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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR W. N. DOAK, Secretary BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS ETHELBERT STEWART, Commissioner BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES \ Wl £ BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS/................. llO e D D D MISCELLANEOUS SERIES PARK RECREATION AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES 1930 MAY, 1932 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON * 1932 FOR SAL* *Y THB SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, WASHINGTON, D. C. Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Preface In 1925 and 1926 the National Recreation Association (formerly the Playground and Recreation Association of America), at the request of the National Conference on Outdoor Recreation, con­ ducted a study of municipal and county parks in the United States. The study was made under the direction of a national committee and with the cooperation of the American Institute of Park Executives. Much of the information concerning the experiences of park authori­ ties and development of park systems gathered during the course of the survey was issued in a comprehensive publication entitled “ Parks: A Manual of Municipal and County Parks.” The most important statistical data were issued by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics in its Bulletin No. 462, Park Recreation Areas in the United States. The publications resulting from that study proved to be of great interest and value to park and recreation officials, planning groups, and other municipal and county authorities. Because of this fact and for the purpose of determining the progress of the park movement during the years following the earlier study, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Recreation Association co­ operated in conducting a study of municipal and county parks in 1930. The present bulletin contains a summary of the findings resulting from this study and also much of the detailed information generously supplied by park authorities concerning park areas, facilities, ex­ penditures, and developments in nearly 1,000 municipalities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics was largely responsible for gather ing the material used in this report. The study was conducted and the report prepared by George D. Butler, of the National Recreation Association. m Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Contents Page Introduction_______________________________________________________ 1 Parks and leisure_______________________________________________ 1 Changes in park services________________________________________ 1 Advertising the parks___________________________________________ 2 Importance of recreation________________________________________ 2 Special recreation service for workers____________________________ 3 Recreation and unemployment__________________________________ 3 Municipal park acreage, 1930----------------------------------------------------------- 5 Growth in park acreage, 1925-26 to 1930_____________________________ 7 Types of park properties------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Municipal parks outside the city limits_______________________________ 11 Recreation facilities in parks________________________________________ 14 Park buildings_____________________________________________________ 18 Zoological parks------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Park recreation activities___________________________________________ 24 Park workers_______________________________________________________ 27 Construction and maintenance_______________________________________ 30 Park expenditures__________________________________________________ 31 Sources of park funds------------------------------------------------------- 1-------------- 34 Gifts for parks_____________________________________________________ 35 County parks______________________________________________________ 37 Parks in metropolitan districts----------------------------------------------------------- 47 General tables: Table A.—Park acreage in 898 municipalities of 5,000 and over, 1930, by States---------------------------------------------------------------------- 60 Table B.—Cities reporting no parks, 1930, by States_____________ 73 Table C.— Recreation facilities and buildings in cities of 10,000 and over, 1930, by States--------------------------------------------------------------- 74 Table D.—Park construction and maintenance in cities of 20,000 and over, 1930, by States-------------------------------------------------------- 89 Table E.—Park expenditures in 762 cities, 1930, by States_______ 95 Table F.—Gifts for park purposes in 189 cities, 1926 to 1930, by States_______________________________________________________ 115 v Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis BULLETIN OF THE U. S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS No. 565 WASHINGTON m a y, 1932 PARK RECREATION AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1930 Introduction Parks and Leisure The enormous amount of leisure time, both voluntary and enforced, which the people of the Nation have to-day is creating a problem of the greatest importance. Leaders in education, industry, government, and other fields agree that this new leisure, if wisely spent, presents a rich opportunity for individual happiness and development. A great responsibility therefore rests upon the community to provide both suitable training for the wise use of leisure and adequate oppor­ tunities for enjoying and participating in wholesome recreation activities. Land permanently dedicated to park use is essential to a well- balanced outdoor community recreation program. A large percent­ age of the public outdoor recreation facilities in American cities to-day are provided by public park and recreation departments. Because, in many cities, these agencies are better prepared than any others to offer a variety of attractive and constructive activities which young people and adults may enJoy in their spare time, their value ana importance are recognized to a greater extent to-day than ever before. When the first municipal parks were established in America their primary function was to serve as places of “ peaceful enjoyment amid beautiful surroundings.” With the growth of cities, there developed a demand for places where the people might take part in active forms of recreation. Although present-day living conditions in many towns and cities have enhanced rather than diminished the value and need of landscape parks, the maJor emphasis in the last few decades has been placed increasingly upon facilities for active recreation use and organized programs of recreation activities. Consequently, the present-day progressive park department is admirably equipped with a variety of areas, facilities, and equipment available for the use of the people. Its staff includes persons trained in organizing and directing the activities which include a wide range of interests. Changes in Park Services Although the park movement has undergone many changes, there is probably no other respect in which the present-day park system differs more widely from that of earlier years than in the type and 1 Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 2 PARK RECREATION AREAS IN 1930 scope of its service to the people. As pointed out, the first parks were for passive and semipassive forms of recreation; to-day they are also used for a limitless variety of active recreation. The early attempts to provide active play facilities were to meet the needs of children; to-day a large percentage of these facilities are for young people and adults. Little or no attempt was formerly made to encourage or organize groups to use the parks, whereas to-day manty of the clubs, leagues, and other groups using the parks are organized by the park department. In the early days recreational leadership in the parks was unknown; to-day it is the basis for most of the organized recreation service. Formerly the park offered landscape beauty, band concerts, floral displays, and other attractions; to-day it offers these and in addition opportunities for participation— singing, playing baseball or golf, dancing, skating, painting, swimming, etc. Not so many years ago the park season lasted only a few months; in recent years the park has become a .year-round recreation center. Even to-day in many cities park authorities consider that their field of service is limited to park properties; on the other hand, many park systems provide recreation leadership and service throughout the entire city—in schools, churches, and private property, as well as within the parks. It is largely because of these changes, many of which have developed gradually, that the well-organized park depart­ ment is prepared to-day to make a vital contribution to the solution of the leisure-time problem. Advertising the Parks Since the fullest possible use of the parks requires a widespread knowledge of their location and service, park authorities in recent years have come to realize that effective publicity methods are needed to acquaint the public with the varied facilities and programs which are being provided. In some cities where cordial relationships are maintained with the press, newspaper stories of park activities and attractions

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