PLA
OF
EVAN
II B R.AR.Y
OF THE,
U N 1VLRSITY
OF ILLINOIS
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191 1
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r
H
i
PLAN
OF
EVANSTON
PRINTED BY
BOWMAN PUBLISHING COMPANY
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS
ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE
AMERICAN COLORTYPE COMPANY
COPYRIGHT 1917 BY
THE EVANSTON SMALL PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS
ASSOCIATION
EVANSTON SMALL PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS
ASSOCIATION
INCORPORATED 1909
OFFICERS
A. D. 1916
President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
D. H. Burnham, Jr.
Dwight H. Perkins
Mrs. R. B. Ennis
G. M. Butler
John E. Wilder
Wm. A. Dyche
Mrs. U[. S. Grant
DIRECTORS
A. D. 1916
Mrs. Wirt E. Humphrey
J. P. Petrie
Mrs. H. T. Wilcoxson
Mrs. J. P. Singleton
Thomas E. Tallmadge
J. J. Kearney
F. H. McCulloch
William S. Mason
Rev. A. S. C. Clarke
C. H. Pendleton
H. W. Carlisle
J. D. Hunter
M. M. Hawley
Rev. W. T. McElveen
Louis A. Ferguson
John R. Guilliams
J. C. Harding
Allan J. Carter
4J \P/an of Evanston
The Small Parks and Playgrounds Association has been in
existence since 1909, when it was organized to manage Mason
Park, the gift of William S. Mason to the people of Evanston.
In 1914 it relinquished this control to the City Council, in
order, as was admirably stated by the then president, Mr.
James P. Petrie, that the City of Evanston might be developed
as a single unit in compliance with a comprehensive city plan.
The Association's activities during the past two years have
comprised the persuasion of the City Council to adopt a
three-mill tax for park purposes — ratified at the last election —
and in securing from the State Legislature the passage of a
law permitting Park Boards to disband. The passage of this
law in 1915 makes possible the consolidation of the control of
all Evanston's parks. Another activity of the Association
was the adoption of a fifty thousand dollar bond issue for
building breakwaters to protect the shore line and for sand
beaches.
As a logical development of these activities, the president
of the Association was authorized in 1916 to appoint a City
Plan Committee and to solicit funds for carrying on the work
of having plans and a report prepared.
A fund of several hundred dollars was subscribed by the
public spirited citizens whose names are printed herewith.
The owners of the Hoyburn Building generously gave us the
use of quarters, which were furnished without expense by
members of this committee. The money has been used for
hiring draftsmen and paying for the necessary supplies. The
committee has met weekly during a number of months, and
individual members of the committee have done much work
outside. It has enjoyed the hearty co-operation of Mayor
H. P. Pearsons and the Park Committee of the City Council,
Messrs. Sherman Kingsley, Wirt E. Humphrey and Edwin
Sherman, of Mr. George C. Cone, the park superintendent,
and Mr. William A. Dyche of Northwestern University has
generously helped with his advice and encouragement.
THE PLAN COMMITTEE
ARCHITECTS
D. H. Burnham, Jr., Chairman
Dwight H. Perkins
Thomas E. Tallmadge
Hubert Burnham
EDITOR
Henry Kitchell Webster
THE DRAWINGS IN THIS BOOK WERE MADE WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS BY
WARREN HAMILTON UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE
PLAN COMMITTEE
LIST OF DONORS
A. F. Banks
A. H. Bowman
E. J. Buffington
Mrs. D. H. Burnham, Sr.
Ira B. Cook
Chas. G. Dawes
Rufus C. Dawes
Mrs. R. B. Ennis
Michael F. Gallagher
Chas. F. Grey
F. A. Hardy
O. H. Haugan
Oliver T.
Rollin A. Keyes
Wm. S. Mason
Frank H. McCulloch
Henry J. Patten
Irwin Rew
H. B. Riley
John C. Schaffer
Robt. L. Scott
A. D. Sheridan
E. K. Warren
C. P. Wheeler
Chas. P. Whitney
Wilson
'Plan of Evanston [ 7
FOR a full half century Evanston has had a character.
People have thought of it as a place distinct, somehow,
from the other suburbs of Chicago— a place where cer-
tain material and moral advantages were enjoyed.
A legend of this sort does not grow without a root in the
facts. The site of Evanston was strategically chosen at the
convergence of the Ridge with the Lake Shore. It was the
nearest high ground to Chicago that was on the lake. That
is one root. The establishment of Northwestern University,
and the clause in its charter which prohibited the sale of
liquor within a four mile radius, was the other.
The people who settled here during the sixties and seven-
ties were the sort of people to wnom these advantages ap-
pealed. They wanted lots of light and clean air, plenty of
room for their children to play about in, good schools, security
for their youths from the temptations afforded by saloons; a
local government free from the contaminations of big, fast-
growing, careless, unkempt Chicago. At a distance of twelve
miles — forty-five minutes or so by infrequent trains, and they
the only means of communication — the security seemed ample.
