PAEK SITES CHOSEN" 



121 



had more favorably impressed the members than had the 

 plans and the forethought of Llewellyn Haskel in his 

 scheme for the county boulevards extending from Newark 

 to the mountain crest; these avenues in turn to be con- 

 nected by a crest boulevard along the top of the First Moun- 

 tain. In the study as to how tliis idea could be utilized in 

 the park scheme then under consideration^ it was practically 

 agreed that the plans for the park system should embody 

 this feature of a mountain boulevard, at least from the pro- 

 posed Eagle Eock Eeservation, south as far as the Walker 

 road or South Orange avenue, a distance of two or three 

 miles. 



It was intended that this crest boulevard should be one of 

 the great features of the park and parkway system, with its 

 beautiful vistas and commanding views opening from the 

 crest along the edge of the cliffs ; then diverging back where 

 extensive improvements existed, giving the western slopes 

 and view of the mountain beyond ; and then emerging again 

 to the great view stretching out from the clitf itself — and 

 by these changes enhancing the beauty of the whole. Also 

 that Central avenue should be continued up the mountain 

 after the Swiss Mountain road plan, winding or "zigzaging" 

 up the mountain side at an easy grade, up which horses or 

 vehicles might proceed at a fair rate of speed. 



The object in extending the line, at least as far as the 

 points indicated, was to make this intended mountain park- 

 way at the apex of the park system topography accessible 

 and convenient to the mass of people of the county. With 

 the location and construction of this parkway there would 

 be, from the base of the mountain below, an almost un- 

 broken area of the compactly built up portion of the county 

 from that line direct to the Passaic Eiver. For like reason 

 it was deemed in every way desirable that a park location of 

 suitable size should be selected on and back of the crest, 

 somewhere between the ISTorthfield road and some point 

 south of the terminus of the mountain cable road. In this 

 way not only would the crest boulevard become a most at- 

 tractive and convenient central feature of the park systeni, 



