Most locals don’t know the 2000-foot strip of land on Spring Avenue between Locust Avenue and Linden Avenue is a park and the road is called the Barker Parkway. There was a rallying cry there to develop a park here when Mayor James W. Fleming ran against Alderman John A.
R. Kapp in 1921. Fleming: “Pledges the Immediate Development of Frear Park, the Barker Parkway and All Other Recreation Centers.
” In 1928, Alderman Nielsen introduced a resolution requesting the city to provide shelters and benches on the Barker Parkway, along Spring Avenue. The resolution recited that the city has men at work beautifying the park and gives commendation to the authorities for enhancing the value of land that was deeded to the city by Mrs. Stephen E.
Barker and C. W. T.
Barker. This resolution was adopted.On May 19, 1933, the Troy Times announced the following: “Beautifying Barker Parkway.
The planting along the Barker Parkway on Spring Avenue of 2,800 pine trees turned over to the city by the Nature Study and Garden Division of the Troy Woman’s Club calls attention to the possibilities of beautifying and making available to the public this fine gift of almost primitive woodland ravine in the very heart of industrial and business Troy. The earliest possible opportunity should be taken to plant there a variety of native trees to supplement the many stately elms and others and to replace the ancient deadwood which was removed after the property was presented to the city. Much work of th.