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These photos come from the Collection of Steve C, who has been photographing People's Park Activism and Activity since 1969. These photos have been displayed in Galleries, and unfortunately putting them on the net does not do the photos or photographer, justice. Steve has an exciting wide angle style that brings in all sorts of detail about the event. Hopefully they will be displayed again in a REAL LIVE GALLERY, soon....

PLANNING A PEOPLE'S PARK:1969

April 1969: The creation and planning of People's Park has not been a completely haphazard process. Many recreational facilities were planned and created over the years. A children's center here, several designated gardens, there . At one time people could travel the "Ho Chi Mihn Trail" to the "Native Wild Flower Garden", or explore the "Fred Cody" or "John Lennon Garden", but be warned to avoid being stuck in "Buffington Bog ". What the gardens were called in 1969 is probably lost to time, because the most of the work of the gardeners has been repeatedly dug up and distroyed by the University. People's Park has never been allowed to be the park that the People wanted.... But that didn't stop people from trying.



This picture shows people creating planned gardens and recreational facilities. Yesterday this spot was a parking lot and an eyesore, and now Steve C.'s fine eye shows it developing into an enjoyable resource the very next day. Too bad this "user development" was bulldozed down, shortly afterwards.



Here is a closeup of another gardening project in the park, facing North/West. People have always had a lot of energy for creating their own gardens in People's Park. If only a few of these gardens had been allowed to remain, one wonders what People's Park might be today....


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