PLAN FOR ESSEX COUNTY PARKS 15 
Storrs, of the district covered by these natural parks, should 
formulate a bill, which could be supported in both Senate 
and House of Assembly. If your board will suggest some 
particulars; naming, for example, certain areas to be set 
apart, I shall take great pleasure in urging the matter upon 
the attention of the Legislature. The time seems to be 
propitious for a movement of this kind. I shall be glad of 
any suggestions which the Orange Board of Trade may be 
pleased to make.” 
The resolutions of the New England Society had been 
adopted at the March (1894) meeting, and, while favorable 
to the park project, did not outline any definite plan of 
procedure. The plan was not for certain mountain areas 
as was evidently in Senator Ketcham’s mind, but rather for 
a comprehensive scheme of parks and parkways for the 
whole county. These responses, however, indicated that the 
legislative coast was apparently clear for favorable action 
there, and, therefore, all that was needed was a concise and 
readily understood plan that would not only unify all inter- 
ests throughout the county and districts more directly 
affected, but would also directly appeal to the Legislature, 
without the action of which no plan, even of the most at- 
tractive outline, could be carried out. With an appreciation 
of these underlying conditions, the Orange committee went 
quite exhaustively into the subject, as to how the desired 
results could best be accomplished. 
The formulative plans and accompanying legislation of 
many established park systems were considered. The in- 
tent was to select the more desirable features of each, based 
upon practical experiences elsewhere, to simplify the most 
effective and practicable, and then to formulate a plan that 
would be in every way adaptable to the municipal, taxable 
and topographical conditions, and unified into one system 
for our “home county.” 
Our committee from Orange was, therefore, in a measure 
at least, prepared for the meeting of the joint committee on 
April 14, above mentioned, notices of the conference having 
