A Bit of History on The Whitney Board Walk
The Whitney Boardwalk is located in the wooded swamp area at the eastern end of Riverside Park. The boardwalk was constructed in 1982 by the Preston Hespeler Rotary Club, in memory of Charles Whitney, a past president (1932-1933) of the club. Click to read more....
The Whitney Boardwalk is located in the wooded swamp area at the eastern end of Riverside Park. The boardwalk was constructed in 1982 by the Preston Hespeler Rotary Club, in memory of Charles Whitney, a past president (1932-1933) of the club. Mr. Whitney’s estate left a gift of $250,000 to Rotary in the early 1980s and members of the Club wanted to do something in his memory. The City of Cambridge wanted to make the eastern area of Riverside Park more accessible to the public. Since part of the Rotary mandate is to assist handicapped children and adults, building a boardwalk to provide greater accessibility, particularly to those in wheelchairs, was a good fit. Rotary club members still maintain the boardwalk.
The boardwalk goes through a swamp, which contains over 1 meter (3 feet) of organic soil. Three signs on the boardwalk detail the vegetation and animal species in the area including trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses, wildflowers, birds and amphibians. Chickadees and other small birds can be hand fed in late fall and winter along the boardwalk. This area contains a yellow birch forest, which grew up in the swamp over many years. A few years ago, elm trees in this area were killed by Dutch elm disease. Many years ago this was a recreational area with a pond, which was used for swimming in the summer and skating in the winter. There was also a concession stand for refreshments in this area.
A dam, which supported a mill or factory on the eastern side of the Speed River, likely resulted in the creation of the pond. The Town of Preston reportedly later used this area as a garbage dump. Formerly a yellow birch-black ash swamp, the area is now a marsh with invasive, exotic vegetation, including European black alder and purple loosestrife. This is likely due to changes in the drainage of the area resulting from upstream industrial development. The boardwalk provides a great hike and good views of problems in a degraded wetland.
It may be hard to find the boardwalk the first time you visit; however, it is worth the effort. Parking is available at the baseball diamonds in Riverside Park or park in the Russ Street parking lot where you take the footbridge over the Speed River. The boardwalk can be used year-round.
The Whitney Boardwalk is located in the wooded swamp area at the eastern end of Riverside Park. The boardwalk was constructed in 1982 by the Preston Hespeler Rotary Club, in memory of Charles Whitney, a past president (1932-1933) of the club. Mr. Whitney’s estate left a gift of $250,000 to Rotary in the early 1980s and members of the Club wanted to do something in his memory. The City of Cambridge wanted to make the eastern area of Riverside Park more accessible to the public. Since part of the Rotary mandate is to assist handicapped children and adults, building a boardwalk to provide greater accessibility, particularly to those in wheelchairs, was a good fit. Rotary club members still maintain the boardwalk.
The boardwalk goes through a swamp, which contains over 1 meter (3 feet) of organic soil. Three signs on the boardwalk detail the vegetation and animal species in the area including trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses, wildflowers, birds and amphibians. Chickadees and other small birds can be hand fed in late fall and winter along the boardwalk. This area contains a yellow birch forest, which grew up in the swamp over many years. A few years ago, elm trees in this area were killed by Dutch elm disease. Many years ago this was a recreational area with a pond, which was used for swimming in the summer and skating in the winter. There was also a concession stand for refreshments in this area.
A dam, which supported a mill or factory on the eastern side of the Speed River, likely resulted in the creation of the pond. The Town of Preston reportedly later used this area as a garbage dump. Formerly a yellow birch-black ash swamp, the area is now a marsh with invasive, exotic vegetation, including European black alder and purple loosestrife. This is likely due to changes in the drainage of the area resulting from upstream industrial development. The boardwalk provides a great hike and good views of problems in a degraded wetland.
It may be hard to find the boardwalk the first time you visit; however, it is worth the effort. Parking is available at the baseball diamonds in Riverside Park or park in the Russ Street parking lot where you take the footbridge over the Speed River. The boardwalk can be used year-round.
