Powers Park

☞ A PUBLIC PARK IN LANSINGBURGH.—Messrs. Whipple and Powers, of Lansingburgh, leading citizens, have just made an offer to the village, which we hope to see accepted by the Trustees. They propose to donate a square of ground, situated on the East side of State street [Second Avenue], and embracing several acres, for a public park.—The site is an eligible one, and in future years, when Lansingburgh attains the proportions of a city, as it will certainly do, the advantages of this park will be fully realized. We trust that the generous offer of Messrs. Power and Whipple will be accepted, and the park become one of the institutions of the ‘burgh.
Troy Daily Times. May 13, 1863: 3 col 3.

—The block of lots in front of E. E. Powers’ residence is being converted into a park; it is rumored that when completed it will be donated to the village. It is about 300×4000 feet.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. April 28, 1877: 3 col 2.

—An iron fence is being erected around the Powers park.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. October 23, 1883: 3 col 3.

Several samples of iron fence have been set up on the State street side of the Powers park, the object being to enable Mrs. D. Powers to make a selection therefrom and place an order. A vast amount of labor has been performed in the park, which is very attractive, and the erection of a beautiful fence will make it a charming spot. Citizens are loud in praise of Mrs. Powers and her generous action in providing means whereby pleasure can be derived in viewing these find grounds. Should the effort to improve the public grounds be successful, Lansingburgh residents will have just cause to feel proud of their beautiful village and numerous parks.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. April 17, 1884: 2 col 4.

—Powers’ park is “wearing of the green,” in spots.
“Village Notes.” Lansingburgh Courier. April 4, 1885: 3 col 2.

—The Powers park on State street has been placed in splendid condition. A finer breathing-spot cannot be found for miles around.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. May 15, 1885: 2 col 4.

flag walk at Powers park, to Don & McDonald at $325.28
Troy Daily Times. September 14, 1886: 3 col 6.

The Gauter property, near the corner of State and Catherine streets, has been sold by Samuel Bolton, jr., to Mrs. Deborah Powers. The terms are private. The house on the premises will be removed to the corner of Catherine and State streets and the space it occupied will be included in the Powers park. This property having come into the hands of the Powers family enables them to extend the park as they have long wished, and it will be completed next season.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. November 15, 1889: 3 col 5.

To Open the Park.
Albert E. Powers and Nathaniel B. Powers have decided to open for the first time Wednesday, August 5, the park recently presented to the village of Lansingburgh. That day will be the one hundred and first anniversary of the birth of their mother, Mrs. Deborah Powers whose wishes the sons carried out in presenting the park. The grounds will be open from 2 o’clock until dark, and on each Sunday afternoon during the summer and autumn the park will be opened between the same hours.
Troy Daily Times. August 1, 1891: 3 col 6.

—The opening of the Powers Memorial park, recently presented to the village by Albert E. Powers and Nathaniel B. Powers, occurred this afternoon, the grounds being thrown open from 2 o’clock until dark. To-day is the one hundred and first anniversary of the birth of Mrs. Deborah Powers, whose wish it was that the park be given to the village.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. August 5, 1891: 3 col 4.

Early last summer, when the beautiful plat composing the block between Second and Third avenues and Tenth and Eleventh streets, Lansingburgh, was presented to the village by Albert E. Powers and Nathaniel B. Powers, in accordance with the wish of their mother, the late Mrs. Deborah Powers, that the village might have a park, it was announced that the opening to visitors would be experimental, and whether or not the park would be made public during the lifetime of the donors was conditional upon whether or not proper appreciation of the beautiful grounds were manisfested. Each Sunday afternoon until autumn the park was thrown open, and it was the strolling-place of many admiring visitors. In a conversation one day this week Albert E. Powers said: “The opening of the park to visitors was highly satisfactory, as had been the expectation from the time the carrying out of our mother’s wish was undertaken. There have been many visitors, and I have yet to learn of any act that would be displeasing. From the keeper in charge I have had no complaint of the deportment of any visitor, and I think the grounds have been enjoyed. Our anticipations have been fully realized, and it is a source of much gratification to know that so much enjoyment has been given. Any intentions we may have concerning the park are entirely in the future, but during the next summer seats will be placed and the grounds thus be made still more attractive. The park may also be opened each Saturday afternoon. That the park is appreciated we are assured, and our wish is fulfilled.” Too few villages are given so beautiful grounds as a place for recreation, and that “The Powers Memorial Park” will not fall short of the worthy object of the noble and generous mind that conceived it and the devoted sons who fulfilled their mother’s wish, is sure.
“Wayside Whispers.” Troy Daily Times. November 28, 1891: 7 col 4.

The law committee reported that it was unable to find any deed from A. E. and N. B. Powers to the village of their park between Second and Third avenues and Tenth and Eleventh streets. The deed must have been lost, for the Messrs. Powers acknowledge the execution of such a deed. The deed has never been placed on record. Another deed will probably be drawn. The Messrs. Powers will formally relinquish possession of the park June 1 and the village will take the property without reservation.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. May 28, 1895: 2 col 4.

