Recreation and Parks

Central Park Map

Designed in 1858 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, Central Park in New York City became a model for urban parks around the world.

Frederick Law Olmsted

Known as the father of American Landscape Architecture, Frederick
Law Olmsted’s design of Central Park inspired local governments around the world to build more urban parks.

Fairmount Gardens, With the Schuylkill Bridge

Philadelphia’s Fairmount Gardens, with the Schuylkill Bridge in the background. This sketch was created in 1839.

Upper Yosemite Falls, Yosemite.

At the same time that the urban parks movement began, interest was growing to conserve the dramatic landscapes of the West. President and native Ohioan Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill making Yosemite the first national park in 1872.

General plan of Franklin Park

Boston’s largest park, Franklin Park, was designed in 1885 by Frederick Law Olmsted and his son, John Charles Olmsted, also a landscape designer.

The Ohio State University Grounds circa 1900

View of the scenic walks and pathways of the grounds at The Ohio State University, one of the green spaces around the city used by citizens as unofficial parks during the 19th century.

Old South Cemetery [detail of Caldwell's Atlas of Franklin Co. and of the City of Columbus, Ohio: from actual suveys]

Livingston Park was the first piece of city-owned land to be used as a public park, but it was originally a cemetery. Known as South (or later East) Graveyard, it operated as such until 1881 when City Council decided to convert the cemetery into a…

Dr. Lincoln Goodale

Born in Brookfield, Massachusetts, Goodale (1782-1868) settled in Franklinton in 1806 and then moved into Columbus in 1814. As one of the city’s first physicians, he served as Surgeon to Governor McArthur’s regiment during the war of 1812. He donated…

Goodale Park Lake and Boat House

Formal development of Goodale Park began in the 1870s after its temporary use as a Civil War camp. In 1891, the pictured lake and boat house, which included refreshment facilities, were completed.

Schneider's Garden article

Schneider’s Garden, an early paid-access park made available to the public by its owner Andrew Schneider, was on High Street about a mile south of the city. A confectioner and caterer by trade, Schneider offered the park’s visitors a variety of…

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