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The inspiration for this month's article came to me by way of another project I'm working on with the Town of Whitby. Well, that and the changing colour of the leaves on the tree outside my office window. The leaves reminded me of Grass Park and it just so happens that in a feat of community togetherness, Brooklin citizens banded together in 1951 to purchase Grass Park for everyone. The land that is now Grass Park was once the site of Brooklin's Globe Hotel, a commodious set of suites with updated features (for the late 19th century), a well with pumps, and stables. Built around 1855, the hotel was destroyed by fire in 1885 and shortly thereafter Charles Grass purchased the land which was situated across the street from his house. Eventually, the little tract of land became the centre of the village. Mr. Grass, operator of the Brooklin Mill, planted trees and maintained the grounds so that the community and travellers could use the park. And use it they did: the Daily Times-Gazette noted that in June 1949, "more than a score of cars stop while the occupants have lunch under the shaded trees which the late Mr. Grass planted for just such a purpose. Local residents like to sit in the park and watch the days go by. It is sometimes used for meetings such as a political gathering held there last week." Mr. Grass's efforts were even supported by Whitby Township Council. The property was assessed at a lower rate so that its taxes were nominal allowing Mr. Grass to focus on maintenance and beautification. In 1949 Mr. Grass's widow, Jennie, died and the couple's daughter and executor, Harriet Fraser, hoped to sell the park to a developer. When the people of Brooklin discovered this they made several attempts, led by the Women's Institute, International Order of Foresters, and the Brooklin Horticultural Society, to provide a public fund to purchase the park. When the $1,600 price tag proved to be too costly, the group worked harder, making appeals to the Township Council, Mrs. Fraser, and the surrounding community. The first attempt to raise money was ultimately unsuccessful, but so too was the estate's efforts to sell the property. In June 1951, Brooklin residents regrouped, made a deal with Mrs. Fraser to raise the funds before the property was put on the open market, and canvassed the community several times. Households that missed the canvassers were instructed to leave their donations at the bank and the newspaper goaded villagers who hadn't yet followed through on promises of donations. By July, the community had raised sufficient funds to purchase Grass Park and on the 13th the Daily Times-Gazette printed a list of contributors with their corresponding dona- tions. The list is several pages long and includes many, if not all, of Brooklin's prominent families. The largest donation was $200 made by local farmer and breeder of Ayrshire cattle, Gerald M. Brawley, and the smallest donation of 25 cents was given anonymously. Today, Grass Park remains a central meeting place in Brooklin. Knowing how the community worked together to keep it as such only makes it that much more special. Sarah Ferencz is the archivist at the Whitby Public Library. Contact her at archives@whitbylibrary.on.ca durhamregion.com The Citizen October 22, 2015 7 Grass Park has deep roots in Brooklin community Sarah Ferencz Whitby Public Library archivist