AUPL H^ 9127 ! C1M5 • 1912 mM P;;!«!lii|i?"'j!!mfSpp^'? "ill'P"ifP ' ' Wacker's Manual of the Plan of Chicasfo Municipal Economy SERIES- NO.. exuBRis eDWuao Mm «««rarT KummBJirt ultiwk jS^'^ h ?jaj&saija>.,,. Picture of Early Chicago. CHICAGO: View of the pi'oposed development in the center of the city, from Twenty-second Street to Chicago Avenue, looking towards the East, over the Civic Center to Grant Parli, and I,ake Michigan. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO Municipal Economy Especially Prepared for Study in the Schools of Chicago Auspices of the CHICAGO PLAN COMMISSION BY WALTER D. MOODY Managing Director, Chicago Plan Commission 1912 Co])yrigbt I'.lll by Waltek D. Moody / / ^/L^ I -f Architecture & tlfban Planning UtKary / I ' Wacker's Manual OF The Plan of Chicago Municipal Economy INTRODUCTION Clncago is destined to become the center of tlie modern world, if the opportunities in her reach are intelligently realized, and if the city can receive a sufficient snit])ly of trained and enlightened citizens. Actuated by this belief, the author has mapped out the part Chicago school chil- dren are to play in creating tlie greater Chicago of the future. Cliicago must grow to conform to a scientific plan to replace the makeshift that has tried to keep pace with the city's development in the past and to make this possible it must have a citizenship trained in its duties. A large proportion of the graduates from our schools remain in Chicago for their professional or business li^■es, and this book is intended to fit them to take an intelligent part as future citizens of a great citj' in carrying out the Plan of Chicago. Love of country, the feeling which is inherent in every normal boy and girl, and which is expressed by them throughout their lives in their many acts of patriotic de- votion, is, by develojiment of our civilization, being given a companion sentiment — devotion and passionate interest in the safety and welfare of our cities. This new feel- ing of community patriotism, an outgrowth of modern conditions of life, takes the form generally of a high and controlling pride in one's native city, or in the city in which one abides and has adopted as his home. Modern educators and leaders in public affairs, noting the birth and rise of this patriotic impulse in our cities, see in it a great factor for future good for the coun- try. They see in it the ap]»roach of good government in the cities and the end of evil administration of our communities. They see, too, that development aiul cultivation of this impulse means good effects of the most stable and lasting character \\\w\\ our national institutions by a deepening, broadening, and intensifying of national patriotism. Thus arises the recognized need of bringing out in the children of our cities a sharp, clear, vivid interest in those cities, in their history, in their growth, in their WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO present, and in tlieir future. The fact that so many millions of our people now live in cities, and that city growth is continuing on increasing lines, means absolutely that the cities and their people will shape the course and form the destiny of our country at large. The cities will set the policies for the nation. Impulses for good order, cleanliness, honesty, and economy in government must be the product of education of the children of our cities, if our country is to continue its course in history and maintain its place in civilization. Observers of this new and growing feeling of civic patriotism are finding that it finds expression among the people, and jiarticularly among the youth of tlie cities, as freely as does that based on the broader foundation of love of native land. In some ways this devotional impulse comes more quickly and freely, even, than that pertain- ing to our national life. While, of course, it never is expressed with the height of emotion which meets an appeal to the older and deeper patriotism, it is usually much easier to arouse. This is because one's city is so much more closely and intimately known than the great entity of the nation. Students of modern history, seeking to classify or set apart this devotion to the city by its people, and love of a city by its children, will find the feeling not only a new, unique and valuable tendency of the times, but also a revival, lender modern con- ditions, of a patriotism as old as civilization itself. It is a restoration to the world, in modified form, of the devotional impulse and effort by which the peoples of all the great cities of the past built up, beautified and extended the fame of their cities. It is becoming a recognized fact that the power, growth and advancement of a city is limited only by the measure of united civic interest of its people. The stronger and more vital the community spirit, the greater and more influential the city. It is this spirit which gives Chicago its great world distinction, — an indomitable, living, throbbing love for the city, expressing a demand of its united people that the city shall deserve and achieve greatness. Conditions, then, demand that this new impulse of love for this city shall l)e fos- tered, and that our children shall be taught that they are the coming responsible heads of their various communities. "We direct the national patriotic impulse into the paths of duty, and it is vital that we do the same with the new impulse for civic good. Con- ditions which make for good health, good order and good citizenship must be made clear to our children. The needs and possibilities for expansion and development of commu- nity life under proper conditions must be outlined for the young, that effort under the urge of civic patriotism may be properly directed. Finally, our children must be led to recognize their duty of looking to the future, knowing that to be unmindful of the needs of days to come is to be unfaithful of obligations to themselves, their communi- ties and their Creator. "We have reached a time now when the citizen, to do his duty, must plan for the wel- fare of coming generations. It is necessary that the people realize, and that the young be taught, that the really great work of the world today is that which foresees and builds for the future. This book is intended to convince the child that he owes loyalty to the city that gave him his education and offers liim an opportunity to enter any one of her great fields of INTRODUCTION industrial or professional activity. It soems advisable to give a nnniber of qnestions at the end of each cliaj^ter to assist the chiki in lliis rather difticiilt snl)ject. In seekiiis' an- swers to these qnestions the school child will instill in his mind a permanent interest in the civic welfare of Chicago that will be an immense benefit to the future of our city. Proper emphasis has been given to the history of great cities of the past and to the causes that led to their jiower. It is the earnest purpose of the antlior to make the child feel that in him rests the responsibility of assisting Chicago to attain her future greatness. The co-operation of the instructor is earnestly songlit for in teaching tlie child how he may lend assistance in this work. It is the firm belief of the author that the success of the Plan of Chicago depends on the hold it has in the hearts of this city's future citizens. Chicago, November 28, 1911. W. D. M. THE TABLE OF CONTENTS lutroduction Prefatory Note I. Municipal Economy 11 II. The Basis for City Planning 19 III. Possibilities of Expansion 24 IV. City Building in Ancient Times 32 V. City Building in Europe 40 VI. Modern Cities in America 54 VII. Why Chicago Needs a Plan 59 VIII. A'^alue of Permanency in City Building 65 IX. Origin of the Plan of Chicago 74 X. The Commercial Possibilities of a Plan for Chicago 86 XI. The Plan of Chicago ; Its Purpose and Meaning 95 XIT. Solving Chicago's Transportation Problems 99 XIII. Perfecting Our Street System 104 XIV. The Connecting Boulevard Link — Michigan Avenue 115 XV. A Park System for Chicago 125 XVI. Creating a Civic Center 135 XVII. Final Result of the Plan 140 A LIST OF THE CHARTS AND PICTURES Chicago: X'it'W of till' Proposed DevelopiiK'nt in the Coiiter ol' the C'ity from 'rwciity-secoiul Street to Chicago Avenue Frontispiece Fort Dearborn as Seen from the Nortli, ISKi 11 Chicago in 1882 12 Chicago, South Water Street. 1834 1'2 Chicago in 1845, from tlie West 13 Chicago in 1846 13 Flood in the Chicago River, 184!) 14 Robert De LaSalle 14 Chicago, Michigan Avenue from Pai-k Row, 18(i4 14 Father Jac(iues jManjuette 15 Immediately After Great Chicago Fire of 1871 15 Tremont House, Corner Lake and Dearborn Streets, 1875 16 Michigan Avenue Looking Toward the South 1!) First Locomotive in Chicago, 1848 20 Chicago 's Fii'st Passenger t'oach 20 Modern Steel Railroad Train, 1911 20 Chicago's First Railroad Depot 21 !>;2().00().000 Northwestern Passenger Station, Opened 1911 21 ilouth of the Chicago River 24 Passenger Steamer Entering Chicago River 24 Siiipping ill Chicago River 24 Logging in Minnesota 25 Grand Crossing, Chicago, Showing a Section of Chicago as a Great Railway Center 25 Reaping Wheat in North Dakota 26 Cattle Range in Nebraska 26 Farming Country in Illinois 26 Coal Mine in Illinois 27 Flour IMills and Elevators in Wisconsin 27 Peach ( )rchard in Micliigan 28 South Water Street, Chicago 28 Apple Orchard in Michigan 28 Chicago: View Looking West Over the City, Showing the Proposed Civic Center, the Grand Axis, Grant Park and the Harbor 82 Athens During Siege of the Venetians 33 Ancient City of Babylon 33 Panorama of Modern Athens 33 Pericles, wlio Planned Ancient Athens 34 Athens and the Acropolis 34 Rome in the XlVth Century 35 Augustus Ca-sar, the Roman Emperor and ( 'ity Builder 35 Panorama of the Roman Forum 36 Rome : Baths of Caracalla 36 An Ancient Roman Circus, Near tlie Appian Way 37 The Arch of Constantine, Rome 37 Pantheon. Rome 38 Frn-um, Rome 38 Chicago: Proposed Boulevard on Michigan Avenue, View Looking North from a Point East of the Public Library 40 Paris: Avenue des Champs Elysees Looking Towards 1lie Ai-c de Triomphe 41 Louis XIV. of France, the Original City Builder 41 Paris : Court of the Louvre 42 Transformation of the Banks of the Seine iu Paris, 17SU 43 Transformation of the ]>anks of the Seine in Paris, 1S:!() 43 Transformation of the Hanks of the Seine in Paris, 1S,S() 43 Chronologieal \'ie\vs of Phiee de la Bastile, Paris, 1740 44 Chronologieal \'iews of Phiee de la Bastile, Paris, LS41 44 Chi'onologieal Mews of Place de la Bastile, Paris, 1S7S 44 Baron Georges Eugene Haussmaun, the Greatest City Builder of All Time 45 Paris: The Place de la Concorde, Looking over the Seine towards the Madeleine 45 Rue de Rivoli, Paris 46 Dusseldorf, Germany : The llunieipal Art Gallery 47 Dusseldorf, Germany : The Rhine Embankment 47 Dusseldorf, Germany : j\lunieipal Theatre 48 Dusseldorf, Germany : Bridge across the Rhine 48 Ste))hanie Bridge, Vienna 49 Vienna, Kaerutnerring 49 Franzeu Bridge, Vienna 50 Karolin Bridge, Vienna 50 Kronprinz Rudolf Bridge, Vienna 51 Nancy, France : View of the Place Stanislas 51 Street Scene in Vienna 52 The Sieges Alice, Berlin 52 Pul)lic Garden and the Theseus Temple 53 A Civic Center in Berlin 53 Chicago: Bird's-eye View of Grant Park, the Facaile of the City, the Proposed Harbor and the Lagoons of the Proposed Park on the South Shoi-e 54 George Washington, Who Planned the City of Washington 55 Original Plan of Washington Designed by Peter Charles L "Enfant 55 The Washington Jlonument, Garden and Mall Looking Toward the Capitol; Senate Park Commission Plan 56 Cleveland CJroup Plan: View Looking Towards the Lake from the Pi'oposed Civic Center. . . 57 The L 'Enfant Plan of Washington as Developed by the Senate Park Comnussion of 1901 57 Cleveland Group Plan : Proposed Civic Center, Railway Station and Gardens Now Being Executed 58 Chicago : View Looking North on the South Branch of the Chicago River, Showing the Sug- gested Arrangement of Streets and Ways for Teaming and Reception of Freight Ijy Boat at Different Levels 59 Plan of Athens in Roman Times 60 A^ienna in the 17tli Century 61 The Transformation of Paris under Haussmann 62 Panorama of Part of ]\Iodern Rome 63 Indian Camp on Chicago River 6o Mar.|uette and Joliet, 1673 ■• ■ 66 French Fort at Chicago, 1685 67 Commerce on the Chicago-Portage. 1765 , 67 Fort Dearborn and Kinzie House, 1803-4 68 Fort Dearborn IMassacre, 1812 69 Hubbard's Train. 1827 ''0 Illinois and Michigan Canal, 1848 'i'l Camp Douglas, 1862 'i'l- Great Fire of 1871 '^2 World 's Fair, 1893 72 Memorial Cross in Memory of Marquette and Joliet '^^ Chicago : Railway Stations Scheme West of the River between Canal and Clinton Streets 74 Chicago : Plan of the Street and Boulevard System, Present and Proposed 76 Diocletian Baths, Rome 77 The Viaduct at Anteuil over the River Seine. Paris. France 78 Modern Athens and IMt. Lycabettus 79 Siena, Italy 80 Chicago: General Map Showing Topography, Waterways and Complete System ot' Streets, Boulevards, Parkways and Parks 81 Chicago : \'iew of the City from Jackson Park to (iraiit Park 82 Chicago: Plan of a Complete System of Street Cire-iilatinii and S\sli'in of Parks and Play- grounds 83 Arch of Septimus Severus, Rome 84- Temple of \'esta, Rome 84 Sir Christopher Wren 86 Chicago, Bird 's-eye View 86 Vienna. Bird 's-eye View 88 Lonilou, Bird's-eye View 90 New York, Bird 's-eye View Ill Paris. Bird 's-eye View !)2 Berlin. Bird's-eye View !j;5 The World's Columbian Exposition. Ciiicago. ISD.'J. The Court of Honor. Looking Towards the Peristyle 'Ji Chicago: Plan of the Complete System of Street Circulation; Railway Stations; Parks, Boulevard Circuits and Radial Arteries; Public Recreation Piers; 'i'acht Harbor and Pleasure-Boat Piers 9G Chicago: Diagram of City Center, Showing the Proposed Arrangement of Railroad Passen- ger Stations, the Complete Traction System, including Rapi(i Transit Subway and Ele- vated Roads, aiul the Circuit Subway Line Of) Chicago: Diagram of the Cit.y Center. Showing the General Location of Existing Freight Yards and Railroad Lines, the Present Tunnel System and Proposed Circuit, and Con- nections for all These Services. Rvnniing to the Central Clearing Yards 100 Chicago : 'The Great Central Market" 101 Chicago : Proposed Twelfth Street Improvement at its Intersections with ]Michigan Aveiuie and Ashland Avenue 104 Chicago: Plan of the Center of the City, showing the Present Street and Boulevard Sys- tem, and the Proposed Additional Arteries and Street Wideniiigs 105 Chicago : Plan of the Quadrangle 106 Chicago : Plan of the New Twelfth Street 107 Chicago: General Diagram of Exterior Highways Encircling or Radiating fi-om the City . . 112 Chicago: Proposed Boulevard to connect the North and South Sides of the River 115 Jlichigan Avenue and Jlichigan Avenue Pi'ojected 118 Proposed Double Deck Bridge for North and South Boulevard Connection I\Iichigan Avenue and ^Michigan Avenue Projected 119 Diagram of North and South Boulevard Connection, showing Width of Street North and South of the River and the Zone of the Proposed Improvement, Indicating all Intei-sect- ing Thoroughfares 120 Section. Through Michigan Avenue between Lake Street and South Water Street 121 The World's Columbian Exposition. Chicago. 1893. The Court of Honor. Looking Towards the Peristyle. Showing Effect of an Orderly Arrangement of Buildings 124 Chicago: View Looking South over the Lagoons of the Proposed Lake Front Park for the South Shore 125 Chicago : Lake Shore from Chicago Avenue on the North to Jackson Park on the South .... 126 Chicago : Plan of a Park Proposed on the Main East-and-West Axis of the City at Congress Street and Fifty-second Avenue 1 29 Chicago: Plan of a Park Proposed at Western Boulevard and Garfield Boulevard, being an Extension of Gage Park 131 Chicago: Plan of a Park Proposed at the North Branch of the Chicago River and Graceland Aveiuie 132 Chicago: View, Looking West, of the Proposed Civic Center, Plaza and Buildings, showing it as the Center of the System of Arteries of Circulation and of the Surrounding Country 135 Chicago : The Business Center of the City within the First Circuit Boule\'ard 137 Chicago: The Proposed Civic Center Square, sliowiug the Group of Surrounding Build- ings Crowned liy the Central Dome 138 PREFATORY NOTE In the following pages, the author aims to furnish a concise and interesting text book in which brief notice is taken of Chicago's past, thoughtful consideration given Chicago's present, and deep effort made to foresee Chicago's future. The ob- ject is to prepare the student's mind for the reception of that portion of Wacker's Manual which is devoted to a study of the Plan of Chicago. What is the Plan of Chicago? It is a plan to direct the future growth of the city in an orderly, systematic way. What is its object? To make Chicago a real, centralized city, instead of a group of overcrowded, over- grown villages. What does it mean? That by properly solving Chicago's problems of transportation, street congestion, recreation, and public health, the city may grow indefinitely in wealth and commerce. It is realized that this is of significance only in connection with Chicago's actual social, intellectual, and moral upbuilding. The ideal of a city must rise above mere commercial and industrial supremacy', tak- ing the higher ground of becoming an attractive, larger home for its residents of all classes, as well as for the stranger. Because it affects the hapjnness and prosperity of all our citizens, and of millions yet to have a home among us, the Plan of Chicago should, in some measure and in some de- gree, be not only a study of our children but of every citizen. Each citizen has duties to perform towards his city and rights to claim from it. Unless in some measure he knows those duties and those rights, he can never act a just and independent ]nirt. Neglect of the citizen to give some of his time, some of his thought, and some of his money for the public good, if widely distributed, would mean disaster to the community. Chicago today stands at the threshold of a great future. What are we, as citizens, to do to promote the future well-lieing of our city? First, we are to study the Plan of Chicago that we may understand it. When that is accomplished, we are to make it clearly and distinctively our ideal. We are to look forward to the carrying out of the Plan of Chicago in the broad spirit that an injury to one is an injury to all, and tliat the well-being of one promotes the well-being of all. We are to make the Plan our ideal and to init it l)efore us and dare to recognize it and to believe in it and to build for it. We are to look forward to the time when it will seem as extraordinary not to have an official plan toward which to direct the growth of our city as it now seems that Chi- cago was ever permitted to grow in an orderless and formless manner. We are to establish by the influence and work of a united citizenship the power of law necessarv for Chicago's advancement commensurate with her greatness. PREFATORY NOTE It requires only sufficient community patriotism to substitute order for disorder, and reason, common sense, and action for negligence, indifference, and inertia. In this work of citizen building and city planning, our children must play their part, wliich is an imiiortanl one, as set forth in the inlroduction to this study. Having answered the questions — What is the Plan of Ciiicago ? What is its ol)ject? and What does it moan? — just here it is appropriate to ask two other questions, namely, How and wlicrc was the Plan of Chicago originated? Who is handling the Plan of Chicago? While in the text the history of Chicago's social and industrial progress, and also the value, needs, and desirability of the plan has been eni])hasized, the author has adhered strictly to the ])lan of exchuling all reference to jiersons and incidents that cannot pro])- erly be made a part of this text book; but it should be recognized somewhere in this book that one of the finest achievements in the history of civic advance must be accredited to the very few men who, by reason of their worthy suggestions, many sacrifiices, indomitable energy, and never faltering spirit in preparing and giving to their city the Plan of Chi- cago, are deserving of lasting renown and the gratitude of every citizen. The Plan of Chicago was inspired in the minds of a small number of men, leaders in the business life of the city, and members of two of Chicago's most prominent social or- ganizations — the Commercial Club and the Merchants' Club. This was in the period im- mediatelj' follow'ing the World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893. After the great World's Fair was closed some of the men who had worked to make it a great success for Chicago met together at their clubs. They had learned during the Fair that orderly arrangement of buildings and streets gave a most pleasing etTect. They clearly saw that to create a broad plan to that end, and to carry it out throughout all Chicago, would be to make their home city famous all over the world. Therefore they set about working out a plan to do this great thing, and the plan they develo])ed by years of study is today known as the Plan of Chicago. Credit for first voicing a city-wide plan for the Chicago of the future is given to Mr. Franklin IMacYeagh, who, in 1901, at a meeting of the Commercial Club, suggested the appointment of a committee of that organization to consider the advisability of pre- paring such a ]tlan. "Wliile the Commercial Clul) Committee was working, an independent movement to the same end was started by the Merchants' Club. In this work Mr. Charles I). Norton and Mr. Frederic A. Delano were prominent. The plans thus advanced were entirely formulated by 1906, when the Merchants' Club formally undertook the work. In 1907 the two clubs united under the name of the Commercial Club, which in 1908 gave the world the com]ileted Plan of Chicago. In producing the Plan of Chicago the Commercial Club spared neither time, money nor effort. ]\Ir. Daniel II. Burnham, world renowned architect and resident of Chicago, a man whose services in city planning have been in demand all over America for years, took charge of the details of the plan. He gave his genius to the task without charge. Assisted by Mr. Edward H. Bennett, he lu-odncod all llic charts, maps, and drawings necessary for carrying out the remodeling and develojmient of the city. In 1908 these, together with an explanatory narrative written by Mr. Charles Moore, corresponding WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO member American Iiit^titute of Architects, were arranged in a magnificent vulnme pub- lished bj- the Commercial Club. In 1907 the first Plan Committee of the Commercial Club was organized with Mr. Charles D. Norton as Chairman and Mr. Charles H. Wacker as Vice-Cliairman. These plan leaders retained their respective offices with each succeeding plan committee until the year 1909, when Mr. Norton resigned to take up liis residence in Washington. Mr. Charles H. Wacker succeeded him as Chairman, which office he in turn A'acated when he received his appointment from tlie Mayor of Chicago as ]»ermanent chairman of the Clii- cago Plan Commission. Mr. Edward B. Butler succeeded him as Chairman of the club's Plan Committee. Thus, after years of study and of hard work by tlie Commercial Club memliers, the plan was completed and ready for submission to the citizens in the early Fall of 19U9. The completion of the Plan of Chicago was the most important civic event in the history of our city. Then it was evident to the leaders of the movement that the time had come to engage the interests of the pul)lic and to put the plan into the hands of the representa- tives of the people. After conferring with the city authorities, it was decided to create a permanent organization to he known as the Chicago Plan Commission. This body, it was decided, should be composed of a large number of men of influence, to be representa- tive of the business and social interests of the city. July 6, 1909, the Hon. Fred A. Busse, Mayor of Chicago, sent a message to the City Council requesting authority to appoint this commission, which was immediately granted. November 1, 1909, the Mayor sent to the City Council a second message containing the names of the 328 leading men of Chicago wiio were to make up the membership of the first Chicago Plan Commission. To secure at all times adequate representation on this Commission of the City Gov- ernment and of all other locally interested governmental agencies, it was provided that the heads of all city departments and other local public powers [whose memberships would cease when they retired from office and which would be resumed by their suc- cessors], should be appointed as memliers. At the first meeting of the Commission, held in the City Council Chambers, Novem- ber 4, 1909, in recognition of his long and faithful public service to Chicago, Mr. Frank I. Bennett was elected Vice-Chairman. IMr. Henry Barrett Chamberlin was elected Secre- tary pro tern, which office he resigned late in 1910. " January 13, 1911, the Executive Committee appointed as the Commission's Manag- ing Director Mr. Walter D. Moody, formerly General Maiuiger of the Chicago Associa- tion of Commerce. Tlie City Council, under the Busse administration, created the Plan Commission and started the work in the passage of an ordinance for the widening and improvement of Twelfth Street from Ashland to Michigan Avenue. The Harrison administration, recognizing the city's great need for an improved through east and west artery, between Harrison and Eighteenth streets, immediately took over the proposed Twelfth Street improvement, upon which work liad not been started, with a determination to carry it through successfully and in a manner satisfac- tory to all the ]ioop]e. PREFATORY NOTE Thus lias the work of the Chicago Phui Commission been established upon a non- partisan and non-politieal foundation. Mayor Harrison was the tirst to propose the Michigan Avenue "boulevard link" in 1905. Afterwards this contemplated imiiroveraent became an important part of the Plan of Chicago as a whole. His re-election in 1911 again connected him with the project he fathered and which is being promoted by the Chicago Plan Commission. Thus the Plan of Chicago was originated, and thus it is being worked out. Nature gave Chicago the location that nnder the touch of modern commerce pro- duced the great city. It is not Chicago's growth that amazes. That growth naturally accompanied industr.y. It is Chicago's spirit which grips the world's attention. No city in America — perhaps none in the world — has the love and devotion of its people that Chicago has. No people of any city will laljor so hard, or sacrifice so much for their city, as will the people of Chicago. It is this civic patriotism — almost as strong as our love of country — that will deter- mine the successful future of our city, in the realization of the Plan of Chicago. It is desirable that the instructors of our schools organize the mighty forces at their com.mand and prepare the minds of onr children to grasp and lay fast hold npou the science of city planning, as related to the future glory of Chicago, and the prosperity and haiiiiiness of all her people. W. D. M. Chicago, November 28, 1911. TO THE CHAIRMAN OP THE CHICAGO PLAN COMMISSION THE TIRELESS. SACRIFICIAL EF- FORT OF CHARLES^ H. WACKER IN ADVANCING THE PLAN OF ^^^ CHICAGO FROM ITS VETRT IN- =^= CEPTION WAS THE CHIEF SOURCE OF INSPIRATION TO THE AUTHOR IN CONCEmNG AND PREPAR- ING THIS STUDY FOR THE SCHOOLS OF CHICAGO. HIS UNSELFISH DEVOTION TO CHI- CAGO'S COMMON GOOD SHOULD SHINE FOR ALL TIME BEFORE HIS FELLOW CITIZENS AS A BEACON LIGHT OF USEFUL CITIZENSHIP. THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO HIM, AND ENTITLED "WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO" AS A DISTINCT MARK OF RECOGNITION OF HIS JIERITORIOUS SERVICE TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO. THE AUTHOR MUNICIPAL ECONOMY 11 CHAPTER I MUNICIPAL ECONOMY All over the world there is, at this period, an astonishing and unparalleled movement of people toward cities. In every country cities are larger today than at any time in all history. Moreover, the flow of all peoples cityward is growing throughout the world. Every census shows this to be true. The tendency of people to gather in close contact has al- ways existed, but today is operating more strongly than ever in the history of man. Nat urally, this movement of mankind to congregate in cities in every part of the world is creat- ing new prob- lems in government. It is bringing up new tasks in social science, or the science of maintaining health and good order among people of different families and different races when brought closely in contact. From this contact are coming new needs. It is necessary to promote happiness and content among city peo]ile, and to interest them in the development of a proper moral and religious life in their communities. From this movement arise new and im- portant questions of transporting city dwellers from one part of a city to an- other, of supplying them regularly and properly with food and raiment, and of arranging that they shall have employ- ment in safe and sanitary buildings and homes in convenient and healthful houses. Along with this growth of cities all over the world, and i)articularly in Amer- ica, has proceeded a movement in govern- ment by which the people have been given more and more power over public affairs, FORT DEARBORN AS SEEN FROM THE NORTH. 1816. [Original Owned by tile Cfiicag-o Historical Societj'.] that is, over the conduct of public prop- erty in behalf of the people's welfare. This enlarged power has increased the op- portunity for hajipiness and enjoyment of life for all of us, but at the same time it has also constantly increased the responsibil- ity of each of us. It has made it the duty of every child, of every young man and young woman, to prepare to see to it that public affairs are conducted in the best possible way. AYliile this increased jiower has been 12 WACKEK'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO given to all tlie people, in the country as well as in the cities, the responsibility and duty in government falls more upon the city dweller than upon the countryman. CHICAGO IN 1S32— Population About 100. [Original Owned by the Chicago Historical Society.] This is because there are more and greater problems to solve in the safe conduct of cities than in the government of sparsely settled territory. The larger the city, too, the greater the re- sponsibility of each of us living there, for in the large cities the problems atfect more people and more important matters, and thus become more intricate and harder to rightly solve. Thus we of Chi- cago, the fourth city in the world in popu- lation, have each a greater responsibility and a graver duty in citizenship than have the people of almost any other city. Besides this mere matter of size, there are other conditions in con- nection with the growth of our citv which add to our personal responsiliilities. It is not too much to say, probably, that, under the laws and the conditions of life in Chicago today, each of us owes a greater duty of devo- t i n to his splendid city than does the citizen of any other city in the world. Henry Drummond, a very wise man and great s c h lar, has said s o m e - thing to be carefully con- s i d e r e d by every young person in Chicago, for it shows us how, as people of a city, our in- fluence guides the destiny of the nation. "The city is strategic," he says. "It makes CHICAGO. SOUTH W.XTER STREET. 