USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time > Part 145
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144 | Part 145 | Part 146 | Part 147 | Part 148 | Part 149 | Part 150 | Part 151 | Part 152 | Part 153 | Part 154 | Part 155 | Part 156 | Part 157 | Part 158 | Part 159 | Part 160 | Part 161 | Part 162 | Part 163 | Part 164 | Part 165 | Part 166 | Part 167 | Part 168 | Part 169 | Part 170 | Part 171 | Part 172 | Part 173 | Part 174 | Part 175 | Part 176 | Part 177 | Part 178 | Part 179 | Part 180 | Part 181 | Part 182 | Part 183 | Part 184 | Part 185 | Part 186 | Part 187 | Part 188 | Part 189 | Part 190 | Part 191 | Part 192 | Part 193 | Part 194 | Part 195 | Part 196 | Part 197 | Part 198 | Part 199 | Part 200 | Part 201 | Part 202 | Part 203 | Part 204 | Part 205 | Part 206 | Part 207 | Part 208 | Part 209 | Part 210 | Part 211 | Part 212 | Part 213 | Part 214 | Part 215 | Part 216 | Part 217 | Part 218 | Part 219 | Part 220 | Part 221 | Part 222 | Part 223 | Part 224 | Part 225 | Part 226 | Part 227 | Part 228 | Part 229 | Part 230 | Part 231 | Part 232 | Part 233 | Part 234 | Part 235 | Part 236 | Part 237 | Part 238 | Part 239 | Part 240 | Part 241 | Part 242 | Part 243 | Part 244 | Part 245 | Part 246 | Part 247 | Part 248 | Part 249 | Part 250
one year was not to be more than $200,000. No specific property was designated as the intended location for the parks, part of the duty of the commissioners being to select the sites for improvement ; but the prevalent idea was that Egandale, which had already been made a public pleasure-ground by Dr. William Bradshaw Egan, lying between Forty-seventh and Fifty-fifth streets, and east of Cottage Grove Avenue, would he selected ; the bill providing that the prospective park was not to be farther north than Thirty-fifth Street, nor farther south than Sixty-third Street, and was to also be between Michigan Avenue and Lake Michigan. The hill was signed and submitted to the people at the spring town election of Hyde Park, as a special vote. The voters, through misunderstanding the sentiment of the people, and possibly chicane, voted their ballots both affirmatively and negatively as to the park ques- tion ; and the act was killed by a majority of one hundred and sixty-nine votes. This, however, only acted as an incentive to another effort, and accordingly a hill was compiled wherein the location of the parks was defined. The situation of them was decided hy a committee of citizens, comprising Jonathan Young Scammon, George C. Walker, George R. Clarke, J Irving Pearce. Joseph M. Dake, Heury H. Honore, Chauncey T. Bowen, A. Emigh, P. R. Westfall, Schuyler S. Benjamin, John Fitch and John D. Jennings, The hill was given to Mr. Bowen to take to Springfield; and by the Legislature it was passed, by a vote of fifty- eight to two in the House, and hy a vote of twenty- three to one in the Senate: The act was approved February 24, 1869; the eighteenth section of such act providing that an election should be held in the towns of South Chicago, Hyde Park and Lake, on the fourth Tuesday in March next after the passage of the act, to ratify or annul said act : the act without such ratifica- tion hy the popular vote heing null and void. Such election was held, and resulted : For the parks and boulevards, 9,662 ; against the parks and boulevards, 6,935 : majority, making the act a law, 3.737. The land set apart by the act for the parks and boulevards was described as follows : "Commencing at the southwest corner of Fifty-first Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, running thence south along the west side of Cottage Grove Avenne to the south line of Fifty-ninth Street; thence east along the south line of Fifty-ninth Street to the east line of Hyde Park Avenue ; thence north on Hyde Park Avenue to Fifty-sixth Street ; thence east along the south line of Fifty-sixth Street to Lake Michigan ; thence southerly along the shore of the lake to a point due cast of the center of Section twenty-four 24 , in Township thirty-eight (38 north, Range fourteen (14 ; thence west through the center of said Section twenty-four / 24 to Hyde Park Avenue ; thence north on the east line of Hyde Park Avenue to the north line of Sixtieth Street, sn called ; thence west on the north line of Sixtieth Street, so called, to Kankakee Avenue ; thence north on the cast line of Kankakee Avenue to Fifty-first Street ; thence east to a point to the place of beginning. Also, a piece of land commencing at the southeast [amended to northeast by act of April 16, 1869] corner of Kankakee Avenue and Fifty-fifth Street, running thence west a strip two hundred feet wide adjoining the north line of Fifty-fifth Street, along said Fifty-fifth Street to the line between Ranges thirteen (13) and fourteen (14 east ; thence north, east of and adjoining said line, a strip two hundred feet wide, to the Illinois & Michigan Canal. Also, a parcel of land beginning at the southwest corner of Douglas Place and Kankakce Avenue, running thence south a strip of
Digmed by Google
558
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY.