—The Powers memorial park is open to the public. Some seats would be acceptable.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. April 16, 1896: 2 col 3.

—Street and Park Commissioner John Warnock has been given a number of elm and chestnut treets for the upper park by Nathaniel B. Powers. Commissioner Warnock will place the benches in the Powers park to-day.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. May 4, 1896: 4 col 2.

—Contractor Thomas Lannigan began this morning laying curb about Powers park, acting on orders received from the Village Trustees last fall.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. April 25, 1899: 4 col 2.

Mr. Gillespie stated that he had been requested to ask the Board to have an electric light placed in the centre of Powers Park. The matter was referred to the committee on lights.
“Lansingburgh; The Village Board’s Meeting.” Troy Daily Times. April 11, 1900: 4 col 3.

—For some time the plants and shrubbery in Powers Park have been damaged and torn up by malicious boys during the night. Several complaints have been made, but the police have been unable to catch any of the culprits. Herafter an officer in citizen’s clothes will be stationed in that locality.
“Lansingburgh.”Troy Daily Times. May 19, 1900: 4 col 4.

Mr. Green offered the suggestion that the sidewalks about Powers Park should be flagged and the fence surrounding the park and the fountain in the village park should be painted. The suggestion will be taken up at the next regular meeting.
“Lansingburgh; Meeting of the Village Trustees.” Troy Daily Times. June 13, 1900: 6 col 2.

Bids were received for the painting of the fence about Powers Park and the fountain in the village park, and Trustee Green was empowered to investigate the bids and report at the next meeting. The committee on roads, streets and alleys was empowered to have the iron railing on the retaining wall which leads to the Cohoes bridge painted.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. June 30, 1900: 4 col 4.

The contract for painting the fence around Powers Park was awarded at $77 and the fountain in the Village Park at $5 to George W. Griffith.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. July 11, 1900: 4 col 3.

—In Police Court this morning a youth of thirteen years was arraigned before Magistrate Hearman on the charge of playing football in Powers Park. The boy was lectured and discharged.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. October 8, 1900: 4 col 3.

—Since the supply of money in the village treasury has become exhausted the services of the keeper of Powers Park were dispensed with. The gates of the park are left open continuously. Both day and night access to the park is easily obtained. Some action should be taken to have the gates closed at a reasonable hour by the police.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Daily Times. November 5, 1900: 4 col 3.

Floral Beauty of Powers Park.
Now that the month of May is approaching its end most of the spring flowers are not only in bloom but have attained the culmination of their beauty, and nowher is this beauty shown to better advantage than in the lawns and flower gardens which form a notable feature in Upper Troy. Probably the most delightful spot in this city, from a botanical point of view, is the Powers Park, which with its lawns and well kept flowers and trees presents a richness and variety of color which are pleasing to the eye.
In this park nature and the horticultural art of man have combined to produce a most attractive garden. The fragrance of flowers permeates the air, and on entering the park one is immediately impressed with the natural arrangement of the trees, bushes and shrubs and the care with which they are kept. The park is surrounded with an iron fence, along which at different places are lilac bushes, now covered with purple and white flowers, and Pirus Japonica bushes with their pretty red or white flowers in full bloom. Promiscuously scattered about the lawns in the interior are beds of purple fleur de lis, lilies of the valley and red, yellow, white and mixed colored tulips, most of the beds surrounded with a plant called Adam’s needles. Among other bushes now in bloom which are seen throughout the park are bridal wreath and barberry bushes. The park also contains many snowball, syringa and peony plants, besides a number of rare bushes and shrubs, the flowers of which are now budding and will soon give an additional beauty to the scene.
The trees in the park include many fine specimens of elm, maple, horse chestnut and cut leaved, purple and European beech, none of which, through the care of the gardener, Fred Hageman, has been injured in any way by tree boring worms or beetles.
The park was presented to the village of Lansingburgh by Nathaniel and Albert E. Powers in memory of their parents, William and Deborah Powers. [Digital scan of microfilm cut off] stowed was that it should be permanently used as a park, and the fact that the gift is and always has been fuly appreciated is shown by the large number of residents who find refreshing rest while strolling about the winding paths or seated under the shade of the trees.
Troy Daily Times. May 22, 1902: 4 cols 2-3.

PARK SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT.
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Recommendations to the Commissioner of Public Works—Improvements Made to the City Parks During the Year.
Superintendent of Parks William H. Cahill this morning submitted to Commissioner of Public Works Shields a report of the Bureay of Parks. He recommends repairs to the Twelfth Street Park and again directs attention to officially entitling the land Lansing Park, in honor of the Lansing family, who deeded the land to the Trustees of Lansingburgh village in 1793. The general appearance of the Powers Park would be enhanced, he says, by construction of concrete walks along the north, south and east sides of the square. Repairs and painting are recommended for the pagoda at Beman Park, and the raising of the Fifteenth Street sidewalk is also recommended.
Troy Daily Times. March 7, 1908: 5 col 2.

