A History of the city of Newark, New Jersey : embracing practically two and a half centuries, 1666-1913, Volume II, Part 23

Author: Urquhart, Frank J. (Frank John), 1865- 4n; Lewis Historical Publishing Company. 4n
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: New York, N.Y. ; Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1136


USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > A History of the city of Newark, New Jersey : embracing practically two and a half centuries, 1666-1913, Volume II > Part 23


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The advisory commission was of the opinion that a park board should


' From an article in the Newark Sunday Call for May 12, 1912, prepared by Alonzo Church, secretary of the Essex County Park Commission.


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be removed as far as possible from politics and political control. Parks. more than any other public work, are for the use and enjoyment of all the people, and should never be managed in the interest of any one section or party. Park appropriations should be spent for the acquirement and development of parks without regard for local prejudice or political bias. In order to accomplish this result as nearly as possible, it was provided that the park commission should be appointed by the Justice of the Supreme Court presiding in the county courts, and should serve without compensation. It may be said that during the past seventeen years this plan has been most successful, and that neither the justices who appoint nor the commissioners appointed have allowed political considerations to enter in any way into the discharge of their duties. This method of appointment was attacked in the courts in 1902, and an effort was made to have the park act declared unconstitutional on this and other grounds. This brought the work of the commission to a standstill for nearly a year, but in May, 1908, the Court of Errors and Appeals, the highest tribunal of the State, by an unanimous vote declared the law constitutional in every particular. The delay in park work caused by this litigation was unfortunate, but was offset, perhaps, by establishing beyond question the legality of the commission and prevent- ing further attacks of like character.


Another delay in the construction work was caused by a legal difficulty that arose over the park appropriation act of 1898. This act provided that the voters should indicate their approval or disapproval by means of separate ballots cast directly either for or against the bill. The general election act which was passed subsequently declared that all appropriations of this character should be printed on the regular ballots, and if not crossed off the ballot should be counted in favor of the proposal. The question arose as to which method should be followed with the park appropriation. The Commission decided to take the course indicated by the park act, first because it seemed the fairer way of testing public sentiment, and, secondly, because the election law became effective too late to allow its provisions to be complied with at the spring election of 1898. After the people had signified their approval the Park Board and the Freeholders agreed to have the validity of the act settled in the courts. Proceedings were accordingly begun which resulted in a decision of the Court of Errors and Appeals upholding the act, after a delay of about four months.


The first Commission appointed under the act of 1895 by the late Chief Justice Depue consisted of the following gentlemen : Cyrus Peck, appointed for one year; Frederick W. Kelsey, appointed for two years; Frederick M. Shepard, appointed for three years; Stephen J. Meeker, appointed for four years, and Franklin Murphy, appointed for five years. Thereafter appoint- ments were for five-years terms. Since the resignation of Chief Justice Depue in 1902 appointments have been made by his successor, Chief Justice William S. Gummere.


Mr. Meeker was treasurer of the first commission; Mr. Murphy was first treasurer of the permanent board. He was succeeded by Mr. Meeker, Mr. Vanderpool followed Mr. Meeker, and on his death Mr. Hayes was elected to the office. On his death, Mr. Hardin, the present treasurer, was elected.


The money for the construction of the park system is raised by the issuance, through the Board of Chosen Freeholders, the municipal corpora- tion of the county, of county park bonds. The authority to issue these securities is obtained by legislative enactment. The first bond issue was for $2,500,000 under the act creating the park commission and defining its powers and duties. The act contained a referendum clause and was sub- mitted for the approval of the people at an election held on April 7, 1895. It was indorsed by a majority of 8,451 out of a- vote of 30,609. A further appropriation of $1,500,000 was authorized at an election held on April 12, 1898, by a majority of 4,783 in a total vote of 24,691, and a further $1,000,000 was indorsed by the people on November 4, 1902, by a majority of 3,640 in a total of 28,136. These appropriations were all asked for by