Those of us who remember the village when it boasted
five thousand inhabitants — and the memory needn't be so
very long to do it — the village with its gravel roads, capacious
yards, its unbuilt squares every here and there, where the
aboriginal oaks had not yet died of the drainage and one
could always find wild flowers in the spring — we who can re-
member that will recall the innocent pride we took in the
growing urbanity of the place, the handsome increase we showed
in the census returns, the new school buildings, the Chicago,
Evanston and Lake Superior Railroad, the orange colored
electric cars which took us all the way in to the Diversey Street
barns, where we could connect with the North Clark Street
cable. We got ourselves a city charter, and annexed the vil-
8 ] 'Plan of Evanston
lages of North and South Evanston. We surveyed these
changes without any misgiving.
We were pretty well satisfied with ourselves, if the truth
be told. It didn't occur to us to question the permanence of
our original advantages. We saw the big yards subdivided,
the vacant squares built upon, sporadic solid rows of houses,
and then flat buildings appearing here and there, without
asking where our children's children were to find playground
space. We drained our sewage into the lake and drank its
water, without reflecting that the process couldn't go on in-
definitely. We went on confiding in our isolation from
Chicago, without realizing that the distance was getting
shorter year by year. To put the truth — unpalatable, per-
haps— in a nutshell, the civic spirit of Evanston did not keep
pace with its growth.
It is a matter of historical experience, to be sure, that
these two never march along in step. Like nations, cities
have their great periods, when, after a long somnolence, com-
munity spirit springs wide awake — develops leaders and fol-
lows them, and accomplishes immense results. The results
once attained, it goes to sleep again with them clutched, safely
it thinks, in its fist.
Evanston has had its sleep, but there are many indica-
tions now that it is waking up. Certainly it is high time it
did. The enveloping growth of one of the greatest metro-
politan districts in the world is literally at our doorsteps.
Let anyone who needs conviction upon this point devote the
leisure hours of a Sunday or two to exploring, by street car,
bicycle or automobile, the district bounded by Diversey,
Crawford, and Howard Streets. Let him look for the old
time villages of Lake View, Ravenswood, and Rogers Park.
The legend of King Canute, who ordered the tide to stop
advancing up the beach, remains the classic illustration of
the fatuous futility of repressive legislation when it is opposed
to a natural growth. Voting against annexation ; trying to dam
up, by inadequate through-routes, the rush of motor traffic;
'Plan of Evanston
putting up a level resistance everywhere against the extension
of business streets and centers, will avail us nothing. But a
thoroughly awakened civic spirit, alert to meet tomorrow's
needs, instead of merely today's, willing to make actual
sacrifices of time, thought, and money, will avail us every-
thing.
On the purely physical side there are three great problems
to be met.
1. Provision for the future of park and playground space.
The park was once an aristocratic way of displaying wealth.
The prince or nobleman showed his grandeur by the extent of
his parks, land which he could afford to devote to a non-
productive use. The public were herded along the pathways
and permitted to admire. A tracp of this old feeling still
lingers in some people's minds and they think of parks as a
luxury. Parks are, of course, no more a luxury than a man's
lungs are a luxury. They are, in sober, literal truth, the
lungs of a city. And any city which allows its lung capacity
to become inadequate will stifle.
2. Street circulation. Just as parks and playgrounds are
lungs, so streets are veins and arteries. No neighborhood, or
district, whose circulatory needs are not provided for by its
streets, can have a healthy growth. It should be observed
that all streets do not serve the same purpose. There must
be streets whose main function is to carry through traffic. If
the through traffic exists, and no great arteries are provided
for it, it will seize upon for its needs whatever it can find-
narrow streets not designed to accomodate more than the
traffic of their residents. It will endanger life and limb, and
be a cause of endless exasperation. Absolutely the only rem-
edy for this state of things is the provision of great trunk
arteries to handle this through traffic.
3. The proper location and development of business cen-
ters: These, to carry our analogy one step further, are the
alimentary organs of a city. No residence district can, or
10
of Evanston
will, exist without these. People won't go more than about
so far to get their daily supplies, and what happens when this
need is not recognized is simply the outcropping, here and
there, to the speechless indignation of immediate neighbors,
of little rows of buildings with store fronts.
No householder in any residence district has any security
against having this happen to him, unless his district is ad-
equately served by a business center. Therefore, it is of
paramount importance in any city plan that natural centers
of business activity should be organized — arranged in such
a way as to give not only the highest efficiency through an
area of high rents, but, where possible, a high attractiveness.
It is these three vital problems that are dealt with in the
plan which is here offered. You will find the maps, drawings,
and descriptions which follow worthy of your most earnest
consideration.
STREET AND HIGHWAYS
12 j 'Plan of Evanston
H
II
IGHWAYS are divided for the purpose of this report
into three groups:
Group "A": Those streets and highways used for
pleasure traffic with commercial usage
restricted to the domestic needs of the
people living along them.
Group "B": Trunk arteries for local and through
commercial traffic.
Group "C": Streets and highways used for a com-
bination of Groups "A" and "B."
GROUP "A"
Sheridan Road through Evanston is a disgrace in its
present haphazard condition. The city has hesitated to
straighten it, and put in permanent pavement, because under
present conditions if improved it would at once become the
main through artery from Chicago to Milwaukee and points
intervening. Unless we provide means to divert this travel
away from Sheridan Road there is no way that we can stop
the menace. Even if we leave the road in its present dis-
graceful condition it will receive heavy travel notwithstand-
ing. The issue is so pressing that immediate steps to relieve
the congestion must be taken. We make several suggestions
further on in this report for alleviating the condition of
Sheridan Road.
