Additions to the City

New Albany is metropolitan in one thing at least--the number and peculiar names of her suburban additions. If all these additions were included within the corporate lines of the city, as they should be, the population of New Albany would have footed up some thousands greater under the census of 1890 than it did. But it seems to be the policy here, unlike that adapted at Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, Terre Haute and other Indiana cities, to lay off additions to the city with the sole view of getting people out of the corporate lines, the projectors of these additions seeming to have the mistaken idea that lots will sell better where there are no city taxes to pay on them, even though the purchaser can have no benefits of street and sidewalk and alley improvements, fire protection, water works, gas, electric lights, a police system, or any of the other advantages of a well regulated city government. As a result of this short sighted policy most of the additions to the city are slow in growth and decidedly rural in general appearance. There are some very peculiarly named suburban additions to the city. Away up in the southeast quarter is the suburb of "Providence," a town laid out sixty or more years ago as a rival of New Albany, but which afterwards fell into innocuous desuetude, so to speak. After many years of vain struggle for self-existence this suburb finally fell into the corporate arms of the city, and in the past few years has had a prosperous growth. "Lower Albany" added its outlying fields to the city back in the forties probably because the owner of the good farm thus spoiled had no proper conception of location for a suburb. About that time the ground on which this suburb stands was worth three or four hundred dollars per acre for farming purposes, and after it was laid off into lots, streets, "avenues," and alleys, it is doubtful if it ever realized its "proprietor" much over half that sum. It was once within the city limits but was so expensive to the municipal treasury that it was relegated to an independent position among the "cities" of the state and is now anything but prosperous. "West Union" was once the name of that part of the city lying west and north of Falling Run creek. But they had a pretty live set of people over there, and they made haste to hustle into the "corporation." They are now a part of New Albany and are known as the North Side. In the northern part of this portion of the city two suburban additions have been laid off. One of these extends to the north line of the corporation and is known as "The Meadows." It is really a beautiful suburb, is growing rapidly and promises to be thickly populated in the near future. Another suburb on the North side is named North Terrace. It was formerly the Riley stock yard property, is well located, is within the city limits and is having a fair share of prosperity. A number of residences will be erected at North Terrace next year. "North Park" is the latest addition to the city. It fronts the County Asylum road north of the city limits and extends eastward to the L. N.A. & C. Railroad, and a part of it beyond that railroad. It touches the corporation line on the south. This addition or suburb is to be brought into the city as soon as the grading of the streets, the laying down of sewers and the leveling of the lots is completed. It is beautifully located and the street cars will run into it. North New Albany is immediately east of North Park, north of the Charlestown road and were [west?] of the Fair Ground. Street cars run to this suburb and it is growing quite rapidly. This suburb was laid out in 1853. The city is growing in the direction of this suburb. Silver Grove is a suburb on the east side of the city and north of the Hamburg or Slate Run road. It was laid out by Mayor McDonald five years ago and has enjoyed a prosperous growth. Korb's addition to Silver Grove lies east of the original plat of Mr. McDonald, and Turner's addition to Silver Grove lies south of the McDonald plat. These are an independent town organization, with a Board of Trustees, clerk, treasurer and Marshal, but has none of the advantages it would enjoy if within the corporate limits. McCulloch's addition, or East Park, lies east of Silver street and between the McCulloch pike and the O. & M. Railroad. It is therefore outside the city limits. Several nice residences have been built in this addition in the past two years. It was platted by George McCulloch. Highland Park is the very latest addition to the city. It is located on the Silver Hills adjoining the W. W. Tuley and J. V. Kelso Clifton Heights places. The Highland Railroad is to run to this addition and a fine hotel and several fine residences are to be built next season. P. M. Wilcox's addition, Noyes & Clyne's addition and Windstandley & Newkirk's addition were platted on the Silver Hills in 1853, and included the present Water Works reservoir property, but only a single small residence was ever erected upon these plats and the ground has been absorbed by surrounding property owners and the water company. Dr. Lemon's addition in the northwestern suburb of the city was laid out on a beautiful tract of land and sold and built up with wonderful rapidity. It is in the city limits. There is land enough in these various additions and within the corporate limits of the city upon which to build a city of 200,000 inhabitants.