Visitors to the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 may have thought Chicago lived up to its official motto, “Urbs in Horto”–city in a garden. The exposition was held in Jackson Park, and strung around the city like jewels on a necklace were the other grand parks: Washington, Garfield, Lincoln. They were ideal places for a Sunday promenade or a restful view of trees and flowers.
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“It was a time of great faith by all progressive reformers,” says William Tippens. “They thought the improvement of a person’s life could be handled systematically.”
“It was a time when the reformers took an active role in the community in which they were working,” he says. “Before that, the social workers would work on the soup line and so on during the day, but they would leave the neighborhood at night. The progressive reform movement brought the reform worker directly into the neighborhood.
Beginning this weekend that will be easier to do. In conjunction with Friends of the Parks, Tippens and Sniderman designed a tour of six of the small parks, four on the south side (Sherman and Fuller parks, Armour and Davis squares) and two on the west side (Dvorak and Pulaski parks). Monthly through the summer, volunteer docents, trained by Tippens and Sniderman will lead three-hour bus tours of the six parks. The first tour begins this Sunday at 1 PM at Park District headquarters, 425 E. McFetridge; tickets cost $5, $4 for Friends of the Parks members. For information call 922-3307.