Leaving the issue for the moment, we recommend that
Sheridan Road through Evanston be re-routed as follows:
Enter Evanston from the south as at present around the east
end of Calvary Cemetery, but instead of turning west at Rinn
Street (immediately north of Calvary Cemetery) continue
north for one block on Sheridan Square to Keeney Street.
Then let the vacant lot on the northeast corner of Sheridan
'Plan of Evanston [ 15
Road and Keeney Street be acquired, together with its ripar-
ian rights, and divert the road from Sheridan Square diag-
onally by an easy curve across this property in a northwest-
erly direction back into the present Sheridan Road. If prac-
tical, close Keeney Street east of Sheridan Road and use the
balance of the acquired property for a park and possibly the
beach for bathing. From Keeney Street continue the road
north as at present to Main Street, but instead of going west
on Main Street go straight north through the Knox property
and join into Lake Shore Boulevard beyond. Then continue
north along the lake shore to Greenwood Boulevard. At Green-
wood Boulevard go northwest by £n easy curve back into
the present Sheridan Road, and continue around the Univer-
sity and into Wilmette over the drainage canal bridge. Use
diligence to ease off the curbs at the corners into larger radius
curves, doing this by cutting away the parkways outside of
the sidewalks, which are city property. This is the obvious
route to be adopted because it is the shortest and would cost
much less to keep in repair when once paved than the longer
present route with its many sharp corners. This suggested
route would be less objectionable to private property owners
as a whole because it has the lake or the University on the
east almost its full length, and cuts the private frontage of
the present route in half. We should not let the private
interests of a few block an improvement which will benefit
the whole city.
Aside from its other merits this route would be the most
beautiful stretch of road in this part of the world.
Island Drive : We advocate the construction of an island
in the lake along the entire frontage of Evanston from the
south limits to University Place and possibly in front of the
University. This island should be separated from the shore
by 600 feet of open water to be used for aquatics. On this
island we suggest constructing a driveway so that automobiles
could be diverted at the south limit of Evanston and get back
into the Sheridan Road, either at University Place or near the
16 ] , VI an of Evanston
mouth of the drainage canal in Wilmette. This island scheme
is similar to the one advocated to connect Grant Park and
Jackson Park, and the one to carry Sheridan Road from a
point north of the Lincoln Park Yacht Club to Devon Avenue
(the extent of the jurisdiction of the Lincoln Park Commis-
sioners for the moment). It is not looking forward many
years to visualize this island extended north from Devon
Avenue past Evanston and connecting into Sheridan Road
near the mouth of the drainage canal at Wilmette, also
recommended by the Chicago plan.
Canal Boulevard: We advocate the construction of a
boulevard along the west bank of the Drainage Canal, from
Brown Avenue to the south city limits to connect with the
continuation of Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, from the point
where it now stops at Lincoln Avenue. We urge that this
boulevard be built on the top of the spoil bank so that it will
be an elevated driveway for fast moving vehicles, and that it
pass over intersecting streets upon inexpensive viaducts.
Direct access will be had to Wilmette, by an extension of
Brown Avenue, into Lincoln Avenue, and then into Central
Street. A glance at the map makes it obvious that such a
route would enable residents of all towns north of Evanston
to reach Chicago in better time than by Sheridan Road, even
if Sheridan Road be improved and straightened as suggested
above. Access to this route could be had, in Chicago, by way
of Diversey, Lawrence, Bryn Mawr, Peterson, Devon and
Touhy Avenues, and from Evanston by Oakton and Dempster
Streets.
By opening this western route through Evanston, access
is made easy, also, to the Thalmann Road north into Wilmette
and Winnetka, as well as, via the Harm's Timber Road, and
Lake Avenue Wilmette, to the excellent outer highways
running north via Wheeling and via Deerfield.
Ridge Avenue : Ridge Avenue gives access to Chicago by
way of Clark Street. On the north it leads into Wilmette by
Sheridan Road and by Railroad Avenue. There is a city
HIGHWAYS OF EVANSTON AND VICINITY
'Plan of Evanston [ 19
ordinance in existence making Ridge Avenue a boulevard,
but the street has had to take the overflow of commercial
traffic from Chicago Avenue and Clark Street, and acts more
or less as a trunk artery for heavy traffic. When Dodge
Avenue is put in shape, as suggested below, and with Asbury
now opened into Western Avenue, Chicago, Ridge will be
relieved of the commercial through traffic and should be
maintained strictly as a boulevard.
GROUP "B"
Chicago Avenue, which connects with Chicago along Clark
Street, is the only outlet from Evanston for strictly com-
mercial vehicles. It will always remain, because of its central
location, the most important street for heavy traffic. It is
now badly congested with huge trucks, funeral processions,
farm market wagons, and street cars. It is just as important
to the welfare of Evanston that immediate steps be taken to
relieve this traffic congestion on Chicago Avenue as it is to
relieve the congestion of pleasure vehicles along Sheridan
Road. The easier it is for motor trucks to reach Evanston
from Chicago, the quicker they can travel and consequently
the cheaper it will be to transport goods to our merchants.
We have made recommendations in the following pages for
opening up additional streets for traffic communication with
Chicago to relieve this congestion on Chicago Avenue and
Clark Street.
