It was Freeman Shedd's wish "That it shall forever be used as a park and recreation or playground for the citizens and children of the City of Lowell and for no other purpose."  (From his letter dated July 14, 1910.)  When asked by a reporter what prompted the gift, he replied:  "I was born in Lowell, have always lived in Lowell and hope to die in Lowell.  All my success in life has come in Lowell and I felt that I wished to leave behind me some sort of a monument which would be of use and benefit to the people of the city.  It seemed to me that a park and playground on this land would be a benefit to everybody and would be a permanent memorial which can be developed, owing to the nature of the land, into a magnificent playground ......"

     The original plan called for a running track, a soccer field, two baseball fields, eight tennis courts, a children's playground, an open-air theatre, a swimming pool, a wading pool for small children, a pond at the lower end, 11,000 square yards of walks and drives, and a varied selection of shrubs and trees.  The city eventually built a stone field-house with toilet facilities, showers, lockers, and quarters for