Commission ceased, his heart and soul were wrapped up in 

 planning for the development and beautification of the Reserva- 

 tion. In this work the State has never had a more devoted 

 servant or one who has given of his time and energy more 

 willingly without monetary recompense. 



At Niagara he continued the policy of his predecessors and 

 was at one with his colleagues in eliminating any element in the 

 landscape that could offend the eye or detract from the beauties 

 of Nature. Ever keenly sensitive to loveliness whether in nature 

 or art, he saw to it that every device or building that was intended 

 for the safety and comfort of the public near the Falls was so 

 erected and set as to blend harmoniously with the surroundings. 

 He steadily opposed those interests which in the desire to utilize 

 the great water power of the Falls for commercial purposes 

 would inevitably have destroyed the beauty and grandeur of one 

 of the world's wonders. 



For many years a friend of William P. Letch worth, he was 

 a potent factor in influencing that great philanthropist in 1907 

 to donate to the State as a park, the lands about the Upper Falls 

 of the Genesee river. Mr Dow became the chairman of the 

 committee having the park in charge and he immediately set to 

 work with his characteristic energy, planning and thoroughness 

 not only to preserve the park as the gem of beauty which it was 

 by nature, but also to create there a forest arboretum — not one 

 where merely individual specimens were shown, but where hun- 

 dreds or thousands were grown in forests. In his own words: 

 ' The principle upon which the Letchworth Park Arboretum is 

 established is that it shall consist of permanent collections of 

 various species of the world's timber trees, likely to thrive in this 

 northern climate, planted scientifically to test their value and 

 illustrate the process of development, so supplying not only 



knowledge for knowledge's sake but also knowledge for practical 



»» 

 use. 



He was the founder of the park system of his home city of 



Jamestown and for many years served as president of its Park 



