PARK AND CEMETERY . 
development of the only remaining un- 
built areas of appreciable extent any- 
where along the upper portion of Nar- 
ragansett Bay. Moreover, they will fur- 
nish the only drives that extend for any 
considerable distance in sight of its wa- 
ters. These are the only opportunities 
for shore boulevards that now exist, 
and they are obviously needed for many 
reasons. 
On February 12, 1909, the one-hun- 
dredth anniversary of the birth of Ab- 
raham Lincoln, the executive committee 
established as a reservation the Lincoln 
woods. The land included in these op- 
tions, together with Quinsnicket prev- 
iously secured, amounts to nearly 500 
acres of beautifully varied wild country 
and several old established farms. It is 
bordered by the Moshassuck river and 
by several ponds. Its nearest portion is 
about two miles from the railroad sta- 
tion in Pawtucket, and a little over four 
miles from the State House in Provi- 
dence. The price paid for the whole 
tract is about $25,000. No other area 
so splendidly suggestive of the “forest 
primeval” exists within the metropolitan 
district, and to most people it would ap- 
pear almost unbelievable that any could 
exist within thirty minutes street-car 
time, of over 300,000 people in “the 
most thickly settled State in the Union.” 
It is especially convenient to the north 
end of Providence, the west side of 
Pawtucket; all of Central Falls and Val- 
ley Falls and the Lonsdale and Sayles- 
ville districts. 
Recently, the Commission has secured 
Edgewood Beach, including a strip of 
broad, sandy shore, nearly eleven hun- 
THE PENALTY OF DELAY; AFTER. 
The Pine Grove changed into Saw Mill 
dred feet in length extending south 
from the city line of Providence. The 
place, though privately owned, has long 
been used for public recreation of 
throngs of people, and to the centre of 
population at the head of Narragansett 
Bay is the most accessible bathing beach 
worthy of the name. The price paid for 
about ten acres is $9,400, which is con- 
siderably less than the tax valuation. 
The improvements contemplated include 
a bathing pavilion with modern conven- 
iences, and attractive shelters. 
The Commission has also agreed to 
the purchase of about twenty-three acres 
of property known as Merino Flats, im- 
mediately adjacent to the great mill dis- 
trict of Olneywille, and long known as 
“Olneyville’s Great Playground.” Ten 
thousand five hundred operatives work 
in the mills that are close at hand, and 
the edge of the tract is about 1,500 feet 
distant from Olneyville square. The 
purchase includes the high wooded bluffs 
bordering the “Flats,” which extend 
around them on two sides. The Woon- 
asquatucket river runs around the other 
edge of the reservation. The price paid 
for the portion secured is two and a 
quarter cents per foot, and the city valu- 
ation of the whole tract is three cents 
per foot. 
Other reservations, for which nego- 
tiations are in progress, include one in 
the Wanskuck district along the West 
river, in a neighborhood where extens- 
ive park facilities are much needed ; 
and along the Ten Mile river, north of 
Memorial Park, adjacent to a rapidly 
developing district. Besides furnishing 
a chance for a beautiful lake and pic- 
turesque development of a valley unfit 
for building operations, this park would 
exert a desirable protective influence on 
the East Providence water supply. 
The report of the engineer, Charlton 
D. Putnam summarizes the work of that 
Ave. In 1905. 
department as follows ; Accurate boun- 
dary and topographical surveys and 
plans have been made of the land of 
the United States Finishing Company 
at Leonard’s Pond and of Quinsnicket 
reservation; plans have been made and 
218 
taking lines studies and established in 
the following sections: West river, 
Merino Flats, Edgewood Beach, Ten 
Mile river, Mashapaug and Spectacle 
ponds, Lincoln woods, Scott’s and Val- 
ley Falls ponds, John M. Dean’s estate, 
Pawtuxet river, Neutaconkanut Hill, 
Fruit Hill Parkway, connection between 
Mashapaug Pond and Roger Williams 
Park, connection between Pawtuxet 
River and Roger Williams Park, Bar- 
rington Parkway, east shore of the See- 
konk river, west shore of Narragansett 
Bay from the Pawtuxet river to Passe- 
onquis Cove and a portion of the Pocas- 
set river north of the Cranston Print 
Works ; over sixty plans have been made 
in the office and about thirty received 
from outside; estimates of the costs of 
takings for many of these projects have 
been made and the rest will soon be 
completed, and in the course of this 
work lists containing the valuations, 
ownerships, and areas of over six thous- 
and pieces of property have been com- 
piled ; a large plan of the metropolitan 
district to show the acquisitions of land 
has been started; a filing and recording 
system for the plans has been inaugurat- 
ed, a system of accounts is being put 
bn trial; and work is in progress for 
the improvement of Quinsnicket reser- 
vation. 
Olmsted Brothers also include a valu- 
able report on the organizing and ac- 
counting features of the system. 
A large map accompanying the sec- 
ond report of the commission some 
years ago prepared with great care at 
the City Engineer’s office in Provi- 
dence, shows in detail the character of 
the territory in the Metropolitan dis- 
trict. 
The map shows in a striking way 
how like one city the whole district is 
getting to be, with its platted area and 
built up districts, covering a distance 
from north to south of nearly fourteen 
miles, and a closely welded chain of 
settlements, extending even beyond the 
limits of the map, up the river valleys 
and along the shores of the bay. 
The chance of any considerable area 
remaining unoccupied or open to the 
people of the next generation, unless it 
is taken under public control, is very 
remote. 
The district in which the municipal 
improvements of a city are manifest, 
extends in a general way about seven 
miles to the north and an equal distance 
to the south of the state capitol, which 
is taken as the center. East and west 
the urban district extends about four 
miles each way. . 
Dr. Fenner H. Peckham, is president 
of the commission and Henry A. Bar- 
ker, Secretary. 