1S34. [Original Owned by the Chicago Historical Society.] the towns ; the towns make the villages ; the villages make the country. He who makes the city makes the world. After all, though men make cities, it is cities which make men. Whether our national life is great or MUNICIPAL ECONOMY 13 mean, whetlier our social virtues are ma- ture or stunted, whetlier our sons are moral or vicious, ■whether religion is possihle or impossible, do])ends upon the city." That was another way of stating that our cities are coming to have the most powerful in- fluence in our n a t i onal af- fairs. For a long time our government at AYashin g t o n was controlled mostly hy men from the country, from small towns or villages or from the farms. In recent years there has been a change. Our Presidents of late have been citv men. Avliieh means greater and greater need for the people of our cities to be well informed, watchful and diligent in effort for the pul)lic good. Elinihiatio)! of Waste is flic Wurhl's CHICAGO IN 1S45. FROM THE WEST— Population 12.088. [Original Owned by tlie Cliicago Historical Society.] "A penny CHICAGO IN 1846— Population 14.1fi9. [Original Owned by the Chicago Historical Society.] and they are calling into their cabinets for advisors more and more men from our great cities. The cities, with their large jMijiulations, are becoming more powerful forces in our government every year. Greatest Scientific Problem. saved is a penny earned," is a saying we have all heard. "We know it is a true saying. ]jut few of us know or realize how neces- sary it is, with the growth of cities, to p 1' e V e n t waste. Pew of us have thou g h t how import- ant it is that saving methods of government he adopted. Not many of us think of the truth that the more peoiile there are in cities in propoi'tion to the poimlation of our country the fewer there are in the counti-y to jn'oduce the grain, vegetables and meats so necessary to our well-being. u WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO FLOOD IN TIII'J I'HK'AGO RIVER. 18-19. Population :;3.047. As tlie cities have grown, however, we have been forced to realize that wasteful- ness of food products must cease. We must realize that food can never be so p 1 e n t i f ul and cheap as it was when fewer people were living in the cities and more upon the farms. That is one simple illus- tration of the present necessity of saving and stopping wastefulness. This movement for saving things to get the most out of everything is a world-wide movement. Old rags, scraps of paper, old iron and many other materials formerly discarded as useless are now made into useful products. Great fortunes are yearly made from new economies. In our cities great public works have been undertaken to save lives. The public health officer does not allow people to waste their health. Millions of dollars are spent in b u i 1 d- i n g great canals and in c u t - t i n g new streets, and all of these things are to elim- inate ex- pense, t o save mate- rial and to save the very valuable time of millions of people. Thus, before the growth of cities the best efforts of mankind were devoted to means of increasing the pro- duction of useful things and to the improvement of ma- chinerv and other aids of civ- Robert De LaSalle, who in 1G81-2 matle the first "Lakes to the Gull'" trip, making a portage from the Clil- cago River to the Desplaines River. . [Original Owned by Chi. His. See] i 1 i z a tiono Today the best minds a n d great- e s t efforts are bent to the task of ]i r eventing waste. Most of US know that in the last ten years there has grown up in the United States a widespread agitation for conser- vation o f u V n a t- u r a 1 1' e - s o u r c es. That means sim- ply the sav- ing, for the use of all the people, of the for- ests stand- CHICAGO, MICHIGAN AVENUE FTiOM PARK RO'W. 1S64 Population 169,353. [Original Owned by the Chicago Historical Society.] mg u !> o n o u r pub- lic lands, the water powers existing in our mountain streams, and the mineral MUNICIPAL ECONOMY 15 wealth underlying the lands owned by tlie nation. These vast, valuable resources of wealth were given away and wasted in times of plenty, and during- the settlement and develojiment of our country. Our cities also are de- m audi ng conserva- tion of the resources w h i c h are their wealth — the health of their people, the streets by which they conveniently go from place to place, the parks within which they find recreation, and the spacious pub- lic centers wherein they build great structui'es expressive of the will and spirit of their peoples. Our government, in the building of the great Panama canal, is engaged in a work of eliminating waste. The canal, destined to shorten the steam- time in the lives of '•enerations Father Jarques Marquette, and Louis Joliet were the first white men to cross tlie Cliicag'o River. [Original Owned by Chicago Historical Society.] and of people who will benefit by quick transit of property between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Chicago, in the con- st ruction of its great drainage canal from Lake Michigan, engaged in a great task of preventing waste. The building of the canal was to p r e V e n t waste of health and lives of tlie people of Chicago by stopping sickness and death from mal- adies that could be prevented by provid- ing pure water and the quick disposal of disease-causing sew- age. All about us in Chi- cago we see, evei'y day, if we observe closely, some new and important steps being taken to further this world-wide movement to prevent waste. Immediately After Great Chicago Fire of 1.S71 — Population 334.270. ship route ai^ound the world, is to be an in- strument in the saving of immeasurable millions of money in the expense of carry- ing ocean freights, besides saving years of In our homes, on the streets, in our great stores and factories, we see this wonderful movement for economy and saving being developed. Will a new cleaning process 16 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO save work or money in our homes ? If so, we adopt it. "Will a new pavement or sys- tem of cleaning' in a street be better and cheaper than the old"? If so, we have it done. Can shavings or wood formerly thrown away at a factory be profitably made over for nse? If so, waste of such material is stopped. Elimination of waste has become the greatest work in the world. Mankind is saving. Economy has become the watchword. C'di) Problems /» Saving. Almost every bov and girl todav knows something- of how CHICAGO. Tremnnt House. Corner Lake and Dearborn Streets, 187.'.— Population 500.000. cities are maintained; liuw lliey are kejit clean, with lighted streets making it easier and safer to go about ; with policemen and firemen working to keep order and protect our homes from fire; with a great health department Imsy preventing the spread of disease ; and with our schools kept open and the teachers and janitors paid by the peo- ple, that the children may be educated and prepared for their work in life. The boys and girls know that these things are pur- chased by use of money jiaid ))y all the peo- ple as taxes. To almost every girl and lioy, then, it is clear why the people ask and require that tax money shall be economically spent. It is clear to all that the more carefully money is spent for street cleaning the more clean streets we will have ; that the cheaper lights can be obtained for the streets the better will the streets be lighted for the money spent; that, in short, the more waste of tax money is prevented the Ijetter it will be for everybody, and the better our city's affairs will be con- ducted. It be- comes quite clear, there- fore, why the movement for economy a n d saving is be- ing applied to city affairs. "\Ylieu boys and girls real- ize this, then, is it not nat- ural for them ill take it to be their duty to u n d e r stand these things of the i:)res- themselves in more such ent day and interest this work of saving? The waste is prevented the less money will be needed for taxes, which means that more will be left in each home every day or year to Imy things which give com- fort and pleasure to each family. This thought is naturally followed in our minds by another. We ask ourselves : If there is waste today, what can we do to prevent waste tomorrow and in the vears to come MUNICIPAL ECONOMY 17 wlieii Uiose who are children now will be grown up and liave to earn tlie money spent in taxes? Tliat question a.nain briiij^'s to all our minds the fact that we are living in Chi- cago, fourth city of the world in population, and that we therefore have a greater re- sponsibility than the people who live in little cities or towns. It makes us feel im- porlant, as we really are. Tt makes us feel that we ought to look closely to preventing waste in the future in this city. We are not satisfied just to think of saving money being spent this year in Chicago. We re- member that our fathers thought of their yeai'ly needs and at the same time con- structed and managed the great drainage canal for Chicago and to benefit us. A Great Task for Chicago. The young people of Chicago, having thought of these things, and thinking how much greater Chicago is today than it was when their fathers and mothers were young, want to join hands in doing work to be proud about, and so make for themselves in days to come as much fame as their fathers gained by digging the greatest drainage canal in the world. They want to do a work that will l)e a blessing to their children and to all the people of Chicago in all the years to come — some such work as the drainage canal, which was built by their fathers and is a blessing to them today. We start out in this idea for a great work for Chicago with two things decided. The work must be big enough to attract the at- tention of the whole world and make peo- ple everywhere admire us for doing it; and it must be a work of economy, of saving tiTiie and money, of increasing health and happiness, and of bringing increased vrealth and prosperity to the Chicago of the future. As our city is only our larger home, to decide what is the great thing we are to do for Chicago we can take a lesson from facts familial- to us in oni- homes. Each of us knows that at home the first ste]) to economy is good order. ^Ve know, from observation, that the wasteful household is the one in which the furniture is always disarranged and in which the rooms are untidy. We know that waste and extrava- gance in the home goes hand in hand with disorder. Imagine how time and effort would be wasted in our homes if things constantly used about the stove in the kitchen should be stored in the front hall, if pianos should be permitted to obstruct narrow hallways, if our icelioxes should be kept in attics and our dining tables in the sleeping apartments. Yet we all know that some or all of these absurd conditions re- sult upon hurriedly moving into a house, Avitli consequent waste, turmoil, and bother until we manage to put the house in order. Now Chicago, oiir larger household, is today in this state of turmoil from moving. One of the youngest cities in the world, we have moved into it so burriedly we have not had time, as yef, to set about arrang- ing it. Let us see if this work of arrange- ment, of bringing good order and conve- nience into our city household, and of thus rivaling all the cities in the world in time- saving, convenience, and attractiveness, is the task to which we should bend our ener- gies. We can readily see that if this work of creating good order, cleanliness and beauty will result in saving time, doing away with the smoke evil, banishing unnecessary noise and dirt, promoting good health, assuring happiness and prosi^erity to the millions u])on millions of people yet to live in and visit Chicago, it will be a greater work than ever has been done by any American city. i\Ioreover, as it will be work done for all 18 WACKER\S INIANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO time to come, it is much more important than any work directed only to effecting a saving in the present expenditures of Chi- cago. We of today are forced, by tlieir bravery and steadfast purpose, to admire the works of tlie men and women wlio as pioneers entered and settled our country. Also we admire the great scientists of the world whose toil and careful thought led to crea- tion of the great things of modern civiliza- tion. Here is a chance, though, for us to be both pioneers and scientists — leaders and workers in the new and fascinating science of city bi;ilding on a plan sure to result in tremendous economy to millions of people and tremendous fame for Chicago and for the men and women who share in the work of making Chicago a truly great, convenient, healthfi;l and beautiful city by encouraging and develoinng the "Plan of Chicago. ' ' 1. What is happi iiinij all art r the world at tliis period ! 2. What is operating more strongly today than ever before in the history of man? 3. Name three things created, by the movement of mankind to congregate in cities. 4. By what has the growth of cities been pre- ceded? 5. What has eom( to the people with increased power in cities? a. Whire dots Vhieago stand with the world's large cities in point of population? 7. State tivo things Henry Drnmmond said about cities. .9. Wliat is the old saying about a penny? 9. What have we been forced to realize in the growth of cities? 10. Why nuist u'c b< saving of food products in cities? Jl. What has be< n undertahen in cities to save lives? 12. To ivhat were the best efforts of mankind, de- voted before the growth of cities? 1.3. What is it that the best minds and greatest efforts are bent on today? 14. State the first three things of which our cities are demanding the conservation, l.'i. What is the first thing the Panama Canal is destined to do? 111. M^hat saving will the Panama Canal effect? 17. What icas intendeel by the construction of Chicago's drainage caiial? 15. What did the building of the drainage canal do for the people of Chicago? l!>. Wlidf two things are decided in starting now a great work for Chicago? 20. What is the first step to good order in the home? 21. What is it that goes hand in hand witli di.'S- order in the home? 22. What is it that is our larger home? 23. How have ive moved into Chicago, our larger household? 24. Name a science that is new and fascinating. 25. How can we make Chicago a truly great, convenient, healthful and beautiful city? THE BASIS FOR CITV I'LANNING 19 CHAPTEK 11 THE BASIS FOR CITY PLANNING Before undertaking any important task all careful persons first review in their minds tlie facts tliat make tlie task neces- sary, the reasons it sliould be (hnie at once founding of Chicago as an outjiost of oiu' nation with the l)nihling of Fort Dearborn ill 1S()4, and the incorporation of the city in is;!7, achling tliat the city's growth has been the wonder of the worhi, thei-e is little in history as usually written to show Chi- cago's real importance as a center of activ ity from earliest times. It is a fact of im- ]iortance that Chicago, as far back as the jnost earnest research has been able to dis- f k „ »^¥«»*' *3 9 i- CHICAGO. Michigan Avenue looking towards tlie South. Proposed double roadway running to a plaza at its intersection with Twelfth Street and a suggestion for buildings to surround the place, including re-arrangement of the Twelftli Street railway station, [Copyrighted by tlie Commercial Cluli-l if promptness of action is needed for best results, and all important elements affect- ing the plan for the work at hand. Lot us. then, turn our minds to that jjreliminary study as related to the future of Chicago. That makes necessary, of course, brief no- tice of Chicago's past, thoughtful consider- ation of Chicago's present, and deep elTort to foresee Chicago's future. "Wliile moclern liistorv relates to us the close, has been a center of trade and com- merce. Every Indian tribe in the entire ]ilains country, living at the headwaters of the IMississippi and Missouri rivers, far up in the Canadian northwest, in Ontario at the northeast, and throughout Wisconsin, iMichigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, INFis- souri, and all the Mississippi Valley states knew of Chicago as a gathering and trading 20 WACKERS MANUAL OF THE PLAN OP CHICAGO place of all the tribes. FiXMjueiit meetings of the various tribes were held here. Broad, ■R-ell-trayeled trails led into the country "J The FiiM I. live in Chicago. 1S4S. roundabout in every direction from Chi- cago. Some of these Indian trails, running in straight lines from the mouth of Chicago river, became farmers' roadways upon the settlement of the territory roundabout Chicago, and with the growth of the city were developed into some of our most important streets. Thus it is seen that even the savage jieoples inhabiting the country for centuries before the advent of the white man recognized in Chicago's location a nat- ural center for the activities of man. domain ta)nt rolled for commerce and trade liy Chicago is larger than Germany or France. Part of this territory is bounded by three thousand miles of navi- ga1)le waters. It is pierced by rivers flowing into the Great Lakes, the Mississippi and the Ohio. The land in the territory is practically all arable, and able to support an enormous popula- tion. The land is level, making the building of railroads and '•anals easy. Earth and forest ihroughout this vast domain yield an abundant and great variety of ])roducts niton wliich traffic thrives and trade grows ' wealthy. These con ditions go far to re- m o V e any wonder that develop- ment of this t e r r i t ory has lieen marvelonsly rajtid, or that a powerful city has been built at this far inland point where land and water trans- portation meet. It was by these condi- rr ff frff"rrfr r ( 'lii^ai;o's I-'irst Passenger Coach. Modern Stool Raih-oad Train, IMl. No section of our country, except N(>w England, has so clear and distinct a history as the territory centering at Chicago. The tions that Chicago grew in the last fifty years of the past century from a city of thirty thousand to one of two million pec- THE BASIS FOR CITY PLANNING 21 pie, and that despite a fire wliicli in 1871 destroyed most of the city with a money loss of $190,000,000. Today all indications point to continued gains in population for Chicago. The facts are. that with a p o pnlation of 2,:2oO,000, Chicago is g a i ning at the rate in excess of 65,000 per- sons yearly. The ele- ments mak- and mighty Ijalities. anion"' her sister nuiiiici- Thoughtt Chicago's First Railroad Depot. ul pO(ii)lo, studying even the one phase of congestion in Chicago's streets, are apiialled at the waste of time, st rengt h and money involved. The y stagger at the toll of lives taken by disease when san- ilar}' precautions are neglected. We are all distressed at the out 1) r e a k s against law and order which scien- tists assure us re- ing for greatness of the city are tried past all doubt, are assuredly permanent, and men know they may now build confidently for a future secured to Chicago by the combined forces of nature and humanit}-. No city in the world can l)nild houses for its people so cheaply or find employment for them so well as Chicau'o. The inflow of people to Chicago has been so rapid, the ^ growth of the city so marvelous, that no time has been had to plan for proper and e c o - nomical disposition of the population. Tt has been a mat- ter of hard and fast work to erect shelters for the peo])le and buildings in which to employ them. But now, with the growth of the sentiment for saving and good order in cities, Chicago's people are taking hold of new ]ir()l)lems to be solved if the city is to continue safe, prosperous. suit solely from narrow and pleasureless li\'es of our people. And so, today, we are no longer first interested in the growth and size of Chi- cago. How are we living? we ask. Are we making right use of our opportunities? Is Chicago a convenient place for business? Are its people comfortably housed? Will our future jieople be alile to stand the ner- vous strain of city life? If we acquire wealth, will we have to g o else- where to e n j y the fruits of i n d e p e n- d e n c e ? Ought not our city to grow better can we do to f jif :rrrrfrrf^ $20,000,000 Nortliwestern Pas.sengor Station, Opened 1911. Wha as it grows bigger ? make it better? We of Chicago are today face to face with the fact that fifty years from now, when the children of today are at the height of tlicii' power, our citv will Ix- laiger 22 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO than London, having more people than any city on earth today. It has been estimated by a street car transportation expert of Chicago, that if conditions here and in the conntry abont ns continne in the future as in the past Chicago will have 13,500,000 people in 1952. Most school children know that a large area of land in the northwest and in Can- ada not previously cultivated is at this time being made into homesteads by hundreds of thousands of farmers. This means that Chicago is to be the great market place for these people, the great center whence will go the machinery, clothing, foodstuffs, and other supplies for this extending civili- zation. Most school children know, too, that by building irrigation works and canals our government is opening to settlement mil- lions of acres of rich land which farmers have not been able to settle upon in the past because of its dry and arid condition. This, too, means growth for Chicago in trade, manufacturing, and wealth. Another factor promising to build up Chicago is the opening of the Panama canal, which is to be completed and opened to the world's commerce in 1915. This event will certainly be followed by an inten- sive development of the Mississippi Valley, by the addition of millions to the popula- tion there, and by consequent increase in the population and business of Chicago. Tills world commerce is to be a heritage to the school children of Chicago today. It will be left to them to develop bj' the men and women who have that task in hand in the ];)resent years. To them, also, must be left tlie solution of all the problems of city building, and they must answer all the questions on the future condition of their city. These facts show how important it is that all the children who now are old enough to understand their responsibility shall carefully study conditions today and make nj) their minds to faithfully carry out their duties to themselves, to the children of the future, and to our well-loved city, Chi- cago. It is certain that Chicago is to continue to remain one of the greatest cities on earth. It is probable that Chicago will become the world's metrojtolis. It is the duty of her children to look ahead and plan for this future of Chicago, watchfully guarding Chicago's rights, hopefully working to build Chicago on a plan that will make cer- tain their city's development into the most convenient, beautiful, healthful, and at- tractive city in the history of the world. By doing this the children of Chicago today can in future years gain for their city and themselves a fame as wide as the world itself and as undying as the gratitude of their children of a hundred generations. 1. Wliat do careful persons clo before under- taking any important task? 2. What preliminary stuely is necessary as re- lated to the future of Chicago f 3. In what year was Fort Dearborn built? 4. In what year tt'as Chicago incorporated as a city? 5. What has Chicago cdways been as disclosed by the ablest research? f). Name the states and territories from which early Indian tribes knew of Chicago as a trading place of all the tribes. 7. What did the savage peoples inhabiting the country for centuries recognize in Chi- cago's location? 8. The domain controlled for commerce and trade by Chicago is larger than tvhat two foreign countries? 9. How many mUes of navigable tvaters bound this Urritory? 10. Wliy is it easy to build railroads and canals through the territory surrounding Chi- cago ? 11. What caused Chicago to grow in fifty years from a city of thirty thousand to one of more than two mdlion people? THE BASIS FOR CITY PLANNING 23 hr 12. ^yhat trns tin luss of tin Chicdiid jin in 1871 f 13. What is Chicago gainiiuj nmrlji in popula- tion f ■14. Why has no time been had to plan f proper anel economical disposition of 11, population of Chicago f 15. Whij is Chicago now taking hold of nitc probUms for saving and good order 'F 16. At wliat arc thoughtful people appalled wh( n studying one phase of eongistimi in Chicago's streets f 17. What do the scientists tell us arc the results of n ears old. It was an ancient city of Britain when the Eomans resettled it in 43 A. D. Paris is more tlian 2,000 years old, and was an ancient cai)ital when conquered by the Bomans in 292 A. D. Bome is nearly 2,650 years old. As near as can be determined it was founded 753 B. C. SI. Petei'sburg and Berlin are the youngest capital cities of the leading European nations. The former was established in 1703, and the latter was settled in the 13th century. Botli are in- land cities, and have grown tremendously since the advent of the railroad to the forces of civilization. "Westward the star of empire takes its Avay," is a quotation familiar to all of us. It expresses in a few words the historj^ of the world and its great nations. In times of antiquity the centers of civilization, of commerce, trade, and population were in Asia and Africa to the east and south of the Mediterranean sea. Tyre, Sidon, Baby- lon, and Nineveh were the Asian cities hold- ing primacy over their myriads of people, while ]\remphis and Thebes were the popu- lous centers of Egyptian life in the era pre- ceding the birth of Christ by thousands of years. "Westward to Greece went the scep- ter of dominion, and still westward to Bome. Finally, ever westward, the sway of the world-power was bestowed upon the countries of western Europe, and during tlie last half century the world has been startled and amazed at the growth in jDopn- lation, wealth, and power of our own American nation. Tlie westward trend of pojudation and ]iower in the world during centuries has l)een ecpuilly true in our country itself throughout its history under the dominion of civilized man. Every ten years a cen- 30 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO sus is taken in the United States, and at every census the center of population has ap]ieared to be farther westward. The center now is in Indiana, which makes Chi- cago truly the great central city of the country. Within the last few years a great change has come in the methods of settling and cultivating our agricultural areas which is operating to retard the westward move- ment of the American center of popula- tion, and which assures that Chicago will remain for many years the central city of the nation. It was formerly the custom to operate large farms, sowing and harvest- ing grain crops. This has proven a waste- ful sj'stem, as it weakens the soil by taking from it elements of fertility. We are chang- ing, therefore, to a system of smaller farms upon which we are producing a variety of crops. This system is fast multiplying in the middle west the number of people work- ing upon farms, and so increasing the num- bers having trade and commercial relations with Chicago. We have, then, to assure the expansion of Chicago in trade and power, a city set in the center of the largest and richest cen- tralized territory on earth. We have a city where commerce flows to and fro by water and rail with an ease and economy un- matched by any city in the world. We have imlimited room for growth of this city, and unlimited supplies of cheap build- ing material. We have all forces known working to promote Chicago's interests, to increase Chifago's commerce and to extend the trade of her merchants and manufacturers. We can well see, there- fore, that Chicago will go forward, and how her two millions of today may be mul- tiplied many times in from thirty to fifty years. Seeing this, and understanding the condi- tions that are giving Chicago this oppor- tunity to become probably the largest city of the world, we can all clearly see that it is our duty to aid in this city building work, and to arrange, if we can, that as Chicago grows into the largest it shall also grow to be the best-ordered, most convenient, and most attractive city ever governed by man- kind. 1. In wliat three elements is Chicago equalled by no other city in existence? 2. What is it that is known to every svitool chikU 3. Name the resources near Chicago and state where they come from. 1. Of what is Chicago the greatest center in th( world? 5. Describe transportation of Chicago river and harbors. 6. What is the strihing chapter in the story of man in Itis building of cities? 7. Why in early times were great cities built as ports upon the water? S. When the building of large cities was at- tempted, ichat did mankind learn? 9. As seaports attracted commerce and grew in population, what did they become? 10. As growth of the nations brought gnater security to the seaports what happened to them? 11. Win/ were new centers of government and trade established upon the great rivers? 12. Name and locate three large cities built in- land on rivers. 13. What has the radrnad done in the past sev- I nty ytarsf 14. Why has tlir growth of tin interior of our country been greater tlian ani/wJurc in the tvorld? 15. Wlifi has the raUway been the chief instru- ment in the upbuilding of ivcry city in this country? 16. Name the four inventions which witJi the railroad aided man in the development of nations and the expansion of cities. POSSIBILITIES OK EXPANSION 31 7~. Wliat cuabled Chicago l<> f/iiiii u pnpiilaliun exceeding two iiiillioiis iit s( vcntij-five years, while New York, made up from scv- eral cities, ejaiixd but four and a half millions in population in thni htimlnd years? 18. How old arc London, Paris, Tioinc and Berlin? IStalc in order. 19. What quotation expresses in a few words thi Instory of flic world and Us final nalions? 20. Where were the centers of civilization and. commerce in times of antiquity? 21. What has hcen the course of commerce and trade westward ? 