Louisville Parks and Recreation Department Records, 1890-1956

Held by The Filson Historical Society

Creator:  Louisville Parks and Recreation Department

Title:  Records, 1890-1956

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Collections Department.

Size of Collection:  20 volumes, 3 oversized folders, 4 index card drawers

Location Number:  Mss. BK L888

Scope and Content Note

These records were loaned to the Filson by George Kinkead, the director of the Louisville Department of Parks, in 1965.

 

Folder List

Volumes

Volume 1: Minute book, July 10, 1890 – May 19, 1892 [No letter assigned to this book, but presumably Volume A; handwritten; binding very poor condition, some acidic tape, pages falling out] 398 pp

Volume 2: Minute book, rough minutes, August 16, 1892 – June 18, 1895 [No letter assigned; handwritten; back cover missing; last page torn] 300 pages

Volume 3: Minute Book, June 1, 1892 – November 27, 1894 [Volume B] Handwritten; separate index in volume 4; 480 pages

Volume 4: Index to Volume 3 [B]

Volume 5: Minute book, December 4, 1894 – October 9, 1897 [No letter written in book; may have fallen off cover; likely minute book C?] Handwritten, no index, 469 pages

Volume 6: Minute book, June 18, 1895 – June 20, 1899 [A-1 written on spine; note inside says “Pages 3-252 duplicated in Minute Book “C”] Handwritten, no index, 400 pages

Volume 7: Minute book, July 18, 1899 – January 17, 1905 [Volume D] Handwritten, alphabetical index in front, 398 pages

Volume 8: Minute book, February 7, 1905 – September 29, 1908 [Volume E] Handwritten, alphabetical index in front, 270 pages

Volume 9: Minute book, October 27, 1908 – April 28, 1913 [Volume F], Handwritten, alphabetical index in front, 339 pages

Volume 10: Minute book, May 6, 1913 – February 1, 1916 [Volume H* no volume G] Typed, 301 pages

Volume 11: Minute book, February 5, 1916 – October 15, 1923 [Volume I] Typed, 400 pages

Volume 12: Minute book, November 2, 1923 – December 9, 1930  [Volume J] Typed, 360 pages

Volume 13: Minute book, February 5, 1935 – April 12, 1938 [Volume K] Typed, 342 pages

Volume 14: Minute book, April 26, 1938 – February 14, 1942 [Volume L] Typed, 182 pages. Note at back says Board of Park Commissioners abolished by Act of Legislature in February 1942. Includes plans for Bowman Field, 1928 and proposals from US Army during WWII.

Volume 15: Letter press book, July 6, 1894 – December 5, 1896 (onion skin copies of handwritten and typed letters; handwritten alphabetical index in back)

Volume 16: Letter press book, March 18, 1895 – May 27, 1905 (onion skin copies of handwritten (mostly) letters; space for an index, but not filled out. Some materials on regular paper pinned in.) 702 pages

Volume 17: Letter Press book, estimates, May 17, 1892 – October 29, 1897 Handwritten on onion skin paper. 227 pages

Volume 17a: Financial record book, January 1918-September 1924. 361 pp. [83×1] A record of income, receipts, and expenses for that almost seven-year period. An itemized list for each month.

Volume 18: Municipal Boat Harbor receipt book, September 8, 1942 – January 3, 1955

Volume 19: Municipal Boat Harbor receipt book, January 5, 1955 – March 27, 1956

Volume 20: Weir, L.H. Report upon the properties, development of properties, social uses of properties of the Louisville park and recreation system and upon the organization and management of the Louisville Park System, Feb. 1916, 176 pp. bound volume, typed

Card file index to Board of Park Commissioners’ minute books and other park material (4 drawers) [identifies books by their letter, does not cover all volumes]

 

Oversized Park Plans

Folder 1

Tyler Park

• Topographical Survey- Olmsted Brothers – 05/22/1911
• Planting Plan for Northern Portion (2 copies) – Olmsted Brothers – 11/12/1911
• Preliminary Plan (2 copies) – Olmsted Brothers – 03/09/1907
• Grading plan for Northern Portion – Olmsted Brothers -11/07/1911

Central Park

• Grading Plan -Olmsted Brothers -05/22/1925
• Planting Plan- Olmsted Brothers – 05/22/1925

Dupont Square

• Planting plan for border plantations -Olmsted Brothers -03/09/1904

Elliott Park

• Grading Plan (2 copies) – Olmsted Brothers -11/30/1908
• Planting Plan (2 copies) -Olmsted Brothers -12/31/1908
• Preliminary Plan – Olmsted Brothers -11/27/1908

Churchill Park

• Preliminary plan -Olmsted Brothers -07/13/1912

Folder 2

Shawnee Park

• City of Louisville Board of Park Commissioners Map Showing Tracts of Land Purchased-poor conditions – (no architect given)-May, 1892
• Topical map – in very poor condition, 3 pieces – Piece missing that would have contained architect and date – (no architect given) – (no date given)
• Original tracts purchased – (no architect given) – (no date given)
• Preliminary map (showing some topography and some tracts purchased) – (no architect given) -May 1892
• Board of Park Commissioners of the City of Louisville -Topographical Map – (no architect given) -September 1892

Iroquois Park

• Proposed location of Penley Woods Drive – (no architect given)-08/19/1893
• Location of drive from entrance to Fenley Woods -Olmsted, Olmsted, & Eliot – 04/25/1893
• City of Louisville, Board of Parks Commissioners – Topographical map – (no architect given) -07/18/1892

Seneca Park

• General plan (2 copies)- Olmsted Brothers- 1928
• 3 sheet set, plan for polo stables group, proposed polo stables type A and type B – Olmsted Brothers – 01/1927

Folder 3

Clifton Park

• Topographical survey- Stonestreet & Ford- 12/1914

Chicasaw Park

• Planting plan (2 copies)- Olmsted Brothers – 10-24-1930

Baxter Square

• Plan -very poor condition (in 2 pieces) – (no architect given) – (no date given)
• Planting plan -Olmsted Brothers – 03/22/1901

Third Street Playground

• Preliminary plan – Olmsted Brothers – 02/05/1900

Cherokee Park

• General plan-F.L. and J.C. Olmsted- 12/01/1897

City of Louisville

• City Map – R. F. Wharton- 01/1915

Boone Square

• General plan (Photostat) – F. L. Olmsted & Co.- 07/1892

Area of Park Properties

• Table of area, date, cost, etc. (Photostat) – 1893