The Development of Boston's Park System 



Boston's Park System was virtually establishctl in the 

 year 1875, through the appointment by the Mayor, under 

 authority by the State Legislature, of a board of three 

 commissioners to serve without pay. 



During the ensuing year plans were evolved for the 

 establishment of a general system of parks and parkways 

 surrounding- the city. In the development of these plans 

 the Commission obtained the advice of Frederick Law 

 Olmsted, whose experience and success in similar under- 

 takings in other cities made him an authority throughout 

 the country. 



The original plans submitted called for the taking and 

 improvement of about 1,100 acres at an estimated cost 

 of $4,000,000 for the purchase of land and $1,000,000 for 

 improvement of same. 



This general scheme has been adhered to, with minor 

 exceptions, although considerable additions were made 

 later as the scheme developed. 



The main features included the building of an embank- 

 ment along Charles River, the connecting of Back Bay 

 park lands with Boston Common and Public Garden by 

 means of Commonwealth avenue, at that time a public 

 boulevard ; the development of land bordering Muddy 

 River and Jamaica Pond, a beautiful sheet of water of 

 about fiftv acres situated in an extensive plain with a 

 range of high hills on three sides, and the acquisition of 

 an extensive tract of territory on high land in \\'est Rox- 

 bury lying between the two valleys in which are the 

 Providence Division and Old Colony Division of the 

 New York and New England Railroad. This also in- 

 cluded the taking of land about the Bussey Farm which 

 had already been set apart by Harward University for 

 Arnold Arboretum. 



Next in importance was Marine Park at City Point. 

 South Boston, between the main harbor and Dorchester 

 Bay. 



The development of each division was carried with 

 special reference to its surroundings and future uses. 



The Back Bay Fens first laid out with the salt marsh 

 style of landscape, while charming in its w-ay, has of late 

 years, through the damming of Charles River, changed 

 is character from that of a salt water creek, cleansed by 

 the ebb and flow of the tide, to a fresh water basin at a 

 stationary level except when raised by heavy freshets. 

 Sanitary reasons compelled therefore, the filling of the 

 marshes and when properly loamed and planted we will 

 have the unusual spectacle of a park whose entire aspect 

 and design has been changed in the course of a compara- 

 tively few years. 



The North ^^leadow has already been given the final 

 touches and was selected for the site of the Convention 

 Carden at the annual meeting of the Society of American 

 Florists for 1914. It is intended, however, that the rest 

 of the area of this park when completed for the second 

 time, will be devoted to sports of various kinds, and al- 

 though the change meets with opposition from many 

 quarters, it will have many advantages as the surround- 

 ing jjropertv is being rapidly acquired for educational 

 institutions. 



The Fen is connected with Cjlnisted Park by a narrow 

 strip of land, called the Riverway. This area was devel- 

 oped in conjunction with the adjacent town of Brookline 

 but it was planned as a unit and is a remarkable specimen 

 of landscape work. 



Olmsted Park contains three beautiful sheets of water. 

 Jamaica, Wards and Leverett Ponds. The shores of these 

 ponds are planted with rare aquatics and semi-aquatics. 



and nn the steep slopes are banked rhi_id(_)dendrons, azaleas 

 and minuitain laurel. 



The .\rboretum, now famous all over the world, for its 

 rare collection of trees and shrubs, contains about three 

 hundred and fifty acres, and the work it is doing in col- 

 lecting specimens of new and rare plants and investigat- 

 ing into their usefulness is of inestimable value to horti- 

 culture. There is a divided responsibility in the care and 

 maintenance of this park as the planting spaces are cared 

 for by Harvard University and the roads, walks, drains 

 and material things are under the charge of the Park De- 

 partment. As it is not a place for the gathering of great 

 throngs of people the walks and roadways are narrow and 

 winding, but are quite suitable for the small but earnest 

 class who frequent the park on account of their love for 

 arboriculture, or who are more keenly interested in botan- 

 ical research. Crass trails lead one through the "Order," 

 the "Pinetum" and other specifically arranged collections. 



Franklin Park is considered one of the greatest munici- 

 pal parks of the world. It has been developed at enor- 

 mous cost and yet in its primitive condition when taken 

 over by the city it possessed many natural beauties. Its 

 plantations at that time consisted of what is known as 

 "second growth" woods, not of great size or splendor, but 

 in conformation pleasing to the eye and remarkable for 

 the dense massing of foliage. The illustration reijroduced 

 on the cover i)age shows the Scarboro Pond foot bridge in 

 Franklin Park. 



The soil is underlaid with ledges of conglomerate for- 

 mation which here and there form bold clifl^s and rough 

 barren patches showing distinct signs of glacial action ; 

 its boulder aspects are ]iarticularly interesting. 



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DKPUTY CO.MMISSIUNKR. r.OSTOX PEI'AKT- 

 MENT OF P.\RKS. 



