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12 W I L M E T T E L I F E M a y 13, 1937 N a m e s S T O R Y O F P A R K D I S T R I C T P r o m i n e n t P i o n e e r L o u i s K . G i l l s o n , L o n g Associated W i t h Parks, R e v i e w s R e c o r d of Past 25 Y e a r s B y Louis K . Gillson Twenty-five years ago the park l o cated on the lake front a n d extending from W a s h i n g t o n avenue to the basin at the drainage canal was (except the M i c h i g a n avenue frontage), after years of hard w o r k , just beginning to lose its character as a clay bank, and reveal its ability to at least bear a crop of weeds. N o little imagination was required at that time to visualize it as a potential park. suggested by the clover, a fine crop of cow peas was raised and turned under, and thereafter, real, though slow, progress was made. Trees were planted in pits filled w i t h black soil. Landscaping was commenced, and water, drainage and l i g h t i n g systems were installed. Presently a turf was established: flower beds were started: clusters of conifers and shrubs were planted and drives installed. T h e place n o w gives promise of becoming beautiful in the T h i s tract, about 22 acres in extent, not remote future, and with the promise had been created by the dumping into of nearly $150,000 from our U n c l e S a m uel, we m a y hope to see the development of our lake front leap f o r w a r d . Coast G u a r d So far as T recall no explanation has yet been given to the public of the l o cation of the Coast G u a r d station on our property. T h e government had decided on removal of the station from the E v a n s t o n location because o f the difficulty of launching the larger surf boats in open water. T h e drainage canal basin was the only inclosed body of water south of W a u k e g a n , and that was too far from the Chicago station to serve damaged not only the park, but the p r i adequately the intervening shore. vate grounds adjoining it. D u r i n g the last three years I understand this diffiT h e park board was approached by culty lias been surmounted by the use the government and looked with favor hi snr.w fences, at the suggestion of our on the proposal to locate the station on gui'd friend, the late H e n r y J . H a a c k . its property A special act of the legisW h a t shall our lake front park be lature was secured permitting the transfer to the government of a suitable site named ? T h e larger part, to the south of and the removal was made In view of W a s h i n g t o n avenue, has had saddled the present difficulty the station is ex- upon it, without official action, the name periencing by reason of the drifting of of W a s h i n g t o n . It is doubtful if fursand into the basin, it is pertinent to ther honor can be bestowed upon the state, that when the commission repre- Father of our C o u n t r y by g i v i n g his senting the Coast G u a r d first approached name to more public parks than already it. the P a r k board advised of the prob- bear it T h e park to the north has able development of the now e x i s t i n g been formally named for our first condition, as the basin h a d already been settler, Ouilmette. M a y I express the hope that when the entire frontage is dredged out at least once. Louis K. Gillson united this name w i l l be extended over T h e P a r k board permits me to say the whole of it ? the lake of the clay removed i n ex- that it hopes soon to possess the entire M e n t i o n must be made of our little cavating the portion of the canal to the lake frontage from 75 feet north of beauty spot and playground bounded on east of the N o r t h W e s t e r n r a i l r o a d Forest avenue to the drainage canal, three sides by L a k e and P a r k avenues T h i s dumpage was real clay of the Listed at B i r t h d a y F e t e " T i m e m a r c h e s o n 1" O n M a y 17, 1912, the L a d i e s ' s o c i e t y o f t h e C o n g r e g a t i o n a l c h u r c h gave a b i r t h d a y d i n n e r , w i t h a table f o r each m o n t h of the year. H o s t e s s e s at t h e respecTwelve years more than twice as tive tables w e r e : J a n u a r y , M r s . I r a old as W i l m e t t e L i f e is the First H a t c h ; February, M r s . H . K . Snider; Congregational church, Wilmette M a r c h , M r s . John Stevens; A p r i l , and Lake avenues and Eleventh Mrs. William Mann; May, Mrs. street. It was already 37 years of George A . V a n D y k e ; June, M r s . age zvhen W i l m e t t e L i f e began, a Ralph Potter; July, M r s . Richard quarter of a century ago. M u l v e y ; August, M r s . R o y Bowers; The First Congregational church September, M r s . C . C . C a m e r o n ; has served the c o m m u n i t y o f W i l m e t t e . O c t o b e r , M r s . J . H . C l e n d e n i n ; N o - for 62 years. vember, M r s . B e n j a m i n G a g e , a n d It began i n a p r i v a t e home w h e n December, M r s . E . E . H y d e . there were o n l y a few scattered houses in the forest of elms. F o r seven years POSTPONE CLUB DINNER it met i n the o r i g i n a l o l d w o o d e n O w i n g to the lateness of the season schoolhouse on the present site o f of 1912 a n d the l a r g e n u m b e r of e n - B y r o n S t o l p s c h o o l . T h e n a c h u r c h t e r t a i n m e n t s b e i n g g i v e n , the O u i l - was erected o n E l e v e n t h street near mette C o u n t r y club decided to post- the l a r g e e l m w h i c h graces the home of J . M e l v i l l e B r o w n . I n 1904, P i l pone the a n n u a l d i n n e r , set f o r M a y g r i m h a l l was c o m p l e t e d o n the lovely 18. u n t i l the fall. t r i a n g l e g i v e n b y M r s . M a r y K . Gates. T h e present a u d i t o r i u m was finished in ADDRESSES PHYSICIANS 1909. T h e l o v e l y C a s a v a n t o r g a n was D r . L o g a r i o of P a s t e u r institute, i n s t a l l e d i n 1917. addressed the W i l m e t t e P h y s i c i a n s ' Since then chimes, windows, i n - , club on M a v 10. 