USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume II > Part 3
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The act of April 16, 1869, struck out of the park act the words "a piece of land commencing at the southeast corner of Kankakee avenue and Fifty-fifth street, running thence west, a strip two hun- dred feet wide, adjoining the north line of Fifty-fifth street," and inserted instead "a piece of land commencing at the northeast cor- ner of Kankakee avenue and Fifty-fifth street, running west, a strip two hundred feet wide, south of and adjoining the north line of said Fifty-fifth street."
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
The act of February 27, 1869, extended the territorial limits of Chicago so as to embrace the following: That part of Section 30, Township 40 north, Range 14 east, which lies west of the North branch of the Chicago river; Section 25, Township 40 north, Range 13 east, except that part of said section lying east of the center of the North branch of the Chicago river; Sections 26, 35, and 36, Township 40 north, Range 13 east; Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, 26, Township 39 north, Range 13 east; and that part of Sections 35 and 36, Township 39 north, Range 13 east, lying northwest of the center of the Illinois and Michigan canal, were added to the city and constituted a part of the West division. By this act the outside boundary of the West division was declared to be the outside boundary of the several wards which at that time extended to the present city limits. By this act also the "Board of West Chi- cago Park commissioners," to be composed of seven persons, was created. They were given power to buy or alienate land for boule- vards, pleasure ways or parks; could change the building line; could select three parks of not less than one hundred acres nor more than two hundred acres, the total cost not to exceed $900,000. The main boulevard was to extend from Fullerton avenue near the North branch first west and then south to a point near the Illinois and Michigan canal. Bonds and taxes were ordered.
The act of April 19, 1869, excluded from the limits of Chicago, Sections 25, 26, 35 and 36, Township 40 north, Range 13 east, and reattached the same to the town of Jefferson. The boulevard provided for in the act of February 27, 1869, was directed to be located so that it would join the one to be laid out westward from Lincoln park. It was also provided that the most northerly of the three parks arthorized for the West division should not be less than two hundred acres in extent and might be located in whole or in part south of Division street and north of Kinzie street.
In February, 1869, a large number of business men of Chicago petitioned Congress to pass such laws that thereafter "all purchases or sales of the loans and bonds of the United States should be made by inviting public competition through advertising for proposals, and that all sales of gold should be made at public auc- tion." This was signed by nearly two hundred of the leading men and business houses of Chicago, but by only seven banks and trust companies.
The act of February 8, 1869, fixed the boundaries of Lincoln park as follows: Commencing at the intersection of North avenue with Lake Michigan and running thence west along said North avenue to North Clark street; thence along North Clark to North Franklin ; thence along North Franklin to Fullerton avenue; thence along Fullerton avenue to the west line of the southeast quarter of Section 28, Township 40 north, Range 14 east; thence along said west line to the northwest corner of said southeast quarter of
Daniel Staly
1
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
Section 28; thence along the north line of said southeast quarter to Lake Michigan; thence along the shore of Lake Michigan at low water mark as the same now is or hereafter may be to the place of beginning. E. B. McCagg, John B. Turner, Andrew Nel- son, Joseph Stockton and Jacob Rehm were constituted the first Board of Commissioners of Lincoln park.
The act of March 30, 1869, authorized the Lincoln Park board to acquire by purchase or otherwise the following tract "All of the southwest quarter of Section 28, Township 40 north, Range 14 east, lying east of a line commencing in the east line of said quarter section at a point where it will be intersected by a line five hundred feet long running from the east line of Green Bay road and a right angle with said road, and running thence in a straight line north- westwardly parallel at such point of starting with the east line of said Green Bay road and continuing in a straight line to the north line of said quarter section ; and also all that part of Block 2 in the Canal Trustees' subdivision of Section 33 of said township lying east of the Lake Shore ditch.
