Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In 1892, the Massachusetts Legislature authorized a Preliminary Board of a Metropolitan Park Commission (MPC) to "consider the advisability of laying out ample open spaces for the use of the public, in the towns and cities in the vicinity of Boston." The Preliminary Board was comprised of Charles Francis Adams (1835–1915) as Chairman, Philip A. Chase (1834–1903) and William B. de las Casas (1857–1930) as associate board members, Sylvester Baxter (1850–1927) as Secretary, and Charles Eliot (1859–1897) as Landscape Architect, all of whom are recognized as the founders of the Massachusetts Metropolitan Parks System. In January of 1893, the Board issued a report to the Legislature recommending for the permanent establishment of a Metropolitan Park Commission. Also known as the Board of Metropolitan Park Commissioners, the Metropolitan Park Commission was authorized by the Massachusetts Legislature on June 3, 1893 to acquire, maintain, and make available to the public for exercise and recreation open space in Boston and surrounding communities to be known as the Metropolitan Parks District. The legislation set limits to be observed in acquiring property, but granted the commission authority to make and enforce regulations for its use. Photographic portraits were made of each person who served on either the Preliminary Board or the permanent MPC, including the five founders. The other portraits include Everett C. Benton (1862–1924); William L. Chase (1853–1895); Edwin B. Haskell (1837–1907); Augustus Hemenway (1853–1931); Thomas L. Livermore (1844–1918); Forrest C. Manchester (1859–1899); Abraham L. Richards (1827–1907); and James Jeffrey Roche (1847–1908). Many of these individuals were distinguished in their professions, both within and outside of Massachusetts. Nearly all of the photographs were made by the Boston photographic studio of Elmer Chickering (1857–1915).
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