66 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



enterprise created in Portland outranks that of any city in the United 

 States within the same space of time. The preparation for their exposi- 

 tion made Portland a city of flowers and their experiences and the lesons 

 taught are still continued and in the minds of the people of the city will 

 never cease to exist. Portland as a beautiful city has been made by this 

 exposition. Likewise the exposition in Omaha had much to do with the 

 creation of a sentiment for a more beautiful city. 



The first public baths were established in Boston in 1866 and to our 

 surprise, perhaps, Milwaukee next took the matter up in a practical way 

 in 1899. 



Under the leadership of Dr. O'Hage, St. Paul utilized a waste portion 

 of the Mississippi river and has made it one of the most successful in- 

 stitutions in the country. 



The first vacation school was held in Cambridge in 1872. 



The first playground was ih Brooklyn in 1872, but the movement 

 found its best equipment in the Charlesbank in Boston in 1892. And 

 the up to date cities of today find that the playground is as essential 

 as any department of the city's progress taking into consideration the 

 making of citizens. I shall hope to speak of this later. The legislature 

 of Massachusettes in 1898 gave Boston one-half million dollars for its 

 playgrounds. Various cities of the United States contribute large sums 

 to the maintenance and supervision of playgrounds. Vv''e have one in 

 the city of Omaha which should be maintained and I hope it will be 

 maintained by the park board as one of the parks of this city. Chicago 

 has extensive playgrounds, some in the various parks of the city. 



In 1851 the first steps were taken in New York to establish Central 

 Park. But the park systems in most American cities have been made 

 in the last decade. The municipal gas and electric light plants in Ameri- 

 can cities have been inaugurated since 1893. So we see we are living 

 in a day of vast material progress and improvement. 



It might be said that the first school garden and first public play- 

 ground was instituted in 1690 when George Pox, founder of Quakerism, 

 bequeathed 16 acres of land to the city of Philadelphia. "Ten acres were 

 for a close to put friends' horses in when they came to the meeting 

 that they may not be lost. The other six were for a meeting house and 

 school house and for a play ground for the children of the town to 

 play on and a garden, to plant with physical plants for lads and lasses 

 to know sftnples and to learn to make oils and ointments." 



One of the first objections that is made in the way of Civic Improve- 

 mjent is that it is too late— the city is too old and can not be trans- 

 formed to a thing of beauty at this time. This objection has very little 

 foundation. Boston, one of the oldest cities, is being transformed into 

 one of the most beautiful cities. So are changes being wrought in 

 Washington, New York, Cleveland, Harrisburg and many other cities. 



London is spending millions to correct former mistakes. 