Concert Et: "2
Lanırgated Leriby permisjon of Chicago Eng. L'a.
GRAND BOULEVARD.
n
PARK
Copyrighted. Vised by permission of Chicago Eng. Co.
DREXEL BOULEVARD,
.
HISTORY OF HYDE PARK.
559
WASHINGTON PARK.
From whom Purchased.
Property.
Amount Paid.
Gibson ..
North 15 acres.
$ 41,079 16
Hoffman ..
15 acres so, and adjoining.
37.500 00
James Marks.
12 actes,
42,000 00
William Turner
3 acres.
10,500 00
John 1). Jennings.
7% acres.
19,975 00
Mrs. Charles W. Cook.+
26 acres,
171,569 66
- Smith.
22 16 acres.
45,000 00
Mrs. Bailey
19.83 acres.
90,000 00
Theo, Schintz }
5 acres.
15.565 00
John G. Shortall.
ro acres.
16,000 00
Heirs of De. W. B. Egan
10 acres,
15,000 00
L. D. Boone ..
to acres.
40,000 00
Heirs of J. A. Bross, et al.
10 acres.
20,000 00
C. B. Farewell, cl al .....
10 acres.
16,686 72
George C. Walker.
20 acres.
37,000 00
Martin Andrews, et al. .. Charles Husby.
40 acres,
49,000 00
Ilartow
10 acres.
18,113 33
- Hamil
10 ACTES.
16,000 00
- Sheldon.
10 acres.
16,000 00
- Jacobs ...
10 acres.
15,000 00
W. McKindley.
10 acres.
16,500 00
Several owners.
10 acres.
16,000 00
Dr. Starr.
20 acres.
24,000 00
SOUTH PARK.
From whom Purchased.
Property.
Amount Paid.
Charles Anderson, et al. . North 50 acres.
$ 96,500 00
10 acs. so. and adjoining.
(Litigation.)
Bliss and Sharp .... ...
10 acres.
12,000 00
William P. Gray.
10 acres.
20,000 00
Morton and Clement ..
13 acres.
21,450 00
Heirs C. R. Starkweather .. 5 acres,
6,300 00
J. 1. l'lati .
10 acres.
20,000 00
Phillips or Dunlevy tractt Fel. south % section 13 ex.
(Litigation.)
C. C. Abbotı.
10 acres.
20,000 00
Mrs. S. 1). Kimbark.
20 acres,
28,750 00
Levi Blackwell.
10 acres,
15,000 00
Judge Dunlevy
100 acres,
125,000 00
Geo, M. Hambright ..
15 acres,
10,000 00
Mrs. S. D. Kimbark
5 acres.
5.000 1
--- Colchourt.
80 acres.
145,000 00
to acres (Hoyt subdivision.)
25,000 00
11. O. Stone.
30 acres.
24,000 00
. This plot was offered to the commissioners at private sale for $110,000, at the time fitigation wan commenced ; but the commissioners, after consulting with such authorities upon value of land an James H Rees, A. J. Averill, and others of like acumen, all of whom considered the price excessively high. pro- ereded with the litigation for condemnation, and, after three trials, were com. pelledi In pay the sum named and the costs of the litigation.
+ la 1871, the two hundred and eleven acres composing the Phillips, aow Duslevy, tract could have been condemned at a valuation of about $250,0001 bat, by advice of counsel, an agreement was made with Mr. Phillips to purchase the land for Coo per dere, but the title proved defective, and the land In still in litigation. In illo, this same property, of over two hundred acres, was proffered to the commmwcmers for about $2,000 an acre ; and interest added from 1872, which would augment the price to about $1,000 an acre ; and the majority of the old commissionrra were in favor of carrying out said agreement; but the change that took place in the board at this time prevented the fruitinn of the agreement, and the litigation was proceeded with ; and un one hundred und eleven acres a juilgment was rendered for $150,000 and accrued interest, malong about $!a6,poo.