1912. t e r i o r f u r n i s h i n g s , h a v e a l l been a d d e d in w h a t is n o w a m a r v e l o f a r c h i t e c t u r al unity, churchiness a n d homelikeness. M e a n w h i l e the g u i l d has p u r chased a n d r e c o n s t r u c t e d a n d r e decorated the M a n s e o n L a k e avenue a n d e n r i c h e d t h e c h u r c h p r o p e r ty itself w i t h the best of equipment. Distinguished Pastors T h e c h u r c h has been served b y a succession o f d i s t i n g u i s h e d pastors. H e r m i n i s t e r s have g r a d u a t e d i n t o l a r g e r c h u r c h e s o r i n t o college p r e s i dencies o r professorates o r state s u perintendencies after t h e i r qualifyinge x p e r i e n c e here. T h e c h u r c h is c r e d i t e d w i t h t h e first scout troops west o f the A l l e g h e n i e s , the first W o r l d S e r v i c e s c h o o l , a p i o n e e r w i t h the " C o v e n a n t C l a s s " and the J u n i o r Congregation, a patt e r n - m a k e r i n the S u n d a y E v e n i n g club. It s t a r t e d the a n n u a l P a g e a n t of of t h e N a t i v i t y , t h e c o m m u n i t y tree C h r i s t m a s eve on the village g r e e n and other original experiments and adventures, such as the s p o n s o r i n g of the C u b s f r o m t h e b e g i n n i n g o f that organization. Its p l a y g r o u n d is a popular neighborhood rendezvous. Civic Enterprise In c i v i c enterprise its members have mode a conspicuous c o n t r i b u t i o n of competent l e a d e r s h i p i n the C i v i c league, the boards of e d u c a t i o n , the W o m a n ' s G u i l d , the L u n c h e o n clubs, the v i l l a g e h a l l , the lodges, the circle, the P a r e n t - T e a c h e r a s s o c i a tion a n d i n e v e r y c h a r a c t e r - f o r m i n g , value-conserving agency. L a s t y e a r it r e t i r e d its entire i n debtedness. T h i s v e a r it c o n t e m plates the b u i l d i n g a n d l a n d s c a p i n g of a n e w front e n t r a n c e a n d a p p r o a c h . P l a n s are also b e i n g d r a w n f o r a d o z e n n e w class r o o m s a n d a little theater f o r r e l i g i o u s d r a m a . ENTERTAINS DRAMA GROUP M r s . L o u i s B r u c h , 1201 G r e e n w o o d avenue, e n t e r t a i n e d m e m b e r s of t h e D r a m a S t u d y club at a l u n c h e o n at the C h i c a g o A t h l e t i c club. H e r sister, M r s . M a s o n of P a r i s , w a s guest o f h o n o r . T h i s was a s o c i a l i t e m t w e n t y five years a g o . R E J E C T P A V I N G BIDS T h e V i l l a g e b o a r d o n M a y 28, 1912, rejected a l l bids f o r the p a v i n g of N i n t h street. T o o far above the e s t i mate. K E N I L W O R T H H A S CIRCUS K e n i l w o r t h h a d its first circus o n M a y 27, 1912, according to W i l m e t t e L i f e of that year. Congregational Church Has 62 Service Years Wilmette Park Scenes: left, Washington Park at lake front: right, a glimpse at Vattman park. gumbo variety. It had no use whatever except the 200 feet occupied b y the for the vegetable kingdom, and had no water w o r k s . mission but to occupy space and lie i n T h e n , it is my personal hope it m a y the sun and bake. be found advisable to move the bathing Y e t the W i l m e t t e P a r k district, in the beach to the south, say opposite W a s h innocence of its youth, appropriated it ington avenue, where it would have fur a park and undertook its develop- l>een located at the outset hut for the ment. A f t e r several years of toil w i t h unstable character o f the floor of the plow and barrows in breaking up this lake at that point--a condition no longer obstinate material, and slightly changing prevailing, as the causes of it have d i s its character by the admixture of lake appeared. sand and miscellaneous refuse, and just W h e n so located there may l>e assoas apprehension was being expressed ciated w i t h the beach a beach house of that we had taken on a white elephant, more suitable construction than is n o w a fine crop of white clover unexpectedly in use. appeared. A m o n g the troublesome problems that U p o n maturity it was plowed under were encountered in developing a lake and the next year, f o l l o w i n g the hint front p a r k was the drifting sand, w h i c h and Fifteenth street, where is also preserved a portion of the grove of noble elm trees of nature's planting. T h i s little park was given the name of V a t t mann. i n honor of our good and useful citizen. F a t h e r V a t t m a n n , w h o for a lengthy term served very helpfully on the P a r k board, and was an honor to our community. A c c o m p a n y i n g pictures were taken some years ago by a good friend w h o even then could find beautiful vistas. Future generations w i l l have a park system in which they can take pride, though at present it be stiii far from mature. It is for them that the development w o r k has been carried on for the last 30 years, a n d is still going f o r w a r d .