“Blackstone Park in the 1950’s was a perfect getaway for a ten year old with a bicycle. The East Side sixty years ago, less developed than today, provided a child with many other locations for outdoor play…. Cole Farm Court, for instance, was still a farm where horses and cows grazed among a grove of apple trees. However, it was Blackstone Park that offered the lure of a woodland retreat.
“To a child’s imagination, the park was a primeval realm in the heart of the city. Only a few narrow trails wove through the woods, no wider than for a single person to walk or a bicycle to ride. The park was bright and airy; trees weren’t so numerous or tall, and the sunlight filtered down. On the outskirts were grassy areas, while the interior was dense with underbrush and thickets of Mountain Laurel, Pepper Bush, and other shrubs I couldn’t name. We snacked at a Blackberry patch and picked the season’s wildflowers for trophies to put on tables. Most of the time, we sat on a sunny bank, chewed the the tall grass, and contemplated the Seekonk River below.
“As I grew older, York Pond in winter became the park’s main attraction. The pond was wider and deeper, with no island in the middle. Instead of a meadow, a long, paved lane led in from River Road. At the back was a small island for cars to circle. When the pond froze in winter, people came from around the city to skate and cars lined the road. Weekends and after school, we played hockey on the back half of the pond, while the skaters skimmed along the front.
“When I returned to Providence in the late ’70’s after an absence of twenty years, the park had changed, but not significantly. It still retained its woodland character. The paths were wider, the trees taller, but the underbrush was still thick, and flowers and ground cover grew by the sides of the trails and on the hillsides. By then, others had discovered the park. I met them on my walks, but only the same few each time.
Today, the park is a popular destination for a walk or a stroll with the dog. Usage has taken its toll on the park of my childhood, but it’s also gratifying that so many find it a source of pleasure and a place to experience contact with nature. It’s not hard to imagine that with thoughtful stewardship much of the park’s natural beauty can be restored and the best of both worlds coexist in a renewed environment.”