33. What has startled and amazlans produced by the architects she commanded, tlie work of building Babylon was begun. A'ast armies of men wei'e om- ])loyed, and before the end of lier reign a city so magnifi- cent and glorious was built that its fame has survived thousands of years, although the city itself has disap- ])eared, its ruins being cov- ered for scores of centui'ies by sands and shifting earth. When ancient cities are mentioned we unconsciously think of the famous city of Athens. Here, also, was a city built by a nation grown ricli, and enjoy- i n g the highest civ- i 1 i z a t i on e ^' e r a t - tained be- f o 1' e o u r own. The Creeks, having con- quered and Ancient City of BaViylon. I'anorama of llotlein Alliens. consti-ncting ui>on the baidply of labor to fulfill the broadest plans architects could conceive. If men or material were want- ed all would be supplied by the power of the Roman ar- mies over the inhabitants of every part of Europe. The Romans began their great city building work in the >• e i- >' heart of their c a p i - tal. Out of the wide public market place they evolved the Forum. T e m - p 1 e s, treasure houses, senate and court build- ings were erect- ed. Wide arches and vast monu- m e n t s were built al)0ut this civic center by succeeding em- perors to com- memorate for the people of Rome the tri- umphs of suc- cessive reigns. As these great m o n u m e ntal works were V^^^^^^f^ ■ ■1 K^J^^^^^^W**! B^^^l ^■^^^^^^1 ^^^MQH^ '^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^K «, . HH R^^^H ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\ t ^ J^H ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^t^ -^^^ TSSti Kil^^^^^^H If^^ |Hi wr yiflflHLl I ^ I'^^^^^^l ^^^^^^^^^^B^ } m^ ^^^^^H ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^^^H ^^^^^^^^^^^R -fljiH Augustus Caesar, the Roman Emperor and City Builder. uU WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO done the cinperorw, lo iniiirove health con- ditions in the crowded city and to open tlie yreat linildings to view, began the development of a system of wide streets. Thousands of buildings, which had housed the people in the days of Rome's early growth, were torn down. The city was opened to the light and air. Parks and open Slices were created and beautified. The hills and valleys round about the city, formerly dumping places for the city's refuse, were made into magnificent gardens. Eomans of wealth, upon their death, bequeathed to the city land for parks and gar- dens or for public buildings. Ro- man youths were taught that all they enjoyed in life they owed to their city, and that true patriotism meant personal sacrifice for the good of Rome. It is not, in fact, until we come to con- make up the convenient and beautiful city of today. Rome was the first great city built under realization of the fact that for ROME. Baths of Carac: sider the building of Rome, that we meet the chief elements of city planning that i'aiiurauia oi Lhv lloiiiiiu Forum. a city to thrive and survive in-ovision must be made for good health and convenience of the people. It is impossi- ble to say how great Rome's p p u 1 a tion was at its greatest p e - riod. It has been closely figured at 1,- '630,000 alwut 15 B. C, while there has been e n u merated, as existing to- ward the close of the city's ^ great career, ^"'^- a n d a b o u t three centuries after Christ, eight great o]ion spaces set apart for games and gym- CITY BriLDING IN ANCIENT TIIIES o( iiastic exereises, eiglitcou piililic .squares, and about 1 liirty parks and gardens. Man>' An Ancient Roman Circus. Near tlie Appian Way. of 1he parks had been laid out by private citizens for their personal comfort, but afterwards liecame city property by bequest, purchase or confisca- tion. Besides these, there were th? many great temples, with their col- onnades and fountains, the spa- cious cemeteries open to the public, tlie broad avenues and long shaded porticos expressly built tliat citi- zens might move about pleasantly in lint or stormy weatlier. And finally there wei'e the city's ex- tensive Ijatlis, which at the height of the city's magnificence had ac- commodations for 62,800 citizens at a single time. Tt was the devotion of the Ro- mans to Rome's welfare, coupled with their recognition that it was each citizen's duty to help build up a great. hcallhl'ul, coin'cnieul and licauliful city, thai made Rome tlie most wonderful city of all ages. It w a s because itsjieoplewere d e \' o t e d to tlicir city that liiinie came to l)c known as the "Eternal City," estab- ri>hcd ill liis- tory with a fame so great and enduring that it cannot be forgotten or blotted out so long as man shall lu- ll a b i t the earth. So may it be with Chicago if her people will it. Chicago has no conquering armies, as Rome had. The -Vrch of Constantine. Rome. Her forces are made uji of the regiments of toilers, enlisted in the army of industry. 38 WACKEKS MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO Chicago levies no tribute ui)ou lier prov- inces by force of arms, as Rome did. Her tribnte is the more secure and lasting one that is paid will- ingly by the mil- lions in the broad zone over which Chicago holds commercial dom- inance, her reign assnred to her forever under c n d i t i ons of peace. Chicago 's opiiortunity i s not one of build- ing a powerful and magnificent city for men of future ages to marvel at as a thing wonderful even in death decay, as was Rome's opportunity, way is open for t h e people o f Chicago to build a city as much more magnifi- cent t h a n an- cient Rome as t h e m d e r n s t e a m s h i]) is more commodi- ous and power- ful t h a n t li e oared galley of the ancient Ro- man conqueror, and as enduring as the life of a nation whose policy of peace is as fixed as the very course of the earth about the sun. Pantheon, Rome. and The Forum. Rome. Wliiil Urn voihIU'uius governed tlie hualion (if cities in the carhj hist or if of all na- tions? In what respects were certain earlij Amer- ican cities like a n- cient cities? 3. What made Quebec an early center of W e s t- ern civiliza- tion? 4. Of IV hat was New ¥ r k an early example? 5. By wliat w as ('hivago, in 'its infancy, p r t e cted against at- tacks by In- dians? 6. What enabled nnfions to freely extend the borders of llieir cities? 7. How were the ancient cities wliosc ivorks live i n history laid out? 8. N am e the earliest known city built in ac- cordance with a defi- nite plan. 9. Who decided to b u i I d Babylon ac- cording to ' a plan? 10. M'liatisknoivn , in that we are not com- l)elled, by fear of wars, to maintain huge armies and navies at the Iremcu- dous cost borne by European peoples. All conditions, within the city and the nation, are favorable to Chicago un- dertaking and eas- ily comiileling nmch greater and ni ore expensive public works than any city of Europe. It is interesting to note, in viewing the results of city building and plan- ning in modern times, that all the great cities of En- rope, since the ISSO. Transformation of the Banks of the Seine in Paris. rhronological Views of the Petit Pont and Petit Chatelet Showing the Evolution of the Boulevards. 44 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO close of tlie Franco-Prussian war in 1870, have undertaken costly works of improvement. The people's attention freed from war, they everywhere turned at once to vast works of peace, determined to make their cities proper places for their well-being, comfort and luxury. This era of peace opened with most of the cities in Europe as great walled towns, little changed from the condi- tions of the Middle Ages except in the crowding together of their inhabitants. With peace came the progress of in- vention, the exten- sion of the use of steam power, the birth of the electric railway, general use of the telegraph and telephone and the development of all the agencies of transportation, in- telligence and com- merce which work 1S41. 1S7S. Chronological Views of Place de la Bastile, Paris. The Evolu- tion of the Castle and Moat to its Present Form of Plaza and Boulevard is Shown. 1740. together to build up cities. The success of the French peo]ile in improving Paris led to imitation of the methods of Baron Haussmann i n all countries. The old city walls and b a 1 1 le ments were either torn down or trans- formed as the cities spread out beyond their ancient boun- daries. In some cases the walls, hav- ing great sentimental interest for the people, were made into gardens, topped with flower beds and decorated with hanging vines. In other cities boulevards were made to encircle the center of the town whore the walls had been. The German people entered into a great organization for city planning. Within the last thirty years a school of city planning has grown to be a great institution among the Germans, with leading architects and gardeners as its masters. Literallj', hundreds of CITY r.riLDiNG IX ErnoPE 45 German cities are at -n-ork on systematic extension and development. It is so, too, in France, Italy, Ans- t r i a a n d Ilnngary. Every important city, and Lundreds of small towns, are engaged in city planning and pre- paring for orderly growth. Dnsseldorf is one of the most progressive of all Enropean cities. The eminent writer, Frederick C. Howe, after a carefnl study of Dnsseldorf, says : '•I have often dreamed .of a city whose ideals rose above mere business, a city that was built like a home, that had a communal bigiress of vision, that was planned by city buil- ers, and that served its peo- ple as a father might serve his children, and I have i- seen such cit- ies i n Ger- many, the na- t i n which alone has rec- ognized the portent i o ii s significance of tlie change which has tak- en place in the Baron Georges Eugene Haussmann. the Greatest City Builder of All Time. distribution of poi)nlation. Of all German cities, I think Dnsseldorf is easily the first. It is not an old resi- dence city like Dres- den or Munich. It is a comparatively new city like Cleveland, ]\rilwaukee, Indianapo- lis or Kansas City. Its population was about (10,000 people in 1871. In 1910 it was 300,000. Dnsseldorf, too, is an industrial city of mills, factories a n d work- shops. It is one of the best governed cities in the world. It has dreamed dreams and dared to carry them into execution. It is almost as l)eautiful as Washington, as full of joy of living as Paris ^>K-i^,.:.,f,. iieiiii^iMuiiiiU:" PARIS. The Place de la Concorde, Looking Over the Seine Towards the Madeleine. This Square is one of the Great Circulatory Centers Placed on the Grand Axis of the City (the Champs Elysees), and the Circuit of the Grand Boulevard. 46 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE TLAN ()F CHICAGO and is managed with move scruinilons lion esty, more scientific el'liciency and more de- \oted pride than almost any American business corporation. The city is built for the comfort and convenience of its people. It is designed as master architects might design a world's fair to which all mankind was invited for education, recreation and art. But the thing that most distinguishes Dusseldorf is this — her people and her officials seem to appreciate that congestion of poinilation has made it necessary for the Rue de Rivoli, Paris. city to own many things and do many things. Dusseldorf was not a natural har- bor. The waterfront, which extends for miles along the Ehine, was low-lying land. The bank opposite the city was covered with shacks and liuts, which were torn down and the land developed into a beauti- ful parkway several miles in extent. The city side was reclaimed from the river and confined with stone embankments. A wide esplanade'was constructed upon which sev- eral great public buildings as well as a splendid exhibition building have been erected. In the latter annual exhibits of art are held. Further up the river a sys- tem of docks was constructed with power- ful cranes and devices which handle all kinds of freight at an insignificant cost. Crossing the river is a beautiful bridge n])on which hundreds of thousands of dol- lars were spent merely to make it beautiful. The remarkable thing about this undertak- ing is the way business is made to harmo- nize witli art and beaiity. The use of the river front for recreation is not impaired by the docks and railroad tracks. Dus- seldorf is laid out like a great p a r k. Everywh ere are parks and playgroun d s as artistic and varied as the landscape architect can make them. The entire riv- er bank is a pro m e n a d e and driveway. The parks run into the heart of the business district. Through the center of the town is a broad mall with the moat of the old city in the center. It is lined with lianks, publish- ing houses, department stores and office Imildings, many of them as splendid as palaces. The public schools of America are among the best in the world, but edu- cation in America seems unrelated to life. In Germany the aim is to make efficient people. 'The glory of the Fatherland' is the motive and the making of strong, healthy and competent citizens is the need. CITY BUILDIXC; IN EUROPE of the fity'« growth. Strange as it may seem to our American business men, tlieso The (.iernuui city hates the ugly. Diissel- dorf has been phuuied l)y expert architects and handscape gardeners who make a profession of city planning. Nothing has been left to cliance. The individual property owner is no more permitted to spoil the harmony of the whole than an incomi)etent workman would be per- mitted to wreck an expensive machine. Streets, squares, parks, gardens, play- grounds, all have their place in the scheme of the city archil ecture, while in the designing of jirivate and public works, open spaces and street corners, lam]) posts and street signs, the skill of the artist has been joined with that of the builder and the engineer. Every- thing is orderly, systematic and beauti- ful. Dusseldorf is planned in detail for 50 years to come. Upon the maps in DusseWorf, Germany. r\w Municipal All GalliTy. the city hall one can see the location i municipal activities in Dusseldorf have of future streets, boulevards, parks, open | been promoted by business men — liy the same sort of business men who in America sacrifice the city to their business advan- tage. In America we have had city 1)uilders of great ideals whose liearts were broken by the obstacles which the laws, the consti- tuiionsand the courts threw in their path. " Buenos A ires, sometimes called the " second Paris, " has been wise in retaining the municipal archi- tect of Paris, so thai the beautiful and rap- idly growing metrop- spaces, sites for public l)uildings and | olis of the Argentine in South America schoolhnuses, all located in anticipatinn ' could have the benefit of his expert advice. nrRfimiiii-ii-;iini-ii^™' ■ -iafiimHh Diu = ^'aorf. Germany, sliowing a broad promenade on the Rhine embanlcmenl, combining a center for recreation and industrial utility. 48 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO Dusseldort, Germany. Municipal Tlieatre. In 1900 Buenos Aires decided to increase its docks. Tlie people wanted to look ahead for future demands. They took ex- pert advice and built docks to accommodate all the traf- fic for the next fifty year s. These docks are the models o f the world. Monster ships are docked, huge cranes hoist the cargoes out of the ves- sels' holds and place them in great wai*ehouses alongside, and immediately on the other side of the warehouses is the railroad train. Buenos Aires is spending mil- lions of dollars in creating new and larger parks, wider streets and beautiful boule- vards and other public improve- ments. The British people are in- dustriously en- gaged, too, in city planning work, made more n e c e s s ary in their islands, be- cause of the dense masses of people in a small territory, than upon the continent. Broad projects for the housing of the working classes are being caried out in numerous British cities. Official boards are given power by law to supervise town planning and building work all through the British isles. These official bodies have power, even in case the people of towns and cities do not realize the need of building by an offi- cial plan, to order schemes of town-planning to be pi'e- pared and carried out. There is also a Public Works Loan Commission, which aTi- thorizes loans to provide money for carrying out pro- posed works. These extensive powers in city planning, created by the British government, have come as result of hundreds of years of sad experience to the British in their own city of London, Avhich has over 7,000,000 people, and is, as we all know, the world's greatest city. It has been seen how Paris, the world's most perfect city, was developed by systematic work and planning as it grew. Very inter^ esting and instructive to us is the contrast- -';'?«tea» ^1 f«WJ» Dusseldorf, Germany. Bridge Across the Rhine. On this Structure Sever;il Hundred Thousand Dollars were Spent to Make it Beautiful. ing history of the British capital, to which we will now give attention. In 16G6 a great fire almost entirely de- stroyed London, which was, like other cit- CITY BUILDING IN EUIlorK 49 ies of its time, a veiy crowded and iin- wliolesome city, with narrow and crooked streets. The city had grown slowly, and witliont any definite plan of development. As the population in- creased new territory had been added, but it was a planless city and inconvenient as to its thoroughfares even at that date. After the fire Sir Christopher "VV r e n, one of the world's greatest architects, prepared a plan for the rebuilding of tlie city. Had that plan been adopted London would have had a start of more than thirty years of all the world's cities in orderly constructive work, adopted for the French capital. They pro- vided for a city with streets radiating from central points, and for locating palaces and pul)lic buildings at the end of long vistas. Vienna, Kae rntneering. as it was not until 1700 that the first plans for Paris were drawn. The principles of the Wren plan for London were exactly the same as were Stephanie Bridge, Vienna. so as to present a pleasing appearance. The then leading citizens of London, guided by their selfish interest, disregarded the W r e n plans. That mistake h a s cost London already m i 1- lions upon mil- lions in nloney, besides retard- ing the devel- opment of the city and pro- d u c i n g the most degrad- ing and social- ly dangerous congestion of population up- on earth. In 1855 the people of London came to realize that if their city was to continue in existence and to progress with their nation great changes would have to be made. Since then they 50 WACKER-S MANUAL OF TlIP: PLAN OF CHICAGO have worked steadily and desperately, as the popiihitiou of the city grew, to repair the errors of hapless and careless growth. One project after another has been carried through, at a cost exceeding one hundred fame as a beautiful and attractive city at the expenditure of almost nothing except foresight. London, after centuries of in- convenience, waste, unwholesomeness is struggling to preserve her very existence and is and squalor. facing- expenditures of of millions that merely provide means of caring her her Franzen Bridge, Vienna. million dollars. Despite these great works and tremendous expenditures, the city has failed to get relief. Now, that the conges- tion of street traffic may be in a measure done away with, the London Traffic Com- mission has decided that two new streets must be cut through the city at an esti- mated cost of $125,- 000,000 for land dam- ages alone, to say nothing of the mil- lions that must be spent upon the lalior of tearing down miles and miles of build- ings. The experiences of these two great cities of London and Paris should combine to teach Chicago an eifect- ive lesson. Paris enjoys her miles of boulevards, her extensive parks, her op- portunities for enjoyment of life and un- limited development, and her world-wide hundreds she may makeshift for the movement of p e ]3 1 e thro ii g h streets. There is no longer any hope of making London a city of parks, of giving the c i t y attractiveness and beauty, but only, at the best, of providing sufficient light and air for her people to maintain existence and enough room in the streets for them to go about their city with com- parative freedom. These facts mean, ab- solutely, that Chicago, if she is to avoid the perils to her people that now assail the Karolin Bridge. Vienna. people of London, must adopt at once a Ijolicy of orderly building, with a proper street plan and broad pro%dsion for park areas. "We must look to the future days, when Chicago's citizens will honor us for CITY BUILDING IN EUROPE 51 ihe foresight aiu devotion to our city which ■will give them the benefits and blessings growing from onr development of the Plan of Chicago. 1. What is il UkiI /.v proven even more clearly in llu experience of mod- ern eiti(s than in the cities of the past? 2. Why is the necessity for city build- ing more grave under modern conditions of life? .3. How long and under tvhat condi- tions ivas Rome acquiring a pop- ulation of a >nillion people? 4. Why must Cliicago sec at once the need of city planning and act im- mediately? 5. What modern city icas first to undertake right city building? a. Why is Paris one of the largest and wealthiest cities of the world? 7. What has Paris reached? 8. In what respect does the French metropolis present an interesting subject of study for the people of Chicago? 9. Where did Paris have its origin and in what yearf 10. Describe conditions which make Paris and Chicago alike. 11. In what year, and under what king, were the plans of the Paris of today laid? Nancy. France. Typical View of the Place Stanislas, the Principal Avenues Lead into It, Arrangement of Public Squares in Small Surrounding Towns. 12. Wliat is the result to Paris of the plans prepared for Louis XIV ? 13. What Emperor is honored in the memory of the French people for what he did for their beloved Paris? 14. What two things did Napoleon realize con- cerning the interests of Paris? 1{>. What did Napoleon propose to do for Paris? 16. Wttat city building work was accomplislud in Paris during Napoleon's reign? 17. Who continued the city building work of Napoleon and in what y~. If Chicago profits by London's lesson, what may be expected? A Cl\ic Center in Berlin. 54 WACKER'S MANUAL OF TIIP: I'LAN OF CHICAGO CHAPTER VI MODERN CITIES IN AMERICA We have seen how in Enrope, nnder con- ditions of peace, and witli the stinuilns of modern commercial conditions, the people are plainiing and working for the i)ro]ier working for larniony and beanty in ihc bnilding of our cities. Eew busy Americans know that as a people we can lay claim to being the only nation on earth today having its seat of government in a city specially planned, sur- veyed and laid out as the capital city of a great nation. It is a matter to stir our pa- triotism, too, to know and remember that tlie father of our country, the immortal George Washington, was a city planner, CHICAGO. Bird's-eye View of Grant Park, the Lagoons of the Proposed Park on the South Shore. [Copyrighted by the development of their cities. Greater con- venience, better sanitation, more light and air, and increased beauty are demanded not only in cities throughout Europe, but in America increased knowledge and ar- tistic taste of the people is being mani- fested in city development. We of America, starting in a new country, acting without restraint of custom or ancient law, see our own remarkable opportunities in city build- ing, ajid, it may be generally stated, are Facade of thi '■ i-. ili'> Proposed Harl^or and tlie Commercial C1u1j-J and the first man in our country's history to gain a jihice in fame as an advocate of convenience and good order in city build- ing. It was George Washington who con- ceived and directed the laying out of our beautiful capital city, which is today the most admired and inspiring city of our country. President Washington, as a surveyor and civil engineer, recognized the value of projier planning for a great work. When MODERN CITIES IN AMERICA 55 it was decided, therefore, to create a city as our national capital in the District of Columbia, he conferred with Thomas Jef- fei'son, tlien Secretary of State, and it was decided to employ Peter Charles L 'Enfant, a young French engineer, to lay out the site for the capital. This work was done in 1791. L 'Enfant de- liberately drew a plan on paper for an entirely new city mod- eled after the principle of the plan of Paris, and designed to accommodate a popiilation one- third greater than lived in Paris at that date. , ,_ „ ^ „ ,, 1 Georse Washington who L Entant CareiullV surveyed planned the city ot washing- ton. the entire country along the Potomac, where it was proposed to locate the new city. He laid out broad streets and avenues through the wide swamps and He took cognizance over the wooded hills, of existing springs a n d watercourses and planned accord- ingly for fountains, cascades and canals. He set aside a place for the Capitol and for the White House, and con- nected them with a spacious park. He l>rovided locations for every building necessary for na- tional uses. He per- fected a street plan, with proper diag- onal avenues ap- proaching the civic center, wliere he planned to put the govern- ment buildings. Not many people at the time could grasp Original Plan of Washington Designed by Peter Charles L,'Enfant. the necessity or understand liie wisdom of that planning. There were scarcely enough ]ieople in tlie entire country at that time to l>oi)ulate the city L'Eiifanl had laid out. The people, when they lieard the plan explained, greeted it witli derision. It was a subject of laughter the country over and of amusement in every court in Europe. The worhl could not believe that a suffi- cient number of peo})Ie would ever live at Washington to carry out a tenth of the L 'En- fant plan. It was fortunate that the faith of the people in President Washington was strong enough to afford a deep foundation for his plan for the capital city. Lands necessary for the streets, avenues, parks and public squares were donated, and although tliey lay vacant and aban- doned for three- quarters of a cen- tury, yet develop- ment and growth since the Civil War has served to pro- duce for IT s at Washington one of the most beautiful, i m ]i r e s s i V e and stately cities in the world. The city long since outgrew the original plans of L 'Enfant, which ha!\'e in late years been extended and strengthened by im- provements costing nearly $50,000,000. American cities, in all their city planning operations, have been inspired largely by 5G WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO the beauty of our national cai)ital. An- other great source of inspiration for them was the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, where was demonstrated tlie attractive effects of the proper group- ing of well-designed buildings. American cities have been most active in city plan- ning since the Chicago exposition. It is, therefore, a propei' matter of pride for the people of Chicago that they have provided stimulus for the artistic sense of the whole nation, and that their work in building up a commemorative exposition is having ef- T he Washington Monument, Garden and Mall I^ooking Commission Plan. feet in arousing the iiride and spirit of the people of our sister cities. One of the American cities which has gained wide fame for its activity in city planning is Cleveland, where the peo-jile have had created a great civic center about which the city is lieing built in an orderly manner, and according to a definite plan. The people of Cleveland, through a com- mission, caused a new federal building, city hall and public library to be huilt at the new center at a cost of $14,000,000, and are preserving proper architectural relations between this group of buildings and a new railway station nearby, costing $5,000,000. Boston's city planning work has taken the direction of park extensions, and it has conii)leted the most perfect system of pub- lic i)arks in the country at a cost of $33,- 000,000, besides creating a tidal basin to rival any in Europe. New York is also conserving the city's park domain and ex- tendhig it for many miles beyond her bor- ders. Much land in recent years has been taken for public purposes along the Hud- son river, and converted into public parks. Philadelphia is widening its streets, cutting- parkways and Ijuying more land for parks, besides planning t li e "grouping o f its citj' build- ings. In the mid- dle west Min- neapolis and St. Paul, rival c i t ie s, are working t o- gether in the upbuilding of a park sys- tem, and in St. Paul agitation for street widening work is under way. St. Louis has a plan for spending millions of dollars in grouping the city buildings, and creating outer and inner park systems, including small parks and playgrounds. On the Pacific Coast our countrymen are active in city planning work, too. San Francisco, rebuilding from a disastrous fire, is working in accordance with a plan to give symmetry and beauty to her streets and public buildings. Her people are openly ambitious to make San Francisco the most attractive city in America. To Toward the Capitol; Senate Park MODERN CITIES IN AJIEKICA 07 tlie nortliwaid ul' San Fraiu'isco, Portland and Seattle are striving to preserve good order and beauty during a period of rapid growth. We Americans, not content with improving and beautifying our own native cities, have begim a vast task of remodeling our new capital city in the Philippines, Manila, and we have had entirely new plans prepared for a city to be created as the summer ca|)i- tal of the Philippine archipelago upon the hills of P>aguio. Thus it becomes apparent that the demand for better civic conditions is sweeping over the entire world. As peace permits our cities to grow out- ward regardless of means of de- f e n s e against foes, and as their people are being enriched by com- merce, popula- tion increases by thousands every year. This m a k e s conven- ience and order a demand not to be set aside as the people be- come more and more accustomed to improved con- ditions of living. The history of city building, in America a n d abroad, both in ancient and in modern time s, shows Chicago that her wav to true greatness and to continued growth and CLETVELAND GROUP PLAN— View Looking Towards Lake from tlie Proposed Civic Center. the as Devflnpert Commission of of Wasliinffton Senate Park prosperity lies in making the city con- venient and healthful for its constantly growing popidation. To create civic beauty is to compel people to travel long distances to enjoy it. To arrange fine buildings and streets in an orderly manner means fame to a city. Chicago is ambitious for this prestige and fame, which her people are coming to know will be gained for their city by faithful devotion to the ideals and details of the Plan of Chicago. 1. Vi'hat is it that is being demanded in American cities as ivcll as throughouL Europe f 2. What elo we of America see, starting in a new country, acting without re- straint of custom or ancient law? 3. To what is it that as a nation ontg America can lay claim? 4. What is it that should stir our patri- otism? .). Who conceiiu d and directed the laying out of our beautiful capital city? i!. Wliat did George Washington, as a sur- veyor and line engineer, recognize? 7. When it was decided to create a city as our nation's capital, with whom ilid George Washington confer? 8. What did George Washington ami Thomas Jefferson decide to do? 58 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO 9. In what yiar did Washington decide on a citi/ plan for the city of Washington/ 10. Hole did L'Enfant proceed ivith his work for a plan for Washington f 11. What was L'Enfant's second step in prepar- ing a plan for Washington? 13. What was the attitude of the people toward L'Enfant's plan when finished? 13. Why ivas L'Enfant's plan greeted with de- rision ? 14. What did the faith of the people in George Wash- 1 ington do for i h e pi a n o f L'Enfant? 1.5. What followed the faith the people had in George Was hington's idea for a plan? 16. What has the de- velopment a n d growth of Washing ton since the Civil War served to prod u c e for that city? 17. AsW ashi ngton continued to grow, what tvas the effect o n L'E n f a nt ' s plan ? 18. Wh at effect did the World's Co- lumhian Expo- sition in Chica- go in 18.93 have n American cities in their city planning operations? 19. Why tv as the World's Co- mmmsniB CLEVELAND GROUP PLAN— Proposed Civic Center, Railway Station and Gardens Now Being Executed. htmhian E.rposition a propir inallir of pride for the people of Chicago? 20. What American city has gainid wirovements rmder an or- derly plan, and of deciding at once ui)on what improvements are necessary and what changes uuist be made in our system of car- rying on the commercial and civic business of Chicago. We nuiy well give some atten- tion, then, to considering the main elements of our city's various departments of com- mercial, social and economic activity, and so determine the first and most necessary things to be done in relation to the Plan of Chicago. Panorama of Part of Wodfni Rome. 1. What (Jo we understand thus far by studi/ of Wackcr's Manual of the Plan of Chi- ra(/o ? 2. What have we learned from our study of the building and eonduet of cities? ■1. What are our thoughts when wo realize how people in other cities are carrying out tremendous plans for improvement of cities? 4. What is our feeling when we ask what the necessity is for Chicago to have a plan? .'). What do all of us in Chicago want? a. If Chicago grows more orderly, beautiful and famous, why will the people of all the world admire us? 7. Why is it )ieeessary that W( stnnild know what to do for our future cily? 64 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO 8. Knowing what io do, what do we then come to realize? 