Penn Valley Park was about seven years old when this picture was made. The park had replaced an area called Vinegar Hill. The shacks on Vinegar Hill were razed in 1900 when work on the 176-acre park began. The Board of Park Commissioners for 1907 reported: The ground work of a very beautiful park has been largely done, most of the roadways have been built and are now serving a dual use for vehicles as well as pedestrians and there should be at once a complete path system, at least on that portion of the property where the ground surface has been put in final condition. The roadways in the park were used by pedestrians and horseback riders. The park commissioners, Franklin Hudson, president, George T. Hall, Fred S. Doggett, George W. Fuller and A. J. Dean, reported an annual expense of $11,709.93 of Penn Valley Park. This amount covered the salaries of a foreman, $972, and a watchman, $112.50, along with the electricity, roadway cleaning, sprinkling, repair and work on the lake, lawns and tennis courts. The cost of the settees beside the lake was given as $61.09. The post card was designated Private Post Card on the reverse side. This was required of post card publishers in the early days so the sender would place a stamp on the card, and not confuse it with a government penny post card, commonly used. The card was mailed in 1908 to Miss Julia Corcoran, 222 N. 18th, Kansas City, Kansas. It was published by W. G. MacFarlane of Buffalo and Toronto. Kansas City Times
Reproduction (printing, downloading, or copying) of images from Kansas City Public Library requires permission and payment for the following uses, whether digital or print: publication; reproduction of multiple copies; personal, non-educational purposes; and advertising or commercial purposes. Please order prints or digital files and pay use fees through this website. All images must be properly credited to: "Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri." Images and texts may be reproduced without prior permission only for purposes of temporary, private study, scholarship, or research. Those using these images and texts assume all responsibility for questions of copyright and privacy that may arise.