PARK AND CEMETERY. 
1 19 
YEAR’S RECORD OF SOUTH PARK SYSTEM, CHICAGO 
Each succeeding year serves to 
demonstrate more strongly than the 
last, the usefulness of the remarkable 
system of small public-service parks 
in the South Park district of Chicago. 
These have become models for the 
country and other cities are prepar- 
ing to institute similar work. Sup- 
plemented by the two large landscape 
parks, Washington and Jackson, the 
system is unsurpassed for all-round 
efficiency and good management. 
The annual report - for the year 1906 
shows that t,he improvement work be- 
gun in 1903 has been prosecuted with 
energy and that three-quarters of a 
million dollars have been expended in 
carrying out the improvements in the 
new parks and completing the older 
ones. There are twenty parks in- 
cluded in the South Park System, and 
the total area in charge of the com- 
missioners is 2, 241. .59 acres. Of the 
fourteen new small parks, all have 
been improved but two, Square No. 4 
and Hardin Square, and the plan for 
Square No. 4, prepared by Olmsted 
Brothers, is shown herewith. The 
buildings on this tract when acquired 
have been removed and contracts let 
for the erection of a field-house. 
The total receipts of the commis- • 
sion were $4,211,024.81, and the ex- 
penditures $2,463,862.03. Of the lat- 
ter, $843,191 was charged to mainte- 
nance and $593,460 to improvements. 
In Jackson Park improvements cost- 
ing $176,237 were made, including a 
concrete bridge 120 feet long for the 
bridle. path, $25,000; two piers extend- 
ing into the lake 1,400 and 608 feet, 
respectively; new launch station, 
composed of two buildings 56x70 feet, 
with a platform 100 feet long con- 
necting them; addition to golf shel- 
ter, 40x80 feet; construction of con- 
crete wall in harbor and breakwater. 
The filling in of Grant Park, the 205 
acre tract reclaimed from Lake Mich- 
igan, has proceeded steadily during 
the year, 1,512,009 cubic yards of dirt 
having been received for this purpose. 
Only 7.5 acres remain to be filled, 
and the work of finishing the surface 
is now in progress. It is expected 
that a considerable area of the park 
can be graded and covered with black 
earth this year. 
In Marquette Park 27.75 acres were 
graded during the year, making the 
total graded area in this park 41.35 
acres. 
Contracts have been let for the 
construction of a new power house 
in Washington Park, to furnish cur- 
rent for lighting .all of the parks and 
boulevards. The building will be 72x 
98 feet, with a stack 200 feet high, and 
so planned that additions may be 
made without interfering with the use 
of the building or detracting from its 
appearance. 
The nursery of 30 acres, located in 
Marquette Park, contains 80,808 trees 
and shrubs, which are used as re- 
- quired in -the parks. The stock is 
carefully selected and well cared for. 
During the year 76,031 trees and 
shrubs were taken from, the nursery 
and planted in the parks, and 1,924 
added to the nursery. The nursery 
was established in 1904 and to date 
shows a profit of $25,041.74. The pro- 
fit during the past year was $7,719.44. 
The commission has found a very 
satisfactory way of compelling auto- 
mobiles to slow up and keep on the 
right side of the roadway at several 
boulevard corners where travel is 
heavy by building concrete platforms' 
surmounted by posts bearing red 
lights in the center of both intersect- 
ing streets. 
As an indication' of the wide range 
of activities in the park service, it is 
interesting to note that it maintains an 
ice-cream factory to supply the park 
refectories, which produced 27,319 
gallons during the year; a laundry 
for the bathing suits and towels used 
in the shower baths and swimming 
pools, which saved $9,999 during the 
year bn the work; and a flock of 154 
sheep. 
The sports provided include swim- 
ming, skating, tobogganing, snow and 
turf speeding; golfing, rowing, launch 
riding, tennis, hockey, baseball, foot- 
ball, curling, fishing, beach bathing,, 
and archery, in addition to others 
provided in the playgrounds, gymna- 
sia, and other recreation facilities 
furnished in the new parks and 
squares. The assembly halls and club 
rooms in the field houses have been 
much used all the year round and 
have furnished invaluable facilities for 
i-LAN FOR ONE OF CHICAGO'S FOfRTEEN NEW PARKS. 
Olni-ticl Brollii'r.-< l.and-c.ii e .\rcliilc'<-i<. 
