At the time of this photograph, Highland Park was part of over 500 acres of parkland in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Bought in 1890 by the town, the park was located at the foot of Rocky Mountain, a 500 foot volcanic ridge. By the 1890s, many Americans, particularly those in New England, recognized that their natural resources were vanishing rapidly. Thus they worked to set aside more land for parks, promoting open fields and shaded spots as valuable sites for rest and recreation, and forested areas for preserving wildlife. This image shows a mother and daughter enjoying the tamed wilderness of Highland Park, a “back to nature” experience in the middle of urban development.