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17 <br />The Cabin’s Place <br />in Leeper Park <br />In 1901, the Board of Public Works first designated a space adjoining the river as “Leeper Park.” <br />Improvements and expansion began under the direction of park superintendent Herman H. <br />Beyer. In 1911, the city hired noted landscape architect George Edward Kessler to develop a <br />master plan for the park. Kessler was a pioneer of city planning and had designed dozens of <br />landscapes, neighborhoods, and other projects in Chicago, Indianapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, <br />Denver, Cincinnati, and many other locations. <br />In his plan for Leeper Park, adopted in 1915, the park is divided into three sections. The west <br />and central section are considered the “active” areas, with recreation components like tennis <br />courts and playgrounds, and the center area with water features, formal plantings, and river <br />views. The eastern portion featured some waking paths near the river but is largely a “passive” <br />recreational area. The bulk is distinguished mostly by the presence of the Beaux-Arts pumping <br />station and the space set aside for structures necessary for its function. All are connected with <br />sweeping curves reminiscent of the river. <br />George Kessler’s original plan