CHAPTER VIII
PLAN OF CHICAGO
The Plan a result of systematic study 119
The cost involved in carrying out the work 119
Wealth created by the growth of population 119
The people are financially able to realize the Plan 120
Three great public works undertaken by Chicago 120
The public spirit of Chicago as shown in music, art and education 120
Gifts for the public good 121
Reasons for believing that the public will favor the Plan of Chicago 121
The Plan both practical and beautiful 121
The advantages to be derived from systematic development of Chicago 121
Elements of the Plan reviewed 121
Improvement of the Lake front an economic necessity 122
Ease of realizing the interurban highway system 122
The transportation problem to be worked out by the railroads 122
Additional parks necessary to the physical and mental well-being of the people 123
The attractive city a source of both wealth and satisfaction 124
APPENDIX
LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO
Introductory 127
Outer parks, boulevards, and circuits 130
City parks, squares, boulevards, and avenues 133
Lake shore development 137
Transportation problems 139
Control of lands adjacent to public improvements 139
Congested areas 151
Present borrowing and taxing powers 151
Conclusions 154
INDEX 157
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Bird’s-eye view, showing the location of Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, together with the surrounding towns connected with the city by radiating arteries _Frontispiece_
Wood-cut of Chicago in 1834 1
The World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893 2 The Court of Honor, showing effect of a uniform cornice line 3 Plan showing orderly arrangement of buildings 5
The Lake Front Park, original plan, 1896 6 Modified plan, 1904 7
The World’s Columbian Exposition; view of the Court of Honor, looking west 8
The Pyramids at Gizeh 9
The Acropolis at Athens 10
The Greek Theatre at Syracuse, Sicily 10
Plan showing Nero’s Circus at Rome (First Century), Basilica of St. Peter (Fourth Century), and the present Cathedral of St. Peter (Sixteenth Century) 11
An ancient Roman circus, near the Appian Way 12
The Ponte Molle, Rome 12
Transformation of the banks of the Seine in Paris 14
Chronological views of the Place de la Bastille, Paris 15
The transformation of Paris under Haussmann: plan showing the portion executed from 1854 to 1889 16
Paris. Plan proposed by M. Eugene Hénard for additional radial arteries and an inner circuit boulevard on which would front the principal existing administrative buildings and many public monuments 17
Vienna. City center, in 1857, showing the fortifications 19 City center, after transformations made by order of Francis Joseph in 1857 19
London. Plan of Aldwych and Kingsway connecting Holborn and the Strand 20
London Traffic Commission’s plan for new thoroughfares to overcome congestion, 1907 20
Original plan of Washington designed by Peter Charles L’Enfant, 1791 22
The L’Enfant plan of Washington as developed by the Senate Park Commission of 1901 23
The Washington Monument, garden, and Mall, looking towards the Capitol; Senate Park Commission plan 24
The Plaza and Union Station, Washington, begun in 1902 24
Cleveland. Group-Plan 25 View from the civic center to the Lake 25
Plan for the development of the entire city of San Francisco 26
Bird’s-eye view of the plan of development for San Francisco 26
Plans for the development of Manila, submitted to the Philippine Commission by D. H. Burnham, 1905 27
Plan for a summer capital of the Philippine Islands, at Baguio 28
Florence, Italy. Silhouette of towers 30
Chicago. Diagram of location with regard to the seven central States 31
Chicago, and diagram of Lake Michigan 33
Nancy, France. View of the Place Stanislas 35
Forest of Fontainebleau, France 36
Chicago. The Sheridan Road north of Glencoe 37 The Des Plaines River; view near Madison Street bridge 40 General diagram of exterior highways encircling, or radiating from, the city 40 The shore of Lake Michigan; view at the north line of Cook County 41
View of Lake Zurich, Illinois 42
Chicago. Winter view of Grant Park and the proposed harbor, looking east 43 General map showing topography, waterways, and complete system of streets, boulevards, parkways, and parks 44
Berlin. Block plan showing the park system and proposed forest reserves 45
Vienna. Block plan showing the park system and existing forest reserves 46
District of Columbia. Block plan showing the park system and additions 47
London. A view of Rotten Row in Hyde Park 48
