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1800)
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Glass
Book
COPYRIGHT DEPOSI'S
CHICAGO
THE GARDEN CITY
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Statue of Alexander von Humboldt.
CHICAGO
THE GARDEN CITY.
Its Magnificent Parks, Boulevards and
Cemeteries.
- - TOGETHER WITH OTHER - -
DESCRIPTIVE VIEWS AND SKETCHES.
Profusely Illustrated.
NAN
COMPILED AND EDITED .
BY ANDREAS SIMON.
CITY & WASHIYOR
155934
CHICAGO: · THE FRANZ GINDELE PRINTING CO., 140-146 Monroe Street. 1893.
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Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1893, by ANDREAS SIMON, in the Office of the Librarian at Washington, D. C.
Fique .5 .561
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The Half-Tone Illustrations in this Book, were made by J. MANZ & Co., Engravers, 183, 185 & 187 Monroe St., - CHICAGO.
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CONTENTS.
Page.
OUR BEAUTIFUL PARKS 11
Lincoln Park 15
The South Park System. 40
The West Chicago Parks 60
Humboldt Park
Garfield Park 82
Douglas Park 86
West Side Boulevards. 90
Mineral Wells
101
West Park Commissioners 105
VOICES FROM THE FIELD OF THE DEAD
106
GARDENS OF THE DEAD. 109
Chicago Cemeteries - Introduction 111
Early History of Chicago Cemeteries
115
Graceland 116
Rosehill 123
Calvary
133
. St. Boniface
140
Wunder's Churchyard -Jewish Cemeteries 144
Oakwoods Cemetery 148
St. Maria - Mount Greenwood 152
Mount Olivet 156
Mount Hope 159
Forest Home
163
Waldheim Cemetery 167
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Page.
Small Jewish Cemeteries
171
Concordia Cemetery 172 Mount Olive 175
Bohemian National Cemetery 179
OTHER SKETCHES AND VIEWS. 183
P. S. Peterson's Rosehill Nursery 187
Egandale 195
Domestic Conservatories 199
The Queen of Aquatics 211
Floriculture at the World's Columbian Exposition. 215
Edward S. Dreyer 219
Theodor A. Kochs 220
John M. Smyth Building 221
BUSINESS NOTICES 223
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page.
1. Statue of Alexander von Humboldt. 2
2. Equestrian Statue of Gen'l Grant, Lincoln Park 13
3. Bridge in Lincoln Park 17
4. The "Mall" in Lincoln Park ... 21
5. Schiller Statue in Lincoln Park 25
6. The Linne Monument in Lincoln Park 29
7. Flower Parterre, showing Old Palm House, Lincoln Park 33
8. Indian Group in Lincoln Park 37
9. Grant Monument in Lincoln Park.
41
10. Washington Park. 45
11. Sun Dial in Washington Park
49
12. Gates Ajar in Washington Park 53
13. Residence of Mrs. Catharine Seipp, Michigan Boulevard 57
14. The Humboldt Monument in Humboldt Park 61
15. Residence of Wm. Schmidt near Lincoln Park 65
16. Humboldt Park 69
17. Scene in Humboldt Park
75
18. Monument of Fritz Reuter 79
19. Scene in Garfield Park. 83
20. Residence of Andrew Leicht near Wicker Park. 87
21. Edw. Uihlein's Conservatory near Wicker Park 91
22. Residence of Hermann Weinhardt near Wicker Park 95
23. Residence of Geo. Rahlfs near Wicker Park. 99
24. Residence of E. S. Dreyer near Lincoln Park 103
25. Entrance to Graceland . 108
26. Monument of Frederick and Cath. Wacker 113
27. Scene in Graceland . 117
28. Entrance to Rosehill. 121
29. "Battery A" Monument, Rosehill. 125
30. Hon. John Wentworth's Monument. 129
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Page.
31. Entrance to Calvary .
32. Soldiers' Monument in Rosehill 133
33. Monument of Mrs. Louise Hesing in St. Boniface 137
34. Allerton Monument in Graceland. 141
145
35. Gateway to Oakwoods Cemetery .. 149
36. Monument to Volunteer Fire Brigade . 153
37. Monument of Prof. Cummings Cherry 157
38. Entrance to Forest Home 161
39. Scene in Forest Home. 165
40. Entrance to Waldheim 169
41. Monument of John Bühler 173
42. View in Waldheim.
43. Bohemian Cemetery 181
44. Residence of P. S. Petersen
185
45. Scene in Waldheim 189
46. Scene in Waldheim 193
47. Egandale-Porch Decoration 197
48. Residence of Adolph Schöninger .201
49. Egandale-The "Flower Basket" 205
50. J. C. Vaughan's Greenhouses 209
51. Egandale-The "Rockery" 213
52. Scene in Waldheim 217
PREFACE.