We recommend that the present usage of Chicago Avenue
for heavy traffic be maintained from Howard Street on the
south to Church Street on the north, but that a sign be placed
on an island to be located at the corner of Church Street and
Chicago Avenue, diverting all heavy traffic west to East
Railroad Avenue along Church Street and let it enter Wil-
mette on West Railroad Avenue. From Church Street north
we recommend that Chicago Avenue be maintained as a
boulevard to the point where it merges with Sheridan Road
at University Place.
n of Evanston [ 21
If it were possible at some future date to continue East
Railroad Avenue from Emerson Street north across the canal
the congestion wouM be greatly relieved.
Dodge Avenue: It will be seen by glancing at the map of
Evanston that Dodge Avenue is the best street on the west
side of the city that can be developed for through north and
south traffic. It is destined to play a very important part in
the development of this section of Evanston. It connects into
Chicago by North California Avenue, which in turn runs into
Lincoln Avenue. Dodge Avenue terminates on the north at
the drainage canal. Unfortunately, there is no provision in
the agreement between the City of Evanston and the Sanitary
Trustees for a bridge across the drainage canal at Dodge
Avenue. Provision should be friade for a bridge to connect
Dodge Avenue with Brown Avenue across the canal. After
crossing this bridge the traffic route would be north along
Brown Avenue, extended as shown on our map to connect
into Harrison Street, thence by Harrison Street and Central
Street to Railroad Avenue; and thence north along Railroad
Avenue into Wilmette. The small triangular piece bounded
by Harrison Street and Brown Avenue extended and Prairie
Avenue should be acquired as a city park. Where Dodge
crosses the Chicago 85 Northwestern tracks at Lake Street it
should be carried over in a straight line and not by the awk-
ward "S" turn as at present. Dodge Avenue should receive
a most substantial pavement, because it will have the heaviest
possible usage, serving as it does the factories and brick yards
along its route. Furthermore, this street is destined to receive
the heavy traffic of market wagons and motor trucks coming
from the farms to the west of Evanston. We predict as soon
as Dodge Avenue is paved and opened into Chicago that at
least one-third of the congestion on the Chicago Avenue and
Clark Street route will be eliminated.
Asbury Avenue : Now that this street has been connected
into Western Avenue, Chicago, and the street cars run as far
as Howard Street, traffic should be encouraged to utilize
22 ] jP/an of Evanston
Asbury Avenue as far north as Main Street. In this way
Asbury Avenue will tend to relieve the congestion on Chicago
Avenue. Main Street, Dempster Street and Davis Street
should be used to cross-connect the Dodge Avenue, Asbury
Avenue and Chicago Avenue heavy traffic, and such traffic
should be excluded from all other cross streets except Howard
Street and Harrison Street.
GROUP "C"
Rinn Street (South Boulevard) : We advocate that Rinn
Street east of the tracks be connected into Oakton Street
west of the Chicago & Northwestern viaduct by acquiring
the south half of the block, as shown on our map, between
Custer and Linden Streets. Carry Rinn Street across this
property by an easy curve to connect into Oakton Street
at Custer Street, the balance of the property acquired to be
used as a park. From Custer Street west continue along
Oakton Street as at present laid out and connect into the
proposed Canal Boulevard by a ramp.
Dempster Street: The County Commissioners have al-
ready advocated Dempster Street as a State Aid Road, from
the west limits of Evanston to Milwaukee Avenue. It is
only logical that Evanston should meet this advance by
putting this street in its best possible condition out to its west
limits. Dempster Street because of its central situation and
its great length is the most important west exit for Evanston,
and nothing should be left undone to make it thoroughly
practical.
After Dempster Street reaches Milwaukee Avenue, motors
can continue west on the Ballard Road by a slight jog north
along Milwaukee Avenue. The Ballard Road leads into the
Rand Road, northwest of DesPlaines. The Ballard Road is
under construction now and the Rand Road under contract
to be paved at once with concrete. The Rand Road runs in a
northwesterly direction out through open country as far as
the Cook County line, which brings the road within five miles
<P/an of Evanston [ 23
of Lake Zurich, a distance of 30 miles of continuous paved
road from Evanston, if Dempster Street is put in shape.
Harrison Street: We believe that Central Street should
be abandoned as the principal north-end exit from Evanston
to the west, and in its stead we advocate Lincoln Street, and
Harrison Street, which is twice as long as Central Street and
starts direct from the lake at the water-works (Lincoln
Street) where it is proposed by Mr. Cone to locate the new
municipal bathing beach. We advocate improving Lincoln
Street, starting at the lake and conveying it over the drain-
age canal and going one block west of Ewing Avenue. At
this point it diverts by an easy curve into Harrison Street.
From this point put the road in shape to connect with that
already completed part of the road which starts west from
where it intersects the Caledonia Road and continues west,
passing between the Westmoreland Golf Club and the new
cemetery, and continue the pavement of this road to its ter-
minus at the Harm's Timber Road, which is about a quarter
of a mile east of the north branch of the Chicago River.
From this point motors could go either north along the Harm's
Timber Road and connect with the Glen View Road or go
north along the Harm's Road to Lake Forest, or else south
to Morton Grove, Niles Center, Niles, and points west. Ref-
erence to the map will show the advantages of Harrison Street
running from the lake to the Harm's Timber Road almost
straight, and a great saving of time in reaching Glen View
village, eliminating the necessity of going by way of Gross
Point with its notoriously bad roads, as must be done by way
of Central Street.
