151 
PARK AND CEMRTERY 
IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS 
CONDUCTED BY 
FRANCES COPLEY SEAVEY. 
THE IMPROVEMENT OF SMALL PUBLIC 
GROUNDS, 
Probably no city, town or hamlet in this wide 
country is without a barren bit of public ground cor- 
responding to the neglected triangle that for many 
years served as a dumping place and general depos- 
itory for tin cans and garliage boxes at the intersec- 
tion of Rush, Cass and Chestnut streets, Chicago. 
It serves that purpose no longer, nor is it likely to 
Stores face one side of the triangle while dwellings 
front the other two sides, and its changed aspect is 
due to Mrs. H. H. Kellogg, who lives at 402 Chest- 
nut street, opposite the now pretty little park. When 
she came there to live, she objected to the unsightly and 
unsanitary condition of the bit of ground, which is 
officially known as Green Bay Park, because it is 
on the historic old stage coach route between Chi- 
cago and northern Wisconsin. She urged the city 
officials to improve the ground and finally induced 
them to remove the accumulated debris and sod the 
space. Seeing no further signs of life, except an oc- 
casional call from a Lincoln Park Commissioner 
( irreverently described by the neighbors as “fat, 
slow, stupid and lazy") whicb liore no visible results. 
TRIANGI.E CAKK, OPPOSITE “102 CHESTNUT ST., CHICAGO. — I^iPKOVED BY MBS. HUDSON H. KEI.LOGG. 
do SO again, for it has at last come into its rightful 
heritage as park ground. It attained this right not 
through the medium of municipal improvement, but 
as the direct result of the improvement spirit work- 
ing through the taste and energy of one woman; 
and it stands as attractive testimony in favor of im- 
provement work, — perhaps especially of women’s 
great opportunities in such work. 
This plot of ground belongs to the north side park 
system of the city, but the municipality did nothing 
towards its improvement except sodding it unless 
it should be credited with planting the wretchedly 
neglected and abused elm trees that show something 
of their past sufferings even in their portraits. 
Mrs. Kellogg took the matter in hand and with a 
contribution from her husband as a starter, suc- 
ceeded in gathering money and material which en- 
abled her, with general personal supervision and 
steadily applied personal care, to evolve a llittle 
park which has become the pride of the neighbor- 
hood and an object lesson in applied zeal and taste 
to everyone interested in civics. 
The park does not set itself up as a model in plant- 
ing. It is merely the best its backers could do un- 
der existing conditions. An attempt has been made 
to keep the grass in order, a semi-tropical effect in 
caladiums, ricinus and cannas occupies a prominent 
position, beds o^ .‘'howy geraniums and other tender 
