o the munificence of two of its most highly esteemed citizens Redlands is indebted for one of the most beautiful parks in the world. It is private property, but citizens, strangers, all who choose to enjoy its wondrous beauties are welcome there. The gentlemen alluded to are the Messrs. A. H. and A. K. Smiley, twin brothers. Their names are familiar to all tourist amount the summer hotels of the East, by their connection with their fine hotel properties in the Catskills at Lake Mohonk and Lake Minewaska.

The site of Cañon Crest Park is on the crest of the hills south of Redlands about 300 feet higher than the town. Here, about eight years ago, the Messrs. Smiley purchased 200 aces of land and at once began the improvements which have since made the place famous. With the knowledge obtained by their own experience in the East, as well as by wide observation, they entered upon the work with a determination to make one of the world's most notable beauty spots, without regard to cost.

The initial work of improvement began in April, 1890. At that time the property had never been touched by the plow, and had nothing to commend it but its magnificent outlook and its possibilities of transformation. The view from the Park, generally speaking, is the same that has already been partially described in this work, from a standpoint on the southern boundary of Redlands. It eclipses the outlook, however, because of its higher elevation and the fact that is extends southward, taking in San Timoteo cañon, the narrow gorge which extends behind the hills immediately south of Redlands.

At the most commanding view-point the Messrs. Smiley have built their homes, handsome modern residences, replete with the latest appliances conductive to domestic comfort. Any attempt to describe the Park itself, as it now appears, after nearly eight years of labor and lavish expenditure of money, would be utterly futile. Some idea of the magnitude of the work that has been done may be had, however, by allusion to the flora now presented there.

The park has a thousand different varieties of trees and shrubs, exclusive of flowers. It has forty varieties of eucalyptus alone, twenty of acacias, and fifteen of palms. "The principal trees used in quantity, for ornamental purposes - peppers, dracaenas and grevilleas, and these are artistically massed so as to produce striking effects of color and foliage. There are deodar cedars and cedars of Lebanon, varieties of cypress, six rare varieties of native pines, sequoias, both the gigantean and sempivirens, the magnolia grandiflora, the California bay tree, and scores of trees the very names of which are unfamiliar to the general reader.

"Among the shrubs and lesser trees some of the most numerous are the camphor, umbrella and rubber trees, bamboos, bananas, brooms and heathes, yuccas and agaveas, and the English and Portuguese laurels. The flowers principally used for borders and in large quantities for masses are roses, geraniums, marguerites, iris, pansies, narcissus, callas, verbenas, petunias, chrysanthemums, stocks, anemones, myrtles, ranunculus, carnations, cassia, and the brilliant California poppy.

There are five miles of roadway and four miles of stone masonry in the park, together with an irrigation system which employs many miles of piping.

(Source: Illustrated Redlands, 1897, p. 4)

The views in the full page of Cañon Crest Park scenery are from the Haskell studio. (Source: Illustrated Redlands, 1897, p. 52)