Lewiston inter-state news. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1905-1906, 1905-11-07
BisAtyFT [ AMHERST
"a NEW ENGLAND TOWN AND ITS IN.
.PROvEMENT SOCIETY.


For Half q Century the Assocfation
Has Labored For Town Betterment.
How Money II Raised to Carry On
the Work.
The town Of Amherst, in Hampshire
county, Mass, might well claim to be
the most beautiful hill town in New
England, writes A. w. Atwood in the
Outlook. Whether or not such bold
assertion can be proved, it is certain
that whoever makes 1t has q threefold
argument to rest his claim upon. A
situation and surroundings OF rare
charm are the first counts In the list
of Xmherst's attractions. But to these
must be added the results Of the con-
sistent work done by the Village I'm
provement association for half CEN
fury aud the location In the village OF
q college whose broad campus would In
Itself make any village famous for its
beauty. Because Of the towns natural
advantages and the beautifying which
the college has done on its own account
the activity Of the local association has
not Of necessity been so varied in Am.
herst as elsewhere. Yet the society
has accomplished much because it has
happily confined its efforts to supple
menting what nature had already done
and whatever the college might do.
In 1888 the roads were al narrowed
to their present ordinary width except
the highway through the middle OF the
village, which was left for q common.
As the common has always been IN
every sense the center Of the village.
the energies Of the Improvement asso-
citation have been devoted almost sole
" to its betterment At the common's
lower end is the railroad station, where
the visitor gets his first glimpse OF
Amherst; at its upper end are clos
tered the few business blocks Of the
village, while the college buildings face
the center Of the green, and the resi-
dence streets radiate from Its borders.
In 1853 the Massachusetts general
court passed an act providing for soci-
cites ITO encourage agriculture. horti-
culture or the improvement and orna-
mentation Of the streets and public
squares Of any town by planting and
cultiyatlng ornamental trees therein"
Four years later the Amherst Orna-
mental Tree association was formed
with the object expressed in the act Of
1853. The town soon gave over the
control Of the common to the associa-
ton, whose chief work for half GEN.
fury since has been to improve and
care for the forty odd acres intrusted
to 1t. The associations most success
full and comprehensive work was done
In 1876. when plans drawn by the late
Frederick Law Olmsted for improving
the, common were carried into eject.
In 1877 the society dropped its quaint
and restricted title Of Ornamental
Tree association and became the
'village Improvement association"
Today the society has about 16(
members, both men and women. who
pay dues Of a dollar year. The SUN
Of $50 raised In this way y sa4acisn'
to keep the common in good condition
The value Of the work done by tn
Improvement association has not b,
any means been confined to it, care o.
the village common. Even in New
England towns the spirit Of material
ism and commercialism II sometime
rife. and this spirit the society has con
stantly fought, in doing which II ha
exerted an educative influence not oul,
upon the immediate community, bu
also upon the group Of hamlets 0
which Amherst 10 the center.
When money was nrst spent to In
prove the common It was raised by
general tax upon all the villages CON
prising the town Of AWeerst- Thu
method. however, was 20 strenuousl
objected to BY the outlying village
that the association had to raise fund
for the extensive improvements Of 49,
by private subscriptions. But whe
the work was completed the taxpayes
Of North Amherst, Amherst City, Eai
and South Amherst came to realize 4
value and have since organised loci
societies to care for the small con
mons and squares in their respect,
villages.
The people OF Amherst have indet
been fortunate In having man sus
az Frederick Law Olmsted to plan &
them, but they are still more fortuna
In possessing q keen appreciation
the practical NJ well 40 the aesthet
| value Of the village beautiful.
- 0oeA nsAjs DPing Trade.
!. Dysry farmer. every business ma
u uAttees not In what part Of q
r Uniood States he resides. should to
Z lively interest in the GOOD roo