The Lost Fountain of Forest Park
In order to get my daughter interested in history I try to make the past mysterious and exciting for her. One of my favorite teasers is about the "Lost Fountain of Forest Park".
The fountain still exists, although it's deteriorated and overgrown with brush. It's formally known as the Bowles Fountain. Beyond that, I don't know much else about it. Here's a picture of it from a publication called "Picturesque Springfield, Mass.", published in 1895:
More below the break.
Here are directions to the fountain:
Enter Forest Park via Sumner Ave. Proceed down the road that leads by the baseball diamonds. On your right side, about halfway to the parking lots, you will see a road that goes down the hill. There are two cast-iron fence posts bordering it. Proceed down this road to the bottom and you can't miss it.
I don't understand why such a beautiful monument was built in such an isolated place. I suppose that the park has changed in many ways over 100+ years. I think the fountain was originally on what was known as Meadow Road. I tried walking this road a few years ago, but wound up in a marsh.
I'd love to hear stories about this fountain from others.
I know that fountain
I have often been to that fountain - what remains of it above the brush and marsh. Great photo of it from the last Century. I, too, have wondered why it was placed there. And I always assumed there was much more going on in that part of the park than there is today (notice, too, the remains of a stairway behind the fountain that lead uphill to a path with broken park benches.)
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- Bill Dusty
http://springfieldintruder.com
the lost fountain
I have seen pictures of this fountain but never knew where to find it. Thanks for locating it--I will be sure to check it out the next time I am in the area. I have an old guidebook ("Illustrated Forest Park" 1898) which states that "This unique public drinking fountain was presented to the Park by the widow of the late Samuel Bowles, as a memorial to the famous journalist."
Your website is an invaluable tool and provides a vital resource for local historians. I found it through Mark Alamad's site.
Mononatto Lookover
There is another lost site in Forest Park called Mononatto Lookover.
See if you can find it.
All that remains of the site is an old paved road that is over grown with brush.
The road loops around in an oval. Along the sides of the road there was a lookout
area to view the Connecticut River. Now the lookout area is all over grown and
there is a knocked down railed fence around the look out area.
I've seen a lot of pictures
I've seen a lot of pictures of the Lookover, and I know the general area of it, but I've never tramped around in that area to find it. I've read that the views were the finest in the area at the turn of the 19th century, but I got the impression that the views aren't clear anymore because of 100+ years of tree growth.
I have seen some pictures of Forest Park down at the CT Valley Historical Museum, and only from them did I realize that Forest Park was a creation -- it was painstakingly landscaped into what it now is, it was not this natural phenomenon that was just named a park.
A long time ago
Years ago, in the early 70's, my friends and I used to visit that fountain. We thought it was odd that it was out in the woods like that.
For the life of me, I couldn't remember where it was. I'll have to go next time I'm in Forest Park.
Thanks for featuring this.
Marilyn
I went to see it!
I went to Forest Park to see the monument. I wonder why the park department thinks that road is important enough to keep it paved and in good condition. It leads only to a footpath.
I crossed that little bridge and went down the path. I happened to look back for some reason and noticed I had walked right past it.
Some of the foliage had been trampled down, as though someone walked over it to the fountain. I wasn't about to fall into that marsh, so I admired it from afar.
The last time I was there was in 1972.
Thanks again.
Marilyn
Well-maintained road
I wondered the same thing. The road was nicely paved, with storm drains well-maintained. And it leads to nothing.
I know that there were a lot of roads criss-crossing the park at one time or another, but that particular road seemed to have been recently reconstructed.
I think that maybe the wetlands have expanded themselves over the years.
In 1972
I remember it wasn't that swampy in 1972. I recall being able to see much more of the monument.
And did you notice the stanchions at the top of the road match the ones they installed at the duck pond?
I wonder if ANYONE knows why they keep the road so well maintained
Marilyn
The Mysterious Forest Park Fountain
I know that fountain and was told by someone long ago that it was called "The Horse Fountain". Perhaps it's obscure location is due to the fact that it might have been part of an old fashioned service road - sort of like the ones off the highway nowadays, where you find gas stations etc. Back then it would have been water for horses instead of gas for cars. Just a theory!
Trip
I took a trip there August 9, 2008.
I made a page of pics
http://nibbleandbit.com/history/spfld/fpfount.html
Enjoy!
Red Hill and Snake Hill
My favorite places to slide down the two roads that would have many other kids sliding down along with a few crazy ones like myself at times going down Suicide Hill from the main Road down to the bottom of Red Hill....Can't place that fountain although I knew the park very well as I grew up on Churchill Street in the 40's and 50's and just one house to Sumner Avenue then acroos that Street to the tennis courts then on to Red Hill....the good old days for sure as now 70 and long away from Springfield.....Even remember the Tobagon Slide and building not far from the bottom of Snake Hill...then there was Porter Lake and Barneys for skating in the winter nearby to the duck pond and the Museum at Barneys Estate the Zoo and so much more....Thanks for letting me go down memory lane
Lyle Kaufman nhlyle@comcast.net
I grew up in Forest Park in
I grew up in Forest Park in the 40s and 50s
I like to think that I've been over every square mile of it. I remember several fountains. This is the first I've heard of one in this location. the hill you write about we called red hill. the other across from the ballfield, we called snakehill.
