Boston-born Francis Parkman (1823-1893), whose most famous books are "The Oregon Trail" and "France and England in North America," was a renowned American historian and leading horticulturalist. He was briefly a Professor of Horticulture at Harvard University's Bussey Institution (his successor at Harvard was Charles Sprague Sargent, creator and head of the Arnold Arboretum for more than 50 years) and the President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. In the 1850s, he purchased land bordering Jamaica Pond for his summer home. Today, the Francis Parkman Memorial sits near the former site of the house, while Francis Parkman Drive runs through the former location of his rose garden.