Chicago. View of the city from Jackson Park to Grant Park, looking towards the west 48 Park development proposed for the Lake shore from Jackson Park to Wilmette 48 View of the proposed park on the south shore, looking northwest towards the city 48 View looking south over the lagoons of the proposed park for the south shore 48 Section through the park proposed for the south shore 48 The Midway Plaisance, showing the proposed waterway connecting the lagoons of Washington Park with those of Jackson Park 51 Typical view across the proposed south shore park 52
England. Henley-on-Thames: the regatta course 53 Henley-on-Thames: a regatta 53
Versailles, France. Plan of the palace, park, and gardens, and the great arteries leading to the gates 54 View from the terrace, looking down the main axis 55
Paris. View of the Sunken Garden in the Luxembourg Gardens 55
St. Germain, France. View of an avenue in the forest and round-point 55
Chicago. Plan of a park proposed on the main east-and-west axis of the city at Congress Street and Fifty-second Avenue 56 Plan of a park proposed at Western Boulevard and Garfield Boulevard, being an extension of Gage Park 57 Plan of a park proposed at the north branch of the Chicago River and Graceland Avenue 57 Plan of Sherman playground and park 58 Mark White Square 59 Hamilton Park 59 Sherman Park; view of field house 60 Sherman Park; view of swimming pool 60 Diagram of a system of freight handling for land and water transportation 61 Assembling-interchange; diagrams accompanying the report of the committee 63 Sketch diagram of docks suggested at the mouth of the Chicago River 64 Sketch diagram of docks suggested at the mouth of the Calumet River 65 Diagram of the city and surrounding country, showing railroad circuits 67 Diagram of the city center, showing the general location of existing freight yards and railroad lines, the present tunnel system and proposed circuit, and connections for all these services, running to the central clearing yards 69 Diagram of the city, showing complete system of inner circuits 70
Dresden. Viaduct and railway station (Hauptbahn-hof) passing above the normal street level 71
Vienna. A railway viaduct passing over an important street 71
Chicago. Suggested arrangement of passenger stations west of the river. Subway scheme 72 Suggested arrangement of passenger stations west of the river. Overhead scheme 73 Diagram of city center, showing the proposed arrangement of railroad passenger stations, the complete traction system, including rapid transit, subway, and elevated roads, and the circuit subway line 75 Railroad rights-of-way and properties in the center of city and the existing radial arteries 76 Diagram of general scheme of street circulation and parks in relation to the areas covered by industries and manufactures 77
Viaduct at Auteuil over the River Seine, Paris, France 78
Chicago. The center of the city looking west, showing Grant Park, the harbor, and the civic center 79 Plan of the street and boulevard system present and proposed 80 View looking west over the city, showing the proposed civic center, the grand axis, Grant Park, and the harbor 80 Map showing the successive city limits 81 Diagram of general scheme of street circulation and parks in relation to the population 82 Theoretical diagram of street circulation 83 Existing and proposed diagonal arteries 85
Paris. The Avenue du Bois de Boulogne, looking towards the Arc de Triomphe 86 The Tuileries Gardens and Champs Élyseés 86 The Champs Élyseés, from the Place de la Concorde 87 View from the Arc de Triomphe along the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne 87
System of traffic circulation proposed by M. Hénard for public places 89
Theoretical diagram of the streets of Paris 90
Theoretical diagram of the streets of Moscow 90
Theoretical diagram of the streets of Berlin 91
Theoretical diagram of the streets of London 91
Chicago. View of Grand Boulevard 92 View of the Lake Shore Drive 92 Plan of the city, showing the general system of boulevards and parks existing and proposed 93 View of Drexel Boulevard 94 View of Michigan Avenue, looking north 94 Intersection of the three branches of the Chicago River 95 View looking north on the south branch of the Chicago River 96 View of the south shore looking southeast over Grant Park 98 The proposed plaza on Michigan Avenue 99 Plan of the complete system of street circulation; railway stations; parks; boulevard circuits and radial arteries; public recreation piers; yacht harbor, and pleasure boat piers; treatment of Grant Park; the main axis and the civic center 100 Plan of the center of the city, showing the present and proposed street and boulevard system 100 Proposed boulevard to connect the north and south sides of the river 100 Plan of Michigan Avenue from Twelfth Street to the river, and its extension on Pine Street to Chicago Avenue 102 Proposed boulevard and parkway on Michigan Avenue and Pine Street 102 Proposed boulevard on Michigan Avenue; view looking north from a point east of the Public Library 104 View of Pine Street 105
