Sometime in the late 1840s or early 1850s, Abraham Burbank established a gentleman's farm on land purchased from a Strong descendent.

A portion of Burbank's land, including the house, was sold in the 1850s to a private boarding school operated by Charles Abbott.

Around this time, Burbank apparently began construction on Elmhurst, the building that is now called Springside House.

[2] The formation of the park was spearheaded by former mayor Kelton Miller, who began purchasing land near the Burbank/Davol/Stephens estate in 1908.

The Stephens estate was acquired by Miller's sons in 1938 and donated to the city, and the city also acquired from the William Alton Pierce family a 39 acre "cow pasture" on the north side of the estate the same year, making the park over 120 acres (49 ha) in size.