9. Why is it that we must believe Chicago ds growing haphazardly, as London grew? 10. ^S'hy does if not satisfy us to know that Chi- cago has been built without a plan? 11. What is it that we do not want people of the future to consider us? 13. What is the principal reason for the growth of Chicago tvithout order or plan? 13. What was the duty of every man in the early days of Chicago? 14. How did Chicago grow at first? 15. What happened as the town grew into a city? 16. What diet the people of Chicago in early days rely upon us for, and why? 17. What did the people of early Chicago be- lieve ? IS. What is the great duty that faces the young people of Chicago now? 19. How did the ^nen of early Chicago thrust a great responsibility upon the young peo- ple of Chicago of the present? 30. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 2G. 27. 28. 29. At what rate has Chicago grown in popula- tion during the last forty years? What important fact should we recognize in Chicago's continued growth? What must we do first to carry out the des- tiny that Chicago's great men of early days set for it? Toicard ivhat sort of a plan must wc worl-f In taking up this plan for future Chicago, of what must wc avail ourselves? What does scientific information teach that our plan must aim to do away with on one hand and provide for on the otherf WJiat further tiling docs science tell us? What of much promise is there in the Plan of Chicago for the young people? What are Chicago people coming to recog- nize more and more each year? What sliould we determine in giving con- sideration to the main elements of our city's various departments of commercial, social and economic activity? VALUE OF PERMANENCY IN CITY BUILDING (15 CHAPTER VIII VALUE OF PERMANENCY IN CITY BUILDING We have seen, in our study so far, tliat the peoples of ancient times not only built np vast and attractive cities, but con- structed them so marvelously and so solidly that their principal buildings and temi)les have survived. Time and the elements of nature have not been able to destroy the works of the Greeks and the Romans. Though decay has caused ruin to buildings and temples, yet they have lost little of their trace in detail tlie histories of the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Persians and other peoples of the i^ast had it not been that they constructed their chief buildings of the must enduring materials, sculpturing upon the walls of these structures stories of the principal happenings in the reigns of their kings and emperors. It is likely that no manuscripts or other writings of the an- cients would be in existence for us today if the libraries of past ages had not been built so enduringly as to hold their contents in- tact for hundreds or thousands of years. When we consider that these ancient peo- Indian Camp, located on Wolf's Point at the fork of the Chicag toward the lake.] [Copyrighted by Edgar S. Cameron.] Rh'er. [Ijooking grandeur. They remain, in form and out- line, to inspire our architects and builders of today. Permanency was as much an ideal of the world's renowned builders as beauty of design and perfection of setting. If these ancient builders, whom we all ad- mire so much today, had not made perma- nency one of their great aims, it is doubtful whether we of the present era would ever have known much of ancient civilization. We would probably have been unable to pies were compelled to build their magnifi- eent buildings almost by main strength, and without the aid of effective machinery, we are forced the more to admire the build- ings, and to marvel at the energy and char- acter of the peoples who erected them. We can understand that the old-time nations must have been united in a tremendous civic spirit to have accomiilished such works as they left to tell us of the existence of proud and powerful nations. 66 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO Olio reason wliicli iiii])elled the ancients to build solidly and permanently is doubtless tiiat they were not wasteful and extrava- gant. They realized that a building prop- erly and substantially built will stand for centuries, and so be cheaper than an ill con- structed structure. They were not con- structing vast public works for themselves alone, but for all generations to come after them. We have seen, as we studied further, that the people of Europe, also true economists, have built for permanency in their cities. Palaces, cathedrals, castles and bridges are still in existence and used in all parts of Europe, a 1 - though c e n - turies have passed since they were erected. Trav- elers in Eng- land, France, Germany and other coun- tries are priv- ileged to visit the homes of famous men of other cen- turies, which houses are in almost as good condi- dition, apparently, as when those men were living. Thus permanency in building has saved to us structures of most vital inter- est, linking our civilization with that of our forefathers across the sea. We must not forget, in looking back over the work of builders of ancient cities, that our opportunities are actually hundreds of times as great for permanent building as were those of any people of past ages. An- cient jieoples had no mechanical contriv- ances to use in their work except wooden levers, rollers and low wheeled vehicles to be inished or pulled by men or horses. We have steam hoists capable of handling hun- dreds of tons of stone or steel every day. We have powerful derricks, operated by steam and electricity. Where the ancients were compelled to shape their stone by hand, slowly and laboriously, we have thousands of steam driven and electrical machines to use in cutting, carving and fashioning our building materials. Where the ancients were under necessity of cutting stone from their quarries by hand and conveying it long Marquette and Joliet, 1C73. Father Mariiiulto, S. J., and Louis Joliet of New France [Canada! were the first white explorers of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers and Lake Michigan. [Copyrighted by Edgar S. Cameron.] distances bj* use of rollers or boats, we are al)le to do our quarrying by powerful ma- chinery and explosives, and carry the prod- uct away on steam railways. We are even able to manufacture stone itself from ce- ment, gravel and water, and to mold it as we please as our buildings are being erected. From all these things, it is plain that we have duties to fuliill in ]iermanent building that were not imposed upon the peoples of VALUE OF PERMANENCY IN CITY BUILDING 67 on llie site of Cliioago two thousand years lience to tell of our existence? If a great fire came almost every building would he ancient cities. How much more magnificent would ancient Rome have been if its build- ers could have commanded the use of mod- e r n building i m p lenient s! How m u c h higher, h o w m u c h better, would h a V e been the Pyra- mids of Egyi^t, built stone by stone from ma- terial said to liave been car- ried hundreds of miles under the severest conditions, i f "the ancient E g y p t i a ns 1 -T i" 1 rl limTQ French fort at Chic.iKO. 1GS5. This French fort was the first establishment of any < () U 1 (.1 llcl\e g-overnment on the site of Cliicago. [Copyrighted by Edgar S. Cameron.] used railways and steam derricks ! If our civilization were destroyed at once. The few walls left to be blotted out today, what would be here standing would be open to rain and snow from all sides and in a few years woiddbe fallen in ruins. Stone and brie k would d i s i ntegrate a 11 d become dust and earth. If fire did not come, and Chi- cago were left to decay, the elements would at once b e g i n their work o f d e - s t r u c t i o n . Coiinneroi- on the Chicago-PurtHm-. about 1763. Fiviicli ■■\'oyii!;Lur.-i' uikini; l.alc.-i ol 'Wnnrloii cfvnP- furs over the portage. [Copyrighted by Edgar S. Cameron] >> oimt'ii M i u<- 68 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO tures would first become weather-beaten, then boards would loosen and blow to the ground, and within less than a century every wooden building would become a mound of musty ruin mingled with the soil of the earth. The massive steel beams of our high buildings would rust, and, break- ing, cast down their burdens of stone, brick and tiling to earth, all gradually disappear- ing under the influence of air and water. Men visiting the site of Chicago in two thousand years would find to indicate hu- man presence in the past only the long mounds of raised earth which mark the courses of our railways where they are ele- vated within the city. If our visitors then should excavate they would find the foun- dations of some of our buildings and pave- ments and probably some bits of marble and pieces of glass which had defied the de- stroying work of air and moisture. Every Foil Dearborn and Kinzie House. 1S03-4. This tort was the first outpost of American government on the site ot Chicago. [Copyrighted by Edgar S. Cameron.] other work of man in Chicago would have disappeared. We would have left nothing to testify to the world that here existed a progressive and enlightened people. If we, as the people of one of the most populous cities the world has ever known, care to take the view that ancient peoples were over vain in looking to the good opin- ion of nations to follow them upon the earth, we certainly cannot afford to disre- gard, in considering permanency in build- ing, the ([uestion of the present day econ- omy. Buildings which are erected today for our use must be paid for, and ours is the money that must be used for that pur- pose. Let us look, then, at that sub.ject as it affects the past and promises to affect the future in Chicago. Because of the rapid growth of our city, as we have noted, it was impossible in the early days to look far ahead in building. Our early habit thus was to build only for the day at hand, without taking any long- look into the future. From the beginning until the very present, we have not made any attempt to build for per- m a n e n c y . Whenweneedr ed a city hall or a court house we al- ways figured how cheaply we could build it, without con- sidering close- ly how long it would serve its purjiose after it was ready for oc- cupancy. We did not look to creating, in any public building, an institu- tion which would represent to us anything of the history or the spirit of our city, as the people of European cities do. Our VALUE OF PERMANENCY IN CITY BUILDING 69 ideas have always been to make all our buildings serve present needs, and let the future look to itself. At first glance, this policy, thougli selfish and narrow, seems at least to be the cheap- est way of doing. Only when we think about it do we see how foolish it really has been. We have spent millions upon mil- lions of dollars in building up, tearing down a n d the n building up again. Chi- cago once de- s t r y e d a court house, erected at great cost only a few years earlier and re- placed it with another costly structure. For a sum much smaller than the cost of both buildings ■we could in the first place have put up one building more commodious than the present one, besides bestowing a permanent monu- ment upon our city, around which monu- ment would center much of the sentiment of the people touching the history and de- velopment of Chicago. Our failure to build for permanency in Chicago has been not only a public weak- ness, but also one from which almost all individual builders have suffered. There are many sites within Chicago that, within a space of seventy years, have been occu- pied by three, four or five different build- ings. Their owners have been unable or unwilling to look ahead far enough to an- t icii)ato and prepare for the future, witli re- sult that great amounts of time, labor, ma- terials and money have been wasted. More- over, the city has been kept in a condition of chaos by such methods, the constant and shifting operations of builders keeping the entire city always in a state of disrepair and disorder. Fort Dearborn Massacre, 1812, which occurred on the shore of Lake Michigan near the foot of Eighteenth. Street, following the evacuation of Fort Dearborn. [Copyrighted bv Edgar S. Cameron.] Another reason why we should adopt the idea of permanency in building is that such construction is the principal element of at- tractiveness. Under prevailing conditions of planless growth, no property owner of Chicago can be sure of the future character of buildings adjoining his property. He is not safe in making a large investment in a structure of a permanent nature, because his neighbors may be permitted to change the character and use of their property, and so depreciate the value of his improvement. Proper planning and permanency in build- ing go hand in hand. Europe's chief cities owe much of their beauty to permanent building, and to the development of streets 7n WACKER'S MAXTAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO and avenues liaviny buildings of uniform lieiglit, color, material and general design. Owners of property there are not permitted to build as tliey please, but are required, for the good of all in tlie cit.y, to follow certain general architectural lines in construction. Lack of this permanency in construction and design of buildings is what causes the broken and unsightlj' a]ipearance of many of Chicago's streets. The destruction of existing buildings, done to replace them with other structures, One railway company of Chicago, after outgrowing one terminal station in a few years, has spent $20,000,000 to build an- other, yet finds that new station only com- modious enough for the jiresent day needs, and sure to be too small within another dec- ade. This failure to look ahead and so pro- vide for the future by permanent buildings, is not so apparent in New York City, where one railway terminal was bi;ilt at a cost of $200,000,000, while another one cost $137,- 000,000. In other words, New York spent riiililiarrVs Train. ISl'T. He was the firs by pack ponies instead of by boat as was the Edgar S. Cameron.] is a work seen in all parts of Chicago by all boys and girls. "Wlierever it is done, one may be sure the wasteful work of destruc- tion results from careless planning. It would seem to us that experience would have taught Chicago years ago to look ahead and make better and more secure plans for per- manent building. Yet it seems this lesson has not been learned by the people. Hardly any building in Chicago is today, in fact, adequate even for present needs, not to mention the failure to provide for the fu- ture. t to tiansiioi't soods lietween trading posts usual custom in those days. [Copyrighted by nearly forty times as much money provid- ing railway terminals at one period as was expended in Chicago, although Chicago is much the more important railway center. Experience of other cities throughout the history of the world goes to show that we ought to begin at once in Chicago to plan and build for permanency. Eeasons of am- bition, civic spirit, economy and attractive- ness all urge us to determine and strive to create public and private buildings of great solidity and durability. To do only the things that are necessary VALL'E OF PERMANEXCV IX CITY BUILDING 71 from (lay to day, without careful thought and planning, is the mark of carelessness. No one admires the shiftless, careless and untidy boy or girl, and every city must show Dial it is not wasteful a n d shiftless b e- fore it can ex- pect to be ad- mired by other cities. Thetime hascomeforan end of make- shift methods in b u i 1 d i n g Chicago, b e- cause we who are building and own this great city are no longer poor and s t r u g- gling, but make up a ricli ami ]>rosperous ]ieople. We have come to a time that we can cease liurrying in trying to build our city and begin building in a correct, sane Illinuis and Michigan i ' mal. imn. lC"i)\ riglited by Edsur S. Cainfiun. Camp Douglas. 1SC3. This was situated along the lake shore from Thirty-first Street to Thirty-fiflh Street, Cottage Grove Avenue and west to Rhodes Avenue. LCo'pyrighted by Edgar S. Cameron.] and well plan- n e d manner. W e can d o a w a y w i t h stpmlid streets and ugly buildings, and by perma- nent construc- tion gradually develop o u r Iiome city in good o r d e r and attractive- ness, as pro- vided for in all details of t h e P 1 a n of Chicago. WACKEK'S MANUAL OP THE PLAN OF CHICAGO Great Fire of 1S71. This sliows the burning of the City Hall and County Building:. [Copyriglited by Edgar S. Cameron.] 1. Why have the great puhlic icorks of ancient cities survived through centuries? 2. How has the permanent huilcling of ancient cities benefited us? 3. What has ieen the effect of permanent con- struction work in ancient cities? 4. How has the permanent character of ancient temples and libraries served, their build- ers / 5. What do the magnificent ruins of ancient cities signify to us, and. why f 6. State one important reason impelling the ancients to build for permanency. World's Fair. 1S93, showing the Court of Honor as seen from an upper floor of the Administration Building. [Copyrighted by Edgar S. Cameron.] \AIJ'K OF PKRMANKXCV IN CI'I'V lU'ILDING 7. Ill what way hare pennaiu nl hidldiiii/ methods in Europe benefited us' 8. How do our opportunities for permanent building compan u'ith those of the ancients, and ivhyf 9. What do our opportunities for sucli build- ing mean for usf 10. What would be one result of ahandoniiuj Chicago today' 11. Has Chicago any permanent monumenl(d worhs such as the Romans constructed .' I.'. Wliul important midict sliould imp .^ ■~- 1^1 - ^^^ ^^^ \l.uiiiLL ^il .VliLlluI u\ ur till lU\Lr Seme. Paris, France. toward making Chicago a more attractive city, have never lost sight of its further de- velopment possibilities along commercial and industrial lines. The membership of the Chicago Plan Commission has been made as representative as possible of every section and everv element in our population. "To secure at all times adequate repre- sentation on this Commission of the city government and of all other locally inter- ested govermnental agencies, it is respect- fully recommended that the persons ap- pointed because of their official positions which they now hold, to wit, members of the City Council, chairmen of Council Com- mittees, the Corporation Counsel, Commis- sioner of Public Works, City Engineer, Health Commissioner, President of the Board of Education and President of the Public Library Board of the City of Chi- cago, the President of the County Board, the Presidents of the Park Boards and the President of the Sanitary District, shall be held to be ex-officio members of said Com- mission, whose membership on such Com- mission will cease when they retire from the offices which they now hold, and in this rec- 1 ommendation I would respectfully ask the concurrence of your honorable body. " To secure stabil- ity in the Chairman- ship of the Commis- sion and to keep it unaffected liy the frequent changes among holders of public office, as well as to recognize tire- less and patriotic de- votion to Chicago, I have named as Chairman a leader in the Plan movement, who is a member of the Commercial Club. ' ' Three days later, on November 4, 1909, the first meeting of the Chicago Plan Commission was held in the City Coun- cil Chambers. The Chairman in his open- ing address to the Commission outlined ORIGIN OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO 79 the task of the organization by saying: " The duty \r\nc\\ has been imposed upon us is: " To take up tliis question to the end that tlie wliole city and all elements in it may be fully informed as to what is contemplated in this plan for the future, so that an offi- cial plan of Chicago may be produced that will have the endorsement and support of the entire municipality. " These sentences announce the platform u])on which we stand and designate the task which our fellow citizens will expect us to accomplish. "The plan to be adopted by this Com- mission must b e a s much for the bene- fit of the great "West Side as for t h e N o r t h Side or the South Side; it must com- prehend the needs of every district and every locality from Jef- ferson to West Pullman and from Heges- wich to Rogers Park. "We have arrived at a stage in our city's life which requires the formulation and adoption of a plan for the orderly, s^'stem- atic and beautiful development of our city commercially, industrially and esthetically. "With the growth of the country tribu- tary to Chicago and with the enormous de- velopment within the industrial zone of Chicago, still almost in its infancy, the ratio of increase in population should be even greater in the future than in the past, and with such an increase Ihere will surelv arise an irresistible demand for increased and better public utilities, for finer public improvements, more comfort, better provi- sions for rational recreation and enjoy- ment and for more beautiful surroundings generally. "If we, during the coniiug years, should expend no more on civic improvements than we have done in the past, we shall never- theless accomiilish vastly more if an offi- cial plan of Chicago be adojited. In this way we will make each year's work fit into the plan as part thereof, so that finally we shall have a city as fa- mous for its beauty as it now is for its grit and en- ergy. "if we shall hope to have the p 1 a n adopted we must take the people fully into our con- fidence. We Modern Athens and Mt. Lycabettus. m U S t offer them a feasible and practical plan. We must explain just what we propose doing and how it can be done. We nuist prove to our fellow citizens that a good plan, sys- tematically and carefully carried out, will be a commercial asset of great value and will make our city more habitable, more comfortable and healthier for ourselves and for our children. As soon as the citizens of Chicago realize the full imjiortance of these advantages we may safely leave it to them to provide ways and means for carry- ing out tlie plan in its full scope. "This work if accomplished will mark a third epocli in the history of Chicago, the HO \V,\( K'l i;S ,\rANr.\l- Ol' 'IIIK I'LAX OF CIirCAGO l.wii < it her jjji'f'iil cpocliH Ijcih^' flic robiiildiii^' ol' diM' <'ily (il'lci- llic (ir(! dl" IH7I ;itiil IIk; iTfiilion III' llii' Woi'M'h ()r)liiiMlii;ii] lOxposi- liiiii ill IHD;;, IIii' ;'|-;iiiiI<'sI IIic svorlil li;is (•\ IT v\ iliic(,:;c(l. "Our l;i: I; is imlml •■rrjil nml iliriiciill, yrl llnl ill ;ill so S('Clllillv;l> llii|il'l<'SS JIH WIIH Id dill' rjiihcrs llic |iiiilili'iii III' ri'lmilijiii^ n I(II\l;<" I'll V liiiil ill jislii's ;iiiil 1)1' IT csliililiHli- i II If (I iiiiiiii' ;iiiil ii i'nrl iiiir s\\ r|il ;i\\;iv d\'or iii;;iil liv liic. "'I'iii' I pli' df iiic I'liilcij SIjiIcs 111 \.\w. I III r I lie l'';iir 111' IS!).'! wiilcln'il diir crritrls Willi llliirr d|- li':;s iiciirSdlcii I ilnlilils .•|||il lliiHiU'ivIliK'H, Inil III (liiy our f,i'''iil<'i' -'n |iii'iilidiis .'iml I'l' I'lirls lll'i' liM)|;i'il lljiiill mill I'lillnw ni ('\ ITV W IliTC ill .'III mil irl \ 1 Ii rrcrcul S|Mlil." N d w w I- 1 1 .'I \' (' Ic.'irili'il juiiiii'l liiii;;' dl' lidW I III' ( 'liir;\!Vd riiiii ( 'diiiiiiissidii WIIS dr!V!llli/.(>ll MIllI w li;il its inissidii is. Wo .shdlllll Know .'1 .si.Miii, llaly. Tills Sllli.ni<-tt,- 1 • 1 i 1 1 11 ■ 1 llMltnu 'rii\r-jis ill llltll< (lllOIlt lldW it i'!in ii>s dii ils w dik. 'I'lic ( 'lii.';iiv>> l'l;ni < 'diii mission us const it ulrtl is 'vuiiii'il in in;in\ dl' ils tii'livitii's liy siiii'iiostioiis frdni its I'a ociiti\(> CdiniiiitliH'. whicli jnis tw.Mily niiid MU'inluM-s, ;in«I of wiiifli tlio ('lininnan oi' llic Coininission is llio lit>)ul. All ilic iiniHM'tnnI polifios of llio (\umnissioii jirc disciisst'il nl llu> iiiooliuiis of tlio MxiHMitivo (\>nunilloo, nml t\{ its sessions tiro roju-liod llu< doi'isions I wliii'li tilTocI {iml >;ui' I ho various phases of its work in rotation to tho coiuplolod plan of (lie future city Id have arriiilc discnssion at its se.ssions dl' all siilijocts with wliicli it deals. Its mem- hers liein;,' drawn fi-oni all parts of the city jind i'cpi'"sentin.n' all Hie f^rcat divisions of t rade, " a in il'acl mini;, cdinmerce and profes- sional efloi't which encompass Chicago's greatness, the Commission is proving e. great inciting pot of ideas of civic advance. II is a great deliberative body, whose poli- cies once decided can lie relied npon as tlie right diics, bccmisc they represent tlio es- sential dl' the \ital elenieiits which combine to produce t heal l-cdiupiering Chicago si)irit. When siiriicicnl time had elapsed for the Cdinmission to thoi'oughly study the ]ilan and gain intimate knowledge of the great task of actually promot- ing the work of tlie p Ian, its otTicers w e r e confronted with the need of a ilireclor trained in the work of organ- izing and promot- ing large projects, or T.nvors l.s Olinrni-lorlslii' of riul Oil JailUai'V 1.'!, Ilio MMillo .\,;os. 1,11 1 • 1 " 1 I'm, ap]idiiitea a Managing Pirector. Ipoii taking ot'lice the hirector said: "Naliirally the iilan must be worked out ]iiece by piece. Those who ha\e contemplated it as a whole have said ' Impossible." t'org(>triil o\' the all-important I'act that e\ery great stnicture must first lia\e a plan before it can be reared stone by stone. The idea as cmitained in ihe plan for creating onlcr out o\l chaos in Chicago should be taken np by the entire clergy of tlio city, all school teacliers in public, pa- rochial and private schools, by the jiro- fossors in all departments of our colleges, by clerks in stores and ollices. by factorv ORIGIN OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO 81 employes and laltorers of all classes. Every Cliicag'oan, iieigliI)or to neighboi", should catch the Chicago Plan spirit and talk about it. It is the one Chicago issue that all Clii- cago can and should unite on — a non-paiii- san, non-i)olitical business plan to hanno^ nize some of the loveliness and unloveliness of physical Chicago, an idea to make a prac- tical, beautiful piece of finished fabric out we have made are natural and perhaps, therefore, i)ardonal)le, for we have been a busy city, l)uilding up a strong foundation for commercial and industrial sui)i-eniacy. That accomplished, Chicago can no longer find a reasona])le excuse to ignore hor great obligation in the matter of adequate pul)lic improvements. It is not only the duty of every citizen to help make his city CHICAGO. General Map Showins Topography, Waterways and Complete system of Streets, Boulevards, Parkways and Parks. The Parkways and Parks Encircle the City. Thev are Placed in Relation to the Radiating Arteries and Increase in Area in Proportion to Their Distance From the Center (Green). Also Showing Railroads (Red), the Proposed Harbors at the Mouths ot the Chicago and Calumet Rivers and the Location of Outlying Townships. Tile Elevation of the Ground is Shown by Increasing Depth in Color (Orange) From the Center of the City. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] of Chicago's crazy quilt. Chicago in many respects is the admiration of the world, and likewise the world wonder of the past half century. Notwithstanding our marvelous ])usiuess enterprise, unparalleled trans])or- tation facilities, unexcelled geographical location, center of education, center of con- structive art, center of niusic, center of sci- ence — with all these advantages, physical Chicago has been neglected. The mistakes a clean and comfortable place in which to live, while he is estalilishiii.g his business and making money, but incidentally it is a splendid })usiness investment to make his city so attractive to every one, both resi- dent and non-resident, that some of the mil lions of money spent elsewhere each year will remain at home." There is another and deeper motive in planning for the future greatness of the 82 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO city than its splendid material upbuilding. This is of significance only as it expresses the actual social, intellectual and moral upbuilding of the people, and, so far as, in turn, it opens the way for further de- velopment of this higlier type. City build- ing means man building. Who is there among us who is not lifted above sordid in- dustrial existence into the realm of the beautiful and ennobling things in life by attractive surroundings! Beautiful parks, fine monuments, well laid out streets, prop- erly lighted, paved and amply provided with shade trees, relief from noise, dirt and confusion — all these things and many others contemplated in the Plan of Chicago are agencies that make not only for the future greatness of the city but the happiness and prosperity of all the people within our gates. The ideal of a city must rise above mere commercial and industrial supremacy, tak- ing the higher gi-ound of becoming an at- tractive, composite home for its residents both of large and small means, as well as for the stranger within its gates. Such a city would not only attract a multitude of people seeking a homo, offering all the best advantages of city life, but would also re- tain that class of residents who go abroad for such advantages, spending millions of dollars in Paris, Berlin and London, and other famously attractive foreign cities. While the wealthier class of citizens in any community can build up beautiful residence sections on well laid out avenues and boule- vards, what will become of those who have neither organization nor money to aid them in intelligently i)hnniing the most meagre comforts of ordinary home surroundings? The interests of the inhabitants of the most unfortunate districts must be safeguarded beyond anything else, for they and their children form the l)ackbone of the intelli- gent American lal;oring class. No other plan of any other city, foreign or otherwise, so thorough.ly provides for equal benefits and comforts of all classes as does the Chi- cago Plan. The energy with which the Cliicago Plan Commission undertook its work for better- ment is shown by the fact that on Novem- ber 16, 1909, less than two weeks after it was created, the Commission took up the first great task of its career — the widening of Twelfth Street, about which we will learn in another chapter. This work, when completed, will I'esult in making a liroad thoroughfare from the lake front reaching through the very center of Chicago's poini- lation. 1. Wliat was th( thoughf of a powerful nth r in impruuiiKj a city.' 2. Give three reasons win/ the imperial way af city hiiihiing is impossible in luofhrii times. .'). How was tin Plan of Chicago originated or inspiri il .' J. In what i>i riod icas I In Plan of Chicago in- spire (I .' .^5^-^- CHICAGO View of the Citv from Jackson Park to Grant Park. The Proposed Shore Treatment as a Park. Enclosing a Waterwav (or a Series of Lagoons) is Shown. Together with the Yaclit HarVor, Recreation Piers and a Scheme for Grant Park. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] ORIGIN OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO 83 5. What did ihc men who originalid the Plan of Chitayo tiarn and S(u dnrinij the World's Fair? 6. What other club started an independent )nove)nei)t for a plan while the Commer- cial Clnb Commillce was working? 7. In what year iverc the plans entirely forma- latedf 8. In what year did the Commercial Clnb and the Merchants' Club unite? 9. Under what name did the two clubs unite? Jo. What ivas d(ci ^;;^ ■ CHICAGO. Plan of a Complete System of Street Circulation and System of Parks anrl Playgrounds. Presenting tlie City as an Organism in Whicli all the Functions are Related One to Another. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] 10 11 In u'Jiaf year did the Commercial Club give the completed Plan af Chicago It) the world ? How and when was the Plan of Chicago ready for submission to the citizens? 