Paris. View of the Rue de la Paix and the Column Vendôme 105
Chicago. Michigan Avenue, looking towards the south 106 Sketch plan of the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Twelfth Street 107 Preliminary sketch of the plaza at Michigan Avenue and Twelfth Street 108 Proposed Twelfth Street boulevard at intersections with Michigan Avenue and Ashland Avenue 108 Railway station scheme west of the river between Canal and Clinton streets 108 Alternate railway station scheme west of the river between Canal and Clinton streets 109 Plan of Grant Park and the harbor 110 Elevation of Grant Park and harbor and the eastern façade of the city on Michigan Avenue 110 Section looking north, taken through the proposed grand axis of the city 110 Bird’s-eye view at night of Grant Park 112 Proposed plaza on Michigan Avenue west of the Field Museum of Natural History 112 The business center of the city, within the first circuit boulevard 112 Plan of the proposed group of municipal buildings or civic center 112 Elevation showing the group of buildings constituting the proposed civic center 112 View, looking west, of the proposed civic center plaza and buildings 112
Paris. The Place de la Concorde, looking over the Seine towards the Madeleine 113
Dresden. The Zwingerhof 113
Vienna. The Ringstrasse 114
Rome. St. Peter’s Cathedral 114
Chicago. View of the proposed development in the center of the city, from Twenty-second Street to Chicago Avenue, looking towards the east 114
Berlin. Spree Island 115
Chicago. The proposed civic center square 116
Study for the dome of the proposed civic center 118
View eastward to Lake Michigan 119
“The Great Lakes” 124
* * * * *
The drawings for the Plan of Chicago were executed by Ben E. Holden, Clarence E. Howard, Chester M. Davison, Chris U. Bagge, and Leo Strelka. Mr. Holden was identified with the study of the general plan and the park system, both in general and in detail; Mr. Howard with the Center of the City and the Railroads; and Mr. Davison with the treatment of the Lake Front. The plans for the Civic Center and for Grant Park were studied by Fernand Janin of Paris, who came to Chicago in 1908 for that especial purpose. The renderings by Jules Guerin were made during extended visits to Chicago in 1907, and again in 1908. The work of both Mr. Guerin and Mr. Janin appears over their names. The Sanitary District Map of the City of Chicago has been used in compiling the plan drawings. Plate XVII is compiled from plans published in “Les Transformations de Paris.”
THE COMMERCIAL CLUB OF CHICAGO
ORGANIZED 1877; UNITED WITH THE MERCHANTS CLUB, 1907.
THE MERCHANTS CLUB COMMITTEE ON THE PLAN OF CHICAGO, 1906-7. Charles D. Norton, _Chairman_; Charles H. Wacker, _Vice-Chairman_; David R. Forgan, _Treasurer_; Walter H. Wilson, _Chairman Finance Committee_; Edward B. Butler, Frederic A. Delano; Daniel H. Burnham, _Architect_.
THE COMMERCIAL CLUB COMMITTEES ON THE PLAN OF CHICAGO, 1907-08.
GENERAL COMMITTEE. Charles D. Norton, _Chairman_; Charles H. Wacker, _Vice-Chairman_; Frederic A. Delano, _Secretary_; Walter H. Wilson, _Treasurer_; Adolphus C. Bartlett, Edward B. Butler, Clyde M. Carr, John V. Farwell, Jr., Joy Morton, Charles H. Thorne; Daniel H. Burnham, _Architect_.
ON LAKE FRONT. Edward B. Butler, _Chairman_; Leslie Carter, Charles G. Dawes, John V. Farwell, Jr., Victor F. Lawson, Harold F. McCormick.
ON BOULEVARD TO CONNECT THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES. Clyde M. Carr, _Chairman_; Charles H. Conover, James L. Houghteling, Albert A. Sprague II., Charles H. Thorne, Frederic W. Upham, Charles H. Wacker.
ON RAILWAY TERMINALS. Joy Morton, _Chairman_; Adolphus C. Bartlett, William J. Chalmers, Charles H. Hulburd, Chauncey Keep, Franklin MacVeagh, Cyrus H. McCormick, Martin A. Ryerson, John G. Shedd, Albert A. Sprague.
THE COMMERCIAL CLUB COMMITTEES ON THE PLAN OF CHICAGO, 1908-9.
GENERAL COMMITTEE. Charles D. Norton, _Chairman_; Charles H. Wacker, _Vice-Chairman_; Frederic A. Delano, _Secretary_; Walter H. Wilson, _Treasurer_; Adolphus C. Bartlett, Edward B. Butler, Clyde M. Carr, John V. Farwell, Charles L. Hutchinson, Rollin A. Keyes, Joy Morton, Charles H. Thorne; Daniel H. Burnham, _Architect_.
ON LAKE PARKS. Edward B. Butler, _Chairman_; Edgar A. Bancroft, William L. Brown, Charles G. Dawes, John V. Farwell, Harold F. McCormick, John J. Mitchell.
