24 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
DULUTH’S GREAT NATURAL PARK SYSTEM 
In the natural scenic beauty that is the 
chief charm of the picturesque gorges, 
hills, rivers and forests of the North- 
west, few cities have been so lavishly en- 
dowed with a magnificent system of nat- 
ural parks as Duluth, Minn. 
Duluth’s great park system is founded 
on the Boulevard drive skirting the hill- 
top, the picturesque gorges of the streams 
that intersect it and the border of lake 
shore and river. The system is supple- 
mented by a number of smaller squares, 
triangles and parkways, and by play- 
grounds, and embraces about 250 acres and 
approximately 17 miles of completed boule- 
vard drive. 
The main purchases have been completed 
and as now designed, with few exceptions, 
the system is substantially rounded out. 
The Park Board therefore proposes hence- 
forth to devote its funds to improving 
the property now in its hands and acquir- 
ing additional plots for playgrounds. 
The lands included in the parks were 
acquired at a cost of $650,000 in money 
and the donation of additional lands valued 
at the date of acquisition at $155,000. The 
replacement value oif the park area is now 
conservatively estimated at above $2,- 
000 , 000 . 
Within the last few years the policy of 
improvement has been constantly main- 
tained. Congdon park has been opened 
to the public by easy ways that make 
every beauty accessible for those in cars, 
on horse or afoot; attention has been 
given to the small squares, the purchase 
of playgrounds has been continued, the 
design of the boulevard has been carried 
forward both to the west and by the 
permanent improvement to the Snively 
road, and the board has felt freedom to 
engage in plans of yet wider scope for 
the future. 
Thirty-two acres of land to complete 
Lester Park were bought for the sum of 
$35,000. Playgrounds in front of Irving 
school, at cost of $3,800. Two lots at the 
mouth of Chester Park for $600. The 
board has now under condemnation sev- 
eral parcels of lands which were selected 
for additional playgrounds and to com- 
plete and round out the entire park sys- 
tem. 
Rogers boulevard, begun by W. K. 
Rogers, has been open to traffic since 1890. 
It has been likened by travelers to the 
Corniche of the Riviera and has been 
praised as excelling any like road in the 
world. It is under contemplation to carry 
it beyond Keene’s gorge, where another 
picturesque reach will be crossed, and even- 
tually to Fond du Lac, at the foot of the 
Dalles. The improvement of the boule- 
vard was the first work taken in hand 
by the earliest of the enthusiasts for 
parks; it is still the backbone of the sys- 
tem, and it will be gradually extended 
until all the length of the city has part 
TISCHER’S CREEK, DULUTH PARK SYSTEM. 
