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
Trip
I took a trip there August 9, 2008.
I made a page of pics
http://nibbleandbit.com/history/spfld/fpfount.html
Enjoy!
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