12 Chicago Bureau of Public Efficiency 



side. The bill as modified provided for government by a com- 

 mission of seven members to be appointed by the Governor 

 and that the taxes therefor should be raised within the limits 

 of the park district described in the act. It was passed by the 

 Legislature and on March 23, 1869, was approved by a vote 

 of the town of West Chicago and those parts of the towns of 

 Lake View and Cicero which were entitled to vote under the 

 act. The West Chicago Park Commissioners are appointed for 

 terms of seven years. 



Lincoln Park originally contained about sixty acres and 

 was set off for a public park from lands of the Chicago ceme- 

 tery by an ordinance of the City Council passed October 21, 

 1864. At that time it bore the name Lake Park. This was 

 afterwards changed to Lincoln Park. Beginning with the next 

 year, annual appropriations were made by the City Council 

 for its maintenance, the money being derived from a general 

 tax levy of the entire city. In February, 1869, the Legislature 

 passed an act fixing the boundaries of the park, providing for 

 condemning of remaining cemetery lots and also that the gov- 

 ernment of the park be vested in a commission of five persons 

 named in the act. They were to serve five years, after which 

 their successors were to be appointed by the Governor. A ques- 

 tion having arisen as to the power of the Legislature to name 

 commissioners in the law, another act was passed in June, 1871, 

 providing for the appointment of a new Board. In November 

 of that year the Governor appointed five commissioners to suc- 

 ceed the old Board and subsequent governors have appointed 

 the Lincoln Park Boards under the same authority. The number 

 was subsequently changed to seven and they have been appointed 

 for five year terms. 



A number of acts have been passed which are amendatory 

 to the acts establishing the South, West and Lincoln Park 

 Boards. These amendatory acts have given the Boards more 

 taxing and bonding power and provided for extending and 

 developing their facilities. The Lincoln Park Board is unfor- 

 tunate in that the creative acts were ambiguous in some features 

 and silent upon others. They were never submitted to a vote 



