176 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
PLANS FOR A COMPLETE SMALL CITY PARK SYSTEM 
Charles H. Ramsdell, the Minne- 
ipolis landscape architect, has recent- 
ly made studies and prepared a re- 
port for the development of a com- 
plete park system for Billings, Mont., 
that offers many suggestive features 
for profitable study. Mr. Ramsdell 
in his study reports in detail on the 
narrowing of residential streets; the 
planting of city streets; and the ac- 
quisition of park lands. It is hoped 
that the details of these plans will 
stimulate interest in new reservations 
by showing the use of the ground in 
question. Mr. Ramsdell notes that 
large property holders can well af- 
ford to donate to the public good 
such land as these plans require, 
even with no other consideration than 
the increase of property values. He 
suggests that the Board accept no 
more land which requires so exten- 
sive work as will both North and 
South Parks. Land with some exist- 
ing natural park advantages is more 
desirable. 
The essential features of the park 
system are considered under the fol- 
lowing heads: 
1. The Inner or Residential System. 
2. The Outer or Scenic System and 
its outlying reservations. 
3. The Arrangement for “North” 
or the landscape park. 
4. The Subdivison of “South” Park 
— “The City Playground.” 
In the Inner or Residential System 
it seems best to make a change in the 
route of the parkways near the city, 
west of South Park. The parkway 
would turn northerly going under 
the N. P. tracks where it would 
strike the head of the North Canal. 
It follows this canal to 9th St. North 
continued. The outside line of trees 
would be on private property, a five 
foot sidewalk and curb next to a six- 
teen foot roadway then a four to ten 
slope to the creek bed which should 
be enclosed in creosoted bank. This 
would give two narrow roadways, one 
for passage each way, two walks, 
four lines of trees bordering this 
creek. 
For the Outer or Scenic System, 
it is suggested to reserve no less than 
an one hundred foot strip anywhere. 
This will prevent encroachment of 
buildings, bill boards, and other nuis- 
ances of like nature. In places where 
the ground is broken or wooded, 
more than one hundred feet is ad- 
vised. 
Along the river and the Rim Rocks, 
this reservation will prevent abuse of 
these fine scenic features. This is 
essential because of this reason — 
when the increased parkway traffic 
is assured, the land values increase, 
become more difficult to obtain, and 
especially, undesirable stores and 
buildings will thus encroach too close 
upon the pleasure use of the park- 
way. 
It is expected probable that the 
Board will secure cooperation from 
the County with “good roads” work 
where parkways include the public 
highways. For some time to come 
a single roadway will be sufficient, 
but it should be built not in the cen- 
ter of this one hundred foot strip, but 
in its proper place so that the sec- 
ond roadway may be added when 
needed without change to the first 
roadway established. 
Mr. Ramsdell describes the pro- 
posed boulevard system as follows: 
We will start our discussion of this sys- 
tem at State Ave. and 34th St., South. At 
8th Ave., South, we should turn a quarter 
mile west past the school and approach 
South Bridge on the existing road. About 
1.600 feet from the bridge, the reservation 