T HE admirable and extensive Park System of the "Fair " City testitics loudly to the fact that the legislative authorities of the State of Illinois had early recognized the high value of public gardens and the sanitary benefits which large cities derive therefrom.
Ample provision is made that onr parks, the "lungs" of this large city, are from year to year enriched by new charms and additional landscape scenery, thanks to the munificence of the people who every year pay many thousands of dollars into the treasury of the park commissioners. The fact is conceded by all that the parks are a necessity for the health of the people and a means for their moral and æsthetic education.
Every human being, who has an open heart for the beauties and joys of nature is gladdened when he gives himself up to the agrecable influences of these shady groves, for they help him to forget and bear more easily the troubles and cares of every day life. Soothed and with new vigor of body and soul he returns to his accustomed occupation.
What then could be offered to the masses in large cities, earning their daily bread in the sweat of their brow, that would be more pleasant and bene- ficial than the opportunity to spend their short hours of recreation in the glorious temple of nature with its innocent and precious joys ?
Of special value are our parks to the people of Chicago on Sundays and Holidays. Then they pour into these lovely groves on foot and in carriages to enjoy there the cool shade of the trees, the sight of the many colored flower beds and the purer air. This is indeed a recreation for the toiling laborer and where else could it be found within his reach, but in these gardens which are so richly endowed by nature and art? And what a refreshing spring of health and pleasure these parks are for the children !
They indeed prove a great blessing to all the people, and especially to those who between Sundays and Holidays are huddled together in dingy quarters and are exercising and tasking all their strength to keep want from their threshold. The pure fresh air, laden with the fragrance of flowers, the elevating sight of the green meadows, the groves with their feathered song- sters, the flowers, and the ponds with the swiftly flying boats plowing their mirror-like surface, give new courage and hope to the faint hearts ; and the children of the poor classes, growing up amongst want and privations in un- healthy hovels, generally preys to disease during the hot days of summer, gather new strength here, and the refreshing air, fanning their feverish cheeks, together with the sights of all the beauties of nature bring sunshine and joy to these little sick and feeble ones, and in many cases no doubt health again, too.
Extraordinary exertions were made last year (1892) not only to give the several parks increased scenic charms but also to complete before the opening of the Exposition the chain of boulevards winding around the city as an incomparable beautiful cycle of green gardens.
Mr. John Thorpe, who knows perhaps more about flowers than any other man in this country and who for this reason was selected as chief of floricult- ure by the Director-general of the World's Columbian Exposition, has the following to say in regard to our parks and their floral decorations:
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"Owing in great part to its geographical position there is probably no city- in the Union whose Public Parks are as varied and interesting as those of Chi- cago. Each Park has its well known individual features and distinct charac- teristics, the result of their having been planned and laid out in each case under entirely different management.
Humboldt Park is particularly rich in natural landscape and the leading feature of Lincoln Park is found in its superb water effects. Douglas and Garfield Park each have attractive features purely their own, while Washing- ton Park probably derives its great popularity from the magnificent way in which temporary material, flowering and bedding plants, are shown during the spring, summer and autumn, of each year.
I am aware that the general work done in the Chicago Parks, and espec- ially that done by Mr. Fred Kanst, the Superintendent of Washington Park, has been criticized by writers in some of the leading publications of the country, but I feel that it is unjust to make such severe criticisms on work which is artistic in its way and no more counterfeit than is a portrait on canvas. I feel that many people would prevent children from seeing a chromo or a lithograph because their parents were not sufficiently rich to buy a Corot or a Turner pic- ture. It is a strange fact that of the hundreds of thousands of people, who visit the Chicago Parks, the large majority of them visit and linger most around the very features, which these so called critics condemn and it is in this vicinity, that the grass is trodden down almost beyond recognition under the feet of the great masses of people, who gather there to enjoy these very effects; thus showing the great interest that is taken therein by the very people to whose pleasure and enjoyment it is the main purpose of the Public Parks to cater.