ON STREETS AND BOULEVARDS. Clyde M. Carr, _Chairman_; Charles H. Conover, Thomas E. Donnelley, James L. Houghteling, Albert A. Sprague II., Frederic W. Upham, Charles H. Wacker.
ON RAILWAY TERMINALS. Joy Morton, _Chairman_; Adolphus C. Bartlett, Franklin MacVeagh, Cyrus H. McCormick, Martin A. Ryerson, John G. Shedd, Albert A. Sprague.
ON INTERURBAN ROADWAYS. Charles H. Thorne, _Chairman_; Benjamin Carpenter, Edward F. Carry, Homer A. Stillwell, Charles L. Strobel.
ON FINANCE. Adolphus C. Bartlett, _Chairman_; Charles G. Dawes, Charles L. Hutchinson, Albert A. Sprague, Walter H. Wilson.
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS
PRIOR TO JUNE 1, 1909
Adams, George E. Aldis, Arthur T. Aldis, Owen F. Alexander, William A. Allen, Benjamin Alvord, John W. American Radiator Company Armour, J. Ogden Armstrong, Frank H. Arnold, Bion J. Ayer, Edward E.
Bailey, Edward P. Baker, Alfred L. Baker, Howard W. Bancroft, Edgar A. Banks, Alexander F. Barber, Bryant H. Barnes, Albert R. Barnhart, Kenneth Bartlett, Adolphus C. Bartlett, Charles L. Barton, Enos M. Bates, Onward Becker, Abraham G. Beidler, Francis Beifeld, Joseph Bigelow Brothers & Walker Company Billings, Frank Birk, William A. Blair, Chauncey J. Blair, Henry A. Blair, Watson F. Bode, Frederick Booth, W. Vernon Bowen, Joseph T. Boynton, Charles T. Brand, Rudolph Bremer, Herman H. Brill, George M. Brown, William L. Buckingham, Clarence Buda Foundry & Manufacturing Company Buffington, Eugene J. Burley, Clarence A. Burnham, Daniel H. Bush, William H. Butler, Edward B. Butler, Estate of Hermon B. Butz, Otto C.
Canby, Caleb H. Carpenter, Augustus A., Jr. Carpenter, Benjamin Carr, Clyde M. Carry, Edward F. Carton, Laurence A. Chalmers, William J. Chapin, S. B. & Company. Clark, John M. Clow, William E. Cochran, J. Lewis Cofran, John W. G. Comstock, Charles G. Condron, Theodore L. Conover, Charles H. Corwith, Charles R. Cowan, William K. Cowles, Alfred Cox, Rensselaer W. Crane, Charles R. Crane, Richard T. Jr. Crowell, Henry P. Cudahy, Michael Culver, Helen Cummings, D. Mark Cummings, Edmund A. Cunningham, Frank S.
Dau, J. J. Dawes, Charles G. Day, Chapin A. Deering, Charles Deering, James Delano, Frederic A. Dewes, Francis J. Dewey, Albert B. De Wolf, Wallace L. Dick, Albert B. Dixon, Arthur Donnelley, Thomas E. Downey, Joseph Durand, Elliott
Earling, Albert J. Eckhart, Barnard A. Eckstein, Louis Edward Hines Lumber Company Eisendrath, Joseph N. Eitel, Emil Ellsworth, James W. Ewen, John M.
Fair, Robert M. Falkenau, Victor Farwell, Granger Farwell, John V. Fay, Charles N. Felton, Samuel M. Ferguson, Louis A. Fetzer, John C. Field, John S. Field, Stanley Findeisen & Kropf Manufacturing Company Foote, Erastus Foreman, Edwin G. Forgan, David R. Forgan, James B. Frost, Albert C. Fuller, William A.
Gardner, William A. Gerstenberg, Erich G. Gilbert, Harry K. Glessner, John J. Goodman, Herbert E. Granger, Alfred H. Greeley-Howard Company Gregory, Robert B. Grey, Charles F. Grosscup, Peter S. Gurley, William W.
Hamill, Ernest A. Hammond, Robert R. Hardy, F. A. & Company Harris, George B. Harris, John F. Harris, Joseph Harris, Norman W. Hart, H. Stillson Haskell, Frederick T. Hately, John C. Haugan, Helge A. Hewitt, Charles M. Heyworth, James O. Heyworth, Lawrence Holt, George H. Hoover, Frank K. Horton, George T. Horton, Horace E. Houghteling, James L. Hoyt, William M. Hughitt, Marvin Hulbert, Edmund D. Hulburd, Charles H. Hull, Morton D. Hurley, Edward N. Hutchins, James C. Hutchinson, Charles L.
