Minneapolis Park History

The men and women of today who recall with lively joy the days when they played unwatched through the long summer days in meadow or woods or the old swimmin’ hole are likely to pity the youngsters of the present whose recreation is supervised and scheduled by grownups. For young dreamers with vigorous personalities there was something not to be duplicated in the lazy happiness of those days. But “other times, other customs.” City life of today is immeasurably more complicated: it has manifold possibilities for evil, numerous forces which make the child sophisticated before his time and which make a carefully planned constructive work necessary.

Overheard that discussion lately? Had it yourself?

The quote was taken verbatim from an article about park playgrounds in the Minneapolis Tribune, June 20 — 1920.

Do you have a story about playgrounds in the summer when you were a kid? Send it to me.

David C. Smith