Cutler Park
Cutler Park is a 700-acre (280 ha) state park in Needham, Massachusetts that lies between Route 128/I-95 and the Charles River. It contains the largest remaining freshwater marsh on the middle Charles River, with parts of its major trail running directly through the marsh via boardwalks, and thus over 100 species of birds have been sighted there. At the north end, a trail goes around Kendrick Pond (also called Cutler Pond). The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and it is part of a plan by the Town of Needham to connect 18 public areas by 35 proposed trails.
History
Along the west side of Kendrick Pond remains the imprint where soil was removed in the 19th century to fill the area now known as the Back Bay in Boston. An extension of the railroad was added so the soil could be transported into Boston. Some of the old tracks are visible near the north entrance of the park on Kendrick Street. The large marsh in the park is not natural, but rather was created by flooding from the Silk Mill Dam in Newton Upper Falls in the 1890s. These wet areas were used in the past for wells and irrigation, and remains of filter ponds, ditches, and water systems are still present.
