WHAT DOES HISTORY TEACH US ABOUT GOVERNOR BAXTER’S VISION?*
In his official plan for Baxter Woods, Governor Baxter uses all of the following words to describe the place he named Baxter Woods: "Woods," "Municipal Forest," "Park," and "Bird Sanctuary." (For an interesting piece on the history of our urban forest, see this 1998 article from the Portland Monthly written by Herb Adams.)
Language matters. All of these words mean different things to us today than they did to people living in 1946. These words also make it difficult for us to understand Gov. Baxter’s true vision and intent for Baxter Woods. For example: did the Governor wish for “Baxter Woods” to be a “bird sanctuary” when he dictated that the space “shall forever be retained and used by [the] City in trust for the benefit of the people of Portland as a Municipal Forest and Park, and for public recreation and educational purposes”?
Today, a “bird sanctuary” is not a space that welcomes “public recreation.” In Gov. Baxter’s time, a “bird sanctuary” meant a place where birds were free to thrive, away from hunters and hunting. "Baxter Woods,” Gov. Baxter further dictated, was designed for “the sole use of pedestrians.” There is no mention of bicyclists or skiers (although people today frequently bicycle and ski in Baxter Woods), and there is no mention of whether he would have considered people’s dogs “pedestrians,” or whether they would be allowed off-leash.
Why? Because there were no leash laws in 1946, when Baxter Woods was created. Dogs accompanied their owners “off-leash" all over Portland.
DO WE HAVE A WAY OF KNOWING WHETHER GOV. BAXTER WOULD HAVE ALLOWED OFF-LEASH DOGS IN HIS "BAXTER WOODS?"
We do. Governor Baxter was one of Maine’s earliest and most fervent animal rights activists. He was famous for his love of all animals, dogs in particular. He never married, but over the course of his life, he both bred and owned many Irish Setters. He never had fewer than two, and once had five. When his dogs died, he famously buried them on Mackworth Island, with their own personal plaques. In fact, Governor Baxter was so passionate about his dogs, and their right to be free and safe in public spaces, that he wrote a small book about it.
“My Irish Setter Dogs” is available here.
Governor Baxter did not spend “one day” without his dogs. During Baxter’s life, when there were no leash laws, dogs went with their owners all over the city. Gov. Baxter’s dogs, always by his side, came with him to Portland on business trips. In the excerpt “A Serious Accident,” Baxter describes a day he brought two of his setters to Portland and one of the dogs was hit by a trolley. One of the dog’s front paws was cut off. Rather than euthanize the dog, Baxter said, “I insisted that I wanted the dog treated just as though he were a human being…”. The dog lived on with Baxter for nine years. When his dog Garry died, he famously ordered the flag at the Capitol to be lowered to half-mast.
Gov. Baxter was so passionate about the rights of his dogs that his dog Deke went with him when he attended Bowdoin. Deke attended class with him. In chapel, Deke once walked up to the pulpit and fell asleep. “I do not recall that the college authorities ever objected to the dog,” Baxter wrote, "and I shall always remember the friendly and tolerant spirit they displayed.”
Gov. Baxter considered a “woods” to be a place where dogs were welcome, and welcome to be free. In the section called “Garry at Home at the Capitol,” Baxter says the following: “'‘Garry,' nine years old, is my constant companion in the Governor’s House, and in my office at the State Capitol. He goes back and forth with me between Portland and Augusta…my eight months old pup, 'Eirie,’ is trifle too impetuous to remain long in the Executive Chamber, but every day Mr. Chadbourne my secretary and myself, with the two dogs, walk together through the woods and over the hills back of the State House.”
It is clear that Gov. Baxter not only would have allowed “off-leash” dogs in Baxter Woods, he likely designed the space with dogs walking freely in mind. There would have been no reason to state outright that dogs should be kept “off-leash” because there were no leash laws. We can easily imagine our Governor longing for a place where he could walk his dogs freely and safely. The rights of dogs were equal, in the Governor’s eyes, to the rights of human beings.
We believe that the best public policies are created out of education and understanding—not out of fear.
“To appreciate dogs,” Gov. Baxter wrote, "in fact to appreciate and understand anything, one must learn and understand. A child should begin early to know animals and its life is not complete unless it has associated with them.”
