70
135
Elm Street
85
220
Parker and Hollis St ... 30
125
Bradford St. 45 110
Mass. Fields 55 170
Ward 3
125 350
Squantum 25 80
Ward 4
75 165
* Merrymount 45
135
* Cranch 45
100
Houghs Neck 30
135
Wollaston
35
125
*Germantown 30 350
Montclair
40
150
* Avalon Beach 65 500
*Shea Park
40 200
*New playgrounds this year.
Note: These statistics were taken from our weekly playground report, which was submitted by the Senior Instructor on each playground.
These reports show data pertaining to attendance, games, com- petitions, leagues, picnics, life saving tests, first aid treatment, etc. I submit them to you to study.
Regular lessons were given to members of the playgrounds in life saving. There were experts at Avalon and at Germantown in charge of this work. Many adults as well as children took advan- tage of this opportunity. The Red Cross authorities cooperated with us and were a great help.
We worked in conjunction with the Massachusetts Safety Coun- cil and the National Playground Association of America.
The usual amount of handcraft materials were used. These con- sisted of rafia, reed, wool, cotton, silk, clay and wood. The articles finished by the children all over the city should be proof enough of the enormous interest in this work. Miss Mullarkey was in charge, making regular calls at all the playgrounds, for the pur- pose of supervised instruction. She also took complete charge of the folk dancing.
Trucks were used to transport large groups of children from the playgrounds to Merrymount Park, Avalon Beach, Sqantum, Germantown, and other places where there were bathing beaches. These picnics were almost a daily occurrence, and were always under supervision.
*Webster 65
170
* Adams Shore 30 100
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REPORT OF PARK DEPARTMENT
The usual interplayground competition program was followed out. Twelve playgrounds were represented in the Junior Baseball League for boys 14 years or under. Eight playgrounds were rep- resented by Senior teams. In the Slugball League for girls, six- teen playgrounds were represented. An indoor baseball schedule was carried out for very small boys. Group games and dancing were a part of our regular schedule. The tennis courts at Merry- mount, Bradford Street and Squantum were constantly in use.
A monster field day and track meet for both boys and girls was held at the Oval, on Sunday, August 16. Mr. Frank Bruce did much to organize this very successful affair.
On the first Saturday in August, a horseshoe tournament was held for boys. This event took all day and into the evening. There were two entrants from each playground for both senior and junior classes. Mr. Gilbert Brett was in charge of this detail. An open tournament was held during the first of September for men. Much credit is due Mr. William Kilpatrick for organizing this.
Due to unavoidable circumstances during the closing week, some of the playgrounds were unable to stage their annual exhibit and parents' night. However, about half the number did succeed in producing very creditable performances, which were well attended by mothers and fathers. I hereby wish to express my appreciation to the merchants who donated the many prizes which were offered for these occasions.
Every effort has been made to make the playgrounds as inter- esting as possible to the children. The instructors are chosen from a civil service list as far as possible, and we believe that they are well qualified.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANKLIN B. MITCHELL, Supervisor of Playgrounds.
Recreation
The past year has been one of unusual interest and activity in our recreation and playground development. The playground movement, originally limited to the providing of play space for children, is steadily broadening and is gradually solving the prob- lems of organizing and influencing the recreation for adults as well as children.
Each playground has its own atmosphere depending partly on its physical aspects and partly on the neighboring population, but mostly on its directors and assistants. The relations of the play- ground instructors with the parents of the children are pleasant and intimate. The mothers are always willing to cooperate with those in charge when there is a special exhibit and come themselves to assist in running off the program.
SPORTS Baseball
No city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts outside of the city of Boston has better facilities for the playing of baseball than the city of Quincy, with eight first-class regulation baseball fields, all of them under constant care of department workers, lined off before games and furnished with bases, home plates and pitchers'
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CITY OF QUINCY
rubbers. Every ward in the city has its own field and representa- tive teams. Seven hundred seventy-six permits were issued by the Board during the season beside the blanket permits given to the Junior High Schools and the Playground Leagues.
Five infields were rebuilt with 30 loads of sifted loam to a field making turtle back diamonds which conformed to big league regu- lations.
The Board sponsored an eight team league, of which Franklin B. Mitchell was president and William B. Nugent secretary. The West Quincy Eagles were the winners. Each player received a sterling silver baseball charm awarded by the William Westland Co. The Board were guests of the team at a victory banquet held at the end of the season.
Football
This great American game of the rugged youth was encouraged in every way possible by the Board. Floodlights for night practice were erected on seven playfields, six gridirons laid out and goal posts erected.
The five team Football League sponsored by the Park Board was one of the highlights of a most successful season. All league games were played on Pfaffman's Oval under a competent staff of approved officials. Two police officers were assigned each game to preserve order and keep the playing surface clear. The field was roped off by steel cable on each side. The Wollaston Post No. 295 Band and Drill Team and the Quincy Post No. 95 Drum Corps as- sisted at several games by exhibitions between halves. The Manet A. C. from South Quincy were the winners with three wins and one tie. The Nyma Football Team, winners of the Boston Park Department League, were the guests of the Board and played the Manets an intercity game before 4,000 people November 29, at the Oval; a most fitting climax for the Manets was a win of 20 to 12.
The Nyma Team was tendered the use of the Y. M. C. A. by Secretary Folmsbee for dressing and showers. After the game they were the guests of the Park Board at supper in the Elks Grill. The visitors were loud in their praise of the treatment re- ceived while in our city.
The trophy awarded the Manets was donated by the Diana Res- taurant under the auspices of Anthony Venti. The Board were guests at a victory banquet at the close of the season.
Soccer
Provisions were made for soccer during the early spring on Pfaffman's Oval, where games were played every Sunday up until June. In the fall soccer fields were laid out at Faxon Field and the second field at Merrymount Park. The goal posts were equipped with goal nets.
Quincy boasts of several good soccer teams, which are members of various leagues in Greater Boston.
Swimming
One of the most enjoyable and healthful recreations for all is bathing as conducted at our bathing beaches at Mound Street Bathhouse, William Cushing Baker Park and Avalon Beach. Everything possible to insure safety to beginners with an experi- enced male instructor, who is assisted by those more advanced acting as life guards. Swimming answers a twofold purpose. Of the hygienic value little need be said, and as a protection every man, woman and child should be able to swim.
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REPORT OF PARK DEPARTMENT
Hockey
For the first time in the history of the city of Quincy a Hockey League was organized and sponsored by the Park Board. The interest was so great that three rinks were built to satisfy the de- mand of the ten teams represented. The rink at St. Moritz in the Blue Hills was used holidays and Sundays, and Sailors' Home and Houghs Neck were both illuminated by a special act of His Honor, the Mayor, making it possible to play night games. Trophies were offered by the Kay Jewelry Co. and William Westland Co., with sweaters by the Park Board. The teams were evenly matched and stimulated interest in a game that is fast becoming a leading sport in the United States.
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