Nashville, TN
Circa 1880s
Capt. John Bradford of Woodstock subdivided his estate, and put together a syndicate of investors for a new neighborhood. The development was initially called Woodstock then changed to Glendale Park, per the memoirs of Mattie Bradford Foster, great granddaugher of Capt. Bradford. She married C. C. Foster in 1892. The area stretched from Duncanwood (north) to Battery Lane (south) to Lealand (east) and Granny White Pike (west).
Photo from TSLA
In the early 1880s, James E. Caldwell (Longview) and Percy Warner (Royal Oaks) were investors, and Caldwell had visited New York and been impressed by the trolley lines and public parks. In 1887, he purchased 60 acres of land between Lealand and Caldwell Lanes and the West Fork Brown's Creek.
Woodstock Park opened in 1888 and was owned by the Nashville Rail & Light Co. The rail tracks reached Lealand Lane and inclued Scenic Lane, Dale and Tower Sts. Three years later, in 1890, the development changed name to Overland Park then to Glendale Park. The next year, in 1889, the development expanded to 200 acres. For twenty years, from 1912-1932, a zoo area opertated. The park had many activities including "balloon ascensions, acrobatic stunts, outdoor movie screenings, live music shows, magician performances, and dog show.
With the Great Depression, attendance collapsed and the park closed. In addition, streetcar usage fell and personal car use grew rapidly. Over time, the land was sold and made into residential neighborhoods.
The following story from WPLN.org has great pics of parts of the zoo remaining on various home yards. https://wpln.org/post/curious-nashville-glimpses-of-the-forgotten-zoo-in-suburban-green-hills/
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