PARK AND CEMETERY, 
251 
denote any park-like aspirations, neither trees nor 
grass, and it remained so until 1 852 when Perkins 
Bigelow was elected mayor. Soon after he interested 
some ladies in raising $200 to enclose it, for which 
an ordinance was carried through the city council; 
but even this caused a protest from that class of the 
community, many of whom are still in obtrusive 
evidence in most places, with whom the dollar bill 
is of far more importance than the progressive wel- 
fare of their fellow man, A fierce legal contest en- 
sued but the city was successful, the fence was 
built, and the square became Central Park. Tire 
mayor’s enthusiasm continued and volunteer tree 
However on the return of General R. Brinker- 
hofif, a park enthusiast, from a trip, during which 
he had visited the system of Minneapolis, Minn., 
an agitation of the subject was inaugurated in the 
local press and another citizen, Mr. A. J. Heineman, 
offering to donate a tract one mile north, money to 
buy the intervening lands was soon raised, and a 
park project was fairly under way. These lands 
were finally secured by condemnation proceedings. 
The park area comprises altogether some 80 
acres of diversified landscape situated on the west- 
ern side of the city, and mostly within the city 
limits, extending about a mile and a half from end 
FROM I.OOKOUT POINT, SHFRM.A.N PARK, MANSFIEI.L), O. 
planters were called in, but as history has it, they 
lacked the knowledge and enthusiasm of the mayor 
and to-day nearly all the trees in that park are of 
Mayor Bigelow’s personal planting. 
In 1869 the old court house was con.demned and 
the new one built on another site, which left Central 
Park clear of buildings and open to improvement 
and it is now a sightly breathing spot. Several un- 
successful efforts were made by interested citizens 
to provide more park areas, but for over 30 years 
this little park was the only one Mansfield possessed. 
It had been known lor a long time that Senator 
John Sherman had intended to present a beautiful 
woodland tract to the city for park purposes, but 
the city authorities felt they were not in a position 
to accept it under the conditions named by the 
senator. 
to end. It is divided into three parts by two streets 
crossing from west to east. The land south of 
Park avenue is known as Sherman park, north of 
Leesville road, Heineman park and the intervening 
tract as Middle park. 
Through the courtesy of Senator Sherman, Mr. 
William Saunders, of Washington, for many years 
the landscape gardener of the Agricultural Depart- 
ment, visited Mansfield and gave general directions 
to the park commissioners, who by the way assumed 
their duties in 1887, as to development. His sug- 
gestions have been largely followed, and now after 
thirteen years are mostly completed. 
In character, the park is diversified, and con- 
tains much charming scenery, which has been main- 
tained largely in its natural state, the roads and 
paths being laid out to command the best effects. 
