The Netherwood Park neighborhood has a history going back to the 1890’s when Albuquerque had only 4,000 residents, four public schools, and a state university with only seven staff members. The neighborhood is located on the land that three teachers purchased as an investment that they hoped would provide a measure of financial security. Ed Netherwood and his family moved to Albuquerque from Denver in on October 8, 1908. The Netherwoods bought several hundred acres north of UNM. The premier real estate developer of this time, Colonel D. K.B. Sellers, larger-than-life businessman and politician, influenced the work of every real estate developer from 1906 to 1947 this time including the Netherwoods. He was the man in the fedora standing next to a large sign that reads ”NOB HILL” in the ionic 1937 historic photo.
The Netherwoods died and time passed. Sometime in late 1949 Edward Schell, dean of the Wheaton College Academy in Wheaton, Illinois received a letter telling him that his land in Netherwood Park would soon be annexed. This annexation was passed by the City Council on January 24, 1950, and added 3300 acres of what we know today as the mid-northeast heights under the rule of the city government. The Albuquerque Journal reported on its front page the next day that there were only 15-20 residences in this vast area. Mr. Schell retired from Wheaton and moved to Albuquerque that summer. Mr. Schell was the nephew and only heir of Ada Cutler Netherwood and a man used to getting things done his way. He drew up a restrictive covenant that proclaims that “no lot or part of a lot in Netherwood Park…(can be used) for the sale of intoxicating liquor, a slaughter house, junk yard, night club, skating rink, pool hall, or drive-in theatre”. He insisted that the other five property owners in Netherwood Park sign this document.
The rapid growth of Albuquerque in the 1950’s was beyond the limited resources of city government. Edward Schell offered to pay for the paving of Princeton Avenue if the City would pay him back at a later date. The City accepted land at the corner of Morrow and Princeton for a city park in 1951 but left the land sitting idle. The City turned down an offer in 1956 to sell the park to developers for the proposed Albuquerque Tennis Club. The City estimated the cost to landscape the park at $40,000 in 1962. A group of forty neighbors met with the City in August, 1962. They agreed to make regular donations to a fund for the park. The City Parks Board hailed this effort and revised its cost estimate to $20,000. The final plan was approved that October. Netherwood neighbors donated over $2,000 in cash and services and the landscaping project began several months later.
From: https://www.netherwoodpark.org/history.html
Wheelchair folks: you will have to navigate over some grass.