PARK AND CEMETERY. 
177 
chard and west of the reservoir. It would 
connect with the county road and then turn 
east at the very base of the Rim Rocks. 
This parkway should occupy the one hun- 
dred foot strip running back to the face of 
the stone bluffs, as close to the rocks as 
construction would permit. A north side 
connection should join at 27th St., North, 
near the present quarry. This would start 
the narrow road scaling the side of the 
bluffs. 
This road up the Rim Rocks should follow 
the wide shelf as far as it runs, about 2,300 
feet. This shelf should be reserved in its 
entire width. The roadway need not be 
more than 25 to 30 feet wide up at a grade 
not greater than ten per cent, and not at- 
taining the top of the Rim Rocks till we 
are over the Billings Land & Irrigation 
tunnel. This would make it about 7,000 
feet long; a most interesting feature with 
its ever broadening view of the city and 
Yellowstone Valley. 
At 19th St., North, the parkway at the 
base of the Rim Rocks would have direct 
connection with North Park and the Inner 
System. It should pass above the farm 
buildings of the Country Club. About 900 
feet east of the brick kilns would be the 
junction of the park roads, up the river (al- 
ready described) as well as the one up Al- 
kali Creek with that of the Rim Rocks 
parkway. 
Alkali Creek or its south fork should be 
reserved for a pine forest reservation. I 
would reserve 150 to 200 feet on either side 
of the creek bed and ultimately clothe these 
slopes with evergreens, pines, cedars, and 
spruces of the hardiest kinds which would 
succeed on these north and south slopes, 
protected from the winds. The park road 
should follow the creek until the summit can 
be gained. Then, once we gain the summit, 
the parkway should go both east and west. 
The road going easterly will approach the 
highest knoll of the Rim Rocks east of the 
city. Here I found an interesting ledge out- 
cropping wholly different from any other geo- 
logic formation I have seen in the West. It 
is not unlike the Roxbury puddingstone of 
Massachusetts and I would call this Pudding 
Stone Knoll. A loop will have to be provided 
as it is impossible to take a road down the 
sides and we would have to return to the 
Alkali Creek connection. 
Summit Parkway should run in along the 
edge of the Rim Rocks in a two hundred 
foot reservation. This will prevent build- 
ings, bill boards, signs, etc., from encroach- 
ing on this natural feature of your regions. 
There is a movement on foot to provide 
a country road connection up the Rim Rocks 
in the region of the Polytechnic Institute. 
This will further the uses of Summit Park- 
way and should he encouraged by your 
board. I hope that use of this Summit 
Parkway will eventually continue it west- 
wardly to such a point as will enable the 
pleasure driver to descend to the valley roads 
and thence back to the city. 
This scenic system of parkways being miles 
long will enable your citizens to take many 
circuitous pleasure drives and not cover the 
same ground twice. It would show to best 
advantage all the scenery of your region 
either near or distant. The use of the auto- 
mobile is going to necessitate much longer 
roads and parkways than formerly. I do 
not expect your board to go to heavy expense 
now to carry out this system. I hope to 
see much land of these reservations given 
to your board or leased for long period at 
a nominal sum. I should not expect finely 
paved roadways now, simply well crowned 
dirt roads easily made. But I do wish to 
impress your board with the necessity of 
PLAN OF ARRANGEMENT AND PLANTING FOR NORTH 
PARK, BILLINGS, MONT. 
Charles H. Ramsdell, Landscape Arch. 
CROSS SECTION OF CITY' AND RESIDENTIAL STREETS. 
PARKWAYS AND PARK ROADS, BILLINGS, MONT. 
Charles H. Ramsdell, Landscape Arch. 
should be widened to 300 feet on either side, 
and the last 500 feet to river, it should be 
100 feet wide from road center. This wid- 
ening will include the fine trees along the 
road, and prevent undesirable features to 
mar the natural beauty of the river, its 
branches and trees here. Crossing the 
bridge a loop will be essential for turning 
back to the city for those who do not wish 
to go further toward Blue Creek. 
The parkway down river will diverge from 
the South Parkway about 1,600 feet from 
the bridge. Newman’s grove will be a de- 
sirable park reservation for river picnics, 
etc. Following a course down river, we 
should reserve the one hundred foot strip 
from the top of the river bank. 
About one mile and a half below New- 
man’s grove, occupying a point in the river, 
can be found the largest cottonwoods of 
the region— one measuring six feet thick 
and ten feet around it. A park boundary 
from south river bank to the east river 
bank should include the best of these trees, 
which are worthy of preservation as park 
features. 
About twelve hundred feet above the "B. 
& E. M.” Power House, as the parkway is 
just west of the canal, a park bound should 
run to river, a distance of seven hundred to 
eight hundred feet. This park reservation 
would run down river about 2,800 feet and 
would contain about thirty-five acres of 
fine cottonwood groves, rose thickets, Buf- 
falo berries, and altogether the area with the 
best park possibilities of your region. To 
avoid the Power company’s buildings, I 
would cross the canal four hundred feet 
above the plant, travel through the park 
reservation and cross the tail-race again 
1,300 feet below the plant. 
North of this bridge, the usual one hun- 
dred foot strip will be sufficient for the 
parkway. This would follow closely the 
canal for the Yegen Brothers’ power plant. 
It would approach the river again below 
the tail-race and there we would get the 
last and really the best near view of the 
swift river, before we strike the railroad. 
We should pass under the N. P. tracks 
about 525 feet west of the end of the rail- 
road bridge, and approach the Rim Rocks 
on a long swinging curve. 
I will start the description of the Sum- 
mit and Rim Rock Parkways at the north- 
west and work toward the east bridge park- 
way connection already described. I should 
continue the line of 4th St., West, straight 
up the hills to the Rim Rocks and it would 
follow a very interesting little creek flowing 
into the Northside Canal. This should be a 
one hundred foot reservation, and the County 
would pass just east of Mr. Babcock’s or- 
