August 26, 1927 – John Philip Sousa conducts
“Stars and Stripes Forever” on a terrace east of the new Buckingham Fountain as
the fountain is dedicated before 50,000 Chicagoans. And “As though responding to the direction of
the bandmaster and the magic of his baton, the fountain began to glow with misty
blue lights circling each of the three tiers.
A moment later the rush of water started. For half an hour the lights were played on
the 134 jets, through which 5,500 gallons of water were poured each minute, and
all the various lighting effects were displayed.” [Chicago
Daily Tribune, August 27, 1927]
Walter B. Smith, a friend of Kate Buckingham, the woman who donated the
fountain to the city in memory of her brother, Clarence, makes an address
explaining the donation for Buckingham, who is present among the guests in the
grandstand. Michael Igoe, a member of
the U. S. House of Representatives and a commissioner of the South Park Board,
accepts the $700,000 fountain on behalf of the city.
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