It must be understood that there is a great deal of flower planting donc that is as free from geometry as are natures groupings, so there is no fear of there being one class of work neglected to the advantage or disparagement of another."
And the skillful florists of the several parks are determined to make a much finer show this year of flower decorations, than ever before.
It is the purpose of this book not only to be a guide for the many World's Fair visitors to and through the parks and boulevards and its park-like ceme- teries. but also to furnish needed information regarding the beauties and peculiarities, the size and arrangements of these public gardens and the astonishing progress made in landscape gardening. With the conviction that such a description of our beautiful and much praised park and cemetery- system, as it is now seen in its perfection, is calculated to awaken interest in and strengthen the love for this beautiful city, which will in itself during 1893 be the most wonderful and curious object on exhibition, this book is sub- mitted to an indulgent public and to all friends of nature by
THE AUTHOR.
Our Beautiful Parks.
Lincoln Park .- Equestrian Statne of General Grant.
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LINCOLN PARK.
All of our beautiful parks give evidence, that their high sanitary value was already fully recognized at a time, when Chicago was yet numbered among the smaller cities of our country, but none enjoy greater popularity among the people from abroad, as well as among those from our own city, as Lincoln Park, over on the North Side, where the foaming billows of mighty Lake Michigan break over the rocky beach of this magnificent stretch of park- land and moisten it with their spray.
The first move made in the direction of establishing Lincoln Park is found in the records of the Council proceedings of 1860, where a memorial is found signed by George Manierre, William Jones, Benjamin W. Raymond, Walter L. Newberry, Grant Goodrich and Mark Skinner (those pioneers and earliest workers for Chicago's present greatness, but who all now lie in their silent graves), stating that the cemetery, located then upon the 60 acres now forming the extreme southern part of the present park, was in a shamefully dilapidated condition and petitioning the Mayor and the city authorities to carry out in good faith their pledges to the purchasers of lots, to use the fund arising from the sale of lots in improving and keeping in repair said cemetery, and also stating that " it is not desired that there should be any extension of the limits" of the then existing cemetery grounds, and asking for the appointment of a special committee to take immediate action in the matter. In accordance with the request contained in said memorial James Long and Benjamin Carpenter were appointed such special committee to examine into and report on the matter. Jan. 10, 1860, said committee reported that negotiations were then pending with the officers of the Rosehill .Cemetery company for a section of its ground wherein to bury the dead falling under the city's charge, and also to insure a place of burial for the poor. It adds : "It seems to have become a settled thing in the public mind that no further extension of the cemetery grounds within the city limits be permitted." And it acknowledges the jus- tice of such sentiment as follows: "That it is the sacred duty of the city to live up to its pledges and to protect, improve, and save from delapidation the spot where the remains of our early settlers lie, in order that the citizens may have the fullest confidence in its permanency. And it is further ordered that the cemetery should not be permitted to extend bevond its then limits, and that the north sixty aeres should remain unoccupied.
It is stated in this letter that the ground purchased by the city comprises 120 acres; that the south sixty acres only have been subdivided into lots and sold for cemetery purposes, and after other suggestions is the following: "We propose the abandonment of this tract (the north sixty acres) to the city to be used for a public ground, and such other publie purposes (if auy) as the Com- mon Council may devote it to. We do not advise its sale; such a step we think would be unwise."
On June 13, 1864, an ordinance was introduced in the city council by John M. Armstrong, of the then 13th ward, consisting of three sections as follows:
1. That hereafter no bodies shall be buried in the Chicago cemetery, ex- cept in the lots which have been sold by the city ..
2. All the north part of the Chicago cemetery which has not been sur- veyed and divided into cemetery lots (here follows the description) is hereby set apart for and declared to be a public park, and shall be known by the name of-
See. 3 provides, in substance, for the subdivision and sale of certain other property in the vicinity of the cemetery grounds, owned by the city, "the proceeds of which shall be applied to the improvement of a public park afore- said," etc.
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The matter by the records appears to have stood in this shape, it not appearing that any opposition was made; at least there is none to be found in the printed records of the Common Council until Oct. 21. 1864. when it appears that Ald. Armstrong called the matter up, and after some controversy as to the third section the first and second sections were carried unanimously and the third section rejected, and Ald. Holden moved that the blank in the second section be filled in-" Douglas Park." This was rejected by a vote of 14 to 9 Ald. Woodman moved that the park be named " Lake Park," and the said two sections were then so unanimously passed.