Caledonia Road: This road leads from Milwaukee Ave-
nue at Niles northeast to and connecting into Winnetka at
Willow Road ; we understand that Winnetka will soon open up
the balance of Railroad Avenue along the west side of the
tracks, which will connect the Caledonia Road with the Green
Bay Road, thus making the Caledonia Road a very important
highway. Furthermore, at Willow Street you can cross under
24 ] 'Plan of Evanston
the tracks and go straight northeast to Sheridan Road on the
existing diagonal street. Evanston is interested in the
improvement of the Caledonia Road because it will be another
way of diverting traffic from the towns to the north of us
back into Lincoln Avenue, and into Chicago without passing
through Evanston. Bear in mind that nobody wants to go
through a congested city like Evanston if easy ways are
provided to go around.
Lincoln Avenue: We cannot emphasize too strongly
the tremendous importance of permanently improving Lincoln
Avenue. Already Milwaukee Avenue is paved with concrete
and is a great north and south highway, but it lies eight
miles to the west of Evanston and only aids indirectly in the
relief of motor congestion along the North Shore. Lincoln
Avenue, however, lying about halfway between Evanston and
Milwaukee Avenue, will do more than any other road to
divert motor congestion from the lake shore, except the pro-
posed Canal Boulevard.
We urge that the pavement of Lincoln Avenue be con-
tinued to Niles Center to connect into the Caledonia Road.
This will help divert commercial traffic from our streets,
which we believe is as important as diverting pleasure traffic.
Both tear up our pavements, but heavy trucks are more of a
menace than lighter motor cars.
Harm's Timber Road: We recommend that the Harm's
Timber Road which now terminates at Lake Avenue (west of
Wilmette) be connected in a northeasterly direction across
the Chicago and Northwestern tracks into the Happ Road.
By following the Happ Road and recrossing the Chicago &
Northwestern tracks at Northfield, and continuing along this
road until it connects into the Skokie Road (which is the road
east and west between Winnetka and Wheeling), then going
west for a half mile along the Skokie Road and turning north
on the first road to the right, which road leads direct into
Lake Forest. By using this route residents of Lake Forest
n of Evanston [ 25
and intermediate points can connect into Canal Boulevard
and thus avoid Evanston.
Thalmann Road: Mr. Willam G. Hibbard and others
living in Winnetka have made arrangements to connect the
Thalmann Road through to Harrison Street west of Evanston,
and they are endeavoring to carry this road through to con-
nect with Lincoln Avenue at Niles Center. It is obviously to
the advantage of Evanston that this should be accomplished,
rather than that the Winnetka motorists reach Chicago by
going east on Harrison Street and passing through Evanston.
Milwaukee Avenue: Before the summer of 1917 Mil-
waukee Avenue will have a first class pavement. Its use will
enable motors to go continuously from Chicago to the north
limits of Wheeling. Motor trucks are even now running
daily from a farm located just south of Wheeling at a point
where Milwaukee Avenue road crosses the DesPlaines River,
into the Randolph Market in two hours. This is a demon-
stration of the commercial advantage to the farmer in im-
proving highways. Good roads mean the emancipation of
the farmer from his all night ride on the old-fashioned horse
drawn market wagon in order to reach Chicago for the early
morning business. Milwaukee Avenue is destined to become
one of the vast highway systems of the world. From Mil-
waukee Avenue at its intersection with Lawrence Avenue,
the Higgins Road leads to Dundee, and this road is to be
paved in 1917 to the county line, a distance of 15 miles.
Combining Milwaukee Avenue and its connecting roads
already paved or to be paved in 1917 in Cook County, out-
side the Chicago limits, will make about forty miles of as
good roads as there are in the world. Evanston must tap
into this system. When Dempster Street is paved to Mil-
waukee Avenue it will add eight miles more.
The advantages to Evanston of being connected into these
good roads are numerous. One advantage would be to bring
the people from the smaller towns to the west into Evanston
to do their shopping, thus benefitting Evanston merchants.
26
<P/an of Evanston
These small towns will send their dairy and farm products to
our markets, and we will procure cheaper and fresher products
for our tables. The people of Evanston will motor back and
forth between the adjoining towns and spend money in their
shops. Good roads will not only be beneficial to Evanston
but to every other town with which it is brought into com-
munication by means of them.
A SUGGESTION FOR DEVELOPING WITH GRASS, VINES, SHRUBBERY AND A FOUNTAIN
THE SMALL TRIANGULAR SPACE WEST OF ROSENBERG'S STORE
BETWEEN THE ELEVATED AND NORTHWESTERN
TRACKS SOUTH OF DAVIS STREET
THE CITY CENTER
28 J <P/an of Evanston
III
ONE of the gravest defects in the present arrangement
of Evanston is the lack of a proper development of the
central part of the city.
This portion is bounded by Davis Street on the south, the
Chicago and Northwestern right of way on the west, Church
Street on the north and Orrington Avenue on the east. In
addition to important business blocks and banks it contains
the City Hall, the Public Library, the Post Office, the Chicago
and Northwestern Railway Station, the Northwestern Elev-
ated Station, the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee sta-
tion, and the Sherman Avenue surface line. It contains also
three parks; the little park between the Northwestern and
the Elevated right of way, Commercial Park, and Fountain
Square Park.
