60 HISTORY OF THE 



Thus ended the wearisome and pei'plcxing efforts 

 made, and the lengthy correspondence pnrsned for 

 months, hoping thereby to come to a satisfoctory settle- 

 ment with the park commissioners for my valuable 

 estates. 



This charming jiroperty was summarily taken from 

 me, or condemned, for luxurious purposes, against my 

 will and protestations; leaving me no alternative for 

 redress, but the still greater labors, together with the 

 inevitable court expenses, and with the hari'assing un- 

 certainties of the law. I was therefore compelled to- 

 employ counsel, and enter my claim on the docket of 

 the Superior Court, against the city of Boston. 



The statements annexed contain valuable statistics, 

 drawn from the records, relative to the complications 

 and struggles in securing the lands for the great central 

 l)ark in New York city, which were carefully prepared 

 and contributed to these pages. 



A striking similarity of the methods followed in ob- 

 taining the lands recpiired for a public park in l^ew 

 York and Boston is here graphically shown, together 

 with some of the results already realized. 



By the act of the 'New York Legislature passed July 

 21st, 1853, about 773 acres of land, lying between 59th 

 and 10(3th streets, and between the 5th and 8th avenues 

 in the citv of New Yoi'k, were at once condemned for 

 public use as a park. This action of the authorities 

 had its advocates as well as its adversaries; many peo- 

 ple believed, while others affected to believe, that the 

 scheme would never be carried out. Every effort was 

 made, by litigation and otherwise, to defeat it. No 

 money was voted by the city council until 1857, after 



