The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1920-01-24
HISTORIC SPOTS
To Be CHANGED

BOSTON, Jan. 2I.---Bo5ton " pre-.
pairing TO alter some Of its most cher.
ished historic features to meet the
demands OF modern conditions. Small
strips are to be sliced from Boston
Common, training ground for troops
In Revolutionary days, and arcading
OF the tower OF the Old South Meet
ing house. where the famous tea
party" was hatched, is contemplated.
Traffic problems, acute in this city
or narrow "cow-lane" streets, in each
case are responsible.
The pairing OF the Common on two
sides OF its 43-acre area has been
sanctioned only after the overcoming
OF long-standing opposition by tno,e
who held that no considerations Of
modern development should disturb
this revolutionary landmark and pre-
sent day breathing space In the city's
center. Several years ago the voters
turned down a proposal to shrink
the common in order to swell the
streets. But in the recent city cleo
tion the voters in all but. two wards
declared in favor of widening the
streets from Common lands. The two
wards which opposed the plan are in
Chariestown, esat of another historic
shrine, Bunker Hill Monument.
Under the plan. which is COM
promise arranged between the street
and the Boston Com
mon Society, fremont and, Boylston
streets, which bound the Common on
tvs OF It's sides. will be widened to
a maximum Of 43 feet instead OF so
u. 80 feet as first proposed. This will
be accomplished without sacrifice of
or trees, as the cuts will
be made from the broad malls OF, the
CSmmon. The .compromise plan car
ried with It an agreement that no
further invasion OF the Common
would be made. - '''' 1
Boston Common was bought IN
1884 by Governor Winthrop and 9TH
ers as a common COW pasture and
training ground, and was one OF sew
eral such tracts of communal lands
and planting grounds. Today 1t Is the
sole remainder OF these ancient COM
mons, other holdings having passed
into private hands. H.,
II was on Boston Common that re-
soldiers drilled; from its
limits at Park Square. then the Back /
Bay ID, tact As well as. IN name and
now ifnade land" the British start |
ed for Lexington on April -. l:Fo.
On the Common the British mustered
their forces to attack Bunkerr Hin
and British artillerymen set their
guns on Flagstaff Hill during the
seige of Boston. Colonial expeditions /
ret out against Louisberg and Quebec
from the old Common. snd Massa-
cbuse,ts regiments assembled their
prior to going to the front in 'he'
Civil war. ''~
The proposal to cut into the old
South Meeting House which was
built in 1929 - obtain partial relief
from traffic congestion on Washing
,cn strVts, is still under considera-
ion Mayor Peters approver the idea;
the cid South Association, guardians
nf the edifice, fell in wita the plans
under certain conditions and the
street commissioners reported in fav-
Or of the change. The conditions nam
cd by the association, however, in
cluding a demand for psylnent for
the property, which is IN tho section
II lirtest valus tion, have delayed ac-
;cptance.
Under the plan the main part OF
the church, in which the colonisls
worked out plans for the tea parry
and which was later used by the Bri-
tish as riding school during the
siege of Boston, would not be dis
turbed. The tower which juts out
some twenty feet from the front OF
the edifice, would be arcadeo to pro-
vide a passage for foot traffic, the
street line would be extended to run
flush with the tower from, and the
sidewalk moved back to lead directly
to the arcade. An additional 20 feet
of street space at this point would
ease considerably the crush OF traf-
fic in the bottle-mouth Of Newspaper
Row.