The only park authorities now exercising any considerable jurisdiction within the city limits are the South Park Commissioners, the West Chicago Park Commissioners and the Commissioners of Lincoln Park, all of which were incorporated by the legislature in the year 1869 for the purpose of acquiring certain specific parks and boulevards. They have received additional powers from time to time. The West Chicago Park Commissioners, within whose jurisdiction the proposed Civic Center would lie, were authorized by the Act of 1869 to purchase or condemn the land described therein, and to levy special assessments for that purpose. The Act of April 9, 1879,[55] as amended, gives every board of park commissioners power to connect its parks or boulevards with any part of a city, town, or village by taking any appropriate street with the consent of the corporate authorities and of the owners of a majority of the frontage. In 1885 park boards were authorized to accept from municipal authorities any parks under their control.[56] The Act of May 10, 1901,[57] empowers every park board to acquire, by purchase or condemnation, as many small parks, not exceeding ten acres each, as it desires and can pay for. By the Act of March 4, 1907,[58] even more extensive powers are conferred upon the commissioners of every public park district appointed or selected pursuant to any act which has been or may be submitted to the legal voters of such park district and by them adopted. Full power is given to purchase or condemn any land for the establishment of new parks or the extension of old parks, and, by vote of the people, to issue bonds to any desired amount within the constitutional limit. This act materially increases the powers of the boards to which it applies. The West Park board is within its terms; and may, upon favorable vote of the people of the district, bond itself up to the constitutional limit; and it can probably also levy special assessments under authority of the Act of June 24, 1895,[59] to pay for property condemned for park purposes.