▁to ▁park ▁and ▁crow ded ▁onto ▁boats ▁in ▁the ▁lake . ▁Bo ats ▁were ▁a ▁popular ▁feature ▁of ▁Col onial ▁Lake , ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁even ▁began ▁requiring ▁lic enses ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁maintain ▁order ▁on ▁the ▁p ond ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 . ▁Starting ▁that ▁same ▁year , ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁boat ▁and ▁" t ub " ▁races ▁were ▁st aged ▁in ▁the ▁lake ▁for ▁local ▁boys ▁with ▁money ▁awarded ▁to ▁the ▁w inners . ▁For ▁a ▁time , ▁the ▁lake ▁was ▁closed ▁off ▁from ▁the ▁Ash ley ▁River ▁with ▁a ▁wire ▁screen ▁and ▁stock ed ▁with ▁fish ▁for ▁recre ational ▁fish ing . ▁ ▁Im prov ements ▁to ▁the ▁park ▁have ▁been ▁consistent . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁the ▁prom en ade ▁was ▁improved ▁with ▁a ▁stone ▁pav ement . ▁Other ▁improvements ▁were ▁considered , ▁but ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁security ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁caused ▁officials ▁to ▁question ▁the ▁idea . ▁A ▁dedicated ▁police ▁officer ▁was ▁assigned ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 4 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁pal met to ▁trees ▁were ▁plant ed ▁along ▁Ash ley ▁A ve . ▁and ▁more ▁extensive ▁land sc aping ▁was ▁carried ▁out , ▁but ▁officials ▁again ▁noted ▁that ▁v andal ism ▁by ▁children ▁playing ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁causing ▁problems . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁the ▁commission ers ▁who ▁o vers aw ▁Col onial ▁Lake ▁announced ▁that ▁new ▁ben ches ▁would ▁be ▁installed ▁and ▁forty ▁water ▁o aks ▁would ▁be ▁plant ed .