Subsequently July 5. 1865. the late Ald. Iver Lawson moved, that as the park on the lake front and Michigan Avenue was named " Lake Park " the said sixty acres of the cemetery grounds be known as " Lincoln Park," which was unanimously carried.
But the Armstrong ordinance prohibiting burials in the potters' tield, was almost entirely disregarded, and since its passage some 533 bodies of pauper- had been buried there (sixty-three of them at the city's expense), so on Sept. 4. of that year a resolution was introduced in the Council, which was immedi- ately passed, ordering the proper authorities to attend to the rigid enforce- ment of said ordinance in that regard.
As a legal proposition, the rights of the lot holders under their purchases were inalienable and could not under ordinary circumstances be interfered with. April 2, 1866, a resolution to the Common Council was immediately adopted. appointing a special committee for the purpose of consulting with the City Physician and other leading physicians as to the effect upon the gen- eral health of the city from the practice of burials in the old cemetery and the Catholic Cemetery adjoining on the south, they being so near our water supply. ete. Said committee shortly afterward reported in substance that as a sanitary measure all such burials should be prohibited as injurious to the public health. etc. U'pon said report Alderman Proudfoot drew up and presented an ordi- nance as a sanitary measure, prohibiting all burials, extending such prohibi- tion to the entire limits of the City of Chicago, which was passed by a vote of 27 to 2. May 28. 1866. This put a stop to all future burials within the limits of the City of Chicago, and as a matter of course created a great deal of dis- satisfaction among the majority of the purchasers of lots in the said cemetery.
Finally the authorities got the said lot owners' consent to the removal of all the bodies interred in their lots in exchange for equally valuable lots in some one or other of the new cemeteries, and the final result was that said cemetery was almost entirely vacated and handed over to the city for park purposes.
Mr. W. C. Goudy. President of the Lincoln Park Board for the last five years, who has been connected with Lincoln Park either as attorney or com- missioner from the time of the passage of the original park ordinance, took an active part in originating the park system in 1863. It so happened that on a visit to the grounds, which lav between Center Street and Webster Ave., the idea occurred to him also, that the ground was suitable for a park and he accord- ingly examined the title of property and ascertained that it was not dedicated for a cemetery, but belonged to the city by an absolute purchase, with a right to use it for any public purpose. He then procured the active service of Voluntine C. Turner, who was then in the management of the north side street railroad. and, after having revised the ordinance, with his influence exerted upon other aldermen in aid of the efforts made by Alderman Armstrong, the ordinance was passed.
But notwithstanding the prominent part the aforesaid gentlemen have taken in the matter of originating or promoting the Lincoln Park project. a great deal, if not most of the credit is due to the old Board of Public Works. which came into existence in the year 1561. To prove this assertion it is only necessary to go back to the early reports of this body and to select from these the one submitted to the city council February 8th. 1862 Here Commission ers John G. Gindele ( president of the Beard for four years). Benjamin Car- peuter and Frederick Letz make the following statement in reference to the old city cemetery :
--
X
Bridge in Lincoln Park,
.
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" Perhaps as general an interest will be felt in the work done in that part of the grounds, lying north of the cemetery proper, and which has not yet been subdivided into lots. Here are some 40 acres of public grounds of di- versified surface, bordering on the lake, covered with a young growth of wood, and affording to the city the promise of an attractive park, at a small expense. Without any large expenditure here, a good deal has been accomplished in giving the grounds an inviting appearance, and by trimming up and thinning the young trees, to secure a good growth and shape to such as are left stand- ing. A gate has been built in this part of the grounds, and several small bridges thrown across the county ditch flowing through the grounds and dis- charging into the lake. Continuous drives will be made through the cemetery and park, and the grounds made a pleasant place of resort for parties either walk- ing or riding. It is very desirable that these improvements should not be ar- rested here, and as the funds with which they have been made are nearly ex- hausted, that means be provided for their further progress."
