PARK AND CEMETERY. 
5 
refreshing and uplifting in its appeal to 
our innate love of the beautiful. In this 
respect it is in harmony with the spirit 
of the best Greek art. It represents 
the great lakes typified by five beautiful 
female figures of ample form and dig- 
nity, joined in composition by a spark- 
ling line of water, which, starting from 
the basin of Superior above, is finally 
poured into the world without by On- 
tario, who regards the receding stream 
with an expression of wonderment. 
Those lovely figures are built upon the 
rocky base with a background of the 
same suggestion.” 
Under the powers granted by a bond 
issue of $3,000,000, the South Park Com- 
missioners have selected sites for three 
new small parks, each twenty acres in 
size, one located at Grand Crossing, one 
at Burnham or Hegewisch, and one at 
Irondale or South Deering, to serve 
these great industrial communities. 
An addition has been acquired to Cal- 
umet Park, making this, when improved, 
a second Jackson Park, with a frontage 
of nearly a mile along the lake shore— 
from 05th to about 101st street. Plans 
for its improvement are now being pre- 
pared. It is the intention to provide 
here a harbor for pleasure craft and 
other lake shore attractions for the peo- 
ple. The experience 'of the last three 
years has shown that the parks, or 
squares, of small area are inadequate. 
Therefore the commissioners have taken 
steps to enlarge Russell Square in South 
Chicago, which was only 6.57 acres in 
extent, and have added to Hardin Square 
and Square No. 4. 
The extensive use made by the peo- 
ple of the facilities provided in the rec- 
reation buildings in the various parks 
and squares has demonstrated the fact 
that in nearly every instance the provi- 
sions made were inadequate. It has been 
found necessary to enlarge the shower 
rooms in several buildings. The gym- 
nasiums, with one or two exceptions, 
are not sufficient, although when the 
buildings were first designed it was 
thought they were much larger than 
necessary. 
The plans now being prepared for 
Hardin Square and Square No. 4 will 
be much more ample and satisfactory 
in these particulars. The locker rooms 
and shower rooms particularly will have 
great height of ceiling, and plenty of 
light and ventilation. The gymnasiums 
will be much larger — at least 50x80 feet 
—and will have suitable galleries for 
visitors. 
During the period of this report 5,765,- 
748 persons made actual use of facilities 
afforded in the .South Parks. 
Under authority of an act of the leg- 
islature, authorizing the commissioners 
to acquire the riparian rights and take 
possession of submerged land in Lake 
Michigan, the South Park Commission- 
ers have had surveys made of the lake 
shore from Grant Park to Jackson Park, 
a distance of 5.37 miles. They have had 
soundings made in the lake between the 
points named. They have had maps 
prepared showing the ownership of all 
of the property having riparian rights 
along this frontage, and have secured 
opinions of title. They are now ready 
to enter into negotiations with the prop- 
erty owners to acquire their rights. This 
done, the way will be open for the con- 
struction of a parkway, with lagoons, 
picnic grounds, recreation beaches, walks 
and driveways, located 1,000 feet, or 
more, in the lake, extending from Grant 
Park to Jackson Park. 
The General Assembly, during the 
winter of 1907, passed a law to enable 
the South Park Commissioners, with the 
City of Chicago and the Commissioners 
of Lincoln Park, to construct a drive- 
way across the Chicago river and con- 
nect with the Lincoln Park system. 
The important work in Jackson Park 
during the year has been done along 
the shore in beach construction and im- 
proving the entrance to the yacht har- 
bor, which is now taxed to its full ca- 
pacity. 
The commissioners are preparing plans 
for the erection of a large building at 
the land end of the Casino Pier, stand- 
ing somewhat further into the lake than 
the present shore line, that a suitable 
view may be obtained up and down the 
shore from the balconies of the build- 
ing. This building will provide suit- 
able accommodations for refreshment as 
well as shelter and meet the demands of 
the public for parties and other free, 
suitable entertainment. In connection ■ 
with the building, or near it, it is in- 
tended to construct dressing booths and 
other accommodations for those who 
desire to bathe in the lake, which now 
has become agreeable and healthful since 
all of the sewers formerly emptying into 
the lake in the vicinity of Jackson Park 
have been diverted into the Drainage 
Canal. 
This improvement will be one of the 
most notable in the development of the 
older parks for the more extended use 
of the people. It is hoped that this 
work may be made available for the pub- 
lic by next summer. 
The use of driveways by automobiles 
has made it impossible to maintain a 
macadam driveway in satisfactory con- 
dition on roads largely used. Therefore 
the Commissioners decided to surface 
the driveway of Michigan avenue with a 
pavement that would withstand the wear 
of automobiles. After a thorough in- 
vestigation of the different kinds of 
pavements used in nearly all of the large 
cities of the country, the Bitulithic pave- 
ment was adopted as suitable for this 
purpose. Therefore, Michigan avenue 
from Twenty-second street to Thirty- 
ninth street: and Thirtv-third street 
from Michigan avenue to South Park 
avenue ; and South Park avenue, from 
Thirty-third street to Thirty-fifth street, 
have been surfaced with this pavement. 
The pavement consists of crushed stone 
cemented together with a bituminous 
concrete largely consisting of tar and 
covered with a thin coating of fine 
crushed granite. The thickness of this 
material, after compression by a steam 
roller, is about two inches. It is placed 
upon the old macadam foundation, which 
is perfectly unyielding and as satisfac- 
tory as any foundation could be. It is 
expected that this pavement will be 
found satisfactory in appearance as well 
as durability, and that the constant re- 
pairing of the driveways, which has 
heretofore been a great annoyance tc. 
the driving public and expense to the 
commisisoners, will be done away with. 
It will also have the further advantage 
of being neither muddy nor dusty. 
The expenditures for the fifteen 
months ending February 29, 1908. 
amounted to $3,058,471, leaving a bal- 
ance of $1,925,215. The total area of the 
parks and boulevards of this system is 
2,429.74 acres distributed as shown in 
the following table ; 
South Parks and Boulevards. 
Area 
Jackson Park 
Washington Park 
Marquette Park 
Grant Park 
Midway Plalsance 
McKinley Park 
Calumet Park 
Sherman Park 
Ogden Park 
Hamilton Park - 
Beasemer Park 
Gage Park 
Palmer Park 
Mark White Square 
Armour Square 
Cornell Square 
Davis Square 
Hardin Square 
RuBaell Square 
Square No. 
No. 15 Park 
No. 16 Park 
No. 17 Park 
Acre* 
542.89 
371.00 
322.13 
205.14 
80.00 
74.88 
66.19 
60.60 
60.54 
29.95 
22.88 
20.00 
40.48 
10.00 
10.00 
10.00 
10.00 
11.47 
6.57 
10.00 
19.16 
18.52 
20.06 
Total 
2,023.79 
Boulevards. 
Length 
Width 
Miles 
Michigan avenue 
.80-100 
6.73 
Garfield boulevard 
200 
3,50 
Western boulevard 
200 
2.81 
Grand boulevard 
198 
3.00 
Drexel boulevard 
200 
1.48 
Oakwood boulevard 
100 
.50 
Prairie avenue 
66 
.23 
South Park avenue 
66 
.87 
Jackson street 
66 
.67 
Thlrtv-thlrd street 
66 
.31 
Sixteenth street 
50 
.14 
Twenty-ninth street 
66 
.17 
Fiftv-seventh street 
100 
.03 
Normal avenue 
66 
2.08 
Loomis street 
66 
1.47 
Sixty-seventh street 
66 
3.99 
Sixty-sixth street 
66 
1.50 
Total 
28.48 