Insull, Samuel Isham, Mrs. R. N.
Jackson, George W. James, Fred S. Johnson, Frank S. Johnston, Hugh McBirney Jones, Arthur B. Jones, David B. Jones, Frank H. Jones, William D.
Keep, Chauncey Kelley, William V. Kenna, Edward D. Kent, William Kesner, Jacob L. Keyes, Rollin A. Kimball, Charles F. Kimball, W. W. Co. Kurz, Adolph
Laflin, Louis E. Lamont, Robert P. Langhorst, Henry A. Lathrop, Bryan Lawrence, Dwight Lawson, Victor F. Lefens, Thies J. Leicht, Edward A. Lincoln, Robert T. Lindgren, John R. Linn, William R. Lobdell, Edwin L. Logan, Frank G. Lombard, Isaac G. Lord, John B. Lowden, Frank O. Lynch, John A. Lyon, John K. Lytton, Henry C.
MacVeagh, Franklin Madlener, Albert F. Magnus, August C. Mandel, Leon Mark, Clayton Martin, William P. Matz, Rudolph Mayer, Levy McCord, Alvin C. McCormick, Cyrus H. McCormick, Harold F. McCullough, Hiram R. McLaughlin, William F. Meeker, Arthur Mendius, Carl Merryweather, George Miller, Darius Miller, Harry I. Miller, John S. Miner, William H. Mitchell, John J. Mitten, Thomas E. Modjeski, Ralph Morris, Edward Morron, John R. Morton, Joy Morton, Mark Murdock, Thomas
Norlin, Fred Norton, Charles D. Noyes, Frank B. Noyes, La Verne W.
Ortmann, Rudolph Ortseifen, Adam Otis, Joseph E. Estate Otis, Spencer
Paepcke, Hermann Palmer, Honore Palmer, Percival B. Palmer, Potter, Jr. Paper Mills Company, The Patten, James A. Peabody, Francis B. Peabody, Francis S. Pirie, John T., Jr. Pitkin, Edward H. Pool, Marvin B. Pope, Henry Porter, Henry H. Porter, Henry H., Jr. Potter, Edwin A.
Rawson, Frederick H. Rehm, William H. Revell, Alexander H. Reynolds, George M. Rickcords, George E. Ripley, Edward P. Robinson, Theodore W. Rogers, Brown & Company Rosenthal, Benjamin J. Rosenwald, Julius Rubens, Harry Rudolph, Franklin Russell, Edmund A. Russell, Brewster & Company Ryerson, Edwin L. Ryerson, Martin A.
Sard, William H. Sargent, George M. Scott, John W. Scully, Arthur B. Sears, Richard W. Seipp, Philip W. Selz, J. Harry Shaffer, John C. Shaffner, Joseph Shedd, Edward A. Shedd, John G. Shirk, Elbert W. Simpson, James Skinner, Edward M. Smith, Byron L. Smith, Mrs. George T. Smith, Orson Smith, Walter B. Soper, James P. Spoor, John A. Sprague, Albert A. Sprague, Otho S. A. Starring, Mason B. Stevens, Charles A. Stillwell, Homer A. Strobel, Charles L. Stumer, Louis M. Sullivan, Roger C. Sunny, Bernard E. Swift, Charles H. Swift, Edward F. Swift, George B. Swift, Louis F.
Theurer, Joseph Thoman, Leroy D. Thomas, Benjamin Thompson, John R. Thompson, William M. Thorne, Charles H. Thorne, George R. Tilden, Edward Tilt, Joseph E. Turner, Edward A.
Uhrlaub, Adolph Uihlein, Edgar J. Upham, Frederic W.
Van Valkenburg, William Viles, James, Jr.
Wacker, Charles H. Walker, Henry H. Wallace, John F. Ward, A. Montgomery Warner, Ezra J. Warren, William S. Watson, J. V. Watson, William J. Wells, Addison E. Wells, M. D. Company Wheeler, Arthur D. Wheeler, Charles P. Wheeler, Harry A. Wilder, John E. Wilder, T. Edward Willard, Daniel Willing, Mark S. Willits, Ward W. Wilmarth, Mrs. Mary J. Wilson, John P. Wilson, Walter H. Winchell, Benjamin L. Winston, Frederick S. Winston, Payne, Strawn & Shaw Wolff, L. Manufacturing Company Wrenn, John H.
Young, Charles O.
PLAN OF CHICAGO
[Illustration: II. WOOD-CUT OF CHICAGO IN 1834.]
PLAN OF CHICAGO