"The narrow-minded, miserly prejudice, which feared the ex- pense of pleasure resorts and claimed no outlay sensible unless it brings immediate practical results in dollars and cents, is fast pass- ing away, and Chicago's young, enterprising, intellectual men have decided to have a whole system of public parks, as well as a whole system of schools, churches and other improvements. Until within a few months ago the park systems of Chicago have been uninviting, consisting of a good sized, partly improved tract on the Lake Shore in the North division and several little patches of grass scattered about the city. Now, however, we are to have one grand park, which will be about one-quarter larger than the great Central park, New York, and another one twice as large as that Eastern wonder, three others of from one hundred to two hundred acres each, be- sides these already reported."-(Historical Review of Chicago for 1869.)
The South Side park and boulevard authorized by act of the Legislature February, 1869, was voted on by the people on March , 26, 1869, and sustained by over 3,000 majority. The same act authorized the following parks :
PARKS.
Acres.
South Side park.
1,000
West Side parks 600
Riverside park 1,600
Lincoln park
Lake park 230
40
Union park
17
Ellis park
3
Washington park
216
Total
.3,4921%
Vol. II-4.
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
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The act of March 11, 1869, extended the north and south boun- daries of the Ninth ward westwardly to the center of Loomis street, which line was made the eastern boundary of the Twelfth ward south of the center of Van Buren street.
In 1869 Illinois passed an act granting the Illinois Central Rail- way company certain rights on the lake front, and the company sought to take possession of the land, but was enjoined by the United States District Court at Chicago, and this injunction was yet in operation in 1881.
The act of March 11, 1869, authorized the Chicago City Rail- way company to operate its lines in any of the townships of Cook county outside of Chicago, provided consent so to do was first obtained from the board of trustees.
The act of March 10, 1869, permitted the street railway com- panies to operate dummy or steam engines. The act of April 19, 1869, incorporated the Chicago Stock Exchange with a capital of $200,000. In 1869 Congress passed an act making Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati ports of entry. The act of April 29, 1869, authorized. the city to cause the Southwestern Plank road, or Ogden avenue, within the city limits, and any one street connect- ing said Southwestern Plank road, or Ogden avenue, with Reuben street, to be widened not exceeding one hundred and fifty feet, and to improve the same. The act of April 17, 1869, established a State road along Archer road.
The act of March 10, 1869, provided that thereafter municipal elections in Chicago should be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday of November of each year; that the officers then chosen should assume the duties of their respective offices on the first Monday of December of the same year; that the mayor, city attorney, treasurer, collector and clerk of the police court should be selected by the people; and that Chicago should be divided into twenty wards as follows :
First Ward .- All of the South division south of the center of the Chicago river and north of the center of Monroe street.
Second Ward .- All of the South division south of the center of Monroe and north of the center of Harrison.
Third Ward .- All of the South division south of the center of Harrison and north of the center of Sixteenth.
Fourth Ward .- All of the South division south of the center of Sixteenth and east of the center of Clark and the same projected to the center of Twenty-sixth and north of the center of said Twenty-sixth and the same projected easterly to the lake.
Fifth Ward .- All of the South division south of the center of Twenty-sixth and such line projected eastwardly to Lake Michi- gan, east of the center of Clark and such line projected southerly to the city limits.
Sixth Ward .- All of the South division south of the center of
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
Sixteenth and west of the center of Clark projected southerly to. the city limits.
Seventh Ward .- All of the South division south of the center of Sixteenth.
Eighth Ward .- All of the West division north of the center of Sixteenth and south of the center of Twelfth.
Ninth Ward .- All of the West division north of the center of Twelfth, east of the center of Centre avenue and south of the cen- ter of Van Buren.
Tenth Ward .-- All of the West division north of the center of Van Buren, east of the center of Aberdeen and Curtis and south of the center of Randolph.
Eleventh Ward .- All of the West division north of the center of Randolph, east of the center of Curtis, and south of the center of Fourth.
Twelfth Ward .- All of the West division north of the center of Twelfth, east of the center of Reuben, south of the center of Fourth and west as follows: Commencing at the center of Fourth street, thence south on Curtis and Aberdeen to the center of Van Buren, thence west to the center of Centre, thence south to the center of Twelfth.
Thirteenth Ward .- All of the West division north of the center of Twelfth, west of the center of Reuben, and south of the center of Lake.