An inspection of the plans will show that the Public
buildings in this area, beautiful as some of them are, are
entirely unrelated to each other, and that the parks, also
beautiful, are inadequate in size and are but imprisoned bits
of greensward, incapable of being seen or enjoyed except as
units. Thus Commercial Park, blocked to the south by
buildings, is used almost exclusively as a short cut from
street to street. Railroad Park, hemmed in by two railroads,
does not appeal either as a breathing or resting place. The
little park in Fountain Square affords no resting place, and
is rendered inaccessible both by its iron fence and by the
street car tracks that closely skirt its eastern edge. Naturally
people prefer the sidewalks to the parks, and we find the for-
mer crowded and the latter deserted.
We have attempted to show in our plan for the City
Center an extension and correlation of the parks, and the res-
ervation of certain areas for new buildings of a public nature
which the future needs of Evanston will demand. It is pro-
posed to acquire and remove the buildings in the triangular
[[PRESENT" STATE OF CIJY CENTER
30 ] fP/an of Evanston
block between Commercial Park and Fountain Square.
Only one of these buildings is substantial. Commercial Park
thus enlarged, would be beautified with a large fountain and
pool, and with shrubs, flowerbeds, and paths. Around its
entire boundary would be a parking space for automobiles,
large enough to hold all of the cars which now encumber
Davis Street, thereby giving to Evanston the unique distinc-
tion of having solved the problem of parking automobiles in
a business district.
In the block containing the City Hall and Post Office are
located two alleys, both connecting Sherman with Benson
Avenues. We propose acquiring the land between these
alleys and removing all the buildings which are for the most
part of little value. The space thus acquired would be
transformed into a park or public Mall, the center free from
trees, but beautified by flowers and statuary. On either side
of this Mall would be walks lined with trees to connect Benson
and Sherman Avenues. The rear of buildings now fronting
on Davis Street would then face on the Mall. These build-
ings should be beautified architecturally to harmonize with
their surroundings. The shops would thus have double
frontages, and their desirability correspondingly enhanced
from a renting standpoint. Lake Forest has recently built
opposite the Railway station, a square surrounded by build-
ings built in a distinctive style of architecture. This is a some-
what similar enterprise to ours, and theirs has already proved
a financial success, as well as a notable artistic and civic
achievement. It has added greatly to the desirability of Lake
Forest, both for business and residence, and added immensely
to real estate values. See illustration page 39.
Railroad Park would be rescued from its present iso-
lation, and standing as it does at the west end would become
the head or terminus of the Mall by simply opening up the
embankment under the elevated structure and replacing the
present eastern wall with a monumental and ornamental
steel bridge of three spans. With this arrangement Railroad
PROPOSED CITY CENTER~|
'Plan of Evanston [33
Park would become the western terminus of the City Center
and be visible from Orrington Avenue. A fountain in the
center of Railroad Park would be balanced by another foun-
tain in Commercial Park, and the two parks and Mall would
thus be tied together.
Fountain Square Park, with its beautiful elms and its
fountain should be preserved, but we feel it could be made
practical if the fountain were moved some feet to the east,
in order to permit straightening the street car tracks, and
eliminate the sweeping curve which has been a menace for so
many years; the space around the fountain when relocated
would be treated with grass and a circular walk, to serve as a
much needed safety island for the heart of the city. This
little park would also serve to direct traffic, and prevent the
cross-cutting of vehicles, which is always dangerous and
confusing. A second safety island and underground comfort
station is suggested contiguous to the surface trolley tracks,
on Sherman Avenue just south of Davis Street.
The parks contained in the City Center, besides their
obvious functions of providing rest and recreation, would
serve as invaluable landscape settings for the public buildings.
Of these buildings, the first in importance is the present City
Hall, facing the public Mall to the north, with Sherman
Avenue to the east and Davis Street to the south. The
second, the present Post Office, occupies a similar situation,
flanking the Mall to the north and having Sherman Avenue
to the east and Church Street on the north side. When the
time comes that a new fire engine house, police station, and
municipal building are required, they should be drawn into
the civic group and located on the east side of Commercial
Park on Orrington Avenue. This building group would be
a fitting terminus for the eastern vista through the Mall.
Among the new buildings which will be required as Evan-
ston grows in size and metropolitan dignity the most probable
are an Auditorium and a Museum. Under the "Coliseum
Act" of the Illinois legislature any town or city may issue
34 J VI an of hivanston
bonds for the erection of a public auditorium. The Audi-
torium might be located on the site of the Haven school. The
Art Museum is placed on the west side of Church Street, on
the north and south axis drawn through Commercial Park.
The location of both these buildings makes them an important
part of the City Center group.
This somewhat elaborate scheme for the beautification
of the City Center would not have been presented to the
people of Evanston and the city council if we had not con-
sidered it beautiful, practical, and above all, of vital necessity
to the city. Evanston has a national reputation for culture,
clean and healthful living conditions, a city government
without reproach, unsurpassed schools, and a residence
district excelled by none in the land. A visitor, ignorant of
our virtues, on entering the city at either of the Davis Street
stations would have little promise of what the city holds in
store for him. Unquestionably, the city gate and city center
are mean, inadequate, and utterly unworthy a city of the size
and importance of Evanston, and they are injurious to our
fair reputation. It does not take much imagination to
picture the advantages that would accrue to Evanston if
the scheme as suggested for the City Center could be realized.
