Chicago - City of Broad Shoulders


This course is about Chicago, We will cover the history of the city and region, the politics, corruption, arts, plans, neighborhoods, humor, achievements and the future of the City.

Lakefront - Forever Open, Clear and Free

In the early 20th century, Chicago businessman A. Montgomery Ward advocated that the lakefront must be publicly accessible, and remain "forever open, clear and free" lest the city descend into the squalor typical of American cities of the time, with buildings and heavy industry destroying any chance for beauty. Ward's influence lead to the protection of the lake shore parks system and to this day the city's lakefront is open from the former city limits at Hollywood Ave (5700N) down to the former steel mills near Rainbow Beach (7700S).
Ward fought for the poor people's access to Chicago's lakefront. In 1906 he campaigned to preserve neighboring Grant Park as a public park. Grant Park has been protected since 1836 by "forever open, clear and free" legislation that has been affirmed by four previous Illinois Supreme Court rulings.[4][5][6] In the mid-1890s, architect Daniel H. Burnham began planning a park and boulevard that would link Jackson Park with Grant Park and downtown. As Chief of Construction for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, Burnham was known for developing the White City. After the fair, Burnham began designing a more functional Chicago. Burnham's plan, including a lakefront park with a series of islands, boating harbor, beaches, and playfields was published in his 1909 Plan of Chicago.[7] Burnham's famous 1909 plan eventually preserved Grant Park and the entire Chicago lakefront.



  1. Forever Free and Clear |

    foreverfreeandclear.org/
    The Campaign for a Free and Clear Lakefront is a grassroots coalition to remove Lakeshore Drive from Grant Park, and eventually the entire Chicago shoreline.
  2. Forever Open, Clear, and Free: The Struggle for Chicago's Lakefront ...

    www.amazon.com › ... › Americas › United States › State & Local
    Forever Open, Clear, and Free: The Struggle for Chicago's Lakefront [Lois Wille] on Amazon.com. *FREE* super saver shipping on qualifying offers. Of the thirty ...
  3. Forever Open, Clear, and Free - University of Chicago Press

    press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo3626211.html
    The book Forever Open, Clear, and Free: The Struggle for Chicago's Lakefront, Lois Wille is published by University of Chicago Press.
  4. FOREVER FREE AND CLEAR | The Burnham Plan Centennial

    burnhamplan100.lib.uchicago.edu/partner/.../Forever+Free+and+Clear/
    The Campaign for a Free and Clear Lakefront is a grassroots coalition to remove Lakeshore Drive from Grant Park, and eventually the entire Chicago shoreline.
  5. Burnham Park (Chicago) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnham_Park_(Chicago)
    A six-mile (ten-kilometer) section of the of the Chicago Lakefront Trail bicycle and ...Grant Park has been protected since 1836 by "forever open, clear and free...
  6. Our Front Yard, Forever Free & Clear Gapers Block: Revenge of the ...

    gapersblock.com/airbags/archives/our_front_yard_forever_free_clear/
    Apr 30, 2008 – Fewer than 10 percent of Chicago homes had air conditioning. ... It means an application on the Lakefront Protection Ordinance, to be decided ..."Grant Park is supposed to be forever open, free, and clear... and we owe it to ...
  7. American Experience | Chicago: City of the Century | People & Events

    www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/chicago/peopleevents/p_ward.html
    Across from his office, the lakefront property was occupied by abandoned junk, ... as "Public Ground -- A Common to Remain Forever Open, Clear, and Free of ...
  8. 'Forever Open, Clear and Free' - Chicago Tribune

    articles.chicagotribune.com › Featured Articles › Navy Pier
    Jan 29, 2012 – Instead they formally designated it as "Public Ground — A Common to Remain Forever Open, Clear and Free of any Buildings, or other ...
  9. Repeat- Writings on Architecture: Forever Open Clear and Free ...

    lynnbecker.com/repeat/chicagochildrensmusuem/ccm.htm
    Sep 17, 2007 – Ward was defending the 1836 mandate to keep Chicago's lakefrontpublic ground, “a common to remain forever open, clear and free of any ...
  10. Forever Open, Clear, and Free: The Struggle for ... - Google Books

    books.google.com/books/about/Forever_Open_Clear_and_Free.html?...
    Of the thirty miles of Lake Michigan shoreline within the city limits of Chicago, twenty-four miles is public park land. The crown jewels of its park system, the ...