1946 Letter & Relevant Maine Supreme Court Case Law
1. Baxter's letter, published April 14, 1946, in the Portland Sunday Telegram regarding his gift and intentions: Deed to the People of Portland
2. Two court cases concerning Baxter State Park and the Trustees/City Councilors role in managing Portland’s Mayor Baxter Woods: (a) Fitzgerald v Baxter State Park and (b) Normandy v Baxter State Park
*researched and written by a FoMBW member who wishes to remain anonymous
Language matters. All of these words mean different things to us today than they did to people living in 1946. These words also make it difficult for us to understand Gov. Baxter’s true vision and intent for Baxter Woods. For example: did the Governor wish for “Baxter Woods” to be a “bird sanctuary” when he dictated that the space “shall forever be retained and used by [the] City in trust for the benefit of the people of Portland as a Municipal Forest and Park, and for public recreation and educational purposes”?
Today, a “bird sanctuary” is not a space that welcomes “public recreation.” In Gov. Baxter’s time, a “bird sanctuary” meant a place where birds were free to thrive, away from hunters and hunting. "Baxter Woods,” Gov. Baxter further dictated, was designed for “the sole use of pedestrians.” There is no mention of bicyclists or skiers (although people today frequently bicycle and ski in Baxter Woods), and there is no mention of whether he would have considered people’s dogs “pedestrians,” or whether they would be allowed off-leash.
Why? Because there were no leash laws in 1946, when Baxter Woods was created. Dogs accompanied their owners “off-leash" all over Portland.
DO WE HAVE A WAY OF KNOWING WHETHER GOV. BAXTER WOULD HAVE ALLOWED OFF-LEASH DOGS IN HIS "BAXTER WOODS?"
We do. Governor Baxter was one of Maine’s earliest and most fervent animal rights activists. He was famous for his love of all animals, dogs in particular. He never married, but over the course of his life, he both bred and owned many Irish Setters. He never had fewer than two, and once had five. When his dogs died, he famously buried them on Mackworth Island, with their own personal plaques. In fact, Governor Baxter was so passionate about his dogs, and their right to be free and safe in public spaces, that he wrote a small book about it.
“My Irish Setter Dogs” is available here.
Governor Baxter did not spend “one day” without his dogs. During Baxter’s life, when there were no leash laws, dogs went with their owners all over the city. Gov. Baxter’s dogs, always by his side, came with him to Portland on business trips. In the excerpt “A Serious Accident,” Baxter describes a day he brought two of his setters to Portland and one of the dogs was hit by a trolley. One of the dog’s front paws was cut off. Rather than euthanize the dog, Baxter said, “I insisted that I wanted the dog treated just as though he were a human being…”. The dog lived on with Baxter for nine years. When his dog Garry died, he famously ordered the flag at the Capitol to be lowered to half-mast.
Gov. Baxter was so passionate about the rights of his dogs that his dog Deke went with him when he attended Bowdoin. Deke attended class with him. In chapel, Deke once walked up to the pulpit and fell asleep. “I do not recall that the college authorities ever objected to the dog,” Baxter wrote, "and I shall always remember the friendly and tolerant spirit they displayed.”
Gov. Baxter considered a “woods” to be a place where dogs were welcome, and welcome to be free. In the section called “Garry at Home at the Capitol,” Baxter says the following: “'‘Garry,' nine years old, is my constant companion in the Governor’s House, and in my office at the State Capitol. He goes back and forth with me between Portland and Augusta…my eight months old pup, 'Eirie,’ is trifle too impetuous to remain long in the Executive Chamber, but every day Mr. Chadbourne my secretary and myself, with the two dogs, walk together through the woods and over the hills back of the State House.”
It is clear that Gov. Baxter not only would have allowed “off-leash” dogs in Baxter Woods, he likely designed the space with dogs walking freely in mind. There would have been no reason to state outright that dogs should be kept “off-leash” because there were no leash laws. We can easily imagine our Governor longing for a place where he could walk his dogs freely and safely. The rights of dogs were equal, in the Governor’s eyes, to the rights of human beings.
We believe that the best public policies are created out of education and understanding—not out of fear.
“To appreciate dogs,” Gov. Baxter wrote, "in fact to appreciate and understand anything, one must learn and understand. A child should begin early to know animals and its life is not complete unless it has associated with them.”
1946 Letter & Relevant Maine Supreme Court Case Law
1. Baxter's letter, published April 14, 1946, in the Portland Sunday Telegram regarding his gift and intentions: Deed to the People of Portland
2. Two court cases concerning Baxter State Park and the Trustees/City Councilors role in managing Portland’s Mayor Baxter Woods: (a) Fitzgerald v Baxter State Park and (b) Normandy v Baxter State Park
*researched and written by a FoMBW member who wishes to remain anonymous