Mysteries of the Boulevard

In 1904, Blackstone Boulevard was landscaped by Joseph Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., the sons of renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

Over 120 years later, a local prospector sweeping the Boulevard center path with a metal detector unearthed a pocket knife that dates back to that same time period. He generously donated his find to the Blackstone Parks Conservancy.

We can only speculate of course, but perhaps one of the Olmsted brothers was gifted the pocket knife after making a substantial purchase at Besse-Bryant Reliable Outfitters in Worcester, Massachusetts. Did he then lose his handy new tool while directing the plantings on the Boulevard in Providence?

Only a nearby tree or shrub knows for sure …