Hartley W. Mason, born in Portland, New Hampshire in 1844, envisioned this land as a public “pleasure ground forever.” His will provided that upon the death of his principal heir, the property was to be improved and beautified for public enjoyment. Over the course of a varied and busy life, he was a haberdasher, a salesman of woolen goods, a shopkeeper, an international traveler, a real estate developer, a husband and father, and a visionary. In 1881 he purchased the first of the land, buildings, and enterprises that made up most of his local real estate holdings. Six summer houses were built atop this knoll, a pavilion with 400 changing rooms stood near the beach where the public facility is located today, and across the street from the park were four additional businesses, including two homes and two retail businesses. Although his achievements were many and varied, little biographical information about him survives beyond some municipal records, anecdotal information, his will, and his real estate holdings. He lived 82 years and died in December 1925, leaving York grateful for his enterprise and vision.