City Beautiful was a strategic effort to improve Harrisburg. With every effective project there are strong leaders. In the City Beautiful movement, these leaders each played significant and distinct roles.
J. Horace McFarland played a key role in influencing popular opinion, helping lead the Municipal League, and campaigning for improvements. Mira Lloyd Dock sparked the public’s approval for the whole idea of City Beautiful. Warren H. Manning was influential in developing the parks and green spaces. These are just a few of the main influencers in the movement. Others include James Fuertes and Vance McCormick— the future mayor.
In this exhibit, we focus on McFarland, Dock, and Manning. This exhibit explores their separate lives and their connections through their correspondence and other various items. The purpose of exploring these connections between the reformers is to discover their network and gain insight into how they influenced each other, and in turn how they influenced Harrisburg. This exhibit also explores the ways in which they diverged in opinions or connections. This exhibit starts with McFarland by searching through his correspondence and involvement in the Municipal League. Then it looks at Mira Dock’s letters and articles. Finally, it looks at Manning and various other reformers.
Credits
Anna Strange