$ In this rave the commimingere were offered the tract fer $1,son an acre. After nevete litigation, two trials and the payment of a large amount of costs, the sum named wan cumpulsorily exacted from the commissioners by judgment of court.
ogle
land one hundred and thirty-two feet wide, along the west side of said Kankakee Avenue, to a point one hundred and fifty feet south of the south line of Fifty- first Street. Also, a strip of land commencing at the intersection of Cottage Grove Avenue and Fifty-first Street, running thence east one hundred feet in width on each side of the center line of Fifty-first Street, to a point one hundred feet east of the center line of Drexel Avenue. Also, a strip of land extending north from the intersection of Fifty-first Street with Drexel Ave- nue, one hundred feet in width on each side of the center line of said avenue to the north line of Forty. third Street; thence northerly, a strip of land two hundred feet in width, till it meets or intersects with Elm Street in Cleaverville ; thence northerly along said Elm Street, two hundred feet in width, west from the east line of said street to its intersection with Oak wood Avenue." The first Board of Commissioners appointed were : John M. Wilson, Paul Cornell (who has remained continuonsly in office as such commissioner , 1.everett B. Sidway, George W. Gage and Chauncey T. Bowen. At the first meeting of the board the follow- ing gentlemen were chosen officers: John M. Wilson, president ; Paul Cornell, secretary ; George B. Smith, treasurer ; and George Washington Waite, chief engi- neer. Naturally, the next question discussed by the board was the best method of hypothecating the $2,000,000 of bonds they were authorized, by the act, to issue ; and which were to bear not to exceed seven per centum per annum. The bonds were disposed of at prices averaging eight per centum discount, and with the money thus realized the commissioners proceeded to procure the real estate designated. An appraisal of the eleven hundred acres by five prominent real estate dealers, during the winter of 1869-70, was $1,700,000. The Circuit Court appointed, as commissioners to estimate the augmentation of value to property by the park improvements, Benjamin F. Hadduck, W. L. Greenleaf and George Washington Waite. Their esti- mate was that the land would be benefited fifteen millions of dollars; a pretty good result from an invest- ment of $1,700,000. Then the commissioners pro- ceeded to purchase the land ; and the prices paid then, and the value of land in the immediate vicinity, will manifest how chary Messrs. Waite, Hadduck and Greenleaf were of over-estimating the augmented value. The principal part of the land was purchased in 1869 and 1870.
The following table will exhibit the prices paid by the commissioners for the acre property ; in some cases the price was only decided after protracted litigation ; but in the main, the lots were soll at a fair price by the proprietors, without recourse to appeals.
MIDWAY PLAISAUNGR.
From whom Purchased,
Property.
Amount Paid.
Clark and Martin.
40 acre -.
$ 30,000 00
20 acres.
32,400 00
Ileirs of Jackson, et al .. Emigh and Kilmer ..
20 acres.
76,000 00
...
...
40 acres.
59.287 51
Bruno Gansel
5 acres.
.
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY.
560
AUGMENTED VALUES .- The twelve acres sold by James Marks, and the three acres sold by William Turner, were patented to C. W. Cook in 1839. In 1865. John R. Case, et al., conveyed the lifteen acres to H. S. Monroe, et al., consideration 84.8;5; in 1866 H. S. Monroe, et al., transferred the property to H. O Stone for $7.500, and this grantee in turn conveyed to James Marks, in 1567. for $10.500. In 1870, Messrs. Marks and Turner sohl it for $52,500. In 1835, Charles W. Cook paid Szoo for the whole southeast quarter wherein the twenty-six acres sokl by Mrs. Conk are located, and in the same year soll one-half of the quarter section for Stoo to George W, Merrill. In 1868, Mes. Couk paid Thomas Foster, et al., $17.500 fur seven and one-half aeres in the same tract. The north fifty acres in South Park were entered-with eighty-three more acres-in 1835, by J. Smith, for 8187.08. In 1837, the fifty acres was sold to Norman Rew, for $1,000, In 1854, Mary L, Watson conveyed to John R. Pollard, et al., consideration. $4.250 ; i 1857. Henry H. Penniman soll the plot to Samuel Penniman for $15.000. lu 1868, j. 1). Platt paid $10,000 for ten acres : in 1870, the commissioners paid $1,930 an acre.