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the Park Commission and were thought necessary for the proper establish- ment of a fairly comprehensive park system. In every instance, however, the people were asked by means of the referendum either to sanction or to disapprove the expenditure, and each time they approved. In appealing to the voters, however, for the final appropriation in 1902, the board announced that it would not again actively advocate further park appropriations. It was the opinion of the Commission that with $5,000,000 the park system could be developed in such a way as to make it useful for the present generation and capable of some development in the future to meet the needs of an increased population. The board realized that the scheme was by no means complete and that additions to it would in time become essential. It felt, however, that if its work met with public approval the people them- selves would take the initiative and secure from the Legislature the funds for necessary additions. It desired this demand to come from those who use and enjoy the parks and who are capable of impartial judgment as to their value, rather than from the board in control, which might, from its deep interest in the work and constant association therewith, seems too anxious to increase the county debt for park purposes. No subsequent board has as yet changed this attitude or taken any part in endeavoring to secure further park funds. The people themselves, however, have in several instances gone to the Legislature to request more money for specific park needs. In 1906 $300,000 was appropriated and passed by a referendum vote of the people on November 6, 1906, by a majority of 4,637 out of a total vote of 31,511. In 1907 the Legislature authorized the raising of $200,000 for a very much needed addition to Weeqnahic Park, and in 1909 $250,000 more was appropriated for parks in certain congested localities; in 1910, $150,000; in 1911, $185,000, and in 1912, $350,000.


These last bills did not contain referendum clauses. From these last three appropriations the Commission has only asked for and received $110,000. It has not yet definitely determined whether it will request the freeholders to turn over the balance. Should it decide to do so the free- holders have the power to grant or refuse the request. The Board has had, therefore, at its disposal for park construction from the sale of bonds $6,435,000, of which snm $294,948.65 is still on hand December 31, 1911, but is being expended according to appropriations already agreed upon.


The parks are maintained by the inclusion in the annual tax levy of an amount sufficient to keep them in proper condition during the current year. The authority for this is a law passed by the Legislature in 1902 and indorsed by the people by a majority of 4,291 out of a total vote of 28,467.


It should be said that the Park Commission has in almost overy Instance since the law become operative voluntarily requested a sum less than an amount equal to one-half of a mill. Last year, for example, $235,000 was asked for, although an amonnt equal to one-half of a mill would have amounted to $258,000. The Commission has always endeavored to be as economical with its park maintenance fund as is commensurate with the highest order of park maintenance. Every effort is made to avoid extrava- gance. but the Board does not permit the system under its care to deteriorate, or the enjoyment of it by the people to be decreased through failure to keep it as it should be kept.


When the permanent commission began its work in 1895 there were only twenty-five acres of park land in Essex County. There are now under the control of this board 3,178 acres. To quote again from the Sixth Annual Report, pages 6 and 7:


"The problem of the proper selection of park sites had first to be solved, which required much time and thought. This determined, the land had to be purchased or condemned. In order that the public may realizo how tremendous an undertaking this was it may be stated that the Commis- sion has acquired title, by purchase or condemnation, to 611 different tracts of land, from over 1,800 owners. These people live in all parts of the United States and several in England, France, Germany and Italy. Agrou-


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ments had to be reached as to price, the titles closed and the proper papers legally executed before the actual work of development could proceed, and even then, in many cases, there was some delay owing to the fact that the land was encumbered with buildings, which had to be removed, and leases which had to be gotten out of the way."


The present system contains Branch Brook, Eastside, Westside, Weequa- hic. Riverbank, Orange, Watsessing, Irvington, Anderson, Glenfield and Yanti- caw Parks, Eagle Rock and South Mountain Reservations. The Commission also controls the East Orange Parkway between Park and Central avenues; Park avenue from Bloomfield avenue in Newark to Llewellyn Park, West Or- ange, a distance of about four miles, lying in Newark, East Orange, Orange and West Orange; Prospect avenue, connecting Eagle Rock and South Mountain Reservations, running through West Orange; Brookside Drive in the Mill- burn section of South Mountain Reservation, Cherry Lane in its West Orange and South Orange sections and South Orange avenue in South Orange and Millburn.


