"Probably the advantages of civilizations can be found illustrated and demonstrated under no other circumstances than so completely as in some suburban neighborhoods..." is a quote by Frederick Law Olmsted who is a American architect that was born in 1822 and was considered to be the father of American landscaping and has made many other achievements throughout his life.
They made Channels underground a lined with clay to prevent sepage in the surrounding soil. They were a big contribution and we still do something inspired by that today.
