Saint Paul set aside land for parks as early as 1849 but did little to develop it while green space remained plentiful and accessible. As the city grew, parks became a priority, and in 1873 it purchased land along Lake Como despite objections that the $100,000 price was too high. Como Park saw few improvements for fourteen years, but after the Saint Paul Board of Park Commissioners was formed in 1887, its first project was to expand and develop the park. The board hired landscape architect Horace W. S. Cleveland to create a comprehensive design, and inmates from a nearby workhouse carried out much of the early labor, grading land, building roads, and planting more than 5,500 trees and shrubs. Only part of Cleveland's vision was completed before Frederick Nussbaumer became superintendent in 1891. Nussbaumer carried out much of the plan and also added decorative features that attracted large crowds, including exotic gardens, palm trees along Banana Way, giant lily pads in the Aquarium pond during summer, elaborate topiary sculptures, and areas inspired by gardens in France and Japan. Recognizing the importance of recreation, he also developed baseball diamonds, tennis courts, and other play areas in the early twentieth century, and rising demand led to more construction in 1914, including facilities for skiing and ice skating.