13. After years of study and hard work on the Plan of Chicago by the Commercial Club members, what was it that became evident to the leaders of the agitation? 18. 19. What did ihi Mayir say of the inanui r in wliirli th( Cliiedijii Plan lidd In < n ffiroiu- laUd? What did the Mayor say about the Plan of Chicago not being prcscnteel as a scheme for spending untold millions of dollars? What did the Mayor say about the relation- ship of the Plan of Chicago to other pro- posed commercial or industrial projects? 84 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO 2U. ^\'hat did the Mayor say first about the Plan of Chicago not being an artist's dream f 21. How did the Mayor express himsdf on the Chicago Plan as not contemplating the remodeling of Chicago in a y'i[ziDnj nnn nnm nnD^fe^gpDBDBnBci innaflB nnnnDDa □nnnn ' □LIIJUL nnnc □{7, . cjtTiBci'zja ~1 I 11 II — n CDCD^np- j^-'ca 3 CDc^eEs; asQDaaaniDaF:BQBCi?ci:iDQaatiaaan''/fl; ^BHa nBaDnna@annDDDD'';tjanDDaani7/!ar: ^♦^s^A**- to Smf-^^<*^ C^mA £iL^*«-. CHICAGO. Plan of the complete system of street circulation: railway sta- tions; 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, presenting the city as a complete organism in which all its functions are related one to another in such a manner that it will become a unit. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] Milwaukee Ave. Center Ave. State St. better health conditions is an aim of the Plan of Chicago. Another appeal for the adoption of the Plan of Chicago is that made to the busi- lars now being spent every year in otlier cities. "When we have created a great at- tractive city liere people will be drawn to it from all over our country, as today peo- PURPOSE AND MEANIN(4 OK Till': t'llR'AGO PLAN (•7 ]ile are attracted to Paris. They will visit Chicago with tlieir families and friends and remain indefinitely to enjoy tlie de- liglits of the city, with vast resultant benefit to all onr citizens. In drawing the Plan of Chicago, the ar- chitects constantly ke]it in mind the needs of the fntnre city in the three great ele- ments of congestion, traffic and public health. They took the city as it has grown up and applied to it the needs of the fntnre ill trans])orfati()n, in recreation and in hy- giene. Because we are a commercial people, and live m a great commercial city, first thought was given to transportation. The architects' first care, therefore, was to cre- ate a proper system of handling the busi- ness of Chicago in its streets, and upon its street railways, its steam railroads and its water courses. The greatest ]iart of the plan, then, refers to improving the existing streets, to cutting new ones where neces- sary, to arranging the city's railway and water terminals most effectively, and to the fjuick and cheap handling of all the business of Chicago. This plan of transportation completed, the architects set about a plan of making Chicago more attractive, of providing parks for the people in the places where they should be pro\ided, of gi\'ing the peo- ple recreation grounds both within the city and in the outer district nearby, of improv- ing and beautifying the lake front of the city, and so arranging all things that the future people of Chicago may be strong and healthy, and so ambitious to extend the fame and the commerce of their city. Finally, in their planning, the architects recognized the need of giving the people of Chicago a way to express in solid form their progressive spirit. The people of Chicago have always been prcnid of their city, of its iin]>o)'tancc and ils power. The architects strove, therefore to provide a means whereby the civic pride and glory of Chicago could l)e shown to the world in im- posing buildings of arcliitcctural grandeur. Thus the.v provided a civic center upon a vast scale, to be improved with towering buildings serving as the seat of city gov- ernment, uniting and giving life to the whole plan of the metropolis, and standing as a notice to the world of the tremendous might and power of a city loxed and re- vered by its millions of devoted and ]UTtri- otic citizens. 1. What is the Plait of Chirago as il lias been ivorked out? 2. What is ihr piirpos< of lln Plmi of Clii- cayo ? 3. What will the Plait of Chicario mraii irlii ii carried out? 4. What two clrmnils Jiarc had to do chiefly with the building of cities of the past according to a definite plan? 5. What other element do modern people rec- ognize as of great importance? 6. With what vital problems is the Plan of Chicago concerned above everything else? 7. What will increase the ivealth of the city and its people faster tJian will he possi- ble otherwise? 8. Why will the plan make the people mon healthy and better able to carry on the irork of commerce and civilization in our city? 9. What proportion of the population of our country did the Vnited States census of 1910 show were living in cities? JO. In what three cities do twelve per cent of tin in tire population of thi United Sfatis reside ? 11. What has a .study for years of city growth shown us of this movement of mankind toward the city? 12. What is it that citij life saps, according to men of science? 1.1. What is an aim of the Plan of Chicago? Jl. Wliat does the carrying out of the plan mean ? 98 WACKEK'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO 15. Wliat will happtn when we have created a great and attractive city here? 16. TT/mi did the architects constantly keep in mind in drawing the Plan of Chicago? 17. WJiy was first thought given to transpor- tation.' 18. ^Yhat was the architects' first care? It). To what does the greatest part of the plan nfir? 20. The plan of transportation completed, tvhat was tin next thought of the architects? 21. What did the architects recognize the need of in the final arrangements of the plan? SOLVING TRANSPORTATION PR0BLE:MS 99 CHAPTER XII Ashland Center Ave. Halsted St. -^r-rr.- Can:il St. SOLVING CHICAGO'S TRANS- PORTATION PROBLEMS It lias been seen how modern eities are governed in their growth and development by their fa- cilities for a - transport a- ^13 t i o n , and how Chica- go has come ^^'- to be a big city only lie- cause of its fine location in regard to the carry- ing to and fro of mer- c h a n dise. We m u s t r e c ognize, then, t h a t R.R.Stations Chicago has become great large- ly t)y virtue of the rail roads, and that u p o n the r a i 1 - roads it is d e p endent for its fu- ture growth and p r o s- perity. Clii- cago is now the greatest railroad center in the world. Railway lines extend from the city in every direction. The problem, then, is to make these roads more effective in connnerce. to liriiig Ihein all together as one great macliine in the service of the city. Under modern cdnditions, we can under- stand, the city which lias the best and cheapest railroad service has an advantage in trade over every other city. Its mer- chants can do business cheaper and more I s Michigan Ave. Milwautee Ave. West Side R.R.SUilioii3 CHICAGO. Diagram of city center, showing the proposed arrangement of rail- road passenger stations, the complete traction svstem. including rapid transit sub- waj- and elevated roads, and tlie circuit subway line. The last is designed — (A) to connect all railroad stations with one another; (B) to connect passengers from all points of the citv within and without the center with the railroad stations by transfer from the snl>wav line: (C) to supplement hy transfer the interchange of passengers from traction line going tlirougli the center from the north, south or west to any point in the city. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] quickly. Its manufacturers can receive material and ship out tlieir jiroducts more easily. This attracts and holds trade, and is a great means of enriching a city and 100 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO its people. Men operating great railroads are agreed that their greatest prohlem is to provide qniek and cheap means of han- dling traffic in the great cities, or, as they call it, of improving terminal facilities in the great centers where so much commerce originates. The city will benetit most in AstUaud Ave. Ealstcd St. Canal St. South Freight Yard ■p'"'"" '"" -'■' Milwaukee Ave. t \11 / CHICAGO. Diagram of the city center, showing the general location of existing freight yards and railroad lines, the present tunnel system and pro- posed circuit, and connections for all these services, running to the central clearing yards. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] which this terminal problem is worked out quickest and best. The great difficulty in moving freight in Chicago today arises from the lack of or- ganization for handling the merchandise coming into the city over the various rail- roads, but intended for use in the country, or in other cities. Every month thousands of cars of goods are hauled into central Chicago over the various roads, switched to other railroads and drawn out of Chi- cago again nnojiened. Other thousands of cars are shijiped into Chicago, unloaded in the center of the city and their contents g carted |a .2 a^ through the I I i-^ streets t o warehouses, only to be again cart- ed a w a J , loaded into cars, a n d shipped out of Chicago 1) y whole- sale mer- chants a few days or weeks later. Under the Plan of Chicago, as drawn b y the arclii- t e c t s , all this waste- effort crowd- within center of the city will be end- ed. This is to be done by establishing upon the broad prairies southwest of Chicago a great freight and warehousing center. After this center is established all merchandise not intended for constructing buildings, for food or to be sold and used by the people of Chicago will be kept out of the city it- Freight Yard La Salle St. ful and ing the SOLVING TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS 101 lion, by a saving upon its pavements, and by a cessation of the noise and smoke nuisam-e growing out of removal of so many freiglit engines to the new freiglit liandling locality. The freight traffic of Cliicago has been carefully studied by experts, and it has self. The railroads will quickly and cheap- ly interchange traffic at the outside center. In the warehouses there all merchandise to be sold at wholesale and sliipped to other towns and cities will be stored until time for shipment arrives, when it will be re- loaded and started on its way without de- lay. The advan- g^Ss tages of this geat common unloading and reloading sta t i o n , where much of the work now done by manual la- ^; bor downtown ^ can be done h} ^ m a c h i n ery, and where^ crow ding of c> industries will not interfere with the busi ^ '\ iiess for which ?&^ the center is planned, a r i apparent. All interests will benefit ; t h e li rail ways by increasing the effective u s e ::^ of their equip ' ; CHICAGO— The Great Centi il .Maik.t. ment IJV rapid 50,000.000 persons W'ithln a 500-Mile Radius of ChicaKO Can Leave Home in the Evening and , ' Arrive in Cliicago for Breakfast the Next Morning. loading a n d [Especially prepared for the Chiciigo Association of Commerce.] unloading, tlie merchants by avoiding the expense and delay of carting and liandling ])roducts at the city's center, and by being enabled to more quickly and effectively serve their customers outside the city; and the city at large by relief from the crowd- ing in tlie streets due to teaming conges- been found that ninety-five per cent is handled by the railroads, and five per cent is done by water. For the care and devel- opment of water transportation the Plan of Chicago provides for the building of two great systems of docks, one at the mouth of Chicago river, the otlier at the 102 WACKEK'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO mouth of Calumet river, adjoining Sontli Chicago. The Chicago river docks are planned to care for vessels bearing car- goes of i:)ackage freight, such as furniture, sugar and manufactured products. Those at South Chicago would he more extensive, and would care for the vessels carr3ing bulk cargoes, such as coal, grain and ore. Connecting the two harbors and the out- er freight center, and running through the center of the city that it may serve the merchants and manufactixrers, there is provided in the plan an underground freight way to be ojierated by electricity. This railway would bind together and make complete all the parts of the great machine of traffic intended to make limitless the pos- sibility of Inisiness expansion for Chicago. If it be made an underground way, it may be connected with the present tiumel sj's- tem serving the central part of Chicago to carry out a complete system of under- ground distribution. In drawing the Plan of Chicago as af- fecting transportation, the designers did not neglect the detail of improving passen- ger service in and out of Chicago. Good order among the passenger stations was considered a necessity, and a pleasing- arrangement of the stations was decided upon. The stations on the West Side, it was decided, should be centered in the dis- trict extending from Lake Street to Twelfth Street, bordered by Canal Street on the east and Clinton Street on the west. The South Side stations, according to the Plan, are to be grouped along Twelfth Street from State Street west to the river. Thus the railway stations would be grouped in a semicircle about the heart of the citj". An elevated, surface or subway loop railway could be built to connect the stations, and give easy transportation from anv one of them to the others. One of the great results of carrying out this plan of arranging the passenger sta- tions will be to extend the present crowded business center of Chicago to as far south as Twelfth Street, and as far west as the river. The need of this extension is al- readj' great and is growing more acute every day. The unpleasant and distress- ing conditions of crowding already suf- fered in the loop district of Chicago can be relieved in no other way; and in no other way but undertaking a work for economy in trade and transportation can Chicago fulfill her destiny as mistress of the com- merce of half a continent. To gain this relief, and to provide a certain way by which the railways which have made Chi- cago great may give the people of Chicago the greatest possible amount of service in future, is a powerful reason urging our immediate adoption of the Plan of Chicago. 1. How have modern cities been governed in their growth and dcvclopmentf 2. How has Chicago come to he a big city? 3. 'What must we recognize as an important factor in making Chicago great, and upon what is it dependent for its future growth and prosperity? 4. Of what is Chicago now the greatest center in the world? 5. ^Yhat is Chicago's prohlem regarding the railroads ? (). Under modirn conditions, what city has an advantage in trade over every otiier city? 7. ^\hy is the best and cheapest railroad serv- ice an advantage in trade to a city? 8. Why is the best and cheapest railroad serv- ice a incans of enriching a city and its people ? On what arc men who operate gnat rail- roads agreed is their greatest problem,? What is tlie great difficulty in moving freight in Chiceigo, coming into the city over the various railroads and intended for use in the country or in other cities? Under the Plan of Chicago, how will the handling of merchandise from the rail- roads be improved? 9. 10. 11 SOLVING TRANSPORTATION PltoBLEMS hi:; 12. 13. 11. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. How will W(ist-er this expen- diture is delayed the greater the cost wlien conirurl, cuntinned danger to liealtli, and continued and increasing loss to the city's Imsiness, trade and connneiTC. i f a f. .g 1 Hilsted St Michigan Ave. ,4' ii:N. pwL_JL , 17 ^' 4r I Px \JL/ .>' ivi ^'■j Milwaukee Ave Center Ave \l ^" s / i^r r ifmn 1 i"3"^'""""'7^^ V J*< |L,L...'5' I -^_J_JL_LJ"w '"""^'^ N-2:!::L< J£ a .A a I I <„ ! v 1 r I I— :«^? I ul I r ^' I >. I A .. V ' ^ I ' I — ) ?Aii n.t*D i>n«^RTv CHICAGO. Plan of the cr'titer of the city, showing the present street and boulevard system, and the proposed additional arteries and street widenings (heavy black). [Copyrighted lj>' the Commercial Club.] it is finally forced upon a city. To post- pone action means not only a greater bur- den of cost, but it means continued dis- Tlie architects, in their Plan of Chicago, have iirepared for great changes in the street jilans of the city. They have pro- 106 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO vided for wider streets throughout tlie city, for widened and improved boulevards, and they have laid out, as absolutely necessary to a properly arranged and permanent city, a large number of new streets and ways, in the creation of which it will be necessary to destroy or remove hundreds of buildings in the crowded parts of the present city. Circuits — An idea of the plan tablish several circuits of existmg IS to es- thor- Ite Ha ILJU nnncj CDil cunc CI1C3C m mo. DDmaniip i i H/Mi i iill U m DEE an ^1 53! uUUUUUu' □□ DDDD DD Ui "1 an na UUUUUUUUUUL^I^ of the Chicago IMan Commission — the foundation for all that is to follow — is to carry out the circuit idea by com- pleting the great quadrangle formed by Twelfth street on the South, Halsted street on the West, Chicago avenue on the North and Michigan avenue on the East. These four streets are destined to bear tlie heaviest traffic of any streets in Chi- cago. The initial step will be to widen Twelfth street from Michigan to Ashland a ^' e n u e, the s e c - □□□□nnn^annnc DDnnuL n na sasB Bdd [□□□aaannQpnaBann^^^^ nnnnnnnnnnnnQ^nnnni mDL nn[ ana □nnnn = is QDDDD nDDDDE DDDDDDC ICDDDaDDD DDnauanncnnDDDnn^ Dnnnannnnnnnnns^gmnnn 2 DDDICiCZlCjanC annnDDaE mnnnnDDC agR □0 CHICAGO. Plan of the quadrangle bounded by Twelfth Street on the South, Halsted Street on the West. Chicago Avenue on the North and Michigan Avenue on the East. These four streets are destined to bear tlie lieaviest traffic of any thoroughfares in the city. The completion of the quadrangle means the construction of a substantial part of the main vertebra of the street circulation system. It is the purpose of the Chicago Plan Commission to complete this square as the first great necessary step in carrying out the plan as a ■whole. oughfares can move and to freelv improve them so traffic and directlv about the citv's center. Quadrangle — The first constructive work ond to widen ^lich- igan avenue from Randolph street North to connect with Chicago ave- nue. Chicago avenue suflficiently wide, so we then come to the connecting link of the quadrangle — the widening of Halsted street. Michigan avenue — a section of the quadrangle — forms so great a ]iart of the street plan as a whole that it has been thought best to treat it in a separate chapter, so we will go on to the next s t e p — T w e 1 f t h street — taking u p the study of Michi- gan avenue, or wliat is popularly known as the "Iwulevard link," at the close of this chapter. Twelfth street, the first section of the quadrangle, is being developed under the Chicago Plan. It is to be widened and ar- PERFECTING OUR STREET SYSTEM 107 ranged to bear easily a heavier trallic than that which now makes it a badly congested street. The widening of Twelfth street is the initial step in the constructive work of developing the plan as a whole and bears a relationship to the whole scheme of street construction and street widening. The necessity for the improvement of that street lies in the fact that it is the only througli thoroughfare between Harri- nmst be made for a suitable outlet from that district to the present business center of the city. Twelfth street from Ashland avenue to Michigan avenue is at present 66 feet wide between building lines with the exception of the blocks between State street and Michigan avenue, where the street is but 50 feet wide; 39 feet wide l)etween sidewalk curbs and onlv nine feet and nine inclies c/fOi6 ^£cr/ofy J C /Si. -*/*'£' ^t -4 Tro»/t ^^ >STRS£r C^/r Tf^jJCMS* s^ PLA// //£H^. ! CHICAGO. Plan of the new Twelfth Street. Top diagrram shows sidewalks 14 feet and 26-foot roadway on either side, with a 20-foot strip in the center for double street car line and bracket trolley poles. I'lan below shows "islands" on both sides of the car tracks at the intersection of each street for safety in enterins; and leaving street cars. Dimension of island 4 by fiO feet. Car tracks at street level, with free access for traffic to either side. [Prepared for the Chicago Plan Commission.] son and Eighteenth streets connecting the west side with the down town district. The actual heart of the city's population today is a little north of the corner of Twelfth and Halsted streets. Traffic and the city's growth are gradually moving in a south- westerly direction. Adequate provision wide between the street car step and the curl). It is proposed to make the street 108 feet wide from Ashland avenue to Canal street, taking a 42-foot strip off from the lots on the south side of the street. It is to be widened to 118 feet from Canal street to the lake. 10,S WACKEK'S MANUAL OF TIIK PLAN OF CHICAGO It is not intended to boulevard tlie street but to make it a clean, wide, business tbor- oughfare witb a double, rapid-transit sur- face street car line down the center, and on it might be established stations of all the great railroads entering the city from the east, south and southwest. It is hoped that the railroads may be induced to locate terminals south of Twelfth street between State street and the river. On November 16, 1909, the Chicago Plan Commission's Executive Committee ap- pointed a special Twelfth street com- mittee whose mission it was to investi- gate the entire matter and report back to the Executive Committee. On January 19, 1910, the Executive Committee received the Twelfth Street Committee's report, adopt- ing same, which was referred to the Com- mission as a whole and unanimously adopt- ed on January 19, 1910. On March 2, 1911, there was a public hearing on the matter before the Board of Local Improvements, after which the prop- erty owners on that sti'eet were given thirty days in which to file a protest representing a majority of the lineal front footage. The time limit expired witluuit such majority protest having been filed with the Board, and the matter then went to the City Coun- cil, where on April 6, 1911, the Twelfth street widening ordinance passed by a vote of 46 to 10. In accordance with this ordi- nance. Commissioners were appointed by the Superior Court to estimate cost and damages. The improvement might properly he designated as both a "local improvement" and a "general benefit." The Chicago Plan Commission has made a strong recommen- dation for a large "general benefit" in or- der that a large percentage of the cost of the improvement shall be borne by the whole city, in which case the matter of a bond issue to defray the city's jiart of the cost will have to be referred to the people in a referendum. Public sentiment generally and the unit- ed suiiport of the press is back of this movement. Every citizen of Chicago should aid with his influence and vote at the prop- er time in the realization of this improve- nicnt, tims insuring the success of the first l)ractical step in carrying out the Plan. Halsted street, a section of the quad- rangle, it is predicted, will, in time to come, carry an oiormous traffic. It is so situated that its usefulness, already great, may be very much increased. It is selected as, next to Michigan avenue, the most im- portant north and south traffic thorough- fare. Under the Chicago Plan the street would be widened, paved properly and de- veloped as one of the great central business streets of the future city. Chicago avenue, a section of the quad- rangle, already one hundred feet wide, will serve for a long time the traffic it will be made to carry. Crowding of vehicles is not so great upon the north side of the city and is not increasing so fast as in other sec- tions. It will connect with the proposed INIichigan boulevard extension at Pine street, completing the first circuit of im- provement in our streets. Next to the (|uadrangle, by far the most imi^ortant in the ]i]ans for streets are those relating to the time and distance saving diagonal thoroughfares which Chicago needs so badly. The city is fortunate in having, as a foundation for this system of diagonal streets, a large number of such thoroughfares. Among these are Evans- ton, Lincoln, Clybourn, Elston, Milwaukee, Ogden, Blue Island, Archer and Cottage Grove avenues. These thoroughfares, for the most part, are the routes followed for hundreds of years by the Indians, whose PERFECTING OUR STREET SYSTEM 109 ■svide trails were developed lirst into coun- try roads leading to the settlement at Chi- cago, and gradually became city streets as Chicago extended its limits with its growth. The aim of all the present diagonal streets is to bring all traffic to the center of the city. The effect of this, in the pres- ent city, is to produce congestion and crowding that is fast growing unbearable. It is apparent, then, that the city's great need now is for diagonal streets to give more direct routes throughout the city, and so stop the crowding of traffic into the city's business center. The architects found, in studying the street system of Chicago, that the greatest need is for diagonal streets to connect the widely extended west side of the city with the north and south sides. Ways must be opened, it is seen, by which the people of the various parts of Chicago may go quick- ly and conveniently to other parts. Ways must be created by which the people of the great west side may go directly to the lake front parks on either the north or south sides, and thus have greater freedom in recreation. The Plan of Chicago, as completed, pro- vides a complete system of diagonal streets which, if they were in existence today, would be used by hundreds of thousands of people Avith a saving of time and effort which cannot even be estimated. Millions of people will use these streets in the fu- ture. Their creation will remove every limitation now existing to prevent the city's growth in population. Two of the great diagonal streets the architects have proposed will, upon the adoption of the Plan, be cut through the central part of the city. One of these thor- oughfares will run from the lake front at Chicago avenue southwesterly in an al- most straight line to connect with Blue Island avenue at Soulh Ilalsted and West Harrison streets. Another will serve to extend Cottage Grove avenue from its present terminus in East Twenty-second street northwesterly to connect with Mil- waukee avenue at North Ashland avenue. The first of these streets will be about two and one-half miles long; the second about four miles long. The function of these thoroughfares will be to give traffic which now crowds into the business cen- ter of the city a direct route between the north and south central districts and the central west side territory. The second street described will provide, also, a direct route connecting the northwest and south- east districts of Chicago. Because of the promise they give of do- ing away with crowding and congestion in various parts of the city, and because of their etfect upon every neighborhood, it is interesting to have these proposed diago- nal streets outlined, so each of us can see how much more convenient it will be to get about Chicago when the streets are com- pleted, and how much of beauty will be added to each neighborhood by the new ways of traffic. On the north side there are to be four new diagonal streets created besides the one mentioned. They may be outlined as follows : Beginning at the crossing of La Sallo avenue and North avenue a street will run southwesterly, cutting across Clybourn avenue at Sedgwick street, and there turn- ing more westerly to run southwest to connect with Ogden avenue near the cross- ing of Washington boulevard and North Ashland avenue. This street will be about two and one-half miles long. It will be a practical extension of Ogden avenue to the gate of Lincoln Park. The second of the four outer diagonals 110 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO will begin at the lake front at Belmont avenue and run southwesterly, cutting Lin- coln avenue at North Halsted street and Clybourn avenue at Eacine avenue, and so on southwest to the crossing of North ave- nue and North Ashland avenue. The route will follow North Ashland avenue south- ward for one-half mile to the crossing of Milwaukee avenue and there run again southwest to the crossing of North West- ern and Grand avenues, continuing still southwesterly to connect with Colorado avenue at West Madison street. This work means the creation of about four and one- half miles of new street ways. It will prac- tically serve to extend Colorado avenue to the lake front at Belmont avenue. The third outer diagonal on the north side is to be cut through from the lake front at Irving Park boulevard southwest to Humboldt Park, near North Kedzie and West North avenues, a distance of about four miles, and is to resume at the south end of the park, where Grand avenue in- . tersects North Kedzie avenue, running southwestward for nearly three miles more to the entrance of a large park proposed to be extended to the westward from South Fifty-second avenue and West Congress street. The final north side diagonal proposed will run from North Clark street and Law- rence avenue to the entrance of another large park proposed at the intersection of Irving Park boulevard and North Western avenue. This diagonal will be only one and a quarter miles long. It will connect at its southern end with a wide bow boulevard to be cut across the entire west side of the city, and to be described in detail later. Two new diagonal streets, not before mentioned, are to be cut on the west side. Both are to run from the crossing of West Congress and South Halsted streets. One will go northwesterly to connect with Grand avenue at North Western avenue, a distance of about two miles, thus bringing Grand avenue straight down to the pro- jected civic center. The other will run southwesterly to West Twelfth street and South Ashland avenue, a distance of a lit- tle over one mile. It will open to light and air one of the most crowded and unhealth- ful sections of the city. The diagonal systems necessary to con- nect the south side and the west side, aside from the Cottage Grove avenue extension mentioned, are also four in number. They raay be thus outlined: One new street will begin at Thirty-ninth street, at the lake front, and run north- westerly, crossing Grand boulevard at Thirty-fifth street, WentwOrth avenue at Thirty-first street, and terminating at Archer avenue and South Halsted street. The route then will be north in South Hal- sted street to West Twenty-second street, and then again the street would cut north- westward, crossing West Twelfth street at South Ashland avenue, and on in the same direction, crossing West Congress street at Ogden avenue, and connecting with Grand avenue at North Western avenue. This work means the cutting of about five and one-half miles of new streets. Another great south side highway to the west side will begin at the western edge of Jackson Park at Sixty-seventh street. It will run northwest to the southeast corner of Washington Park at Cottage Grove avenue, a distance of a little over one mile. It will go thence either through or around the park to the junction of Gar- field and Grand boulevards, where it will begin cutting northwesterly again. It will cross West Forty-seventh street at Went- worth avenue. West Thirty-ninth street at South Halsted street. West Thirty-fifth PERFECTING OUR STREET SYSTEM 111 street at South Center avenue, go along the west bank of the south fork of tlie south branch of Chicago river to South Ashland avenue. The route will then be in South Ashland avenue north to West Twenly- second street, where cutting northwesterly will be resumed, the street crossing West Twelfth street at South Western avenue, and terminating in North Forty-eighth avenue, near Washington boulevard. To comi)lete this system means the creation of a little more than seven miles of new streets. The third of the outer routes between the south and west sides is to run from the lake shore region of South Chicago along the route of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railway to about Six- tieth street, near State street, there begin- ning the main cutting northwesterly. It will cross South Halsted street at Garfield boulevard and South Ashland avenue at West Forty-seventh street, joining South Western avenue at West Thirty-ninth street, and running north in South West- ern avenue to West Thirty-first street, turning west in that thoroughfare to an extension of Blue Island avenue, and thence northwesterly to cut Ogden avenue at South Forty-eighth avenue, crossing West Congress street at South Fifty-sec- ond avenue and continuing indefinitely into the country. This route involves the cre- ation of about ten miles of new streets. Finally, on the south side, is to be a diagonal course from the north end of Lake Calumet northwest through a sparse- ly settled territory for a distance exceed- ing seven miles to connect at South West- ern avenue and Garfield boule\ard with the sweeping bow-sha]ied Itoulevard before mentioned. Besides cutting the new diagonals and widening the principal thoroughfares with- in the city, there will be construcied thor- oughfares along both sides of Chicago river and its branches. This work, in all prolj- abiiity, will be the finishing labors of the city in its street transformation ]ilans. The water fronts of the great Eurojiean cities are thus improved and beautified. Broad ways, according to the Plan of Chicago, will surely line both banks of the river lu'anches, that to the northward at least as far as North avenue and to the south- ward at least as far as South Halsted street. This street construction is to l)e on a plan so laid as not to interfere with the use of the river in commerce and trade, the driveways being elevated and running above the roofs of low warehouses and wharves lining the edges of the stream. The city's streets would be linked to- gether and unified by the wide semi-circu- lar boulevard drive described in the next chapter as more properly a part of the vast ])ark system by which the city is, according to the Plan of Chicago, to be- come the most attractive and healthful great city the world has ever known. A system of outer roadways and high- ways encircling the city to connect the various parts of Chicago with each other, with the center of the city and with the outhing sections, is considered a great need. With the exception of five per cent, a perfect system of outer highways — called "turnpikes" in the old days — now exists. Partly disconnected roads form ninety-five per cent of the proposed system today. A study of the accompanying chart will show that circle No. 1 connects Winnetka, the northern lake terminal, with LaGrange, Hinsdale, Blue Island and Orland, ending with Roby on the lake to the South. Circle No. 2 starts with Waukegan on the lake to the North, connecting that city with Libertyville, Lake Zurich, Elgin. Geneva, 11: WACKER'S MANUAL OP THE PLAN OF CHICAGO Aurora, Joliet, Cliieago Heights, ending with Gary on the lake to the South. Circle No. 3 is also a lake terminal at Kenosha on the North and embracesWood- stock, Genoa, Sycamore, Morris, Momence, Kankakee and La Porte, finding its southern outlet again on the lake at Michigan City. The Chicago Plan Commission proposes to enlist the aid of the A'arious townshii^s en route on these three circles in the construction of the connecting- links, amounting as stated to but five per cent needed to complete these highways. Con- sider these circular roadways and their connection with the proposed diagonal street system of our plan — the convenient and time saving feat- ure of this system is apparent at a glance. C o u n t r y turnpikes and their relationship to the metropolis should be inseparably interlinked, and that is especially true in considering C h i - cago's welfare and her outlying suburban cities, when we realize that the population of the twenty-four cities and villages on these circles amounts to 250,000, and will continue their growth in proportion to their relationship to the city of Chicago and its future development. 