Just west of the University of Chicago,
in the Hyde Park neighborhood, lies Washington Park. It serves the
South Side much
like Lincoln Park serves the North, featuring amenities
such as rolling lawns, winding trails, lagoons, boat rentals, a conservatory, and carriage
rentals.
While the North Side group of
citizens were lobbying for the creation of Lincoln Park
in the 1860's, two other groups, from the South and West sides
were also becoming organized in response to growing concern about
the inadequate amount and quality of park land in their
areas. As a result, three Acts of State Legislature were
approved in 1869, which established three separate park
systems: the Lincoln, South, and West Park
Commissions. The legislation specified the boundaries
expanding Lincoln Park,
and established new parks and boulevards by the South and West
Park Commissions.
The South Park Commission was given the
responsibility of developing 1,055 acres of property into what was originally considered
one park (South Park) and later renamed Washington and Jackson parks. The two sections
were linked together by a boulevard, the Midway Plaisance. Land transfers began in 1869
and the landscape architecture firm of Olmsted and Vaux was retained to design the new
park. The firm is recognized nationwide for its excellence in landscape
architecture.
Activities in the park tended to be passive such as lawn tennis, croquet,
and picnicking. |
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