The First County Park System in America—IV 
Eagle Rock Reservation. Since “ye olden time” 
and the days of Carteret, and of “East and West 
Jersey,” Eagle Rock has been famed for its 
views and attractive natural surroundings. For 
generations residents in Essex and neighboring 
counties have made it a place of pilgrimage to 
enjoy the views, and the numbers have increased 
with the growth of population and the added 
facilities for reaching “the rock.” Situated as this 
point is, on the bold precipitous cliff of the Orange 
Mountain, 600 feet above tide water, yet but a 
short air line distance from it, with Montclair, 
Bloomfield and the beautiful Llewellyn Park on the 
side of the mountain in the immediate foreground, 
and the Oranges, Newark, New York, and the 
hills of Staten Island in view beyond—what more 
fitting place could be selected for the first choice 
of the outlying parks than this! 
It was, therefore, quite within the natural order of 
things that the Park Commission should turn its at¬ 
tention to the location of a park at this place as soon 
as the selection of park sites was taken up. Im¬ 
mediately after the Branch Brook location and that 
of the East Side Park were disposed of, this was 
done. Each of the commissioners favored the 
proposition. The only points for determination, 
therefore, were as to the lines of the park limits, 
and the acreage that should be included. The 
subject was under discussion during the summer 
and early part of the autumn of 1895, and on Octo¬ 
ber 3 the architects and engineers were authorized 
to prepare a map of the outlines that they would 
recommend for a park, including Eagle Rock. 
A little later, H. D. Oliphant was appointed pur¬ 
chasing agent to look after land options and pur¬ 
chases within the established lines. 
An editorial in the “Newark News” of November 
26, 1895, on “The New Park Sites,” referred to it 
thus: “Whatever other property the Essex County 
park commissioners may acquire, there is no question 
that they have acted wisely in securing EagleRock and 
the land about it. This is the show place of Essex 
County. ” On the same day “ The Daily Advertiser” 
expressed this sentiment: “A county park system 
without Eagle Rock would be in the nature of an 
anomaly. That elevated point, overlooking an 
extensive and varied panorama of town, country 
and river seems to have been destined by Nature 
for a public breathing place.” An editorial in the 
“New York Press” of November 27 stated that “the 
acquirement of the far-famed Eagle Rock the other* 
day for park purposes was a great thing for the 
people. From this giant knoll the homes of tens of 
thousands of New Jersey’s citizens can be plainly 
seen, and it is declared that it looks upon more 
homes and varied industries than any other natural 
elevation in the world. ” 
In August, 1895, this subject was brought regularly 
before the board for consideration in a resolu¬ 
tion oiPered by me, “that it is now deemed expedient 
to acquire for park purposes: 
“First, suitable areas of park lands and parkways 
onand adjacent to the crest of theOrange Mountains. 
“Second, that such locations be selected with 
regard to convenient approaches; that the crest of the 
mountain he followed as far as practicable, and with 
reference to obtaining the best east and west views. 
“Third, that the total area be not less than 2,000 
acres, and that the architects and engineers proceed 
to locate the above parks and parkways connecting 
with Branch Brook Park and prepare the neces¬ 
sary maps and plans.” 
Parkways Treated Separately. These resolutions 
were afterward modified in accordance with the 
“piecemeal” or sectional policy already referred 
to, and the park locations were treated separately 
from the parkways. 
As the subject of the parkways was such an 
important one to the whole enterprise, and for 
years occupied so much public attention as well 
as the attention of the commission, the progress 
of those events will be consecutively stated. 
South Mou?jtain Reservation!. Large reservations 
of natural scenery have become one of the attrac¬ 
tive features of a modern park system. Nor is the 
movement confined to localities especially acquired 
or reserved for park uses. The general government, 
and many of the States, have of late years included 
in their forestry reservations large areas of timbered 
lands, with the object at the same time of conserv¬ 
ing also the feature for recreation and attractive 
natural environments. The movements toward the 
preservation of the big trees (Sequoia gigantea) 
of California; for a natural park and forest 
reserve along the Appalachian Mountains; and 
the White Mountain forest reservations in New 
Hampshire, are some of the better known efforts 
in this direction. In the Massachusetts Metro¬ 
politan Park’s system the great Blue Hills reserva¬ 
tion, with its more than 4,000 acres of beautifully 
wooded slopes and valleys; and the Middlesex 
Fells on the other side of Boston, with its 1,800 
acres of timber lands, lakes, open fields, etc., are 
recognized as special attractions there, as have 
become Van Cortland and Pelham Bay Parks in 
New York, Epping Forest, outside of London, and 
the many other outlying natural reservations lying 
wholly without the large cities. 
The Essex Park Commission of 1895, like the 
preceding commission, was in favor of a liberal 
acquirement of these lands in such a reservation for 
the park system here. 
There was but one location which in size, relative 
convenience, varied topography and attractive natu¬ 
ral and wooded features, seemed to meet the re¬ 
quirements. That was the extensive tract between 
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