The Great Grass Heist: Wenatchee’s Park Finally Opens Its Gates

Wenatchee's park is now open to the public and the Weary Willie, the little girl with her doll and the young fruit-eater with his best girl and everybody else who has gazed with longing eyes at the cool inviting shade and the smooth velvety carpet of grass, may now enter and sit them down on unmolested by the fear of the mighty arm of the law in the shape of Pete Wheeler, the city marshal, who ever since the grass was sown last spring, has kept his eagle eye on the park and watched it with diligent care.

The park, which is the most attractive feature of Wenatchee, has according to the statement of Park and Street Commissioner Sanders, who has had charge of the work of improvement, been put in its present attractive shape at a cost to the city of not over $150. It contains about two acres of land and was donated to the city by the company that platted the town, but no work of improvement was done until four years ago when a number of trees were set out. Since then more trees have been set out and now there are in the park two varieties of elm, box elder, locust, mountain ash and two varieties of maple besides quite a number of flowers which were set out this spring.

Last year a band stand was erected, the cost of which was defrayed almost entirely by the members of the band. This year's work, that of producing a fine lawn in the park which has done more than anything else to make it beautiful, has cost the city only $2.50, as it was almost all done by members of this and other communities who had been elected to serve on the chain gang.