Fourteenth Ward .- All of the West division north of the center of Lake, and south of the center of Reuben.
Fifteenth Ward .- All of the West division north of the center of Fourth and Chicago avenue and not included in any of the fore- going wards.
Sixteenth Ward .- All of the North division north of the center of North avenue.
Seventeenth Ward .- All of the North division south of the center of North avenue and north of the center of Division.
Eighteenth Ward .- All of the North division south. of the cen- ter of Division and west of the center of Franklin.
Nineteenth Ward .- All of the North division south of the cen- ter of Division, east of the center of Franklin and north of the center of Chicago avenue.
Twentieth Ward .- All of the North division south of the cen- ter of Chicago avenue and east of the center of Franklin.
Each ward was to be represented by two aldermen, each holding office for two years, one to be elected annually.
On June 19, 1869, it was enacted that, whereas the city of Chi- cago had three natural divisions-North, South, and West-each of which would in the future want a park or parks; and whereas the city had already expended a large sum on Lincoln park in the North division; and whereas the city was about to spend a large
54
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
additional sum on Lincoln park, while a much less sum had been expended on the parks of the South and West divisions; it was therefore enacted that the mayor and comptroller of the city of Chicago should issue bonds bearing not over 7 per cent. to obtain means to purchase and improve a park for each of the three divi- sions when the people of each of said divisions should decide to have the same; also to equalize the amount already expended or which might thereafter be expended upon Lincoln park.
The act of April 16, 1869, provided that all right and title to so much of fractional Section 15, Township 39 north, Range 14 east, as is situated east of Michigan avenue and north of Park row and south of the south line of Monroe street and west of a line running parallel with and four hundred feet east of the west line of said Michigan avenue, were granted in fee to the city of Chi- cago, with full powers to convey the same except ninety feet of the avenue, provided such conveyance should be approved by a vote of not less than three-fourths of the aldermen. The proceeds of the sale were to constitute "the park fund." The right of the Illi- nois Central railroad to the strip along the lake front was con- firmed; and the right of the State to the submerged land lying east of the track and breakwater for the distance of one mile between the south line of the south pier extended eastwardly and a line extended eastward from the south line of Lot 21, south of and near the roundhouse and machine shops of said company in the south division of Chicago, were granted in fee to the Illinois Cen- tral railroad to be held by them in perpetuity, but gave them no right to obstruct the harbor. The act also provided that the land submerged or otherwise lying north of the south line of Monroe street and south of the south line of Randolph street and between the east line of Michigan avenue and the track and roadway of the Illinois Central Railroad company, and constituting parts of frac- tional Sections 10 and 15, Township 39 north, Range 14 east, should be granted in fee to the Illinois Central, Chicago, Burling- ton and Quincy and Michigan Central Railroad companies to be used for a passenger depot, etc. For this land these three com- panies were required to pay to Chicago $800,000. It was declared that the grants to the Illinois Central company were upon the ex- press condition that it should pay in perpetually to the treasury of Illinois the percentum on the gross receipts stipulated in the charter.
"The bed of Lake Michigan does not and never did belong to the United States, and it has no authority to sell or convey it as public land. Lake Michigan has been denominated an inland sea, a pub- lic highway, and subject to the same rules of law which apply to the ocean. Owners of land upon its borders own to high water mark and no farther. The soil between high and low water mark and the bed of the lake belongs to the State, subject only to the con- trol of the United States in the regulation of commerce and navi-
55
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
gation. The boundary of Illinois on the east extends to the middle of Lake Michigan and when the State was admitted to the Union in 1818 on an equal footing with the original States, its jurisdiction over the waters of Lake Michigan and the soil beneath was coex- tensive with the boundaries of the State for all purposes except the power to obstruct navigation and to interfere with the regulation of commerce."-(Lyman Trumbull's brief, 1877.)