1. In the early days of Chicago what made the people iiitensdy practieal in their daily lives? Why icas every proposed public action siib- jicted to scrutiny before it was under- taken? What spirit, as a result of a habit among- the people, rided the architects in work- ing out methods of perfecting the street system for the Chicago of the future? What is one of the first needs of the future city? :$:/Ji, CHICAGO HIC.USS \> S i\f. \\n H \U1\IIM, r'HOM THF C IT. KANKAKEC' CHICAGO, from the city. General Niiietv-fiv rcop diagram of exterior higliways encircling' or radiating e per cent of these arteries now exist, yrighted by the Commercial Club.] 5. What three things are necessary in perfect- ing a sfi'eet system for the Chicago of tin future? li. What lias been necessary in all citinust adequate provision he maele for a suitable outlet from the west .mle to the present business center of the city? 16. What is the present width of Twelfth Street front Ashland Avenue to Michigan Ave- nue? 17. State the width of Twelfth street between side well!,' curbs. 18. What is lite width of the roadway on either side of Twelfth Street between the street car step and the curb? 19. How ivide is it proposed to nud.e Twelfth Street? 20. What is the intention in not houh carding Twelfth Street? 21. On wheit date' and in what year diet the Chicago Plan Commission's E.vecutive Committee appoint a special Twelfth Street Committee ? 22. What was the mission of this special Twclftii Street Committee? 23. On what date and in what year did the Ex- ecutive Committee eind llie Chicago Plan Commission as a whole receive anel eidopt the Twelfth Street Committee's widening report ? 24. On wlitif date and in irhal year was there a public hearing before the Board of Local Improvements on widening Twelfth Street? 25. On what date anel in what year did the Twelftli Street widening ordinance pass the City Council? 26. How did the vote stand in the City Council on the Twelfth Street wiele ning eirdi- nanee? 27. How .ihould the improvement of Twelftli Street be de sigiiafed? 2S. 29. 30. 31. 34. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. What eliel the' Chicago Plan Ceimmissiejn recommend concerning the cost of the im- provement? What is predicted feir Halsteel Street as a section of the quadrangle? Next to Michigan Avenue', what is Ifedsteel Street selected as being? Under the Plan of Chicagei, leeiw weiuhl Hal- steel street be improved? What is the conditiem eif Chieago Avenue as a section of the ejuaelrangle ? Next to the quadrangle . what is by far the most impeirtant ielea in the pletns fen- streets? Name the streets the city is fortunate in haviney as a founelation feir the system e>f dietgonal streets. Wheit is the aim of all the' present diagonal streets ? Whal is the effect on the eily eif the' present diagonal streets? What is apparent neiw as the eity's greeit need? What did the archiieets find in stuelying the street system of Chicago? What must he done to give the people on the greeit west side greater freeelom in recrea- tion? What does the Plan of Chicago, when com- pleted, provide in its complete sysfem of diagonal streets? Deserihe the route of two great diagonal streets proposeel by the architects in the Plan e)f Chicago. What is the length of the first e,f these streets, and what is its function? Whal Is the length eif the second eif these streets, euiel wieeil Is Us function? How many new dieigetnal streets arc pro- peiscd feir the neirth side' besides the one previously me ntlemed? State the length and describe in their or- eler the reiiiles eif the four new diagonal streets preipuseel for the north side. Slal," the length and describe in their order the routes of the two new diagonal streets propose el fetr 111'' we st side. 114 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO 47. State tlic length and describe in their order the routes of the four new eliagonal streets to conneet the south and ivest sides. 48. What is contemplated in finishing the street transformation plans? 49. Wliat does the Plan of Chicago provide to connect the various parts of Chicago with each other, with the center of the city and with the outlying sections' 50. What proportion of a system of outer road- ways now exists? 51. Name in their order the towns eonneeted by outer highway or circle No. 1. 52. Name in their order the towns connected by outer highway or circle No. 2. 53. Name in their order the towns connected by outer highway or circle No. 3. 54. What does the Chicago Plan Commission propose to do to secure the connecting links of these three outer highways, amounting to about 5 per cent? CONNECTING BorLKVAKI) LlNK^^MU'IIKiAN AVE. 11.") CHAPTER XIV CONNECTING BOULEVARD LINK-MICHIGAN AVENUE Michigan avoiine — a section of tlio quad- rangle — it was found, is rea]ly tlie liase line of tlie city's traffic. A great develop- ment of this avenue is proposed, to make it a great, wide street skirting the entire front of the i'it\-. This moans widening the ave- nue from lJandoli)li street to connect with Lincoln Park drive at Ohio street, and tlic construction of a wide, roomy concrete via- duct and liridnc across II10 river. The V CHICAGO. Proposea Boulevard to Connect the North and South Sides of the River. View Ijooliing North from Washington Street. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] 116 WACKEK'S BIANUAL OF TIIK Pl.AX OK CHICAGO bridge is to be a double deck, bascule struc- ture, the upper deck for carriages and au- tomobiles and the lower one for heavy traf- fic, with wide sidewalks above and below for i)edestrians. Arrangements would be made to have east and west traffic of all kinds in the busy section near the river l^ass through this viaduct at altout street grade. Tliere is to be a gradual grade the en- tire width of tlie street from building line to building line, starting from Rando!])h street, reaching a maximum height of six- teen and one-half feet above street level at the river crossing, then a gradual de- scent to Ohio street. This grade will be no more perceptible than is Jackson boule- vard at the river. The grades suggested are less than those existing on Fifth avenue, New York. Imagine standing at the intersection of Randolph street and Michigan avenue and being able to follow with the eye the straightened course of that magnificent widened thoroughfare direct to Lincoln Park, where it would end in the lake at the intersection of Bellevue place. The completion of the North and South boulevard system with this connecting link as shown in the ctiI on page It.") would give Chicago the most magnificeut thoroughfare in the world. The estimated cost of Ibis work is less than six million dollars; the A'alue of its realization is inestimable. If there is one phase of the Plan of Chicago that every citizen should demand, it is the building of this connecting link. Its value as a Chicago asset would attract interna- tionally wide attention. Property values in the immediate section of this proposed im- provement would be tremendously en- hanced. Indirectly the benefit would lie to the whole city, even to those of our citizens living in far remote sections. At ti-activeuess is a communitv asset shared in by all. It is not believed that there can be any serious objection on the part of any citizen, either directly or indi- rectly affected, to an improvement so l>nliiably in the interests of all as the com- ])letion of the boulevard link as proposed. "Michigan avenue is more than the main connecting thoroughfare between the north and south sides;" as has been well said, "it is the great pfaisance for office build- ings, hotels, clubs, theatres, nmsic halls, and shops of the first order, lining the west- ern side of the avenue. So desirable has in-operty become, that the extension of it to the north must enhance the value of the abutting real estate, because of the in- creased opportunities for continuing the building of structures of llie highest class." The property owners tber-e should be the first to recognize their opportunity and co- operate to the fullest extent in this great- est of all needed street improvements. "j\richigan avenue is destined to carry the heaviest movement of any street in the world. Any imiirovenienf for this thor- oughfare which does not recognize its im- portance will be a waste of money and energy and an error of the first magni- tude." Michigan avenue north of Randolph street is now 66 feet wide. The ^Tayor of Chicago in 1904 was one of the very first advocates of the boulevard connection. On May 16th of that year he sent a letter to the City Council asking the appointment of a special committee to take up the (piestion with the South Park Board and the Lincoln Park Board, also with the directly interested property own- ers to learn whether a practical scheme for accomplishing this boulevard connection could not be devised and forwarded. Au- thority was granted the Mayor and the spe- cial committee was duly appointed. On February 6, 1905, this committee submitted CONNECTING BOULEVARD LINK — MICHIGAN AVE. 117 a report reeommomliiig an order providiii.n' tliat the Board of Local Improvemeuts pre- pare and submit to tlie City Council an ordinance for condemnation of property' ly- ing between i\Iicliigan avenue and Central court and between Randolph street and the river ; for condemnation of property on the west side of Pine street to make it possible to construct a street 125 feet wide and to bring the southern extremity of street opj^o- site the north end of Michigan avenue; after said avenue had been widened for the construction of a bridge to connect these streets and for payment of improvement l\v special assessment, which in judgTuent of committee should embrace the entire city of Chicago. Eight real estate experts were ap- pointed to appraise the value of land and buildings. The full committee finally unani- mously recommended the plan suggested by the Mayor as one of the greatest and most immediate needs of the City of Chicago. Legal steps in the judgment of the commit- tee would necessarily take a long time, as would also the work of construction. They therefore recommended that the Council without delay secure the passage of the necessary ordinance to begin the work. The order was passed February 16, 1905. Up to the very close of the ]\Iayor's administra- tion he urged action on the matter by the Board of Local Improvements. During the administrations of succeeding Mayors. 1906-7 and 1907-11, the case was up repeat- edly before their respective Boards, and at various periods dates were set for a public hearing, but little progress was made, ow- ing to objections and counter plans con- stantly being submitted from pro]ierty owners and others. It seemed quite a remarkable coincidence. after all these years, that the Mayor who first advocated the boiilevard connection should again have the opportunity through his re-election in 1911 to take u]) tliis great improvement where he left oil' upon his re- tirement from office in 1905. Meanwhile, as we know, the Chicago Plan Commission had been appointed and witliin two months after the Mayor's election the Commis- sion's Executive Committee invited him to ins])ect its plans for the boulevard liid<. After a careful study of these the Mayor declared himself in favor of an elevated roadway, departing from his original idea, which provided for the connecting link to be built at grade level. On July 6, 1911, the Executive Committee of the Chicago Plan Commission unanimously decided to lay be- fore the Mayor a definite plan for the boule- vard link providing for an elevated struc- ture from Eandolph street to Ohio street, to run from building line to building line; Michigan avenue to be widened from 66 feet to 130 feet from Randolph street north to the river, terminating in a plaza at the river 222 feet wide, 64 feet to be taken from the east side of Michigan avenue ; north of the river the plan provided for widening Pine street to 146 feet by taking the necessary land from the west side of the street, from Chicago avenue to Michigan street, there to terminate in a plaza approximately 250 feet wide; grade of street from Randolph to Lake street, 2.7 per cent ; grade of street from Ohio to Indiana street, 3 per cent; the distance between these two points to be practically level ; the roadway at the Ohio street corner to be raised 3 feet; Lake street and Michigan street to be lowered 3 feet; South River street gently graded to bridge approaches ; North River street gen- tly graded to bridge approaches; Illinois street at Pine street to be lowered 4 feet; Indiana street at Pine street to be lowered 3 feet ; a double-deck bridge to be built over the river ; approach to lower deck of bridge for teaming south of river to be 2.5 per 118 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO cent ; north of river to be 3 per cent instead of approximately 5 per cent as at present ; subdivision of new street south of river, east to west, sidewalk 25 feet wide ; road 75 feet wide ; sidewalk 30 feet wide ; north of river there will be a central parkway 26 feet wide and two roadways on either side thereof, approximatelj", east to west, side- walks 25 feet wide; roadways 32 1-2 feet each; stairways to be placed for access to mission is broadly representative of the entire citizenship of the City of Chicago. Its duty, in brief, is to study the Plan of Chicago and to recommend what part or parts of the plan should be adopted l)y the city and carried to completion. For six years plans for adequately connecting the North and South sides have been studied, first by committees of the City Council, Eeal Estate Board, Architects, South Park Michigan Avenue and Michigan Avenue projected. North and South Connection. Isometric chart. View look- ing down on the street from above, showing cross sections, plazas north and south of the river and double deck structure over the river. upper street at the river abutments north and south and at Indiana, Illinois, South Water and Lake streets. This plan was personally endorsed by the Mayor on July 7, 1911, and submitted for ratitication by the entire Chicago Plan Commission at a meeting held July 10, 1911, at which time it was unanimously adopted as the official plan of the Commission. The next step was taken by the city at a public hearing by the Board of Local Im- provements, held in the City Hall, July 12, 1911, at which hearing the Commission was represented by its Executive Committee, and the plan submitted to the Board by the Chairman of tlie Commission, who ad- dressed the Board as follows : "I am here as Chairman of the Chicago Plan Commission, created by the City Council of the City of Chicago, November 1, 1909. "Tlie personnel of the Chicago Plan Corn- Board and Lincoln Park Board, Special Council Committees and other lu'ominent citizens, and for the past three years by the Plan Committee of the Commercial Club and the Chicago Plan Commission, to which body the plans were committed for the pur- poses which I have previously indicated. During these six years of stiidj^ on the wide- ning and projection of Michigan avenue, hundreds of meetings and conferences have been held. Every conceivable sort of a plan has been considered and all manner of ex- pert data and testimony introduced and carefully weighed. During all that time and in the vast research of the organiza- tions named, one plan and only one plan for the connecting link has loomed up as out- topping and overshadowing any other plan or all other plans, as being the only compre- hensive, practical and adequate means for coping with this complex and aggravated question. CONNECTING BOULEVARD LINK— MICHIGAN AVE. Ill) "The i>laii I refer to is tlie original i)lan of tlie Comuiercial Club, first put out to the public in 1908. This plan is known to the Cliicago Plan Commission as Plan No. 1, and provided for the treatment of the i^ro- posed connecting link from Eandolj)!! street to Cliicago avenue by means of two levels and a double deck bridge; and called for the condemnation of all the property east of Michigan avenue and Beaubien court as originally proposed by the Mayor in 1904; Michigan avenue to be 246 feet wide south of the river, taking the width from the property on the east side of the street, and to be 216 feet wide north of the river, taking the property for the widening from the west side of Pine street; upper street to stretch from pro]ierty line to jn'operty line both on nortli and south sides of the river, that eighteen ])ublic hearings have been scheduled and abandoned by the Board of Local Improvements on this case, and that in fairness to the property interests along the zone of the proposed improvement, which have been seriously menaced during this long agitation and these many delays, that some action would have to be taken by the city at the conclusion of this hearing, the Executive Committee of the Chicago Plan Commission after a series of recent conferences with all interests concerned, met in executive session July 6, 1911, and again reviewed all conditions, plans and objections and voted unanimously in favor of what is known to the Commission as Plan No. 3, to be hereinafter described. "At a meeting of the Plan Commission as a whole, held .Tuly 10, 1911, a unanimous Proposed double deck bridge for north and south boule\"iird «_unuecUon !Miciiit4au ^Vxenue and Wirliigan Avenue projected. the inclines to upper street to start from Eandolpli and Ohio streets; grades of in- cline as follows : Kandol])h street to Lake street 2.7 per cent, from Ohio street to Indi- ana street 3.5 per cent; balance of upper street to be practically level. "I want to repeat that at all of the de- liberations of the Plan Committee of the Commercial Club and of the Executive Connnittee of the Chicago Plan Commis- sion there has not been a single dissenting voice to the plan just outlined. It has al- ways and unanimously been declared as the only practical ])lan. Poalizing, however. \'ote was had, ratifying tlie action of the Executive Committee in the ad()])tion of Plan No. 3 as licing the tinal ]ilan the Chi- cago Plan Commission would stand for and recommend to your honorable body for ado]ition and execution. "Plan No. 3 provides for widening ]\rich- igan avenue south of the river from Ran- dolph street to 130 feet; Pine street north of the river to Chicago avenue to 146 feet ; with plazas approxinuitely 250 feet square at the intersection of the river and both street connections. In other details the iilan is i^ractieally the same as ]ireviously out- 120 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO lined in Plan No. 1. The argnments of the Chicago Plan Commission in favor of a raised street, are as follows : ' ' 1. The congestion on the four east and west streets immediately north and south of the river of teaming traffic headed to and from the I. C. freight terminal and the new industrial district north of the river, in connection with the contemplated outer harbor, has produced and will continue to increase a traffic congestion situation im- paralleled in a single section of any city in the world. ' ' 2. The plan which is best adapted to im- prove the existing conditions of intolerable congestion at these points, is the plan of a raised street, as it will separate these east to 3 per cent, for the benefit of commercial teaming. "3. This plan takes into account also the Randolph street viaduct traffic, by diverting it into Beaubien court and distributing it at Lake street under the raised street. This plan also will allow the C. & N. W. E. E. to remain at its present grade, any other plan excepting the railway were lowered to a subway tunnel, would force the teaming north and south over grades altogether too steep, and would shut out the present ap- proaches from North Eiver street and Michigan street to the bridge. "4. A surface road south of the river, by reason of the difference in elevations be- tween Michigan avenue and Beaubien court, ■^^^ Czv£ l/: UTiycr^zrri? Diagram of North and South Boulevard Connection, showing width of street North and South of the River and the zone of tlie proposed improvement, indicating all intersecting thoroughfares. and west streams of traffic from the north and soi;th traffic on Michigan avenue. ' ' Independently of this, it is the only one which improves the grades of existing streets ; by it, are reduced the grades of the east and west streets leading to the Michi- gan Central and the I. C. freight yards and the approaclies to the bridge north and south. "The grades of the east and west streets are now approximately 4 per cent ; they will be reduced to 2 per cent. Those north and south, now 5 per cent, are to be made 2 1-2 and the shortening of the run by reason of the widening of Michigan avenue, would produce grades of 10 per cent, which are impossible for teaming. The only alterna- tive would be the lowering of Lake, South Water and Eiver streets as subways. "5. In the case of the surface arrange- ment the inclines on the east and west streets would have to extend to Waljash avenue, thus affecting property on either side of these streets to a detrimental extent. "In addition to this, the teaming to and from the freight yards, bound for the north CONNECTING BOULEVARD LINK — MICHIGAN AVE. 121 side to the indnslrial district east of Pino street, would have to cross the State street bridge, thus making a long detour. "In the plan as i^roposed, the grades of the approaches to the raised street are re- duced to the niininium, that on the soutli side being 2.7 per cent and on tlic nurth side 3 per cent. "No citizen of Chicago acquainted witli the facts can denj- that intolerable condi- tions (daily growing worse) exist on Mich- igan avenue from Randolph street to the Chicago river and north on Rush street from the Chicago I'iver. "All citizens of Chicago, and all ac- niaterialize along the lake sliore, north and south of the main branch of the Chicago river, the enormous commercial and indus- trial development, already taking place in the district bounded by Chicago avenue on the north, the main Ijranch of the Chicago river on the south. Lake Michigan nn the east and the north l)raneh of the Chicago river on the west. "It has been well said: " 'The heart of Chicago extends from Halsted street to the lake, and from the main branch of the river to Twelfth street. Within a few years, it will spread to Ash- land avenue on the west, Twenty-second I M I 1 I I I . : I- I i :. uu 1 !., i-.-i:!; : n riTfr-i-!- ' ■ H^ A- J ^; ^ ^ , ^ v»'-^^ Section through Michigan Avenue between Lalie Street and Snutli Water Street Iool?ing West, showins raised street with upper and lower levels, w^ith crossings at Lalie and South Water Streets- This illustration shows store entrances on upper level directly off the sidewalk, also showing l>asernent entrances on lower or grrade level where shipping and heavy teaming will be done. In contemplating this drawing it must he remem- Vjered buildings have been effaced on the East side, the purpose being merely to show to the mind's eye the two levels in operation. quainted with the facts, know that some plan for properly connectin.g the north and south sides of oi;r great city, must be de- veloped and executed at an early date ; thai the plan must be a comjirehensive one, not sufficient for today alone, but also for the future, and that the plan to be finally ad- opted by your Honorable Board, must take into account the needs of the whole city. Therefore, this proposition has grown to be of such importance to the future welfare of Chicago, that personal interests can no longer be considered. The interests of a few must make waj' for the interests of the man}-. This I say, taking into consideration the future harbor developments, sure to street on the south and Chicago avenue on the north. This heart of Chica.go is badly congested, although most of tlie buildings within the territory are low. " 'Street traffic conditions in this district will become insuft'eral)le if the buildings reach the full height permitted by law. That practically all of them will go up to the lim- it, there is little doubt.' Property values will make that imperative. "In this connection, remember that no street can ever be widened between Michi- gan avenue and the south branch of the river. "In one of our pamphlets we reach the conclusion, and we challeiiii'e contradiction 122 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO of the statement, that 'Michigan avenue is probably destined to carry the heaviest movement of any street in the world. Any boulevard connection in Michigan avenue which fails to recognize the basic import- ance of this street will be a waste of money and energy. Any impairment of the cajiac- ity of this street, at any point along its en- tire front, and any weakening of this foun- dation, is a grave error of the first magni- tude.' "A careful study of our conditions has acquainted us with our needs. We believe in the future of our great city and we must adequately provide for her needs and assist in securing the adoption of a plan or be held responsible by posterity for our ne- glect. "Procrastination marks the beginning of the end. Delay will make the execution of many of the important and now feasible features infeasible, the practical impracti- cal, the possible impossible, the economical extravagant. "On the other hand, if these plans for Chicago's betterment are now carried out in a practical and economical manner, the record of the present City administration, including Mayor, City Council and Board of Local Im]ii'ovements, will become a bea- con light in the history of our great city for the constructive work they were big enough to undertake." At the conclusion of this hearing the Board of Local Improvements ordered an estimate to be made on the plan submitted by the Chicago Plan Commission known as Plan No. 3 — arguments to be heard on that plan at a subsequent hearing. 1. What sectinn of the quadrangle is really the hase line of the city's traffic? 2. Wiry is a great development of Michigan Avenue proposedf 3. What does the improvement of Michigan Avenue contemplate? 4. r,. 6. 7. 8. n. 10. 11. 12. J.i\ 14. ir,. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. ■5-; 20. Describe the bridge. What arrangements are proposed fur east and locst traffic? Describe the grade. What would the completion of the north and south connecting link give Chicago? How does the value of this work compare with the estimated cost? What would the building of the connecting link attract? Who would be benefited? What is attractiveness in a comm,unity? Why is Michigan Avenue more than the main connecting thoroughfare between the north and south sides? Why will the extension of Michigan Avenue to the north enhance the value of abutting real estate? Who shoxdd he the first to recognize their opportunity and co-operate in this needed improvement? What is Michigan Avenue dtstined to carry? What does it mean to refuse to recognize the importance of this thoroughfare in any improvement? Who ivas one of the very first advocates of the boulevard connection? What did the Mayor ask of the City Coun- cil in a letter dated May 10, 1904? What u'as the special committee to learn? On. what date and in ivhat year did the spe- cial committee submit a report favoring an ordinance for the Michigan Avenue improvement? What was the judgment of the committee on the payment for the improvement? What did the full committee, including eight real estate experts, finally unanimously recommend, and why? Why did the Committee recommend that the Council without delay secure the pas- sage of the necessary ordinance to hi gin the work? What elate and year was the order passed? What did the Mayor do up to the very close of his administration ? Why was nothing done to forward the Mich- igan Avenue improvement during the suc- ceeding administrations ? What was the coincidrncr that befell the Mayor who first advocated the boulevard connection? CONNE("TING BOULEVARD LINK — MICHIGAN AVE. 12: 28. WJiat (lid the Ch'uaqo Plan Commission's E.ceciiiivc ('oiiiniiUcr do ivithin two months aft( r tin Mayor's election? 