Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-01-13
..How to Make aToMn Beautifnl.n .

Is ments in towns and villages, and well
> worthy the attention of our villagers.
e You will see that its plan is the or
: ganization of Special Improvement
h Association.
: Perhaps no village in the country is
5 better fitted, or more susceptible OF
just the kind of improvement sug-
/ gested in that article than Warren.
l Tobesure we have more forest trees
on our streets than is common to vii
, lagos OfOursize, butmany of those trees
: are badly located, being so near the
5 fences as partially TO obstruct the
: side walks, and in time will have to
be removed. In such cases new trees
should be at once set in proper dis
} tance from the fence to allow in time
their removal.
Many streets are now entirely void
of trees. There should be a row
entirely around the public square.
The public ground west of Mahoning
Avenue nextthe river should be plant
: ed with trees, the ground should also
at once be supplied with good coat
of manure. Under present laws we
need not fear the destruction of the
trees from cattle as heretofore.
\ good walk should be made on
the west side of NIahoning Avenue,
and a walk or promenade entirely
around the public square or park.
walks in the Park should be cut out
and graveled.
The public ground on the fiat over
the river has the last year been rip
raped and somewhat protected by
the City Fathers. The ground should
be leveed up, trees set out and pro-
tected from the ice. With proper
Improvements it might be made a
beautiful promenade. There are at
least from one to two thousand trees
that should be set out the coming
spring, mere fraction of which will
only be done without some systematic
organization. Will not some one
move in that matter so as to COM
mence the work at the first opening
of spring? We talk much of the
/ great benefits of an increase of manu- /
featuring. 1t is all true that this
would be of great benefit but must be
attended with a large expenditure of
capital, still to dress up and beautify I
our town is attended comparatively
with but little expense, making it
attractive to manufacturers and all 4
who may see fit to cast their lot with
u.s.
Will not some one move in this
matter? Warren is susceptible, it .
being one of the prettiest towns in
the State, and asystematicly organized
effort will make it such.
The last fifteen years have witness
ed great change in the model town .
of StOckbridge. The story of this 4
transformation shows how easily the i
same good work might be done in
every country village in the land.
On the last Wednesday of August,
1858, the citizens of Stockbridge as
sembled in large numbers for the
improvement of their sidewalks.
streets, the publicand private grounds,
and of Laurel Hill, wild and ro-
mantle eminence, near the center of
the village. y permanent society was
organized and afterwards incorpOra-
ted by the Legislature, called the
Laurel Hill Association. This whole
movement originated with a promi-
nent lady of StOckbridge, then un-
married, to whose taste and efficiency 1.
the great and growing influence of 1
this association is largely due. /,
In beautiful and well-shaded am
phitheatTe of natures Building, on
the side of Laurel Hill. the annivers-
ary of the Laurel Hill Association ,
has been held every succeeding Au- ]
gust, when an oratiOn, poem, and '
post-prandial speeches have annually
attracted a large assembly. The {
subject was of common interest to all. {
1t has tended TO fraterniZe the people, !
bringing together all classes on COM {
mon ground, where difference of 4
political or religious opinions were
forgotten. Theannual Orations, given
by some of the leading men of New
England and New York, have dis
cussed such fit themes as Country
Life, " simple Tastes" Our Homes
''The Ministry of the Beautiful" .
Home Life, and how to Ennoble it,"
As the result, the StOckbridge of :
to-day stands in marked contrast with ! !
that of former times. Nothing less
than a photograph of the town taken =
then would convince the visitor that :
the village of lS53was the Stockbridge !
of to-day. :
rrI,o ,ss,,f,, efro.,+s f,-o,,,,I,rI,- Io;1 i
out, and unevenly graded, with deep
pools of standing water in the SPRING =
time, lined by uneven, irregular !
fences, with few trees and fewer side \
walks ''the Green" without trees or
fence, loaded teams making their ruts
almost to the church-door TO avoid {
the mud; the cemetery, with a bro
ken down wooden fence, and with 4
briars, brambles and weeds growing =
in profusiOn these all appear in the !
of 1858. None of them u
are seen to-day. The streets are now i
graded and drained. Shade-trees in =
great variety and prOfusion are seen >
On every hand. ''The Green" and 4
are amply shaded and sur
with substantial fences, in =
part of iron and of stone. Hedges, II
from the splendid Norway pines to 4
thick set arbOr yite, abound, both in ',
.he public and private grounds. p
Besides its nObler influence i'm culti- .
Tating the taste Of the people and e
public spirit and good .
this association has been y
Of great pecuniary benefit to the u
own. 1t has increased the market :,
value of every house, every building y
Ot, every acre of land in the village. "
These trees, hedges, neat and sxten- "
five sidewalks, wide streets, kept like p
/ lawn, the beautiful soldiers mOnu- y
nent and noble library edifiee, as
we'll as other proofs of taste in the
public and private grounds, tell you
why the hotels and boarding-hOuses ei
ire thronged with summer guests, OF
md. why men of influence from the b.
.ity come hither to erect their country s.
mansions. Ia
Something like the Laurel Hill 0
Association ought to be formed in all IL
,ur rural villages. 1t will pay" in ol
many ways. Some towns have al W
.eady followed this example, and 81
With the hAppiest results. The plan a
: now under consideration in many e.
country villages. To help on this I
yOod movement, we give some de sc
ails of the plan of the Laurel Hill to
Association and its work. "a