The Powers Park Property.
If an ordinance introduced at the last meeting of the Common Council is reported favorably the old Powers Park on Second and Third Avenues, between Tenth and Eleventh Streets, will become the property of the depositors of the old Powers Bank. Alderman James McBride, who introduced the ordinance, says that he has looked into the matter and found that the park property was never turned over to the village of Lansingburgh, but was given to the public for use. When Lansingburgh was annexed to Troy the park was turned over to the city of Troy and since then the park’s employees have been appointed by the city. Corporation Counsel Charles I. Webster has been asked to look into the matter and report his findings at the next meeting of the Common Council. Since the city has acquired this property, it has made many improvements there, and it was only this spring that the whole park was placed in condition. Some of it was all torn up and new grass seed laid.
“Lansingburgh.” Troy Times. July 8, 1915: 2 col 3.

LANSINGBURGH
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Police Put Stop to Rowdyism in Park and Playgrounds […]
The police of the Fourth Precinct have succeeded in breaking up the gangs of rowdies which have infest the Twelfth Street playgrounds and Powers Park during the last three weeks and made themselves obnoxious by annoying persons who had occasion to pass through these popular breathing grounds. A complaint was made to Captain O’Brien several days ago by a resident of Eleventh Street concerning the actions of a bunch of boys and young men who were making a “hang out” of Powers Park. The Captain issued orders for the arrest of any loiterers found in the park and he also included the playgrounds in his edict. The police have watched both sites for several evenings, but the offenders were probably informed of the campaign commenced against them, as they have not appeared in their usual haunts since. The orders issued by the Captain are permanent, however, and the undesirables will be placed under arrest if they are again found in either of the parks.
Troy Daily Times. July 7, 1917: 2 col 6.

MEMORIAL TREE.
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Parent Teacher Council to Commemorate Anniversary of George Washington […]
Plans for the planting of a memorial tree in Powers’ Park, marking the anniversary of the George Washington bicentennial, were made at a meeting of the Lansingburgh Parent-Teacher Council which took place yesterday afternoon in the High School. As the oak tree is the symbol of the Parent-Teacher Association, it was decided to have the tree of that variety. Mrs. Clyde W. Heer was named Chairman of a committee to complete arrangements for a formal dedication to take place in the near future. Following the business session a social time was enjoyed.
Troy Times. April 7, 1932: 3 col 1.

LANSINGBURGH.
Editor The Record: Recently the Troy Record carried an item about the families on Oakwood Avenue who transferred from Lansingburgh to the Troy School District. Perhaps these people consider this an advantage but to the great majority of us in Lansingburgh this would rate as a dire calamity. We are very proud of our fine school district, the one thing we were able to salvage when the Village of Lansingburgh made the unfortunate decision to join the City of Troy. [In fact there was no referendum; the State Legislature and Governor forced the Village and Town of Lansingburgh out of existence, causing the village to be annexed to the City of Troy. —CKP September 14, 2016.]
If the people who voted for this change could have looked ahead to the present time they would never have made this ghastly mistake. For twice the amount it would cost us to run Lansingburgh as a village we receive less than half the advantages of village government. We must stand helplessly by and see our beautiful old homes destroyed for supermarkets and gas stations, because of the lack of proper zoning of this essentially residential area. We witness the daily deterioration of our beautiful Powers Park; the same park that Deborah Powers spent years of her life and a large amount of money to acquire as a gift to the village and people of Lansingburgh. We protest in vain the neglect of our old cemeteries, the demolition of our public buildings, leaving overgrown, weed covered lots, the general neglect of upkeep and maintenance in this part of the community, on the part of the city.
The city fathers should stop and ponder that fact that people of Lansingburgh are neither blind nor stupid. They are not influenced or distracted by banner headlines about the “New Troy,” “New Housing Developments” or “New Alphabetical Projects.” They are far more concerned about what is happening to “Old Lansingburgh” than what is expected to happen to “New Troy.”
We look around us every day and see the neglect and deterioration of our parks and other facilities and the destruction allowed by the city officials and we realize that these officials have no regard either for our wishes or our heritage.
It might be an excellent idea if we reversed that earlier decision and withdrew from the City of Troy. Perhaps if our city fathers stopped to think what the loss of Lansingburgh taxes would mean to them, they might even be able to remember where they could locate a section of iron fence to place at Powers Park and a few feet of chain link fence to install at our old Burial Ground.
FRANCES D. BRODERICK.
Lansingburgh.
“Pulse of the People.” Times Record. May 19, 1966: 26.

HOW DESPERATE CAN YOU BE?—Residents in the Powers Park section of Lansingburgh were appalled Thursday evening on returning from their daytime jobs to be greeted by these chaotic scenes. In previous days they had reluctantly agreed that snow removal crews had to put somewhere their tons of the white stuff taken from the section’s narrow streets. And Powers Park at least provided unused available space. Not that neighbors approve of the wrecked fence (a section of which is visible in the right hand photo) or the tilted flag pole. But, until yesterday, the block of Third Avenue south of 111th Street had been clear, curb-to-curb. Who ordered the dumping of mountains of snow back into the street—enforcing one-way travel at the driver’s risk—remains to be disclosed! (Photos by Harry McKenna)
Times Record. January 23, 1970: 15.