When the village of Geddes joined the city in 1886, Major John P. Burnet, who owned a large farm on Tipperary Hill, gave a large hill top plot of land to Syracuse now known as Burnet Park with the condition that the city spend $6,000 to build roads and plant trees in this new city park. Burnet was satisfied with the city's efforts, and thus, in 1887, gave the city an additional plot of land, known as the "Oak Grove", which is still full of oak trees, on the corner of South Avery Avenue and Whittier Avenue.