Branch Brook Park-This park is situated near the geographical centre of Newark and comtams 280.62 acres. It is a long, narrow strip of land, varying in width from 685 feet to 1,755 feet. The average width of the portion south of Orange street is 268 feet, of the southern division 1,130 feet, of the narrow part of the northern division south of the line of the Ballantine Parkway etxended 957 feet, and of the portion north of this line 1,275 feet. The average width of the whole park is 1,175 feet, while its total length is 11,115 feet. In other words, Branch Brook Park averages less than a quarter of a mile wide, while it is over two miles long. The land has cost $687,042.83, and the buildings thereon $538,580, and the park improvements $1,412,543.39. There are 4.25 miles of roads and 11 miles of paths. A large part of the southern division, about 80 acres, belonged to the city of Newark, which transferred its care, custody and control to the Commission for park purposes in 1895.


It is interesting to note in connection with these figures that in 1867 a commission was appointed to recommend a site for a park in Newark and estimate the value of the land to be taken. The report of the commission recommended the acquirement of land starting at what is now the corner of Belleville avenue and Clay street and running to and including the present Branch Brook Park, about seven hundred acres. The cost of this acquisition and its improvement was estimated at $1,000,000. This the Legislature deemed too high and the scheme of improvement failed. Had it been carried through the people would have had a park about two and one-half times the size of Branch Brook at a cost of more than $1,500,000 less than the cost of the present taking. This affords a striking and instructive lesson of the unwisdom of delay in the acquirement of park property.


Eastside Park-This was the first of the so-called neighborhood parks located by the Board. It is situated in the thickly settled part of Newark east of the Pennsylvania Railroad and is intended as a playground and resting place for women and children. It contains athletic fields for both boys and girls, a sand court and a bandstand. Its area is about 12.69 acres. The land cost $117,792.64, the buildings thereon $6,800, and the improvements $53,878.52. There are 1.5 miles of paths and no roads.


Westside Park-This provides a breathing space for the western portion of Newark. It contains 23.04 acres. It is provided with a running track and athletic grounds, with suitable locker rooms; a playground and sand court for little children, tennis courts, a bandstand and a wading pool. A portion of the park includes some of the highest land in the city, and a broad esplanade along the western border commands fine views of the east and west. The land cost $145,740.92, the buildings $27,501.50, and the improvements $121,208.94. There are no roads, but 1.75 miles of paths.


Riverbank Park-This park was acquired in response to a demand from citizens of the eastern section of Newark for greater park facilities and in obedience to an act of the Legislature passed in 1906 and indorsed


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by the people of the county in the following November. It is bounded by Market, Ferguson and Frederick streets and Passaic avenue and contains 5.75 acres. Its development has not yet been entirely completed, but will conform generally to that of Eastside Park, accentuating the playground feature. The land cost $155,342.56 and the improvements $26,810.20.


Weequahic Park-This park was originally acquired as a reservation. Its natural beauty, especially the great swamp which was susceptible of transformation into a lake, impelled the Board to secure it in the belief that it would eventually become an important part of the system. The public was quick to appreciate its advantages, and the Commission soon found that the use of it justified its development as a park, rather than its retention as a reservation for future development. Its western boundary was originally the Lehigh Valley Railroad, but in response to public demand the Legislature authorized the acquisition of further land, extending the line to Elizabeth avenue. The present boundaries, therefore, are Dayton street on the east, Meeker avenue on the north, Elizabeth avenue on the west and the Union County line on the south. It contains 315.08 acres and is the largest of the Newark parks. The cost of the land was $339,546.11, of the buildings thereon $38,050, and of the improvements to date $267,580.61.


Orange Park-A low marsh in the cities of Orange and East Orange was taken for the nucleus of this park. It has an area of 47.63 acres. The cost of the land was $149,418.56, and of the houses thereon $35,794.47, and of the improvements $134,854.21. It has 1 mile of drives and 212 miles of patlıs. The citizens living in the vicinity of this park contributed $17,275 in cash for its improvement. It contains tennis courts, wading pool, a children's playground and a bandstand.