And again, looking through the report of the Commissioners under date April 1, 1863, a year previous to the time Alderman Armstrong introduced his park ordinance to the council, we find the following pointed reference made to the desirability of establishing a park on the site where Lincoln Park now is situated: "But little could be done for the park, as the appropriation was very meagre. It would, doubtless, gratify the citizens to see well ornamented the small amount of public grounds which the city has. We especially recommend that liberal provisions be made for laying out and improving the grounds to be used for a park at the north of the cemetery. It is desirable that a regular plan be determined on for ornamenting these grounds, and for drives and walks connecting with the cemetery and connecting streets and that an annual appropriation be made to carry it out. This park will have an extent of about fifty acres."
This oasis in the busy metropolis of the west is situated only two miles distant from the Court House and is bounded on the east by Lake Michigan, on the north by Diversey Street, on the south by North Avenue and on the west by Clark Street. It is easily reached from the heart of the city by using the Clark or Wells Street Cable cars on their northward trips. Lincoln Park now contains over 300 acres, and is made all the more interesting through its many monuments of great and good men. The Park Board was created by an act of legislature in 1869, and four years later the condemnation proceedings were completed, the title to all the territory to be embraced within the parks except a small portion of the cemetery tract, acquired, and the Pine Street Drive was so far completed as to be opened for public use. In the original act E. B. McCagg, J. B. Turner, Joseph Stockton, Jacob Rehm and Andrew Nelson were named as the first Board of Commissioners. They met March 16, 1869, and were organized by the election of E. B. McCagg as President. The time of the Board for the first year was mainly devoted to a topographical study of the territory to be embraced within the Park-preparing plans for future improvements, and starting the machinery which had been devised by the law. On the 26th of February, 1871, the Board suffered a serious loss by the death of Mr. John B. Turner, one of its most valued members. By an act of the Gen- eral Assembly approved June 16, 1871, provision was made for the appoint- ment of a new Board of Commissioners, a question having been raised as to the power of the legislature to name the Commissioners in the law. In Nov- ember, 1871, the Governor appointed as such Commissioners Samuel M. Nickerson, Joseph Stockton, Belden F. Culver, Wm. H. Bradley and Francis Kales, to succeed the Board which had been named in the original law. The first meeting of the new Board was held Nov. 28, 1871, and organized by the election of B. F. Culver as President. Under the administration of this Board proceedings were instituted for acquiring title to the various tracts of land embraced within the limits of the Park. In February, 1874, Commissioners Nickerson, Bradley and Kales resigned, and the Governor appointed as their successors, F. H. Winston, A. C. Hesing and Jacob Rehm. At the meeting of the Board Feb. 24, 1874, B. F. Culver resigned as President and F. H. Win- ston was elected as President of the Board.
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During the term of this Board, the condemnation proceedings were com- pleted. Commissioners Rehm and Hesing, who had done yeomen's service during the two years of their official labors and to whose indefatigable energy and foresight the Park Board of that time was deeply indebted, resigned in July 1876, and the Governor appointed as their successors, T. F. Withrow and L. J. Kadish. Commissioner Culver resigned in June, 1877, and the Governor appointed Max Hjortsberg as his successor.
Pursuant to the provisions of the original act, which contemplated, that Lincoln Park should be a City Park, the Board in 1869 applied to the Mayor of Chicago to issue the bonds of the city for an amount necessary for the pur- chase of the land to be embraced in the Park. The Mayor refusing to act in the matter, an application was made for a mandamus to compel the issue of the Bonds. The law being declared invalid, additional legislation became neces- sary, which by an act of the General Assembly approved June 16, 1871, author- ized a special assessment to be made by the corporate authorities of the towns of North Chicago and Lake View (within which towns the Park lies), on all lands deemed benefitted, for the enlargement and improvement of Lincoln Park. Pursuant thereto, an assessment was made in 1873 and confirmed by the Circuit Court. On an appeal to the Supreme Court an error was pointed out in the law which again compelled the Commissioners to invoke the power of the Legislature, and ask that the law be amended in conformity with the decision of the Court.
A special assessment as provided by an act approved Feb. 18, 1874, was made in July, 1875, by the Supervisor and Assessor of the town of North Chi- cago on all lots and lands in said town deemed benefitted by the proposed im- provement, and was sustained by the Supreme Court. Thus the Board had been enabled to secure the lands which are embraced within the limits of the Park. In the character of the improvements the various Boards have ever and successfully endeavored to keep the expenditures within their means, and have studiously avoided costly architectural display, preferring the simplest and most economical treatment consistent with good taste and the public require- ments.
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