69 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
PARKS AND CIVIC SPIRIT AT MADISON, WIS. 
The annual report for 1909 of the 
Madison Park and Pleasure Drive 
Association has been received. We 
commend it for perusal by all those 
interested in parks, playgrounds, and 
to students of municipal affairs. 
As to extent of its operations the 
Madison Park report records nothing 
.astonishing when viewed alongside 
Chicago’s and New York’s activities 
nor does it appear conspicuous in 
the size of its budget expenditures for 
parks and playgrounds. 
It does, however, command careful 
attention and study in that it is a 
normal and typical American city, 
and as such is in the forefront if 
indeed it does not take the lead in 
several important respects. 
Its park activities have been sus- 
tained during a period of 17 consecu- 
tive years. During this period its 
work was supported from its incep- 
tion up to three years ago by volun- 
tary subscriptions of interested citi- 
zens and today that support continues 
albeit the municipality makes an an- 
nual maintenance appropriation and 
has recently issued two series of 
bonds for land acquisition. 
Many small cities and villages have 
been favored by the gifts of wealthy 
citizens, but we are familiar with 
none that sets before itself with such 
resolute purpose the task of profiting 
by the experience of others. Madison 
is fortunate in having a pleasant cli- 
mate; the city is located at a consid- 
erable altitude, amid a region of lakes 
forming one of a multitude of the 
sources whence the mighty Mississippi 
gathers its flow. 
Madison is the seat of government 
for the commonwealth of Wisconsin; 
it houses the State-supported Uni- 
versity of Wisconsin, and to this 
perhaps more than any other reason 
can the present park movement be 
attributed. Officers of the State gov- 
ernment and educators in the State 
University resided here when the 
city had less than 10,000 inhabitants. 
A handful of these men fostered the 
ideals of cleanliness and civic improve- 
ment; street paving was one; con- 
structing drives along the lake 
marshes and over the hills and 
through the forests was another. No- 
where were the drives far removed 
from the lakes and together they 
comprised a system of exquisite charm 
in their offerings of changing pano- 
ramas. Originally started for the de- 
lectation of appreciative lovers of 
beauty, the detached pieces of drive 
were gradually connected and exten- 
sions made. Then Professor Owen 
donated several acres on a hilltop 
overlooking a fine valley; thereafter 
others made similar donations, with 
the consequence that the public bene- 
factors gave Tenney, Vilas, Britting- 
ham and Burrows Parks. Similar do- 
nations brought the admirable Stens- 
land bridge — a well designed stone 
structure carrying one of the , main 
thoroughfares across the stream con- 
necting two of the lakes; it brought 
Ben Jones and Olive Jones play- 
grounds and Kendall Park — a recrea- 
tion area. All told, there now exist 
some 15 miles of drive, 323 acres of 
park property and 11 miles of water 
front on three lakes, besides 4 miles 
of parkway along public waterways 
draining some of the principal lakes. 
Certainly Madison had the great 
advantage of a preponderance of 
brains in her citizenship; the intellec- 
tual calibre of her citizens is still 
very high, largely as a result of the 
personnel of her public institutions. 
Be that as it may, welfare work was 
conceived in a wise and broad-minded 
spirit, encouraged with cleverness 
and supported and brought to fruition 
SHADED PORTIONS SHOW PARKS AND BOULEVARDS. 
