Site of
the future DuSable Park
Photo Courtesy of Friends of the Parks
Despite a
renewed interest in his life, DuSable has not received the full recognition he deserves as the first permanent non-Native
American settler and founder of modern Chicago. DuSable Heritage
Association works with the Chicago Park District in planning a
future DuSable Park near Navy Pier, where the Chicago River
meets Lake Michigan and close to DuSable’s original home.
DUSABLE PARK,
dedicated as parkland in 1988 by the late Mayor Harold
Washington, is located where the Chicago River meets Lake
Michigan. Developing this park site provides an opportunity to
celebrate Chicago's origins. DuSable Park is named for Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, the first non-native settler and
founding father of Chicago.
The 3.5 acre
park site is also a critical piece of Chicago's lakefront park
system. The park is very much desired by lakefront park
advocates and
residents in the nearby Streeterville and Near East Side
neighborhoods, as well as Chicagoans desiring to commemorate
Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable's contributions to Chicago and its
diversity.
A public river
walk connects DuSable Park with Pioneer Court on Michigan
Avenue. Alderman Burt Natarus
introduced and passed a resolution
designating this river esplanade as DuSable Founders Way. The
DuSable Founders Way, like DuSable Park, would include historic
plaques and signage about Chicago's founding at the confluence
of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.
DuSable Park
Chronology
DuSable Park is
a three and a half acre undeveloped site situated where the
Chicago River
meets Lake Michigan. A concrete and steel seawall currently
forms the boundary with the water on three sides: on the north,
with Ogden Slip, a public navigable waterway; on the south, with
the Chicago River; and on the east with Lake Michigan. The
western boundary is Lake Shore Drive.
1770's Jean
Baptiste Pointe DuSable established a prosperous farm and
trading post at the mouth of the Chicago River (now the site of
the Tribune Tower)
1857 The
DuSable Park site, then shallow coastal land, was part of the
grant of 46 acres of land to Dock and Canal Company, which
promoted commercial and industrial development in the area, but
retained ownership of the underlying land.
1893 The
DuSable Park site was filled in by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, possibly as part of the Chicago Dock and Canal Ship
Basin Project (now known as Ogden Slip), to connect cargo boats
with railroads at North Pier.
1906 Lindsay
Light & Chemical Co. Operated in the area owned by Dock and
Canal Company. With its main facility at 161 E. Grand Avenue,
Lindsay Light extracted thorium from monazite ore. The waste
included radioactive tailings.
Dedication ceremony for DuSable Founders Way.
1928 The
National DeSaible Memorial Society (since 1966 the Chicago
DuSable League) was formed to commemorate and promote
appreciation of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable as the first
colonial settler and founding father of Chicago.
1962 The
Chicago Dock & Canal Company, reorganized as the Chicago Dock &
Canal Trust, begins a master plan for residential and commercial
development.
1985 This
development was approved as a 40 acre planned development with
three open space areas dedicated to the Chicago Park District:
River Esplanade, Ogden Park, and the future park to be named by
Mayor Harold Washington in 1987 for DuSable.
1988 Ownership
of the DuSable Park site was transferred to the Chicago Park
District through a quit claim deed.
1996 Keer-McGee
and River East L.L.C. are named as the parties responsible for
investigating & cleaning up suspected radioactive contamination
in Streeterville, including DuSable Park.
1998 The
Amended Planned Development for River East Development included
DuSable Park with a matched contribution from the private
development corporation from the private development
corporation, MCL, totaling $600,000.
1999/2000
Chicago Park District budget includes $1,200,000 for development
of DuSable Park; The B.F. Ferguson Fund of the Art Institute of
Chicago commissions internationally renowned sculptor, Martin
Puryear to create a commemorative sculpture for Dusable Park.
2000 Chicago
Park District's proposal for a temporary parking lot on the
DuSable Park site creates a public outcry, and the DuSable Park
Coalition is formed, composed of park advocacy, community
organizations, and groups desiring to commemorate DuSable.
2001 Laurie
Palmer, School of the Art Institute, invites DuSable Park
proposals for 3 Acres on the Lake; DuSable Park Coalition with
the Chicago Architecture Foundation presented an exhibition of
the Dusable Park designs and hosted a symposium: Hidden in Plain
View.
2003 With
Support of public officials (local, state and federal), the
Chicago Park District makes significant progress to develop
DuSable Park, including:
Dedication ceremony for DuSable Founders Way.
Environmental
clean-up
Establishment
of the Dusable Park Steering Committee
Formulation of
concept plan for DuSable Park which includes the Art Institute's
(Ferguson Fund) commission with Martin Peryear, internationally
renowned artist
Amendment to
Planned Development #368 which clarifies access issues and
establishes responsibilities and schedule.
2004 Chicago
Park District includes DuSable Park in the Capital improvement
Budget and releases a Request for Proposals for the
design/engineering contract with selection scheduled for
November and park construction in 2006.
Alderman Natarus introduced and passed
an ordinance designating the river esplanade between DuSable
Park and Pioneer Court on Michigan Ave., as the DuSable Founders
Way."
DuSable
Park Steering Committee
The Art
Institute
Association of
Haitian Physicians Abroad, Chicago Chapter
Bronzeville
Children’s Museum
Chicago DuSable
League
Chicago River Rowing and Paddling Center
DuSable
Heritage Association
DuSable Park
Project
Friends of the
Chicago River
Friends of
DuSable
Friends of
DuSable Park
Friends of the
Parks
Grant Park
Conservancy
Grant Park
Advisory Council
Midwest Association of Haitian American Women
Near Eastside
Association of Residents (NEAR)
Streeterville
Organization for Active Residents (SOAR)
DHA is grateful
to Friends of the Parks for much of the content of this page.
