7 2 ▁Bird ' s ▁E ye ▁View ▁of ▁Char l eston , ▁the ▁north west ▁corner ▁of ▁Col onial ▁Lake ▁originally ▁was ▁land ▁that ▁was ▁possible ▁to ▁develop ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁houses . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁the ▁houses ▁were ▁removed ▁so ▁that ▁improvements ▁to ▁Col onial ▁Lake ▁could ▁continue . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁a ▁local ▁mill ▁owner , ▁Patrick ▁P . ▁To ale , ▁received ▁a ▁le ase ▁for ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁surrounding ▁the ▁lake . ▁When ▁he ▁tried ▁to ▁purchase ▁the ▁property , ▁local ▁citizens ▁strongly ▁opposed ▁the ▁request ▁and ▁file d ▁a ▁law suit ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁deal . ▁Judge ▁J . B . ▁K ers h aw ▁s ided ▁with ▁the ▁oppon ents , ▁ordering ▁that ▁all ▁remaining ▁property ▁held ▁by ▁the ▁city ▁be ▁retained ▁for ▁the ▁benefit ▁of ▁all ▁Char l est oni ans ▁and ▁that ▁a ▁commission ▁be ▁created ▁to ▁over see ▁the ▁property . ▁ ▁The ▁park ▁around ▁the ▁lake ▁was ▁developed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s . ▁The ▁current ▁configuration ▁of ▁a ▁lake ▁within ▁concrete ▁emb ank ments ▁with ▁a ▁wide ▁prom en ade ▁on ▁all ▁four ▁sides ▁was ▁largely ▁completed ▁by ▁ 1 8 8 5 . ▁ ▁" G ala ▁Week " ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁year , ▁with ▁a ▁fire works ▁display ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁P ond , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁an ▁und e velop ed ▁area . ▁Spect ators ▁filled