Watsessing Park-The beginning of this park was the presentation to the county of Essex by the city of East Orange, of a tract of land lying partly in East Orange and partly in Bloomfield, and containing about 10 acres. Ad- ditions have since been made within the town of Bloomfield in obedience to legislative enactments until the area has grown to 70.50 acres. The cost of acquirement to date is $133,436.88. There are .58 miles of paths. The improvement is not yet completed, but the available portion contains a running track and athletic fields, and its use by the public is rapidly in- creasing.


Irvington Park-This park was established under authority of legis- lative acts passed in 1906 and in 1910. It will contain, when the acquirement is completed, 24.51 acres. Its cost for acquirement was $65,000, and for improvements $30,703.12. It is situated within the town of Irvington and its boundaries will be May, Augusta and Grove streets and Lyons avenue. Its situation is near the centre of population in that section, and some of the land, that on Grove street, is high, commanding a fine view of the Orange Mountains. The Augusta street property is low and swampy, and a small lake has been constructed there. The park will be developed along play- ground lines.


Anderson Park-The county is indebted for this beautiful breathing space to the generosity of Mr. C. W. Anderson, who presented the land to the town of Montclair, from which the care, custody and control was trans- ferred to this board. It is a tract of about 14.85 acres, triangular in shape, coming to a point on Bellevue avenue and bounded by Cliffside avenue and Greenwood Lake Railroad. It is treated in a simple informal landscape style and contains some fine trees. There are facilities for tennis and cricket. The cost of its improvement was $25,058.84.


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Glenfield Park-This park contains 21.75 acres. It was presented to the county by the town of Montclair, with the exception of a tract containing 1.91 acres which was purchased in order to straighten the boundary lines and bring the park out to Bloomfield avenue. The cost of this property was $20,860. The cost of the improvements to the park was $26,310.20. This park, therefore, is bounded by Bloomfield avenue, Maple avenue, Wood- land avenue and the Montclair branch of the D., L. & W. R. R. The fund for


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the Improvement of this tract, including the purchase of the additional land, amounts to $100,000 and was authorized by the Legislature of 1909. The estimated cost of the improvements is $60,000. The plans provide for one main entrance at the corner of Bloomfield and Maple avenues and the other at the corner of Maple and Woodland avenues.


Yantacaw Park-This park was located in obedience to an act of the Legislature passed in 1911, providing park facilities for Nutley. Its boun- darles have not yet been fully determined and no improvement has been attempted. So far as acquirement is concerned the commission has secured nineteen acres at a cost of $39,242.50.


The Legislature has authorized appropriations for Caldwell, Belleville, Glen Ridge, Verona and for an addition to Westside park. These improve- ments have not been acted on by the board and, therefore, have not been Incorporated into the park system.


Eagle Rock Reservation-Its area is 408.54 acres. The cost of the land was $235,745.73, and of the buildings thereon $22.500. The improvements cost $90,908.52. Eagle Rock Reservation occupies the northeast corner of West Orange and a little strip of Montclair and Verona. Directly east of it lles the southern part of Montclair, further east the northern part of Bloom- feld and the southern part of Franklin. The beautiful residence district of West Orange, known as Llewellyn Park, touches its southern extremity; Verona lies to the north of it. The reservation is six miles from Broad street, Newark; five miles from Branch Brook Park, and two miles by the electric railway from the Orange station of the Lackawanna Railroad.


South Mountain Reservation-This is the largest of the reservations, containing 1,983.32 acres. The extreme length is 3.75 miles, and its width varies from 1 to 1.25 miles.


Geographically South Mountain Reservation is situated in the eastern part of the southwest quarter of Essex county. Its northern end juts into the town of West Orange, the middle part of its eastern half lies in the town of South Orange, and the remainder, amounting to about half its area, is in the town of Millburn. Its south end is directly west of Lincoln park, in Newark, while its north end extends about as far north as the north end of Branch Brook park. Its south end abuts upon the villages of Millburn and Wyoming, and its north end upon the village of St. Cloud. The principal approaches from Newark and the residential districts west of it are, to the south end by Springfield and Millburn avenues, to the middle by South Orange avenue, and to the north end by either Central avenue, Park avenue or Main street to Valley road, in West Orange, and thence by Northfield avenue. The land has cost $239,479.04, the buildings $49,277, and the improvements $102,- 846.48. It has 14.85 miles of roads. [In 1913 the Commission purchased the Lighthipe quarry tract at the southern end of South Mountain Reserva- tion, and on September 1 of that year the stone crushing plant ceased operation after many years of work in the course of which the beauty of the region was seriously marred and a section of the rock on which Wash- ington is thought to have stood watching the retreat of one column of his army from Newark toward New Brunswick in November, 1776, entirely carried away. ]