Relative. to the disproportionate amounts paid for the various tracts, it may be authoritatively stated that. at the time the first Park Act was passed. property in the district houndled by Forty-seventh and Fifty-first streets and Cottage Grove and Vincennes avenues, was selling for fram 8200 to 8300 per acre, and property smith of Fifty-first, and north of Sixty-third streets, for from Sioo to Sigo an acre. Therefore it is no illusory idea to consider, that the one thousand acres of ground could have been purchased for park purposes, in their present locality, at an average of $500 per acre at that time. But the defeat of the first park bill, and the perial that elapsed prior to the second bill passing, thoroughly informed the people of the prospective demand for their real estate for park purposes ; and from 1867 to 1872-73, the amounts asked were simply enormous. Not alone were the exaggerated ideas of property value caused by the park necessities, but like- wise by a disproportionate conception of the augmenta- tion of prices caused by the location of the parks. In many cases, in real estate transactions, four and five times as much as the property was actually worth was asked. The actual increase in value, however, has been enormous, as property in the vicinity of the parks that, in 1867, had been averaged at $500 per acre, now is worth from five to twenty thousand dollars per acre, according to location : some choice tracts adjoining the park being salable at much higher prices than the last quoted. But, had the first bill passed by the vote of the people, and the property been bought ere the park demand had excited individual cnpidity, there is no doubt that the land would have cost less than three quarters of a million, whereas now the purchase price, with interest, costs of litigation, etc., will bring the amount to the vicinage of $6,000,000.
The present park commissioners are Barnard Callahan, John B. Sherman, Louis Wahl, John R. Walsh and Martin J. Russell. Paul Cornell, the com- missioner who was on the board from its establishment, went out by reason of a decision of the Supreme Court of Illinois, Under the act of 188t, Mr. C'ornell was appointed commissioner for the third time, but the court decreed the act void and Louis Wahl was appointed in his place.
A statistical statement of the amount of land con-
verted into parks, etc., will be found in the ! wowil. table of the South Parks and Boulevards:
Total Area.
MHP4.
Tutal Lengilı.
Taipwird Arra.
Jackson Park
Washington l'ark. .
371
Gage Park. ...
20|
Midway PlatsJuice. . .
Grand He itevar 1, 199 feet wide
2.000.
Drexel Boulevaril, Sou feet wide
1.48
Oakwood Badevand, to0 feet wide
.50
Michigan Avenue E itlevard.
3.23 ..
3.25
Thirty-hiftt. Stice Boulevard ..
32
Pavilion 14 id 200 lert wide ..
3-50
3.95
Western Avenue Bundlevand, 2oo feet wide.
2. Ht
Fifty-seventh "Heet, boo leel wide.
.03
..
...
Total area of l'arks ..
1057
Total Length of Boulevards
13.55
Area of l'arks Improved
455
Tutal Length of Improved Drives
23.41
The following exhibit gives a general financial state- ment of the South Park commissioners up to December 1, 1883 :*
ASSETS.
Land purchased
Expenses of assessment (cost of) .....
Improvement and maintenance. .. . 83,222 522 30
Michigan Avenue and Thiny-fifth Street ..
162,065 26
3.384.567 56
Discount on bonds. ..
177,769 50
Premium and expenses on bonds, cx- change and negotiation. 7.526 60
155,205 10
Interest account bonds.
1,524,633 45
Tax certificates in possession of Com- mission, face value.
$4.082 60
American Exchange Bank, in dispule arising from Bowen defalcation.
50,516 zł
C. T. Bowen delatration. .. .
218,295 39
Less amount reserved for sinking fund of th83 aml balance of 1882
58,000 00
160,295 3)
114BILITIES.
ad Series. al Serles " A."" ad Serima "BI." Bonds sold . . $451,000 00 $500,000 00 $00,000 00
Bonds retired 248,000 00 100,000 00 12,000 00
$203,000 00 $400,000 00 848,000 00 $ 651.0001 00
l'ark tax collected. .
4,225.782 0;
Special assessment collected.
80,825 20
Sundry sources collected ..
3.00; 12
Interest accrued on bonds ..
