J. W. Rogers, Superintendent of Parks, “Report to the Park Board,” 1906

Garfield Park

Garfield Park, being centrally located, is used as a resting-place for the transient public more than any other park in the city.

Noticing that the benches were inadequate at times, there were provided quite a number of additional ones, that the people passing that portion of the city, and being enticed within the park by the beautiful shade-trees and display of tropical plants, might have an opportunity to rest for a few moments and enjoy themselves in a comfortable seat. The floricultural decorations here were carried out last summer with tropical plants, such as palms, croton, araucaria and dracaena.

This park was kept open during the hot months of July and August, and accommodated hundreds of tired and homeless people. There were but few nights when all the benches were occupied by sleepers during the entire heated term, as is shown by the report of the policeman in charge, which states that 3,287 people took advantage of this privilege. As this park is so near the heart of the city, I would respectfully recommend to your honorable board that there be placed near Race Street a public comfort station for the accommodations of the many shopping-people passing at all times.

During the past five or six years I have visited most of the park systems of this country, and I have observed that the parks are very much embellished through the removal of fences, and as the time has passed when stock was driven through the streets I would very respectfully request of your honorable board permission to remove the fence from around Garfield Park, in order that its beauty may be enhanced.

From: “Park Department,” Annual Reports of the City Departments of the City of Cincinnati for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 1906, available at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

(Thanks to Andrea Kombluh for providing this public document!)

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