-
TWELVE LABORS OF HERCULES, 1858-1870
1. Raised street grades and buildings, two to six feet.
2. Paved seventy-five miles of streets with wood.
3. Built eighty-five miles of horse street railways.
4. Straightened the Chicago river channel.
5. Tapped a vast territory with railways.
6. Established sewerage and special assessment systems.
7. Established the Union Stock Yards.
8. Built and regulated a chamber of commerce.
9. Constructed the lake tunnel and secured good water.
10 Turncd a canal current through the river.
11. Built tunnels under the river.
12. Raised nearly 27,000 volunteers for the Union Army.
Mr. Chesbrough (chief engineer) originated the two great engi- neering feats-lake tunnel and deeper canal. The lake tunnel was begun early in 1864 and good water was secured March 25, 1867. Prior to 1870 the greatest amount of water used daily was 30,000,- 000 gallons.
The act of March 2, 1872, empowered cities with over 100,000 inhabitants to levy not to exceed one-fifth of one mill annually to establish and maintain a library and reading room. This act was really passed to aid Chicago, which had lost its libraries and because many books had since been donated and buildings were needed. It was declared that an emergency existed.
The act of March 7, 1872, defined the duties and powers of the State canal commissioners. They were prohibited from selling the ninety-foot strip along the canal, or any of the canal real estate in Chicago.
J. W. Newell built the first brick house erected after the fire at 205 Illinois street. This two-story brick house is yet standing.
STATEMENT PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 30, 1872.
Amount due city from State canal. $2,955,340.00 Revenue deficit bonds, delivered to city .. $250,000.00 Illinois Central Railway fund paid city .. 685,265.20 Illinois and Michigan canal revenue, paid city 258,545.79 Proceeds of 11/2 mill tax 184,496.69 1,378,307.68
Total
$1,577,032.32
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
An act of October 20, 1872, stated that whereas Chicago had expended $2,500,000 to secure the completion of the Summit divi- sion of the Illinois and Michigan canal under the act of February 16, 1865, and supplemental acts, and whereas the city had a vested lien on the canal and its revenues, and whereas the State has been paid its dues from the canal, and whereas the canal trustees had delivered the canal to the State, and whereas it was provided that the State, by refunding to Chicago its dues, relieved the canal of this lien, therefore it was enacted that the sum of $2,955,340, with interest thereon until paid, be appropriated to relieve the aforesaid lien ; that the same be paid to Chicago upon the execution of a re- lease of the lien. A tax of 11/2 mills and bonds were provided for to meet in part this outlay. They were to be called "revenue deficit bonds." The appropriation was made upon the proviso "that not less than one-fifth nor to exceed one-third of said sum so appropri- ated shall be received by said city and be applied in reconstructing the bridges and the public buildings and structures destroyed by fire, upon the original sites thereof, as already provided by the com- mon council; and the remainder thereof to be applied to the pay- ment of the interest on the bonded debt of said city and the main- tenance of the fire and police departments thereof. It was declared that, by reason of the great fire, an emergency existed and the act should take effect upon its passage.
The several companies called into service by the Governor in 1871 to protect property after the Chicago fire, were ordered paid by act of July 1, 1874.
In a joint resolution of 1879 the Legislature, after reciting that the postoffice at Chicago had been destroyed by fire three times in eight years, and that great inconvenience had been experienced, memorialized Congress to make an appropriation without delay to complete the postoffice and customhouse.
Act of April 13, 1881, reappropriated $4,798 to the Douglas Monument fund; it had lapsed to the State. The act approved Feb. 10, 1887, appropriated $50,000 for a monument to John A. Logan.
An act in force March 20, 1883, amended the act of March 7, 1872, to establish and maintain a public library. It authorized the city council to establish such a library and maintain it by levying not to exceed one half a mill on the dollar annually. The law was declared an emergency to enable Chicago to levy the library tax in the current levy.
