Mt. Airy Forest photographs   Save
Historic Sites
Description: These three photographs, taken in 1937, show the Mt. Airy Forest in Cincinnati. The first is of the shelter house, the second of the "comfort station," and the third of the parking area. In 1911, the Cincinnati Park Board bought 168 acres of land west of Colerain Avenue. Originally used for farmland, the area had suffered from unrestricted cattle grazing, poor agricultural practices, and the extensive clearing of trees. Mt. Airy Forest became the first municipal reforestation project in the United States. Over the next few decades, more land was purchased and the park reached 1,469 acres by the beginning of the 21st century, including 700 acres that have been reforested in hardwoods, 200 acres in evergreens, 269 acres in native woodland, 170 acres of open meadows, and 120 acres of arboretum development. Mt. Airy Forest is currently Cincinnati's largest park, containing about 40 percent of the Park Board's total acreage. All three photographs measure approximately 4.5 by 2.75 inches (11.43 by 6.99 cm). View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3394_6642930_001
Subjects: Geography and Natural Resources; Agriculture; State parks & reserves
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)