South Park18

 

WAUPACA POST

May 18, 1933

 

PARK AREA IS IMPROVED BY INDIGENT AID

City Workers Beautify Bathing Beach Park; Add to Facilities

 

            Waupaca’s available park area is being more than doubled this spring at a minimum of cost by indigent residents who are employed by the city on the tract of land south of the South park, including the camp site area and bathing beach.

Brush, Stumps Removed.

            Under direction at the camp site committee, headed by Alderman Erle Whipple, fourth ward, the tract, purchased some years ago from E.E. Browne, has been cleaned of brush, over 40 wagon loads of stumps have been removed from the ‘mosquito hollow’ in the tract, and new dirt has been applied and leveled in place.

Shade Trees Planted

            More than 150 trees, including birch, maple and elm, have been planted on the area, walks and antique style bridges have been installed along the creeks in the hollows leading from Shadow Lake, and a seeding program for the entire area is contemplated.

            Both bath houses have been moved to make a greater beach area, new concrete floors have been placed in the bath houses so they may be flushed with water daily during the bathing season, and several loads of sand will be placed along the beach.  Repairs have been made to both bath houses and to facilities for campers, and the result has become a recreational spot which rivals costly park and beach areas in much larger cities.

            Most gratifying of all is the fact that nearly the total cost of the work is for labor, paid to deserving men who have been caught by the depression and have been forced to receive aid from the city.

Give Work Instead of Dole

            This aid would have to be given anyway, so the net result of the improvements is all that work done without any expenditure beyond the indigent aid costs which would to on anyway.

            The camp site area, when completed, will be an attraction worthy of favorable comment from residents and visitors, and as outstanding example of the accomplishments possible under Waupaca’s “outdoor relief” plan, destined to give work instead of a dole to needy workmen.