The only fountain that looks like the one in the photo was behind one of the lilly ponds
near the hill going up to Barneys tomb.It did also have steps like behind it.
Fountain
I have a few more pictures of the fountain, one which shows the base better. I know of the other fountain that you write about... I would agree that this photo here tends to look more like the one near the lilly ponds than the one that we are writing about. The one we are writing about does not have a dome on top anymore and the dome stone that is behind the fountain (look at my pages) just does not seem to match the size of the dome in this picture. Maybe the dome was removed?
Anyway I will also be adding a page in the next wek or two giving some phto hints on how to find this fountain. By no means is it a step by step deal. Also this fountain is well gaurded by mosquitos during the summer months!
Hand colored Photo Flower Collection
I have a collection of hand colored photographs by C.W. Johnson who had his studio @ 128 Orleans Street, Springfield, Mass. The collection is a series of 4-6 hand colored photographs of flowers for each month of the year. Do you have any information about C.W. Johnson?
Thanks,
Sally Ramert
Hand colored Photo Flower Collection
I have a collection of hand colored photographs by C.W. Johnson who had his studio @ 128 Orleans Street, Springfield, Mass. The collection is a series of 4-6 hand colored photographs of flowers for each month of the year. Does anyone have any information about C.W. Johnson from the time period of 1915?
Thanks,
Sally Ramert
C S Johnson
There was a Clifton Johnson from Hadley who wrote several books, did photography about nature etc. Google "Clifton Johnson" and you will find a couple of references and it may be a place to start. The dates seem to match up. Clifton was [part of the Johnson family that owned Johnson's bookstore in Springfield. If this is the right Johnson, them try the local history room at the History museum in
Springfield. Also the Johnson family had started the Farm Museum in the center of Hadley so there may be a way of doing some research. I imagine the library in Springfield or Hadley has some of Clifton Johnsons books as well. Good Luck
Need Some History Help
This is somewhat off the topic, but my GGGGGGGrandfather John Petty, moved to Springfield with his wife, Ann Canning in 1665 (See History of Springfield by Henry Burt 1898). He died sometime between 1676-1680. The History of Springfield does not have any information about his cause of death, and I suspect he may have been killed in King Philip's War. They lived out by Stony River (?). I am just wondering where I can find some resources to research John and Ann to obtain more information, if available.
Thanks!
John and Ann Petty
Justin, I just tried sending you a lengthy email on the Pettis Family website and it would not go through. I found your ancesters in a 4 vol. set of Springfield Vital Records. The references I found were facts about births and deaths, but I did not check all the items that were indexed. Please post an email contact and we can communicate directly.
THANKS
Please feel free to contact me at justinoly22@gmail.com.
Thanks!!!!!
Forest Park
The lost fountain (Bowles) was not in an isolated area years ago, it became that way becouse of neglect mabe from funding. (Shame) As I remember when I was a kid Meadow Rd was open and drivable. A very beautiful area. It started at the top of the hill and went down to the duck ponds. There was an article which I have that came from The Springfield Journal a few years ago which showed the fountain and some history. I have old post cards that show history also.
I have walked the Park for Years. I have collected many old postcards, still looking for more.
I am also looking for the granite dog which was neer the old playgrond near the greenhouse. I have pictures of it with my sister and I sitting on it in the 40's. Any help would be great.
granite dog in forest park
Hi There,
Well,you wont find that dog..not in the park any way..it was stolen sometime after they moved it from what I recaall as it's original spot..near the playground that used to be along trafton rd,between the area where there were all the live bird exhibits and the pool that is there now...I think it was in the early eighties..I remember that a fellow I knew from grammer school,Kevin Welz,a spfld firefighter,publcized a reward for the return of that dog.I dont believe it was ever recovered. Shame
I heard rumors
It had to have been 10 or 15 years ago by now, but I recall hearing rumors of an antique car being found during renovation of the Barney carriage house. Apparently there was a wall that didnt match the original building plans, and upon taking down the wall they entered a room that had been home to an antique car for almost a century.
After reading about the bowles fountain in the paper this morning, and searching the history and recognizing it from trailblazing with the family as a kid, it really got me wondering, does anyone have any information of the renovation or the car or if it was just a rumor? Id really like to hear more about the local history.
Real use for fountain...
In all likelihood, the reason that the fountain is located "out of the way" is that it was originally intended for horses. Big public parks like Forest Park (and Central Park in NYC and Fairmount Park in Philadelphia) were designed with carriage driving in mind. After a bit of driving to the far reaches of the park, it would be nice to stop and give the horses a drink and a rest.
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