We think of Rock Island as a city of parks, especially large rambling parks.
But a century ago, parks and public spaces tended to be much smaller and
more formal. Today's postcard, from around 1910, depicts such a park in its
heyday. It is Garnsey Square which included the entire block between Fifth
and Sixth Streets and Third and Fourth Avenues. The site is now under the
Rock Island Expressway.
Garnsey Square started life as Franklin Square, which is shown on maps as
early as 1855. However although dedicated as a public space, Franklin
Square wasn't really a park. Instead, it was unimproved land that was used
as a source of gravel, providing material for public improvements. Rather
than a deep excavated gravel pit, the gravel was probably on the surface,
deposited during high water times.
In 1890, a group of citizens formed the West End Improvement Association,
with the intent of improving Franklin Square into a landscaped public space.
First they renamed the land as Garnsey Square, in honor of Daniel G. Garnsey
(sometimes called Gurnsey). Garnsey was a son of pioneer settlers here who,
many years earlier, had laid out the addition where the square was located.
Moreover he had donated his interest in the square to the city.
The Improvement Association quickly raised enough money to remove a "heavy"
grove of locust trees, excavate several feet of gravel deposit, and refill
the area with soil. Then they proceeded to make other improvements to the
park, many of which were donated. By 1892, it was reported that Contractor
Nelson was laying tile crosswalks in Garnsey Park. These sidewalks went
diagonally from each corner to the center, where contractor Charles Larkin
was donating his labor to build a large round basin for the fountain, which
would be installed later. The basin, surrounded by an ornate iron fence, was
similar to that already built in Spencer Square, but the fountain was
different. The Garnsey Square fountain, shown in the center of our
postcard, was a tall and elegant structure with four tiers of cascading
water. What a sound the falling water must have produced as if flowed from
one level to another!
The diagonal sidewalks within the square created four distinct triangular
zones. In the west triangle was the bandstand, visible at the left on our
postcard. This also indicates the postcard view of the square is looking to
the northeast. The east triangle held a drinking fountain, and the north
and south triangles had vases and ornaments. This elegant square was truly
an oasis in the urban landscape.
Although Rock Island did have a park department at the turn of the century,
the concept of publicly maintained places was rather new to this area. It
didn't take long to catch on, though, and by 1925, it was reported that Rock
Island had two large parks - Longview and Lincoln - as well as several
smaller ones - Spencer, Garnsey, Douglas, Denkmann, Reservoir - and a
municipal tourist camp as well, located west of 9th Street at 47th Avenue.
Garnsey Park graced the west end of Rock Island until 1960, when 143 parcels
of land, most with buildings, were cleared in the name of urban renewal and
to build a new expressway. Ironically, the project was called the Garnsey
Square Urban Renewal Project. It was reported that Garnsey Square's
four-tier fountain was removed to Longview Park. Alas, the water is turned
off in all of our historic fountains - they are now dry as a bone!
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