15,296 6;
l'enalties, cuts and expenses on special assessment certificates,
including interest, cost of collec. tion and purchase 96,717 50 24.657 52
Interest on deposits ... 1,000 00
Bills payable (deferred land payment).
J. Irving l'earce, due him as Treas. urer. .
1.135 15
-
88.726,520 50
NOTE .- The amount collected to date on the special asse ment, viz., 84.225.732.07, is chargeable with the following items All expenses of assessment, all bomls given for land and interest * From Report of South Park commissioners to the County Conmawren of Cook County, from December 1, 10la, until December 3. 1503.
3.625.320 9;
Interest accrued on land account ...
45,392 04
Cash on hand ....
$3.208.05; 05 90,980 4
561
HISTORY OF HYDE PARK.
paid on same, all discounts, premiums, and Interest on bonds, all penalties, costs and expenses, and the difference of interest between The time of purchase of the park lands and the payment of the final installment of the South Park assessment, bringing the whole account on a final settlement greatly in arrears to land account.
THE WASHINGTON PARK CLUB are the proprietors of the Washington Driving Park, comprising eighty acres of land, just south of South Park, and located between Sixty-first and Sixty-third streets, and Cottage Grove Avenue and Grand Boulevard. The history of this club is thus given by the Chicago Inter-Ocean:
" The first thought of this club originated in the brain of Albert S. Gage, Esq., who has never faltered for a moment in his efforts to make the club a grand success. Through his instrumentality a stock company was formed with the capital stock of $150,000. With this start the club has to-day one of the finest courses in the country, if not in the world. Upon their lot has been erected a club house which cost upward of 850,000, and which far surpasses anything of its charac- ter in the world. There is nothing in America that can compare with the Washington Park Club. When the gates are opened Chicago will see the handsomest club house in the United States. In the laying out of the ground the club has had the good fortune to have the combined talents of S. S. Beman, the architect of Pull- man, and N. F. Barrett, the well-known landscape gardener. These gentlemen have worked together with a view of making the buildings and landscape harmon- ize, and the entire plat as picturesque as possible. There will be ample drives for the club members, and a perfect track for public meetings and members' speed trials. The grand stand will be the finest in the workl, being five hundred feet long, two stories high, fitted with refreshment rooms, parlors and reception rooms, the whole costing upward of $40,000, and capable of seat- ing ten thousand people. Stables are now completed to accommodate two hundred and eighty horses, and as many more will be erected in the spring. The club- house, which will occupy a position twelve feet above the track, with a lawn sloping from it, will be completed by May 1. It will be one hundred and thirty-six feet long by ninety-seven wide, and two storics, basement and attic in height. In the basement will be the kitchen, storerooms, heating apparatus, cellar, etc., and the attic will contain the servant and lumber rooms, On the main floor will be a spacious entrance hall, club office, café (with serving and wine rooms off , billiard-room, a ladies' waiting-room, a parlor for the directors, a lava- tory, and five private dining-rooms. Extending around the entire building on this floor is a veranda sixteen feet wide, which will be provided with chairs and other conveniences for witnessing the races. The second floor contains a grand dining-hall, seven private dining- rooms, wine and serving-rooms, a grand hall, ladies' parlor, ladies' toilet and private-room and cloak-room. A covered balcony sixteen feet wide also runs around the entire building of this story. All of the rooms and halls have fire-places specially designed for each by Mr. Beman. Upon the third floor are also some sleeping- rooms and bath-rooms, and upon the roof of the build- ing are two open observatories, from which every part of the park and surrounding country can be seen. The grand dining hall referred to will have an elaborate timbered ceiling, and all of the private dining-rooms will have sliding doors, so, if desired, they may be thrown together. The main entrance halls and stair- cases will be finished in white ash, and the rest of the structure will be treated in white pine. The main stair- case will be an elaborate affair, and will be a very
attractive feature of the large hall. The families of members are expected to visit the club, consequently the necessity of the strict scrutiny spoken of previously. At the present moment there are three hundred mem- bers admitted to this club. The initiation fee is $150, and the applications for membership are quite numerous. Before the gates open it is expected that there will be five hundred members. There is not a name on the rolls but what has passed the most rigid scrutiny, and a membership in the Jockey Club is virtually a guarantee of the owner's standing in society. The club have opened stakes for the various ages of thoroughbreds, and will give their inaugural meeting beginning June 28, closing July 12. Racing on alternate days. In the young classes the stakes closed October 15, with three hundred and seventy-five nominations. The entries for the general meeting close January 15, at which time fully as many more entries will probably be made. This new club will offer an opportunity to those who enjoy the better qualities of the turf sports The thou- sands who have each summer gone to Saratoga and other Eastern resorts to enjoy racing will now make this city the terminus of their summer tours. The resi- dents of Chicago who have long desired an objective point for their drives will find in this club the fulfill. ment of these desires. It will elevate the taste and benefit the turf. Fine turnouts will be numerous, and the sport will be dignified. Mr. J. J. F. Dewater, the late secretary, did much to further the success of the club, he being a member of the American Jockey Club of New York."
