Curtiss, Foster, and Sprague

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OWNERS:

1852 Property Map of Lot 74
D.C. Foster's property at the upper left became what became known as The Park Addition. D.C. Foster was Daniel Foster, brother of Ebenezer Foster

Platmap of the Park Addition. Date unknown.

James Milton Curtiss, Henry E. Foster, and Milton Avery Sprague

(Curtiss and Foster were first cousins. Curtiss' mother, Nancy Foster was Henry Foster's aunt and his father's sister.)

LOCATION:

Part of Original Lot 74 situated in the Township of Brooklyn, County of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio.

HISTORY:

An area known as the Park Addition which comprises the northwest quadrant of original Lot 74. The exact reason for this development to be named the 'Park Addition' is unknown but it was probably named thusly by Milton Avery Sprague in 1888. The 1852 property map shows a creek or river running through the land and we know there was a deep ravine bisecting the area, so the Curtiss, Sprague, and Foster may have wanted to retain that rural setting as a park. Years later, during the 1920's and 1930's, the ravine was filled in and that land was used for a school playground and tennis courts.

The line of ownership began with Capt. Ozias Brainard who purchased the land in 1815.

Thence:

1823 - Rebecca and Mariam Brainard (died:1828)

18__ - Daniel C. Foster

1856 - Elizabeth Foster

(wife of Wesley Trowbridge and daughter of Daniel C. Foster)

1876 - Daniel C. Foster

The land was returned to Daniel upon the death of his daughter in that year.

1888 - Milton Avery Sprague

1888 - Henry E. Foster and James Milton Curtiss

Curtiss, Foster, and Sprague obtained the land in 1888 from the administrator of Daniel C. Foster's estate (the owner of record). Daniel was brother of Ebenezer Foster and nephew of Ebenezer Fish and Moses Fish, owners of original Lot 65. Milton Avery Sprague, of Berea, dealt in Real Estate and may have brokered the deal, but he promptly divested himself of the property for the consideration of $10,000, leaving Curtiss and Foster to handle further development.

1888 Deed - Sprague to Curtiss(click here to see full sized)

From one of the deeds, it appears that Sprague may have been instrumental in setting down the sublots which at that point numbered from 1 to 104 and also included what were called "Block A", "Block B", and "Block D". Additional sublots were formed out of one or more of these blocks so that numbering proceed up thru 157. The Park Addition consists of everything north of Denison Avenue, south of Riverside Cemetery, east of West 22nd Place (Lyle Court), and west of Leonard Gurley Foster's lands (which began at the eastern side of East Denison Elementary School).

Category: Developers