by Laurel | August 12th, 2009
August 12, 1893, page 2
Site of Holyoke's Proposed Park
The Holyoke city council held a midsummer meeting last night in spite of the oppressive heat.
The accompanying plans shows by the shaded lines the principal part of the land to be deeded to the city by the water-power company for a sewer and for park purposes only. This tract will be known as “Dingle park” unless a more euphonious name can be found. The spot is a deep ravine, extending in various widths from Maple street, to Beacon street, known as “county road.” It contains about 14 acres and is from 11,000 to 16,000 feet long being 300 feet wide at the widest point. The water-power company will lay out Ross Avenue and Jackson street and also proposed to lay out building lots on both sides. The site is an attractive one, the Ravine being 50 feet deep at Maple street and the slopes are wooded. It is though that $1500 spent in improvements annually will soon make a pretty park. The place can be reached from Pine or Maple streets, and a drive can be laid out the entire length with intersecting walks according to the fancy of the landscape gardener.
The city hospital corporation owns land only a short distance from the park, and is understood to be willing to turn it over as a part of the park plan. The only drawback to this undertaking is the Ranlet property, shown by the dotted lines, and it will be necessary to acquire that before the good intentions of the hospital trustees can materialize. With this property secured, the park will contain over 27 acres, and can be entered from the south on Beech street.
The part of the grant of the company not shown in the map lies below maple street and is a tract 600 feet long by 150 feet wide. It is also a deep ravine, and abounds in heavy trees. The line of the sewer may disturb the trees in this part of the ravine too much to allow the place to be used as a park, but it is a valuable concession to the city, as it secures a permanent control of the right of way for the sewer. A consideration given by the city is an agreement to exempt the water-power company from all direct assessments on the park sewer from the river to Beech street. The company will, however, pay in taxes about one twelfth of the whole ocst of the work besides direct assessments on lateral and other sewers connected with the system. The agreement by which this property is deeded to the city will be signed by Alderman Holmes for the city, and Gideon Wells on the part of the water-power company.
[Note: I was trying to figure out the exact location for this park. Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems Ross Avenue in the illustration above was replaced by 391 in the image below. Sorry the map below is upside down, but I was trying to line up the streets. Also it appears that County Road in the map above is what we now call Beech street, placing the (then) proposed city hospital just about where Holyoke Hospital is situated. I assume the notion of this being the “Dingle Park” in name would link up the Dingle Brook shown in the map with the area I always knew as the Dingle in Holyoke, along Beech street. Also looks like Highland street on the above map no longer exists. Thoughts?]
Area of Proposed Park Via Google, 2009
From The Springfield Republican.
You’re close! The streets are virtually the same now as they are in the photo. The property now is a park, playing fields and the high school (the High School is situated on the land that’s owned by Holyoke Water Power in the old map.) The Google map is a little deceptive because 391 REALLY ends at maple street. That triangle of land bounded by Jackson, Maple and Resnic Blvd is still – technically – a park.
There is more than one dingle in Holyoke. Holyoke: a bevy of dingles.