At the annual meeting of the Washington Park Club the following officers were elected: Lieutenant General P. H. Sheridan, president ; N. K. Fairbank, first vice- president ; Samuel W. Allerton, second vice-president ; John W. Doane, third vice-president ; Albert S. Gage, fourth vice-president ; John R. Walsh, treasurer ; John E. Brewster, secretary. Executive Committee-The president, vice-presidents and the treasurer, ex-officio ; H. J. Macfarland, John Dupee, Jr., George H. Rozet, James Van Inwagen, Martin A. Ryerson, Morton B. Hull and John E. Brewster, Buikling Committee- Morton B. Hull, Albert S. Gage, Martin A. Ryerson, Charles A. Schwartz, S. H. Sweet. Racing Stewards --- Albert S. Gage, George H Rozet, H. J. Macfarland, John Dupee, Jr., John E. Brewster. Furnishing Com- mittee-II. J. Macfarland, John Dupee, Jr., C. D. Hamill. House Committee-Charles Schwartz, Albert S. Gage, James Van Inwagen.
The club was organized February 8, 1883, and now owns property valued at $300,000.
OAK WOODS CEMETERY .- On the 12th of Feb- ruary, 1853. an act of incorporation was legalized, whereby Joseph B. Wells, William B. Herrick, John Evans, Norman B. Judd, William B. Egan, Ebenezer Peck. J. Young Scammon, R. K. Swift and Charles N. McKubbin were crystallized into "The Oak Woods Cemetery Association." The purport of such corpora- tion and the powers granted by the act can be readily inferred from the caption ; the land that they now own as a necropolis is situated betwen Sixty-seventh and Seventy-first streets and Cottage Grove Avenue and the right of way of the Illinois Central Railroad. The great event that has occurred at the cemetery was the unveiling of the monument to the memory of the sol- diers deceased in the War of the Rebellion; on Decora- tion Day, May 30, 1875. The ceremonies were under the auspices and direction of the ladies of the Soldiers' Home, and Whittier and Hilliard Posts of the Grand Army of the Republic. Four companies of the First
Dio ed by Google
36
1
:
562
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY.
Regiment I. N. G. participated in the procession, which was headed by Nevans and Dean's band ; in this pro- cession appeared a wagon, drawn by eight white horses, containing the customary thirty-eight young ladies dressed in white, emblematic of the States of the Union. On approaching the cemetery, the " Dead March in Saul " was played, and the military marched with arms reversed. Arriving at the monument the services were commenced pursuant to the ritual of the Grand Army of the Republic ; the pupils of Englewood school sang two songs under the leadership of Miss Mack and Mr. Murray, prayer was offered by Rev. Johnson, of Hyde Park, and Rev. Donnelly, of Englewood, read a script- ure passage and the assemblage sang " America." The consuetudinal original poem was read by Mr. Samuel West, of Hyde Park, and (the minds of the auditors being in a mournful mood attuned to this portion of the ceremony) the monument was unveiled. It is a hand- some work of art, representing a soldier, dressed in . fatigue uniform, standing at "parade-rest," upon a ped- estal of white marble, and a base of granite. After the unveiling, T. B. Bryan made a speech, the band played, Bishop Charles E. Cheney and H. S. Vail spoke ; the doxology was sung and the benediction pronounced, after which the audience dispersed to lay the customary foral offerings upon the graves of the quiet sleepers. The present cemetery is neatly laid ont and contains many handsome mausolea of departed citizens. The officers of the corporation are Marcus A. Farwell, presi- dent; George M. Bogue, secretary ; W. C. D. Grannis, treasurer, and William Dennison, superintendent.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.