29. WJiiif did the Mdijar declare himself in favor iif iifhr (I enrefid sliidij of the Commis- sion 's plans ' 30. On what date and in wlial ijear did the Ex- ecutive Committee of the Chicago Plan Commission lay before the Mayor a defi- nite plan for the boulevard link.' 31. For what did the plan provide? 32. What is the grade from Randolph to Lake Street? From Ohio to Indiana Street? State in order. 33. What grade is the distance between Lake and Indiana Streets to be? 34. How much is the roadwai/ to be raised at Ohio Street? 35. How much, are Lake and Michigan Streets to be lowered? 3G. Where are South and North Ricer Streets to be gently graded? 37. Hoiv much are Illinois and Indiana Streets to be lowered, and xvhere? State in or- der. 38. What is the style of bridge to be buUl over the river? 39. What are the grades of teaming approach( s to the lower deck of the bridge? 40. What is the subdivision, cast to west, of new street south of river? 41. What is the subdivision, east to west, of neiv street north of river? 42. Where are stainvays to be placed for access to upper street? 43. On jvhat date and year did the Mayor per- sonally endorse this plan? 44. On 7chat date and year did the entire Chi- cago Plan Commission unanimously adopt this as its official plan? 45. When did the City of Chicago act in the matter and how? 46. Who represented the Chicago Plan Commis- sion at the public hearing July 12, 1911? 47. Who submitted the plan for the Michigan Avenue improvement to the Board of Local Improvements at the public hear- ing? 48. 49. 50. 51. 55. 56. 6(1. 61. 62. nr,. 61. 65. Who did the Chairman of the Chicago Plan Commission say had for si.c years studied plans for adeejuatdy connietiug the north and south sides? How many meetings wen hi Id during si.t yiars' study on the wid( ning and projec- tion of Mieliigan Avenue? What was considered at these meetings? During the vast researches of the organiza- tion what one plan overshadowed auij other? What provision did tin original Plan No. 1 make for the width of Michigan Avenue south and north of the river? Where xvas there not a single dissenting voice to original Plan No. 1? On ichat date and in what year did the Ex- ecutive Committee of the Chicago Plan Commission meet and review all condi- tions, plans and suggestions? What action teas taken at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Chicago Plan Comneission July 6, 1911? State in order the arguments of the Chicago Plan Commission in favor of a raised street. What is it that no citizen of Chicago ac- quainted with the facts can deny? What is it that all citizens of Chicago, at all acejuainted with the facts, know? What is it that can no longer be considered in connection with an adeeiiiaie plan for the connecting link? What must make way for Ihi interests of the many? By whom and for what irill we be held re- sponsibh if we do not adiejuately provide for the needs of the future city? What is if that marks the beginning of the end? What effect will delay in execution have on many of the important fiaturcs of the plan? If the plans for Chicago's betterment arc carried out in a practical and economieal nianner, what will become a beacon light in the history of our great city? What action did the Board of Local Im- provements take at the conclusion of the public hearing July 12, 1911? The World's Columbian Honor. Looking Towards the an Orderly Arrangement of Exposition, Chicagi>. In'.iM. Tho i 'oiirt of Peristyle. This View Shows the Effect of Buildings and a Uniform Cornice Line. A I'AKK SYSTEM FOR CIIICAOO 125 CHArTER XV A PARK SYSTEM FOR CHICAGO Next to convenience and orderliness in its street arrangements the most essential have been n]>lly compared with the lungs of a person, as means hy which the city and its people get the stimulus of fresh air so necessary to normal well-being. The desire of the people for extensive parks for Chica,2:o has always been mani- fest. When Chica.n'o became a city, in 18,37, it chose as its motto Urhs ui Hoito — a cily CHICAGO. View Looking Soutli Ovur tlie Lagoons of the Proposed l^alit' Front Purlj for tile Soutll Sliore. [Copyrigiited by tlie Commercial Clulj.] thing in a great city is a sufficient park area. When, therefore, Chicago is cutting new streets and solving her problems of traffic and transportation by that labor, provision ought also to be made for the lieantification of the city and the preservation of pulilic health by means of parks. Parks of a city set in a garden, and two years later the l)eople set al)()ut ci-cating for the city a park system wliicli slioulil justify to the world that description of the city. At that time half a square of land, upon which the Public Library now stands, was all the park area in Chicago. In 1842 Washington Square 12G WACKER'S MANUAL OP THE PLAN OK (■|1ICA(;() was added, and subsequently Jefferson, Union, Ellis and Vernon Parks came into being, mostly tlirouyli the generosity and public spirit of tlie citizens. In 1869 an agitation was begun to connect the ]iarks by boulevards, and thus create a park system. This agitation succeeded, cago tliere are nearly five thousand people to each acre of park si)ace. The average for the entire city is close to one thousand persons to the acre, while for health and good order there should be one acre of ]iark space for eacli one hundred peojile. CHICAGO. Lake shore from Chicago Avenue on the north to Jackson Park on the south. A general scheme is to be carried as far north as Wilmettc. This park, enclosing lagoons for boating, would be a continuous playground for the people and may be built at practically no cost by utilizing the wastage from the city and ' excavated material. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] and with the addition of Lincoln, Hum boldt, Garfield, Douglas, Washington and Jackson Parks to the city's open-air areas the park system became the pride of Chi- cago. The adding of large park lands to the city stopped, however, over forty years ago. In 1880 Chicago was the second city in America in park area, being exceeded only by Philadelphia. The city has now dropped to seventh place, however, and when density of population is taken into account our city occupies the thirty-seventh jilace among American municipalities. At least half the population of Chicago now live more than one mile from any large park, and in the congested sections of Chi- Three great elements make up the i)ark plans of the future city under the Plan of Chicago. First, there is the lake front to be imjiroved, beautified and put at the service of the city's millions for the crea- tion and preservation of public health. Second, there is provision to be made for extending the park areas within the city, that wholesome and necessary recreation may be close at hand for the people in all ]iarts of the great future city. Third, there are the wide areas of forest and stream outside of the corporate limits, but upon the borders of the city, to be acquired and held in their natural state as places where the citv-worn wiirker and his familv A PARK SYSTEM FOR CHICAGO 127 may rest and wander freely in holiday and vacation time. In considering the park plans we may well take np these three elements in the order given, as conditions within the city ai^pear to he snch now that the plans can prohably be completed easiest in the order named. First attention, then, will be given the plans for the lake front, which form at once one of the great and spectacular fea- tures of the plan, and one easiest to be carried out. We have all heard, perhaps, of the con- ditions years ago when the sewers of the city emptied into the lake, and so poisoned the water supply of Chicago. We over- came that trouble, and sought to secure for Chicago a source of pure water forever by digging, at a cost of $60,000,000, a wide drainage canal running southwesterly from the city and emptying into the Desplaines river, whereby the city's sewage is carried away into the valley of the Illinois river. Chicago engaged upon that great work of digging the drainage canal that its citi- zens might have pure water to drink. It was one of the greatest undertakings ever made bj' any city, and attracted to Chicago the admiration of all the world. Yet to- day there is being dumped into the lake off Chicago every year thousands of tons of refuse matter, including street sweepings and dredgings of tilth from the bed of the river. This imperils the health of all of us and at the same time proves us a most wasteful people. Under the Plan of Chicago for the bean- tification of the lake front, all this refuse matter is to be dumped close to the shore, far from the water intakes and within tightly sealed cofferdams. Islands are thus to be created along the entire water front. These will be planted with trees and gardens and opened to the people as ])arks and playgrounds. There is enough of this waste material now thrown into the lake every year to thus construct one hundred acres of land for parks in the shal- low water along the city's shoreline. It was by that method that our Grant Park of over 200 acres, and worth many millions of dollars, was created for us. The City Engineer of Chicago in 1911 stated that Chicago produces an annual total of waste matter close to 4,660,000 cubic yards. Of this he figures that prob- ably 3,000,000 cubic yards goes into the lake. This material includes clay from ex- cavations, products of wrecking operations, ashes, cinders, household rubbish, street sweepings, factory refuse, and all manner of waste matter. The Sanitary District within the next several years will make 1,330,000 cubic yards of new excavations on its main canal in addition to routine dredg- ings and the spoil from the Calumet Chan- nel. Building operations and other fixed sources of supply show a total that is larger every year. Means of disposal that have been adequate in the past will fail to be in the future. 30,000 cubic yards of waste, according to the City Engineer, will raise one acre five feet above the surface in water fifteen feet deep. At this rate the estimated annual 3,000,000 cubic yards, if it could all be applied, would fill in each year about 100 acres. It is therefore evident the city furnishes the raw material to build public domain by reclaiming lake area along the shore. City officials, Sanitary District engineers, manufacturers and building contractors all agree they would be saved money if allowed to dispose of waste at convenient points along the lake front. The daily report of the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Streets, of the City of Chicago, on June 26, 1911, cover- ing eight wards, was as follows : 128 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO Ward Cubic Yards Cubic Yards No. Street Dirt. of Ashes. 1 182 110 •1 56 115 3 80 130 4 72 85 6 20 160 7 54 140 18 .... 75 90 21 72 160 611 990 At 1, 600 cubic yards a summer day, these eight wards would make a 20-foot fill an acre in extent in about 20 days. The total waste of the city is divided as follows : Cubic Yards. Dredging 500,000 Building excavation & wreckage. .1,500,000 Ashes and refuse 1,400,000 Street sweepings 1,000,000 Tunnel excavations 60,000 In these figures are included the cinders and ashes produced. According to the Black Diamond, a coal trade publication, Chicago consumes yearly 11,000,000 tons of coal. Taking 10 per cent of this as the ash produced gives a total for the whole city of 1,100,000 tons, or 1,700,000 cubic j^ards of cinders and ashes. Part of this is moved in city wagons and part by private means. Wlien this work is started Chicago can in five years create upon the lake front land worth at least $20,000,000 in money and of a future value beyond computation. With- in thirty years, expert engineers say, a lake front park system extending for twen- ty miles and worth hundreds of millions can be created from the city's waste. In planning the lake front parks the architects took into account the demand of the people for extensive areas of pleas- ure grounds, and also the desire of the people to have a place for boating, canoe- ing, Italhing and other water enjoyments created. They answered this demand in the plans with provisions for islands cov- ering hundreds of acres along the shore, and providing a wide water course stretch- ing for miles along the city's front, this course to be bordered throughout its ex- tent by park lands on either side. Beginning at Grant Park at the center of the city, the plans provide for the filling in first of a wide strip of shore land facing the open lake, this strip to extend solidly to connect with Jackson Park on the south. The strip is to be planted with trees and given informal landscape treatment with flowers and shrubs growing throughout its extent. Along this shore will run the wa- ter course for small craft, for sailboats, motor boats, canoes -and racing shells. Beyond the water course, built to protect it and jDrovide safety and shelter forever to pleasure craft, will be a long island planted with trees, having winding walks and driveways, and providing frequent bathing beaches for the city's summer multitudes. At the northern terminus of the long island park protecting the south shore, which will be at the foot of Twelfth street, are to be great refectories and extensive boat houses. At that point will be one entrance to the main harbor of Chicago, and therefore a giant lighthouse and life saving station will be there. On the main shore, in the mile of park land between Twenty-second and Twelfth streets, is to be a wide athletic ground, with a base- ball field, a running track, tennis courts and football fields. A stadium is to be built for all kinds of athletic contests, and a great public gymnasium will be erected. Northward from the athletic field of the main shore and the refectories and boat- houses of the island terminus will stretch A PAKK SYSTEM FOR CHICAGO 129 tlie magnificent main harbor of Chicago. Two curving breakwaters will extend into the lake, defending the harbor for all time and defying the mightiest of storms. Be- tween the ends of tecting these pro- arm s will pass and repass the greatest vessels of t h e 1 a k e s. For over a mile, or from Twelfth street to Washington street, the har- bor will be set off by the beau- ties of Grant Park. At the nortli- r n extremity of the main harbor will be a circle of piers from which the passenger car- rying boats of the lakes will make their sail- ings. The piers, to be upon an island to be built in the lake, are to be reached by street ears and carriages b y way of a com- modious bridge .'■'■<'> mm M ■ CHICAGO. Plan of a park pr6posei3 on the main East-and-West axis of the city at Congress Street and Fifty-second Avenue. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] parks a mile or more off shore, and enclos- ing a basin a mile wide and nearly two miles long. In the disti'ict from the mouth of the river north to Chicago avenue the lake front is to be im- ])roved by crea- tion of a large island wharfing system. There will dock the lake steamers devoted to mis- c e 1 1 a n e o u s trade and gen- eral commerce. There, too, the ship s in the vegetable a n d fruit t r a d e across the lake will discharge their cargoes, and reload with Chicago manu- factures for use of people at the other ends of their routes. xVn open water- w a y between the wharves and shore will serve for pas- sage of all craft desiring either to enter the rive r or opposite the foot of Randolph street. A yaelit harbor is to be provided off Jackson Park, where the water is quite shallow, by the creation of an encircling line of island traverse the passage between the south and north park systems. To the northward of Chicago avenue the lake front plans vary in detail from the 130 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO south shore plan. The islands will be built a little farther olt' shore. The lagoon skirting the shore will be narrower, but will continue unbroken and giving protection for small craft until it connects with the yacht harbor and park already established at AVilmette, which is over twenty miles distant from Jackson Park. xVt that point begins the north cliannel of the drainage district, which canal now cuts through Evanston and connects with the north branch of Chicago river at the city's north- ern limits. Throughout this twenty miles of lake front parks there will be frequent ways of access to the islands. Every half mile, perhaps, there will be a wide bridge arch- ing gracefully across the lagoons and wa- terways, inviting the people to recreation and rest upon the cool, airy, tree-shaded islands. There will be unlimited relief from the summer's heat for the city's millions and the city's guests, and in winter unlim- ited enjoyment of all outdoor sports upon the frozen surfaces of the lake waterways. As a side feature of the lake front plans it is proposed to drive a winding canal through the Midway Plaisance on the south side, connecting the lagoons of Jackson and Washington Parks. Boulevards would skirt this waterway, by whicli pleasure craft could make their way far into the heart of the residence section of the citj'. The earth removed in this work could be used in constructing the islands in the lake nearby. The second element in park development for the future Chicago aims to create new parks upon a scale in accordance with the needs of the city, and after a fashion to ex- press the size, wealth and importance of Chicago. Considering the shape of the city, the location of the great body of its citizens, the direction of future growth, the manner of laying out the streets and boule- vards, and all other conditions affecting park plans, it was decided that the Plan of Chicago should provide three large city parks. There is to be one in each section of the city, and the plan is to connect the three by a boulevard which in its scope and character will give the Chicago i)ark sys- tem world-wide distinction. Because of the great number of people living on the west side, and because in cre- ating an ideal street system the west side was the most important factor, it was de- cided to give to that side of the city the largest single park in Chicago, and make that park the center of the future city's park system. The park system, as planned, bears more perfect relations to the rest of the future city than do the parks of any other citj- in the world. As the street system has been planned, the main east-and-west axis of the future Chicago is to be in Congress street. It is upon that thoroughfare, then, that the great west side park has been projected. The park, as planned, is to be more than two miles long and approximately three- quarters of a mile wide. It will contain, approximately, 1,000 acres. Its eastern ex- tremity is to be in Fiftieth avenue, and it will extend west to beyond Sixty-fourth avenue. The park is rectangular in shape. The south side park, as projected, is to cover the square mile of territory bounded on the east and west by South Western and South Kedzie avenues, and on the north and south by Garfield boulevard and Sixty- third street. It will include, also, 150 or more acres of land lying to the north and east of the square, making the total area of the projected park about 800 acres. There are very few buildings at present upon this great tract. The north side park, as projected, is to A PARK SYSTEM FOR ('11I('A(;() l:il be of about the same size as that on tlic south side, but of slightlj' different shape. Tlie territory selected for this park is bounded on the east and west bj" Nortli Western avenue and Wliipple street, three- quarters of a mile apart. Its north boun- dary is Lawrence avenue, and its south boundary is to be south of Irving Park- boulevard, making the park something over a mile in its north and south dimen- s i o n. The park is to in- c 1 u d e, also, some terri- tory 1 y i n g south of Ivv- i n g P a 1- k b o u 1 e vard a n d o t h e i' territory t o the eastward of North Western av- enue. To connect the three p a r ks the a r c h i t ects have project- ed a great c u r V i n g b o u 1 e vard. This is to be a very wide thoroughfare, drawn as though it were part of the border of a great circle having its center at South Halsted and West Cong- ress streets, where is planned the civic center of the future city. Beginning at Tiarfield boulevard, within the great south side park, the boulevard swings in an arc northward and westward. It reaches its CHICAGO. Plan of a park proposed at Western Boulevard and Gai- fleld Boulevard, being an extension of Gagre Park. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] Avcsleru extremity within the west side park at Fifty-second avenue and swings eastward and northward, terminating williiu the north side ]iark at Irving Park boulevard. M^esterii avenue lies in a straight line for eleven miles between the ends of this sweeping, bow-shaped boule- vard. The great way itself is over tliii- teen miles from end to end. The acqui sition of the n e c e s s ar,v ground and creation o f these three ]) a )■ ks a 11 <1 the bow 1) o u 1 e V ard w o u 1 d a p- ]) r oximately d o u b 1 e the area of Chi- cago 's s y s- tem of larger p arks. If this were to be done to- day Chicago would be on- ly on an even basis as to park area with the most p r o gressive cities. This nmch p a r k extension work is necessary even now, and much more than this must be done by way of creating small park areas within the city as the population of Chicago increases. No single ]iark plan ever undertaken by any city, however, is as pretentions, bold and inspiring as is this plan for the thi'ee large parks for Chicago, and to adopt the 132 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO plan and develop such a park system would give us of today world-wide fame as city builders. Modern cities have learned that they must not confine their park land projects to their own limits, but must go beyond them and out into the open country to pro- vide recreation areas for their people. Every Euroiiean capital has its forest parks outside of its limits, but within easy reach of its people. Thus in summer Lon- don, Paris, Berlin and Vienna are on Sun- days desert- ed by their millions, the people d i s - p e r s i ng to t ]i e o p en country park lands and the f r e s ts set aside for their use and e n j o y ment forever. Tn this country other cities, notably Xew York in its acquirement of the pictur- esque country along the Hudson river, are acquiring outer territory for park pur- poses. Tlius it has been that in the creation of the Plan of Chicago means of securing for- est places for the people have been pro- vided. Xo more beautiful country exists than the wooded territory surrounding Chicago on all sides. Much of this land can be acquired now at small cost, and a great part of the investment would begin at once returning to Chicago in the in- creased health and happiness of her peo- CHICAGO. Plan of a park proposed at the North Branch of the Chi- cago River and Graceland Avenue. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club.] pie mucli more every year than the cost of securing it for the use of the people. The spaces to be acquired should be wild forests, filled with such trees, vines, flowers and shrubs as will grow in this climate. Country roads and paths should be run through them and the people should be al- lowed and encouraged to use them freely. Provisional search has resulted in plans for setting aside five reserves for ])ublic forests. The largest of these forest tracts select- ed is that of tlie S k o k i e ^■alley, com- prising about 8,(100 acres, lying to the northward of Chicago, and extend ing 1) a c k from G 1 e n c oe to include the valley of Chi- c a g river, s t r e t c liiug southerly in- to the limits of the city. To the nortliwest it is proposed to secure for the use of the people a large part of the Des- plaines river valley, these reserves extend- ing southward along the entire western edge of the city, and including some most beautiful water courses. Still further westward the better part of the Elmhurst and Salt Creek country, which is wild, rough and full of natural scenic beauties, has been selected as proper territory to retain for the continued use of the people of future Chicago. To the southwestward the Plan of Chi- A PARK SYSTEM FOK CIIK'A(;0 133 cago looks to securing wide areas along the Desplaines ri\er, and in the vicinity of Mount Forest, where the country is high and wooded, and affords some fine views. The Lake Cahimet country, nmcli of it within the city limits, is considered as af- fording most desirable territory to acquire for forests for the people. This reserve, lying upon the edge of the great southern steel and industrial section of the city, would be highly desirable as affording to the workers of that section opportunities for healthful rest and recreation. In the period of less than a century that modern man has been permitted to enjoy the delights of city life and have the many comforts that community existence pro- vides, he has learned that great danger to mankind lurks in the existence of cities. City life is an intense life, many times more wearing upon the nerves than country life. It is this strain of city life which increases insanity and brings weaknesses of many kinds to shorten life and deprive the peo- ple of their vigor. There is onlj" one way known bj' which a community may lessen these ills or do away with them, and thai is by increasing park areas and by creating conditions which invite the people to an athletic, out-of-doors life. To upbuild Chicago, to enable her to keep her place in commerce and to grow in pow- er in the modern stressful warfare of trade, it is necessary above all else to maintain and increase the vigor of her people. The only way to do this, and the best way to do it, is to bear constantly in mind the ne- cessity and wisdom of always and active- ly working in behalf of the park projects contained in the Plan of Chicago. 1. What is the most essential thing in a great eity, next to convenience and nrrlrj-Iinrss in its street arrangement? 2. When Chicago is ciitling new streets ami IJ. I . 8. !). 10. IJ. 12. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 21. solving hir probh ms of traffic and tran.s- porlalion, what olh< r provision oni/Iit also to be madt .' How have parks of a cihj bcLH aplhj com- pared with the lungs of a person. ^ In what year were Washington .SV/ua/v and ./(ffcrson, Union, Ellis and Vernon Parks created f In what year was an agilalidn higini to con- nect the parl,s by boulevards and thns create a park syston? What parks were added to the city's open air areas, making the park system the pride of Chicago? In what year was Chicago second in park area and what city exceeded her? To what place has Chicago now drupped in parte area? How far do half tlie people of Chicago now live from any large park? How many people are there in the congested sections of Chicago to cacti acre of park space? What is the average population of the entire city to each acre of park space? For health and good order how many people should, there be to eaeli acre of park space? What three great elements make up tin: park plans of the future city under the Flan of Chicago? State in order. Why should, first attention be given to the plans for the lake front? Why did Chicago years ago spend $60,000,- 000 digging a wide drainage canal, emp- tying from the lake into tlic Desplaines River? W]iat is being dumped into the lake off Chi- cago every year? What is to take place under the Flan of Chicago for the beautijication of the lake front? What is to be creattd in this manner? How many acres of land can be created every year fi'om ivaste material for parks on the lake front? How much waste matter did tlie City Engi- neer of Chicago .say, in 1911, Cliicago pro- duces annually? How much of this goes into tlie lake? What does this waste material include? How many cubic yards of new excavation ivill the Sanitary District make in tlie next .several years on its main canal? According to the City Engineer, how many cubic yards of waste trilt raise one acre 134 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE TLAN OF CHICAGO 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 33. 34. 33. 36. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. five feet above the surface in water fifteen feet deep? What is it cvi(le)i' that the city furnishes? How do citij officials, Sanitary District en- gineers, manufacturers and l)uilding con- tractors all agree they will save money? How is the total waste of the city divided? What is the numher of cubic yards of cin- ders and- ashes produced each year by the city's consumption of coal? How is this moved? What ivill be the value of the land Chicago can create vpon the lal-e front in five years ? What do expert engineers say can be cre- ated from the city's waste within thirty years? What did the architects take into account in planning the lake front parks? How did they answer this demand in the plans? Where do the plans provide for the filling in first of a wide strip of shore land facing the open lake? What will run along this shore? What will be built beyond, the tvater course to protect it and provide safety and shel- ter forever to pleasure craft? What ivill be located at the northern termi- nus of the long park at the foot of Twelfth Street? What is to be located on the main shore in the mile of park land between Twenty- second and Twelfth Streets? What ivHl extend northward from the ath- letic field on the main shore? What will be situated at the northern ex- tremity of the main harbor? Where are the piers to be built, and how ivill they be reached? What is to be provided off Jackson Park ivhcre the water is quite shallow? How is the lake front to be improved in the district from the mouth of the river tiortii to Chicago Avenue? What steamers will dock at the wharves in the harbor between the Chicago River and Chicago Avenue? How do the lake front plans vary in detail from the south shore plans to the north- ivard of Chicago Avenue? How will the people benefit from the parks along the lake shore? What does the second element in park de- velopment for the future Chicago aim to create ? What was decided in the plans after con- sidering the shape of the city, location of its great body of citizens, direction of future growth anel all other conditions? 49. Where are the three large new parks to be located and how connected? 50. Why was it decided to give the ivest side the largest single park in Chicago anel make that park the center of the future city's park system? 51. Wheit relation docs the park system as planned bear to the rest of the future city? 52. Why is the great ivest side park planned to be locateel on Congress Street? 53. Describe the proposed Congress Street Park. 54. Describe the south side park as proposed. 55. Describe the north side park as proposed. 56. What have the architects projected to con- nect the three parks? 57. Describe the curving connecting boulevard, beginning tvith the great south side park. 58. What is the relation of Western Avenue to this sweeping bow-shaped boulevard? 59. What would the acquisition of these three parks and the how boulevard add to Chi- cago's park area and where would it place Chicago in relation to the park area of other cities? 