The total acreage of the park system, as far as developed, is 3,233.28, the cost of the land is $3,192,243.11, and the cost of the improvements is $3,529,532.68.


APPENDIX C. NEWARK'S WATER SUPPLY.1


Since 1892 the city of Newark has been blessed with a water supply of rare purity, giving this city what is considered by engineers and others 1 From an article in the Newark Sunday Call on May 12, 1912, prepared by Morris R. Sherrerd, City Engineer.


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informed on this subject as good water, if not a better one, than any other city of its size in the world can boast. The surest test of the quality of & water supply is the degree of immunity which the city using it enjoys from the dread disease of typhoid fever. A comparison of the typhoid rates of Newark with those of other communities shows that this terrible disease is here reduced to a very low percentage, and that the cases reported are invariably traceable to some other cause than infection from the water supply, being almost always contracted while the victims are away from the city.


The great boon of a wholesome water supply is no doubt but partially appreciated by those who have only to turn a faucet to get it. The purity of Newark's water supply is maintained on the basis of the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." The collecting ground is the head waters of the Pequannock river, one of the highland branches of the Passaic river. This particular branch was selected because of the natural purity of the water and because the locality was a sparsely settled portion of the State. The drainage area tributary to the Macopin intake is sixty-two square miles in extent, and upon this watershed there are located four large storage reservoirs known as the Oak Ridge, Canistear and Clinton reservoirs, and the natural body of water called Echo Lake.


From the Macopin intake, situated about twenty-five miles from the city, there extend two steel pipelines, one forty-eight inches and the other forty-two inches in diameter, and this intake reservoir being at an elevation of over 500 feet above sea level makes it possible to supply Cedar Grove reservoir and all parts of the city by gravity. Near Great Notch, a branch line from these two pipe lines extends for a mile to the Cedar Grove reservoir, where sufficient storage is provided for about twenty days' supply to the city. All the water brought to the city is passed through this reservoir and trans- mitted by a tunnel through First Mountain to a pipe line down through Mont- clair, Glen Ridge and Bloomfield to the city. Thus three separate lines of pipe are provided, from any one of which water may be furnished to the city, and guarding against an interruption in the supply due to accident to any one of these lines.


Delivery from Cedar Grove-The pipe arrangements of Cedar Grove reservoir are such that the water is taken in at one end of the reservoir, which is about a mile long, and delivered to the tunnel from the other end, thus insuring the advantages of sedimentation and giving an opportunity for clarification before the water is delivered to the city. It is also the practice at times, when the streams in the watershed become roiled after a heavy rain- fall, to shut off the pipe lines at this point, so that no water is delivered from the watershed to the Cedar Grove reservoir. This prevents the necessity of taking muddy water into the distribution system of the city. .


Referring again to the purity of the water, it may be interesting to state the policy inaugurated by the Water Department of the city to protect the supply from possible contamination and to outline the steps gradually being taken to make absolutely certain that, even by accident, no poiluting matter shall find its way into the reservoirs. The first move in this direction was the sanitary inspection of the watershed, when probable or possible sources of pollution were located. Territory near the streams throughout the watershed were individually investigated and arrangements made with the owners of the land to so provide for the disposal of their waste that by'no possible chance can the same reach the streams through the watershed. There was then inaugurated a system of constant inspection of the water- shed undor the co-operation of the Board of Health, the territory being divided into six districts, one of which is inspected each day. The entire watershed is covered each week by the inspectors for the purpose of reporting on any possible attempts to lay drains from houses into any of the brooks, or to give early notice of any conditions in the watershed which might, by any possibility, affect the quality of the water.




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