Lake from Terrace, Central Park

The Park was first proposed in the 1840s and the city began acquiring land for the Central Park in 1847 and continued until 1852. Construction began in 1857. The cleansing of the site began in the same year. Lakes replaced old swamps. The park's first areas opened to the public in late 1858. In the 1860s, one of the main attractions was the Carriage Parade, a daily display of horse-drawn carriages that traversed the park. The park had activities for New Yorkers of all social classes. While the wealthy could ride horses on bridle paths or travel in horse-drawn carriages, almost everyone was able to participate in sports such as ice-skating or rowing, or listen to concerts at the Mall's bandstand.

Original title: Central Park - The Lake from the Terrace. Engraving published in the Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York, 1868, by Joseph Shannon (Clerk of the Common Council).