252 GENERAL HISTORY. 



is traversed by Baby's creek ; and has five miles of walks and drives. One 

 drive, of about three miles, is entirely through the woods upon the grounds, 

 though not yet completed. These grounds are about four and three-fourths 

 miles from the city hall, and a mile from Detroit river, on Fort street 

 west. 



In 1880 the corporate authorities of the village of Plymouth purchased 

 twenty acres of land on the northeasterly side of the river Kouge, and over- 

 looking the village, which has been tastefully laid out, planted and occupied 

 for burial purposes. It is known as Riverside cemetery. 



Rural Hill cemetery, located on the south side of the river Rogue, about 

 three-fourths of a mile southwest of the village of Northville, comprises 

 seventeen acres. It is the property of an association and is being very beau- 

 tifully laid out and improved, for the use of that village and surrounding 

 country. 



The parks of Detroit are thirteen in number, aside from Belle Isle, the 

 total area of which is nearly forty and one-half acres. One of these comprises 

 about one-fourth of an acre, and another nearly three-fourths of an acre. 

 Two others comprise about four and one-half acres each, and are laid out in 

 walks and grass plats, and the walks shaded with maple trees. The largest 

 of these parks embraces over forty and one-half acres. This is not yet 

 improved or ornamented. 



A boulevard, about ten miles in length and one hundred and fifty feet 

 wide, is in process of construction, commencing in the eastern front of the 

 city, forming a circuit around its northern portion to its western limits, and 

 extending along its western boundary to the river. 



In May, 1879, an act of the Legislature empowered the city of Detroit to 

 purchase Belle Isle (an island lying just above the city, in Detroit river, and 

 embracing over six hundred acres of land), for a public park, and to connect 

 it with the city by a bridge over the American channel. lu August of that 

 year such purchase was made for the sum of $200,000. 



The improvement and ornamentation of this park are but fairly com- 

 menced. Owing to the slight elevation above the river and the existence of 

 marshes at certain points just within the shore line, the processes of drainage 

 and improvement are of a somewhat difficult character, 



John Stirling, deceased, late secretary of the Belle Isle park commission, 

 says: " The timbered portion of the park extends through its center and 

 along its entire length, except a small part at the lower end. It is proposed 

 to drain this entire section by means of a series of three canals. 



"The first of these, called the outlet canal, which has just (in 1883) been 

 completed, extends in a semi-circular form across the lower end of the park, 

 its outlets entering respectively the American and Canadian channels of the 

 river at each lower corner of the park. It is 3,500 feet in length, 50 feet in 

 width at the water line, and five feet in depth at the ordinary water level, 

 costing §10,585. 



"Entering this outlet canal near the centre it is proposed to construct two 

 lateral canals to extend northward through the centre of the park, abjut 200 

 feet apart, and of somewhat tortuous form, to avoid formality, to a point a 

 little beyond half way, where they will diverge, leading toward and along the 

 edge of the woods until they enter Lake St. Clair at the upper end, about 

 1,600 feet apart from each other. It is hoped, after filling up several low 

 spots in the woods, that surface drains leading into those canals will be all 