60. What have modern cities learned that they must do to provide recreation areas for their people? 61. What docs every European capital have tcithin easy reach of its people but out- side of its limits? 62. What do the people of London, Paris, Berlin and Vienna elo on Sundays i)i Summer? 63. Where is Neiv York acquiring outer terri- tory for park, purposes? 64. Describe the territory surrounding Chicago procurable for forest parks. 65. Describe the sort of spaces that should he- acquired for forest reserve purposes. 66. What has provisional search resulted in? 67. Describe the five proposed forest reserves, in their order. 68. Wliat has modern man learned of city life in a period of less than a century? 69. How is city life different from country life? 70. What is the only way known by wliich a city may lessen these ills or do away with them? 71. What is necessary to upbuild Chicago and enable her to keep her place in commerce and to grow in power in the modern stressful warfare of trade? 72. State the only way for Chicago to increase anel maintain the vigor of her people. CHEATING A CIVIC CEN'I'KR l:!5 CHAPTER X\'I CREATIXG A CIVIC CENTER In becoiiiiiii;- tlio second city of the United States in population, Chicago has not until now taken any account of unity, or of cen- tralizing- its governmental activities. First there was the sottloniont alioiit Fort Dear- cago. Finally Chicago spread out until those villages were swallowed up within the city, giving up their little local gov- oriinients and hecoining districts of Chi- cago itself. In this process by which Chicago ab- sorbed its neighboring towns and villages there was no planning for the creation of a coiitei-. Tnsteail of creating a great unified CHICAGO. View, looking west, of the proposed civic lenlcr. plaz.T mid luiildlngs. showing it as the center of tlie system of arteries of circulation and of the surrounding country. [Copyrighted by the Commercial Club. J born, then the extension of the village to cover a square mile or so. Wliile this was in progress at the heart of affairs nearby farm centers grew into little settlements. Township governments were established, and in each township a village came into being. Chicago grew toward these villages ill all directions, and the villages extended their streets and settlements toward Chi- cily. thorerore, we built up one liy grouping together numerous adjoining towns. By good fortune, these towns and villages were so laid out that for the most part their streets blended well with the street sys- tem of Chicago, and so we do not notice, in going about the city, that Chicago is really the result of patching several towns together. KiG WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OK CHICAGO Chicago has now readied a developnioiit that assures an ahnost limitless future in population and business. The time has come then, to create in Chicago a civic cen- ter. Wo ought to bring- together in one place the agencies Ijy which the city is gov- erned, and to express there the pride and spirit of the people of the city by the erec- tion of imposing buildings. In this work we sliould sjiare no expense of labor or money, for in it we will be constructing for the view of the whole world great moim- ments to ourselves and to our city. In it we will be providing for eternal fame for our city, such as Rome enjoys today bo- cause of the majesty of her Forum and Athens because of tlie beautj- of the Acrop- olis. The creation of this center, giving life to the spirit of unity in the city, is one of the great ends to be attained through the Plan of Cliicago. The architects, in drawing their plans for the parks, for the hai'bors, for even the most remote street yet to be developed within the limits of the future city, bore always in their minds the ideal of uniting all elements of the city, and giv- ing this ideal form and substance through the civic center. Cities, in their growth, follow always the line of least resistance. The center of a city moves always in the direction toward which trade and commerce flow easiest. Thus it has been with Chicago. The tirst settlement was at the mouth of the river. Trade in the early days followed that wa- ter course inland. The chief settlements were to the southwestward, dotting the course of the Illinois river and running into the valley of the Mississipi)i. Tliis turned the current of commerce to the southwest, and as the city's trade has grown in that direction the flow of indus- try and population has followed. The cen- ter of poinilation of the city, wliich was within the Fort Dearborn stockade in the beginning, has now moved south- westward to a iroint near the intersection of South Ilalsted and West Twelfth streets. In selecting a place for the building of the civic center of the Chicago of the fu- ture, the architects were forced to give great weight to this constant southwest- ward tendency of the cit}'. Considering, however, that in late years this movement of the center has not been so rapid, and considering, too, that the business center of Chicago is fairly well established for all time, it was decided that the best site to select for the civic center was at Soutli Halsted and West Congress streets, and i( is there, when the Plan of Chicago has been carried out in detail, that the city will have its seat of government. In planning for the future of the city much consideration was given to Congress street. Firstly, it coincides substantially with the center of the business district as it will be when the present loop district is extended to Twelfth street. It is also about equally distant from Twenty-second street and Chicago avenue, which are to be highly developed under the Plan of Chi- cago. It is a disconnected street now, and so could be completed at comparatively small cost, and as the buildings upon it within the district where widening is ]iro- posed are not as expensive as those in other streets another economy in the work would result. Its opening would create, in combination with Harrison and Van Buren streets, a trijtle set of traffic ways at the center. It has been seen how, under the Plan of Chicago, a large number of the new di- agonal streets planned will center at the crossing of South Ilalsted and Congress CREATING A CIVIC CENTER i:!7 streets. The aim of this arran.nenioiit is two-fold : to pro\ide on the one hand direct ways of reaching the city's fntnre center, and on the other hand to open to tlie daily view of a million or more people and liilllll lEannii iSllllllillHIlP^ iiik!miiii! >!;iiiiiai give architectural prominence to the magnificent city buildings planned to be grouped together at the civic center. The buildings to be placed in the civic center naturally fall into three divisions, those for the City of Chicago holding the principal place, ac- comi)anied by the buildings of Cook County and the Fed- eral Government. A wide square or tri- a n g 1 e, including from ten to twenty acres, perhaps, can be swept of build- ings now existing at the Congress street crossing of Halsted street. There, at the end of all the con- verging streets, can be built the City Hall. In this struc- ture the aim will be, if the idea of the Plan of Chicago dominates the ar- rangement, not only to produce a building so stately and magnificent as to indelibly impress Chicago's greatness upon the mind of every beholder, but also to have W n lllfllllllllll ini^^HPiSiBBSSBI fSi '^^ SSS> A aiSBiBGinnii SIS !9 as II II II III aaililiiiiUllllill CHICAGO. The business center of tlie city -within tlie first circuit boulevard, siiowing tlie proposed ^rantl east-and-west axis and its relation to Grant Park and tlie yacht harbor; the railway terminals schemes on the soutli and west sides, and the Civic Center. [Copyrishlcd by the Commercial Club.] building so high and wide as to stand far out above every other structure, thus mark- ing it as the center of the city from afai-. Artists, inspired by the work of the ar- chitects in the crea- tion of the Plan of Chicago, have vied with each other in attempts to visual- ize for us todaj' the triumphs of the peo- ]>le of tomorrow in the planning and construction of these vast civic temples. Their suggestions are that the City Hall, rising from the l)lain upon which Chicago rests, should be surmounted by a great dome compar- able to that of St. Peter's cathedral at Rome. U]wn either side of the towering dome of the City Hall, and making up their parts of the whole composition, will be the main County Building and main Federal Build- ing. There will be grouped with them, after a manner to give the finest archi- tectural effects, va- rious minor build- ings devoted to the purposes of the respec- tive governments. Thus there will be struc- tures for the courts, whose character and im]iortnnco in our government seem to call 138 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO for separate and dist inct housing provision. By decision and action now, this plan for a civic center conld be put under way at once, as the government is seeking a site for a postoffice on the West Side, giving us the opportunity of starting construction of the civic group with a building of importance. Experience has shown us in Chicago that there is no danger of our undertak- ing too large or extensive plans for public buildings. No sooner do we get a public structure completed, in fact, than the growth of the public business fills it to building, it is already filled to its limit with the workers in the public service. Imiiortant as is the civic center consid- ered as of itself, when taken in connection with the whole Plan of Chicago, it may be likened to the keystone of an arch. With Halsted street widened and developed, and with sweeping improvements made in Michigan avenue and in Ashland avenue, tl'.ere will come betterments in the great thoroughfares of Chicago avenue and of Twelfth street to give form to the business center. To open Congress street to a great :;]:::>i*^ji(u!iif.ijSr 'W^- tit' -^'~^^^--V»^^'>j9J,-^.~ Xt CHICAGO. The proposed civic center square, showing the group of surrounding buildings crowned by the central dome. [Copyrighted by tlie Commercial Ciub.] overflowing. It has been so throughout the history of the city. We have been forced to renew our public buildings, doub- ling them in size and capacity, every twenty years or so. Our Federal Building was outgrown by Chicago while it was in the process of construction. Our County Building, finished only a short time ago, and which the architects believed would serve the county needs for many years, is already proving too small. It is the same way with the new City Hall. Built with nearly three times the capacity' of the old width throughout the city, and indefinitely into the country, will bring the civic center and its great buildings into high relief. Nowhere else in America is a city offered such possibilities, combined with such ease of attainment. Simply by the intelligent handling of the changes necessary from year to year, we can, by adopting the Plan of Chicago, make ours a city both unified and beautiful. 1. As flic second city of the United States, what is it of which Chicago has not taken any account? CREATING A CIVIC CENTER i:!!t 3. How (lid Chicago become a collection of towns and rillayts.' 3. What was neglected in this process by tvhich Chicago absorbed its neighboring towns and villages' 4. Instead of creating a great unified city, what did we elof .'). What point has Chicago now rle entered upon another enterprise which 142 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO gave their city worldwide fame, — tlie World's Columbian Exposition, out of which came the idea of tlie Plan of Chi- cago. Joining hands through a committee of citizens, the people of Chicago, in a short time, raised $20,000,000 to spend in buildings and grounds for a World's Fair in celebration of the 400th anniversary of America's discovery by Columbus. The raising of that sum of monej' for the pur- pose of a public entertainment was a thrilling civic feat. Nothing like it had ever before even been gi^-en thought as possible in any city. These four tasks are the principal ones ui^on which Chicago's fame as a city of great public spirit and loyaltj' of citizen- ship has been founded. Thus, throughout the entire history of the city, has been proven the readiness of the people of Chi- cago to take up large plans for public im- provements. Thus has been proven the faith of all the people of Chicago in their city's future and power. Truly Chicago's history is such as to demonstrate that its people will not let slip such an opportu- nity to achieve such necessary improve- ments and greatness for their city as lies within the Plan of Chicago. There is still a stronger reason than comes to us from our history to believe the Plan of Chicago will be the next public enterprise upon which the citizens will em- bark. That reason is the growing love of good order, due to the advance in educa- tion. We all know that we would not tol- erate today in our cities such conditions as we are told were usual in the days of our fathers. We may well believe, then, that the people of the future will not tol- erate such conditions as surround us to- day. We are learning new lessons in muni- cipal economy, in hygiene, and in city gov- ernment. We are learning that time, la- bor and health saving means and methods are valuable to a city. We are learning that attractive surroimdings encourage good morals. We are learning more and more every day the things that are nec- essary to promote good conditions within a city. We are every day making greater and greater demands iipon the city, and we realize that our responsibilities and duties as citizens grow greater and greater every day. In crystallizing in our minds the various aims of the Plan of Chicago, to decide for cnirselves, perhaps, what feature is the most necessary to begin upon at once, we naturally conclude there are four main el- ements in the plan. These are : 1. The systematic arrangement of the streets and avenues within the city in or- der to save time and effort in the move- ment of people and merchandise between the various parts of the city. This in- cludes the cutting of new streets where necessary in and through the congested parts of the city. It includes the widening of many streets to care for increased traf- fic, to add to the city's attractiveness and to conserve our greatest asset, — the health of the people. 2. The centralization and improvement of our railway terminals, the perfection of harbors, and the creation of a proper sys- tem of freight transportation. This in- cludes the ranging of passenger terminals along Twelfth street on the South Side, and along Canal street on the West Side. It includes also the building of a general dock system near the mouth of Chicago river, and a coal and grain dock system on the lake at South Chicago, with a ware- housing and freight center for all through merchandise at a point southwest of Chi- cago, the whole connected l>y belt railways. FINAL RESULT OF THE PLAN 143 3. The acquirement and development of an extended ]»ark system to supply the needs of the city for all time to come. This includes the building of islands along the lake front, pioviding an enclosed lagoon skirting the entire city shore; the secur- ing of a park a mile or more square upon each of the three sides of the city, and their connection by a majestic bow-shaped boulevard; and the purchase of extensive ■woodlands lying in a broad belt in the suburban territory', to be held forever as places for picnics and recreation of city dwellers. 4. The development of a center of civic administration so located as to give co- herence and unity to the citj'. This in- cludes the securing of a large area at West Congress and South Halsted streets, at the conA'ergence of numerous new diagonal streets, the holding of this tract near the city's geographical center for gradual im- provement by erecting stately buildings for governmental purposes, and the erec- tion of a great domed City Hall as the cen- tral building of this feature of the plan. In reporting the street plan tlie archi- tects of the Plan of Chicago admitted that it involves a very considerable amount of money. It was added in their report that it will be found in Chicago, as in other cities, that the opening of new thorough- fares, although meaning a large expense to initiate the work, creates a large increase in values. This is due to increase in con- venience and the creation of large num- bers of new and very valuable building sites adjoining the new streets. The cost will amount to many millions of dollars, but the result will be continuous pros- perity for all dwellers in Chicago and the saving of millions of dollars in time and effort to the citizens. The suggestions of the Plan of Chicago in regard to the railroads and tiie har- bors are many and serious. The aim is to l»roduce i-esults beneficial to all interests, — the manufacturers and shippers who ])atronize the railroads by improving serv- ice, the railroads themselves by making their service to the public more effective anil therefore more largely patronized. Over all considerations, however, is that of economy in the handling of freight at Chicago as a shi]iping center. The meth- ods of the plan will give to the manufac- turers and shippers all the advantages which naturally should be theirs, and so mean constant operation of factories and employment of the peojde. The commei'- cial prosperit)' of the community is rep- resented by the cost per ton of handling freight into and out of the Chicago terri- tory. General changes in railroad condi- tions take years to accomplish, but the public will not be compelled to pay for the changes suggested in the plan. They will be railroad enterprises, undertaken by the railroads and carried out by the railroads. As to the park plans, it is imperative that extensive additions be made to our jnililic recreation grounds. The location and arrangement of the parks and park- ways of Chicago today are entirely inade- quate to the future of the city. Fifty years ago, before the population of the city was large and denselj' crowded together, peo- ]ile could live in comfort and good order without public parks, because of the ex- istence of large open spaces. We of today can not do without parks. They are a vi- tal necessity to the city. We regard the promotion of robust health of body and mind as necessary to good citizenship, which is, after all, the prime object of good city planning. The lake front improvement from Wil- mette to the Indiana line is an economic 144 W ACKER'S MANFAL OF THE PLAN OP CHICAGO necessity. We liave noted before the enor- mous amount of waste material seeking dumping ground on tlie lake shore because it is the cheapest place to deposit it. En- gineers say this material is sufficient to fill in one hundred acres of land per year, rais- ing it five feet above the surface of water fifteen feet deep. The park authorities, then, would have onlj^ to furnish break- waters and finish off the ground. The dirt to be removed in the construction of subways in the city, when that work is undertaken, will go far to help redeem the lake front. The creation there of an extremely beau- tiful and useful public recreation ground will involve very little public expense. The extensive woodlands proposed as forests for the people, make an additional park feature not usually designed for cit- ies in America, but almost invariably used in Europe. The cost of these wooded sites Avill be considerable, and it must be borne l»y tlie public, but the people will gain from the sixty thousand acres of forests, in health and recreation, much more interest than money invested in any other security so safe as that land could earn them. These outer parks can be acquired and im- proved within ten years, and if the cost is distributed over that period it will not prove burdensome. The health and joy of living of all the people will be increased, and incidentally the value of all real estate within and around the city will be in- creased. The interurban highway system to link the outer parks together can be realized very cheaply. Ninety-five per cent of the roads exist now. The remaining five per cent can be acquired at small cost, which will be widely distributed through many townshi]is, and will serve to connect and complete the system. The cost of macad- amizing tlie roadways and tree planting to provide shade for travelers upon tbem will be onl}^ incidental. To acquire the land for the parks nec- essary for the West and South Sides is a matter of comparatively small expense now. There are no very costly or impor- tant buildings standing upon the site pro- posed for the West Side park. The land selected for the South Side park is almost entirely vacant, stretching for hundreds of acres as level farms and truck gardens. The North Side tract would prove the most costly of all the three if taken today. Since the plan was drawn much of the ter- ritory proposed for the park in question has been cut up into lots, and numerous sul)stantial buildings have been erected. The cost, however, would not be prohiln- tive, even if the park work there is to be delayed for ten or twenty years. The land necessary for the civic center should be secured as soon as sentiment for its establishment can be created. Values at that point are reasonable, but are sure to advance. If the city were to take the land today it could be cleared of buildings and treated as park space for a time, and the various buildings in the plan could he erected as they are found necessary, all being piit up in accordance with a plan adopted at the start. To adopt such a sclieme of purchase would save a very large sum in the i^urchase of public build- ing sites in future, and also give stability to real estate values in the vicinity. It would be an excellent thing for the City to establish the civic center on the West Side, as it would give that side of the city the impetus toward higher standards in construction of which it is so much in need. The cost of the civic center should be paid by the whole community. Sunnning up the subject of cost of adopting the Plan of Chicago, it seems FINAL RESULT OF THE FLAN U.-) proliable that tlic iilans t'or oulci- liii;ii\vays and of all the lake i'l-oiit iinpi-ovemonts will come about naturally and with very little expense to the city. The railways will ])ay most of the expense of their changes and betterments, which leaves all the cost of the civic center, of the parks and park- ways, aiul of the street development for the general ])ublic to pay. The connnunity has ami^le financial ability to do this. Paris had not much more than a million and a half of i>eople, and not nearly so good commercial prospects as Chicago has, when her people adopted a street improve- ment plan involving over $260,000,000 and carried it to completion in thirty-tive years. The success of the undertaking has justi- fied the expense. People from all over the world visit Paris by hundreds of thou- sands every year. No matter where they make their money, they go there to spend it, and every worlanan and proprietor in Paris benefits from this expenditure of millions of dollars drawn from all quar- ters of the world. Conditions in Chicago are such as to re- pel outsiders, not to attract throngs of visitors. With the Plan of Chicago re- alized, and our city made attractive, health- ful, open to the light, a ]ilace of beautiful street views, Chicago will become a mag- net, drawing to us those who wish to en- joy life. It will produce for us conditions in which business enterprises can be car- ried on with the utmost economy and with the certainty of success, while we and our children can live broader, safer, saner and happier lives, growing stronger each year and generation in love and loyalty to the great Chicago of our birth or adoption. There is another and deeper motive in planning for the future greatness of the city than its splendid material upbuilding. This is of significance only as it expresses the actual social, intcllecfua! ami niorai uiibnilding of the people, and so far as, in 1uvn, it opens the way for further develop- nienl of this higher type. City building means man building. Who is there among us who is not lifted above sordid industrial existence into the realm of the beautiful and ennobling things in life by attrac- tive surroundings? I'eaulifid parks, fine monuments, well laid out streets, properly lighted, paved and amply jirovided with shade trees, relief from noise, dirt and con- fusion — all these things and many others contemplated in the Plan of Chicago are agencies that make not (inly for the future greatness of the city, but the hapjiiness and prosperity of all the people within our gates. The ideal of a city must rise above mere commercial and industrial supremacy, taking the higher ground of becoming an attractive, composite home for its residents, both of large and small means, as well as for tlie stranger within its gates. The crowning necessity for the adoption of the Plan of Chicago by the City of Chi- cago is shown in the fact that in the twenty- five years ending in IDOfi the ]>eople of the city of Chicago expended $l'i'5,000,000 for extraordinary improvements, with nothing to show for this vast sum but a city grown by chance and without orderly develop- ment. During that time the people of Chi- cago actually spent for improvements but .$35,000,000 iess than the city of Paris ex- pended upon its i)lan for the rebuilding of the entire city, making it the most beauti- ful and attractive city in the world. 1. Of what can llurc he no idra rjivt n in llils volume f 2. Whai is it that the men interested in the production of the Plan of Chicago do not say, but what do they believe? ,?. What confident belief have they in giving us this design for a future city? 146 WACKER'S MANUAL OF THE PLAN OF CHICAGO •/. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. n. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 18. 19. 20. 21. ^Yhat do they say ice will have ivltcn it is worked out in any of its details, and ivhen it is completed f What did the men who produced the Plan of Chicago realize when they undertook their taskf What is it that gives a basis for bond issues far in. excess of the utmost cost of carry- ing out the plan? What is greater than the entire cost of exe- cuting the Plan? What will the changes broucjht about by the various steps in the Plan do? Wliat new law would it be desirable to Itavc passed? Wliat has happened in Chicago wherever streets have been widened? What would be the result of a law giving the city power to own property in street widening cases? How is the city restricted undir tlie present law? Wliat is the opinion of the ablest men iclid have studied the difficulties in the way of carrying out the Plan of Chicago? What is necessary to realize the Plan? Wliat ivas Chicago when the first tremen- dous task to try the spirit and character of her citizenship was brought forth? More than sixty years ago what became ap- parent would be necessary to secure prop- er drainage and protect the health of the city? What did the people do, handicapped as they were with little machinery for such labor? How did that icork, in its period, compare with the rearrangement of streets accord- ing to the Plan of Chicago? What was accomplished fifty years ago, by only a fraction of the number of people now living in Chicago, by the city look- ing to everybody to do his share to ad- vance the work? What civic feat did the people of Chicago accomplish between 1880 and 1890 which gives ns today the splendid benefits of the sanitary waterway? What did the people of Chicago do to cele- brate the 400th anniversary of America's discovery by Columbus? What has been proven throughout the entire hidory of the city? 23. What docs Chicago's history demonstrate? 24. What is the still stronger reason that comes to us from our hislory to believe the Plan of Chicago will be the next public enter- prise upon which the citizens will em- bark? 25. What is it that ice all know we would not tolerate today in our cities? 26. What new lessons are we Icarningf 27. In crystallizing our minds on the various aims of the Plan of Chicago, what do we naturally conclude are the four main ele- mrnfs most necessary to begin upon at once? 28. In consiclcring the street plan, what did the architects' report show? 29. To what is this large increase in value due? 30. How do the suggestions of the Plan of Chi- cago produce results beneficial to all in- terests in regard to the railroads and the harbors? 31. By what is the commercial prosperity of the community represented? 32. Why will the public not be compelled to pay for the railroad changes suggested in the Plan of Chicago? 33. Why could the people fifty years ago live in comfort and good order without public parks? 34. What is the prime object of good city plau-^ ning? 35. In park planning tchat is an economic neces- sity for the city? 36. What have we noted before as seeking dump- ing ground on the lake shore and why? 37. What area do engineers say this material is sufficient to fill? 38. What would the park authorities have to furnish for the creation on the lake front of an extremely beautiful and useful pub- lic recreation ground involving very little public expense? 39. Wliat will make an additional park feature not usually designed for cities in Amer- ica, but almost invariably used in Europe? 40. How is the cost of these wooded sites, which will be considerable, offset in gain to the 2} CO pic ? 41. How soon can the outer parks be acquired and improved without the cost being bur- densome, and what will be the result? FINAL IJKSULT OF TlIK PLAN 14'; JJ. Ildir call tin iiih nirliaii liiglnnn/ system tu link ilir oiilir parks togitlnr be realized vtfij cheaply.' 43. Why is it a inaltrr of cnmpnralivdy small: expense now to acquire the land for the parhs necessary for the west and south sides.' 41. Why would the north side tract prove the most costly of all three if taken todays 4.'). Why shoidd the land necessary for the civic center be secured as soon as sentinu nt for its establishment can be created' 4G. What could the city do hy taking I In land for the civic center today ' 17. Wliat would follow the adoption of suili a scheme of purchase? 4S. Why ivould it be an excellent thing fur the city to establish the civic center on the irest sidef J.'i. Ifiiw should the cost of the civic center be borne? 50. iiumming np the subject of the cost of adopt- ing the Plan of Chicago, how does it seem to be apportioned? :'l. What was the condition of Paris xvhen that city adopted a street improvement plan in volving ^360,000,000? .o.-T. r,(;. 57 . 38. r,9. 60. 61. Why was the exp( nse of the improiH me nt eif Paris justified? Wlio in Paris benefits from the expenditxires of millions of dejllars drawn from all quarters of the world? What are conditions in Chicago today? With the Plan of Chicago realizeel and our city maele attractive, healthful, open to the light, and a place of beautiful street views, ivhat will Chicago become? What is another and deeper motive in city planning than material upbuilding, anel what is its significance? What does city building mean? What is the effect upon us of attraelive sur- roundings? What are the agencies that make for the fu- ture greatness of the city anel the happi- ness and prosperity of all the people? What must the ideal of a city rise, above, and u-hat higher ground shoulel it take} What is the crowning argument in favor of Chicago adopting anel carrying out tlie Plan of Chicago being studied and pro- moted by the Chicago Plan Co)nmission? University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. AC M/\yoi 9m\ AC MAY 1 ZOUZ PSD 23 mvilAL- ih- ,.1^ ^J( UCLA-AUPL NA 9127 C4M5 1912 iiiinn iiiiihiiii inllillllillll nil L 005 859 960 6 .,,,, ,P^A4, FACILITY b 000 570 986 1 1 '^7sTj!?B?W ™n5J^IS7trr7^H 'iS^I ipiii