Fig. 183. Palmer House, Chicago, Illinois. 
park, and southward an indefinite number of miles into the unimproved prairies 
south of town; or Wabash, Indiana, Prairie, Calumet or South Park avenues, which 
are lined with their palatial residences to the old Douglas homestead, now known 
as Cottage Grove, a distance of nearly four and a half miles from the Court House. 
Here we meet with the first of the very extensive boulevard system of Chicago — the 
Grand Boulevard, — but we will only follow this one about one-third of a mile; when 
we shall come to Oakwood Boulevard, running east and west, and will then cross 
over to Drexel Park or, as it is now called, Grove Parkway. (Fig. 1S2.) These 1 
boulevards are each two hundred feet wide, except at the junction of South 
Park, where they are four hundred and fifty feet wide, will take us to the South 
Park, nearly two miles to the south of us ; but as we wish to stud} 1 the effect of land- 
scape gardening, where foliage and flowering plants form the feature, we will change 
over to Grove Parkway for our drive. This is devoted exclusively to pleasure, no 
heavily loaded teams being allowed on the drives. It is, par excellence, the boule- 
vard of Chicago, and is arranged after the style of the avenue Plmperetrice of Paris, 
which is the finest boulevard in the world. These boulevards land us at the thresh- 
hold of South Park, one being at the northeast, the other at the northwest corner of 
the Park. The map of Chicago, its parks and boulevards, on page 40 will be of ma- 
terial assistance in following the descriptions here given. 
South Park is really two parks, with a broad avenue connecting them together. 
The one we shall first visit is designated the West Division and contains about five 
hundred acres of land laid out in charming drives and walks through the green, 
grassy lawns; while directly east one and one-fourth miles lies the Eastern Division 
of South Park stretching along the lake shore for a mile and a quarter. This one 
also contains about five hundred acres, or both together contain 1,055 acres of land, 
through which are already fourteen miles of interior drives, and thirty miles of solid 
gravel walks; while fountains, miniature lakes, groves of shade trees and masses of 
ornamental shrubbery make it one of the most delightful of resorts; a real fairy land. . 
From near the central western border of the western division of South Park, com- 
mences Pavillion Parkway, a broad boulevard or drive, running directly west for 
nearly five miles, then turning north, following Western avenue roadway, is already 
completed to old Brighton Park (now abandoned), but will, when finished, reach 
Douglas Park, two miles further north and west. Douglas Park lies to the south- 
west of the town, and about four miles from the center of the city. It is in theshape 
of a lengthened square and contains two hundred and thirty-three acres of land 
beautifully laid out with drives, walks, lake, ponds, fountains, rustic bridges, rustic- 
houses, music stands, &e. From the western side starts Douglas Boulevard, run- 
