December 11, 1911 – At a meeting of the Chicago City Council Mayor Carter
Harrison reveals that an agreement has been reached between the South Park
commissioners and the Illinois Central railroad in which the city will take
possession of the lakeshore between Park Row on the south end of what is today
Grant Park and Fifty-First Streets. The Chicago Daily Tribune says of the deal,
“These riparian rights, heretofore held in the grip of the railroad, have a
value to the citizens of Chicago that is considered by the park commissioners
beyond computation, considering that they will now be enabled to construct a
shore boulevard drive between Jackson and Grant parks, with bathing beaches,
pleasure piers and islands.” [Chicago Daily Tribune, December 12, 1911] A direct result of the agreement will be a place
between Twelfth and Thirteenth Streets for the Field museum after the railroad
tears down its central station and associated outbuildings in that area. The railroad also benefits as between
Thirteenth and Fiftieth Streets its right-of-way will be increased to a width
of 400 feet. The railroad will also
lower its tracks below grade north of Twelfth Street, in effect hiding its
operation as much as possible from sight. There are dozens and dozens of other
stipulations in the agreement, but there is probably no other document in the
city’s history that has done more to create the extensive green space along its
shoreline than this one. South Park
Board President John Earton Payne says the agreement will make the connection
between Grant Park and Jackson Park “the most beautiful parkway and drive in
the world.” The above photo shows the south end of Grant Park and the Illinois Central terminal in 1911. The statue in the middle of the park is the statue of General John A. Logan -- still in the same location today -- showing how much the lakefront has changed in this area along in the past century.
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