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Did
You Know...?
Palestine's Leaverton
Park was the first purely rural park in the United States to be
developed according to a comprehensive plan by a landscape gardener?
A fraction over 14 acres of land was given as a gift to the village by
John W. Leaverton, locally known as "Captain" Leaverton because he was
the commander of the local post of the G.A.R. He served the entire
period of the Civil War. The idea of the gift came from Mrs.
Leaverton in a conversation with her husband. The site, called the
"grove", was used by local people for picnics. Following one
picnic, when Mr. Leaverton had to repair fences and clean up trash which
people had left on their grounds, Mr. Leaverton was telling his wife he
thought he'd withdraw the privilege. "It would be too bad father,"
said Mrs. Leaverton, "to do that. Suppose we just give it to
Palestine." And thus this beautiful park became the people's to
use.
More
information about Palestine's history can be found in books and
newspaper articles here at the library. |
