yf l NN) PS roan GD F> —> TTT 1293 01007 3090 LIBRARY Michigan State University MSU RETURNING MATERIALS: ace in boo rop to remove this checkout from LIBRARIES aa your record. FINES will be charged if book is returned after the date Stamped below. > | 4 pe 4ad OCT 2 4 2001 0723 44 2 2 t il, oO eo | vp} 1895. (2 N FOR A THESIS REE i AS TER OF rAR &K. SCIEN By Ulysses 2. nedrick. een, a” ww Tv ~ THESIS On the shore of Littlc Traverse Bay wealthy people from various large cities have cstaplished a numbvcr of sumer resorts. The land in the locality has become so desiravle for such nurposes that ina few years all of it wiii be occu- pied. When this takcus place there wiil be many features of city life, from which, the inhabitants of the resorts are trvine to eseane. It is proposed to estaslish several parks, of greater or less extent, in order that tnere may always be an eir of freedom and roominess apout these resorts. This thesis emoodies a plan for onc of these parks. The prosvective park consists of a quarter section ot land lyine petween the town of Harbor Springs and an old ard woealtry resort--Wequetonsing. The park land welongs to the resort cornvoration, and whiie, if a park is laid out, it wiil probably in a somewnat limited way be open to the public, yet it will be chiefly visited by the summer people and will belon= especialy to Wequetonsing. It will ve used only about four months during the season--June, July, Ausust, and Septemver. The followine is a description of the essential features of the land. On the south the quarter scction is boundeé by Little Traversc Bay, by Wequetonsing on the east, and on the north by a range of hirh wooded hiiis extending in vlaces into the vark. These hills cover the rest of a 101168 Re half section, of which the park is a quarter, and the land belongs to resort people. The hilis, ravines, and native woods of this uvper quarter section are very picturesque, and thourzh it will not be a part of the park, vet will ve an attractive adjunct to it, all the more so since it is a fine quarry for small game and is the source of a perennial stream which flows thnrougn the lower quartcr. narvor Springs is on the west. On the half of the park next to the water the cottates and drives of Wecquctonsing, and the houses and strects of Harbor Sprines, come to the very borders of the park. On the uvper half, sevarated from the lower uy a poluff deseribed nereafter, the adjacent property consists on ooth sices of ficlds. On the south the shore line is very regular peing broken only by one or two little pays. The shore here is a part of a curve and as such is very graceful; its trend is towards the southwest. The beach is sand,y, the water which washes it is shallow, maxing an idval vatning and voating place, moreover, it is well protected oy narpor Point so that these vastimes may pe carried on in all Kinds of weather. The bank of the lake is eivrht or ten feet high and distant from the water from tyvo to five rods. Thinly scattered in clumps upon it are spruces, firs, and white oirches, and it is covered with a picturesque growth of low growing shrubs mostly of the Ericaceae family, intermingled with which are myrlacs of blue pells, dogbanes, Hypericums, rolyralas, and rock and Wild roses; these, flowering in their various seasons, make the bank one of the most beautifui in the region. On the top of the bank and following it pretty closcly is a voulovard, the possivilities of which are good. Worth of the voulcvard the ground is dry and level and is covered with a fine growth of pine, firs, spruces, pbirehnes, and wild plants simiiar to those mentioned above. Yot quite a quarter of a mile from the shore is a bluff a hundred fcet high. Midway vetween the shore and pvluff the Grand Rapids ahd Indiana Rallroad passes, making an unsightly break in an otherwise veautiful woodland. The land between the railroad and shore is as described apove;, tnat petween the raiiroac and pluff is semi-svanp, covered with contyers, mostly cedars, tangled and mixed ii. ali concievavle forms--a picturesque place, put one nard to orinme under hand. The land on top of the bluff is what is called Indian land, cleared years ago and then allowed to grow up to wood- lana, the trees peing mostly peeches, maples, small poplars, and rca cirehnes. Along the top of the olurf is another vou- levara, from which a magnificent view of the bay, the lake, / and the neighboring towns and resorts may pe had. About the middle of the park, a lone drive, poorly constructed, climbs the bluirf, thus establishing connections sctwceen the lower and upper parts. In the western part of the upper park is an open rrassy space now used as a ball sround. East of this is a somnevrat open svace sloping to the south, from various varts of whicn fine views of the lake may be nad. Near the northern boundary is an old Indian trail called Harquette's trail, along this trees and shrubs have been allowed to grow in charmins negligence, and because of its picturesqueness and romantic assoctations it becomes a feature of some promincnce in the park. Running north and south almost throurh the center of the park is a prook, whicn, in flowine over the pank makes avery fine cascade. Briefly, the principal fea- turcs of the park have been enumerated. Let us now consider the ehief requisites of such & park. Tre primary requisite of a par. ls an expanse of ereen- sward, partly sheltered and adorncd vy trees and shrubs. The aim of the artist beine to transcribe a picture fron nature; in this the setting may ve simple country woodland and meadoyw, or the picture may be placed on broken, rough, uneven fround. Tne first the landscape gardener calls the beautiful; the second, tze picturesque. In this par&é& we have ooth-- the peautiful above the bluff, the picturesque oclow. Having in mind the material upon which we are to work, and the nceds of the people for whom the park is to ve made, we should select some quality that is to pe the key note of the composition. In this park it should ve retirement, relcase from convention, meadow and sylvan peauty. Recognizgins, thus, the character- istic feature of the place, it is necessary to work in harmony With it, carrying out the central thought in every possibdic way. But the park must be to some extent a place for recreéa- tion. There must be an open space for a play ground to in- Clude ball grounds, tennis courts, croquet, etc.; rustic seats should ve provided in shaded and secludec spots and in sufficient number to present ample opvortunity to alli to enjoy the quiet whicn is so srrateful to those who have tempo- rarily cseapcd from the city. Boat houses, a path houge, pienic grounds, an amusement hall, and a restaurant must be furnished. Easy access to all buildings and veautiful places must be provided, requiring roads and walks skillfuily de- signed. All these, however, to ve incidental and subordinate to the controlling motive of the park, which, again, is to be essentiaiiy an ideal rural and sylvan retreat, the park get- ting its greatest value as this sentiment is expressed and develonved. So that not recreation, in the sens«c of amuscment, but in the sense of refresnment arisine from seiner simple peauty, is the orfice of the park. In doine landscape wor: there are two methods of vroced- ure, quite dirferent in character and results. In accordance with onc system, making a park is largely governed oy the natural character and topography of the grounds. I% seeks to find rather than to make pleasing effects, and vy judicious agaptation of roads and paths to the existing surface to lcad one to tne various points of interest. This system may not produce results of hichest artistic erfects, put will Lest yield those nich commend themselves to a lover of the veauti- ful in nature. Such a park is also attainable without exces- sive sost or tiresome delay. By tke other system a plan is vresented according to well considered rules of art without much regard to the original shape of thc surface whicn must ve modified to conform to the ideal creation. A work of surpassing and rare excellente may in this way be produced, out its cost is great and the delay of its comvlction tedious. In the case of this park there is but little emoarassment in makiny a choice between the two systems. The diversified character of the grounds, and the abundance of beautiful spots give us a park filled with objects which need but littic transformation. Our first care then must be to give casy access to all points of interest, the extstence of which, necessitates a careful study of the lines for drives and walks. At the rirst glance at the map it is scemingely wrong to have three drives almest parallel ii: so small a park, wut in this case they, absolutely required.