It would mean added population, increased business for the
merchants and above all, it would give Evanstonians some-
thing they would be proud of and thus develop a greater
civic pride. The greatest benefit it would give us would be,
perhaps, that of making for higher ideals of citizenship.
As Evanston grows, sub City Centers would become
necessary at Main and Central Streets. At these points
might be located branches of the Post Office and Library,
which, together with the Fire Engine stations and Police
Departments, would form civic groups of interest and impor-
tance. These sub-groups have not been developed on the
plans, but their necessity in the not distant future should be
recognized and provided for.
o
I— I
H
^
O
w
Z
H
w
an of Evanston [ 37
BUSINESS CENTERS
In a growing city like Evanston shopping centers spring
up around the transportation terminals.
Davis Street: At Davis Street are located the stations
of the Chicago 85 Northwestern Railway and the North-
western Elevated Station, and the reorganized Chicago, North
Shore & Milwaukee Railroad is also to use the latter station.
Merchants are the greatest gainers by a well developed City
Center, and they should make every effort to further the City
Center plan, because such development will attract people
from neighboring towns to do their shopping in Evanston,
and each dollar spent for the City Plan will attract additional
dollars to the merchants. At Davis Street are located our
largest banks and biggest shops and we feel that this is really
the heart of Evanston and that we are therefore justified in
designating this as the City Center.
Main Street: Main Street, with the Chicago 85 North-
western and the Elevated Railroad stations and the street
railway is already a very important commercial center, and
its development on both sides of the tracks is both startling
and worthy of the highest praise. Here the merchants are
already organized. They should guard against any attempt
to spoil the parkway east of the Elevated tracks. This is a
great commercial asset, and there are great possibilities at
Main Street for artistic development.
Central Street: At Central Street two separate shopping
centers have sprung up, one around the Chicago 85 North-
western Station, and one around the Elevated Station. Both
of these centers are growing rapidly and should be developed
by some established plan. The merchants might well ad-
vocate the connection of Central Street and Dodge Avenue
by way of Brown Avenue across the drainage canal. (See
paragraph on Dodge Avenue under Streets and Highways.)
COMMERCIAL PARK
FOUNTAIN SQUARE
''Plan of Evanston
[39
MINOR BUSINESS CENTERS
There is now a small business center already begun along
the street railway at the west end of Central Street, and
another on Railroad Avenue near Emerson Street, one at
Howard Street, one at the west end of Greenleaf Street, one
at Foster Street and another at Maple and also on Noyes
Street and on West Church Street at the corner of Dodge
Avenue. These are destined to contribute to the expansion
of the city, but must be guided in their growth. In these
newly developing sub-centers the city may well consider
regulating the building lines for shops, height of buildings,
and even the type of shops. We are here confronted with
the need of districting and zoning laws, as suggested in a
later chapter.
THIS IS FROM A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE LAKE FOREST CITY CENTER
RECENTLY REALIZED
Howard Shaw, Architect
PARKS
an of Evanston [43
IV
THE greatest physical asset of Evanston is the lake, and
in any plan for a park system the lake must be a
prime factor. The lake forms our longest boundary,
eighty per cent of our population lives within a mile of it, and
a mile is easy walking distance for almost everybody.
Park space along the lake shore is cooler, more beautiful,
and in every way more inviting than park space anywhere
else would be. It also can be acquired by the simple ex-
pedient of filling in the shallows along the shore.
Of late years the advantages of the lake shore have been
neglected, for two reasons, first, because of the sewage pol-
lution of the lake water and the beach. Now the sewage is
to be diverted to the drainage canal, an undertaking which is
under way, and it should be noted also that the excavation
necessary for carrying on this work of sewage diversion will
furnish a great amount of material for the projected fill.
The question of fill brings up the second reason for the neglect
of the lake shore development, which is mainly the lack of
any well defined and established plan. The park land on the
lake front was gained not by taxes but by operating a free
city dump. This phase of park development is ended. A
United States law has stopped the kind of dumping which
made our lake front park land. Evanston has to face a
progressive program and to plan adequately to keep abreast
of the times. The law now provides that all fill must be done
behind bulkheads. The city should now come forward with
a well-established plan. We concur in Mr. Cone's landscape
plan for developing the park situated between University
Place and Greenwood Boulevard, and joining this by a park
strip along the lake shore to the second park which extends
from Hamilton Street to the present Yacht Club. This plan
when completed will make one continuous lake shore park.
We urge that the riparian rights which do not already
''Plan of Evanston [ 45
belong either to the city or to the University be acquired by
the city so that the beach for the entire length of Evanston
will be public property. During the necessary interval for
developing the lake front park sand beaches will form by
means of the $50,000.00 expenditure for piers. Everybody
expects to see a liberal fringe of sand beach not only in front
of this lake shore park, but along the entire frontage of the
city. This will serve as a permanent protection for the park
against lake storms and also will enable everybody to enjoy
the seaside features of a natural sand beach.