The lands to be conveyed to Chicago by the bill recommended by the House committee on February 19, 1881, were the streets and grounds dedicated to public use in that part of Chicago known as Fort Dearborn reservation, which originally contained fifty-seven and a half acres. After having been occupied since 1804 as a mil- itary site the tract was in 1824, at the request of the Secretary of
57
HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
War, formally reserved from sale for military purposes. Fifteen years later (1839) the Secretary of War found that it would no longer be required for military purposes, and pursuant to the statute of 1819, proceeded to subdivide the tract into town lots and to lay out streets and alleys. Matthew Burchard, solicitor of the general land office, was selected by the Secretary of War to subdi- vide and sell the land. Without express authority for so doing Mr. Burchard reserved three or four acres adjacent to the lake for a park or public ground and marked the same on the map or plat "Public grounds, forever to remain vacant of buildings." In notes of the survey inscribed on the plat were the words, "The public ground between Randolph and Madison streets and fronting upon Lake Michigan is not to be occupied with buildings of any descrip- tion." The Burchard plat was styled "Fort Dearborn Addition to Chicago," and embraced the whole of the southwest fractional quarter of Section 10, Township 39 north, Range 14 east. A tract of an acre or two near the mouth of the river was reserved for lighthouse purposes. The sales of lots in this addition amounted to more than $280,000, which went to the United States treasury. At no time did the government object to the reservation of the three or four acres for a public park or common. The sales made around this reservation were made with the understanding that the tract was to remain open. The survey and disposition of the 571/2 acres remained acquiesced in for forty years. In 1881 it was main- tained that neither the Secretary of War nor his agent had legal authority to dedicate any of the land of the United States to the public for a park or any like uses. The committee held that it would be inequitable to change the condition of things after the lapse of forty years and after property rights had become adjusted along the basis established by Mr. Burchard, beyond the mere naked legal title of the United States in the tract held in trust for the people of Chicago. In 1881 Chicago asked for the title to this tract, with leave to sell same for depot or other uses-that portion east of Michigan avenue and west of the Illinois Central railway. The strip was about 800 feet long and adjoining it on the south was another strip about 400 feet long, for all of which the city expected to receive about $800,000. An objection to the transfer was that the public would be cut off from the lake front to the injury of commerce, but this was answered that the upblic was already cut off from the lake front there by the right of way of the Illinois Cen- tral railway, which had been there legally for nearly thirty years. To reach the lake front viaducts must be thrown over the railway tracks. The construction of the proposed depot could not interfere with any of these viaducts. At this time (1881) there were nearly twenty miles of wharf frontage in the city along the Chicago river and branches. The bill proposed released the barren legal title of the United States to the city of Chicago. As the whole question
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
was of greater interest to Chicago than to any other persons or cities, the committee concluded that as Chicago was the equitable owner she could be depended upon to do what was best for her- self with the tract. The accretions to the tract were not affected by the proposed bill. In 1852 an accretion which had formed next to the pier at the mouth of the river was sold on October 14 of that year by the Secretary of War to the Illinois Central Railway company for $45,000. The conveyance covered not only the land that had been formed, "but all the accretions made or to be made by the lake or river in front of the same and all other rights and privileges appertaining to the United States as owners of said lands. This conveyance was recognized by Congress in the act of August 1, 1854, for the relief of Jean Baptiste Beaubien. The railway was built in 1852 upon piles driven into the bed of the lake. "Any accretion formed in front of the water lots adjoining the above on the south sold in 1839 would belong to their respective owners. To all those lots the railroad company acquired title." Accretions in front of any grounds dedicated to public use would go with the title to same. But there were no such accretions, al- though there were artificial tracts between the railway and the original shore. The railway right of way was 300 feet wide and its western line was 310 feet east of the east line of Michigan ave- nue. In 1852 nearly all of the shore between the inner line of the railway and the outer line of the railway and the outer line of Michigan avenue was covered by the waters of the lake. The rail- way filled up its right of way with earth. Afterward the city filled the space between the railway and Michigan avenue. The land which the city now proposed to sell was of the uniform width of 310 feet-all or nearly all rescued from the lake at the expense of the city. East of the railway was a breakwater where the water was ten or twelve feet deep. Chicago had spent on this open tract about $160,000. The Valentine scrip under contention could not be located in this tract which by time and usage had been removed from preemption or private claim. The bill proposed was merely a release or quitclaim of the right and title of the United States to the city of Chicago-did not affect any adverse private rights .- (House Reports, Forty-sixth Congress, Third Session, Vol. 1.)
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