As will be seen from the lake shore map, page 13 the
plan contemplates an outer island from the south limits of
the city to the south limit of the University (and if the Univer-
sity so desires, to the mouth of the drainage canal at Wilmette).
On this island we advocate a boulevard for automobiles,
which has been described under the heading of "Highways."
On the island also should be broad lawns, casinos and bathing
beaches. Between the island and the mainland we advocate
a lagoon 600 feet wide for bathing and boating. Bathing
from the island would be for those who like open water and
bathing in the lagoon would be for those who prefer still
water.
HARBOR
We have shown a harbor on our plans just south of the
University, and this location was determined on after con-
sultation with the city in view of their plans for the immediate
development of lake front park, and also bearing in mind
the plans of the Evanston Yacht Club. During the summer
of 1916 a survey was made by the war department for a
harbor of refuge in the location shown.
BATHING BEACHES
The past summer has demonstrated to the entire popu-
lation of the city the urgent need of bathing beaches. Now
that the lake has been, one may say, discovered, at the end
'Plan of Evanston [47
of long years of neglect, people will go into it in hot weather,
whether adequate facilities are provided or not. But going
in haphazard, here or there, is a very dangerous business.
It is absolutely imperative that facilities be provided.
We have shown iji our plan three beaches: One near the
south limits of the town, one as central as possible, near the
south limit of the University, and one north of the foot of
Lincoln Street. Mr. Cone has already drawn plans for this
last location, which, if accepted by the city council, will go
into service for the summer of 1917.
We urge that the city take early steps to start work on
the south beach. The buildings for this beach may be built
in units, as the patronage requires and as the city funds,
raised by bond issue, or otherwise, permit. The site is al-
ready owned by the city. As a first step toward building
this beach, we urge the construction of a pier at the line of
our south limit, which shall extend several hundred feet into
the lake, with a hook toward the north at the end, which will
cause a rapid deposit of sand and enable a beach to be placed
here at the earliest possible date. A hook pier such as we
have in mind was built recently by the Commissioners of
Lincoln Park at the foot of Addison Street, and the sand
beach acquired as if by magic. We think the hook feature
of this pier was in the main responsible for the rapid accretion
of sand beach.
On the subject of park acreage, we have in Evanston only
1 acre of park per 1,000 of population, while the average for
20 representative cities, as determined in 1903, was nearly
5 acres per 1,000. On this point the Illinois Legislature has
recognized in law that there should be at least 1 acre to every
500 population. In Evanston we have 1 acre of park to
every 100 acres of city area, whereas modern authorities on
parks and playgrounds claim that one acre in 20 is the right
proportion.
RECREATION SYSTEM
DEMPSTER STREET NEAR THE LAKE
''Plan of Evanston [ 51
V
A DMIRABLE and necessary as they are, parks and beaches
A\ do not meet /all of the requirements, as a recreation
scheme for a city like Evanston. This scheme should
be as comprehensive as the word recreation itself implies. It
should provide everybody, from infancy to old age, with the
means for play. Play is one of the prime necessities of life.
Young or old, everyone plays, just as everyone eats, and if
proper means of play are denied, others will be found. An
enormous proportion of the crime of the world is play gone
wrong. The means of play must be attractive. If it isn't pleas-
ant, it isn't play. Therefore, a recreation scheme cannot be
imposed in a relentless and militaristic manner, upon an un-
willing public. Public likes must be consulted, public require-
ments accurately met. For the purpose of meeting them, the
public may be divided into four groups, each with a different
set of recreational needs.
Group 1. Little children up to seven years old.
Group 2. Children from eight to fourteen years.
Group 3. Young people of from fifteen to twenty-
one years.
Group 4. Adults.
The needs of Group 1, the little children, present a very
difficult problem and, for a reason which will be obvious, we
deal with it separately, at the end of this chapter.
The needs of Group 2, children that is, of the primary
grades at school, can adequately be met by the careful plan-
ning and treatment of school grounds. Practically all chil-
dren of this age go to school, and a supervision of their play,
which is still necessary at this age, can more easily be had in
the school yard than elsewhere. The yards should be equipped
with suitable apparatus, playground, ball-diamond, and so
forth. We propose that more land should be acquired around
OF
trriuniS UBRAR
52 J \P/an of Evanston
the school buildings marked as "community centers" in
the map, for the proper handling of this group, and also, as
will be seen, of group 4.
Group 3 — young people that is, of from fourteen to
twenty-one, have, of course, an entirely different set of needs.
This is the age of team play at its highest development.
Their games and sports are far beyond the powers of younger
children, and require much larger areas for their accommoda-
tion. An athletic field for this group should be laid out to
accommodate baseball in the summer, football in the fall,
skating in the winter, track athletics in the spring, tennis for
all seasons but winter, hockey and basket-ball.
Evanston is already well on the way toward providing for
the needs of this group. Five fields, as above described,
would meet, amply, the city's needs. Three of these are
either already owned, or on the way to acquirement — Mason
Park, Foster Field, and the grounds for the new high school.
The other two, as will be noted, are proposed to be placed in
the southern part of the town. The playground at Mason
Park should be abandoned as such, and the apparatus moved
to the playground at Dewey School, leaving the whole park
free to serve as an athletic field. Foster Field should be
treated in the same manner. Plans are under way for a
proper treatment of the new high school grounds.
The treatment of all these athletic fields could probably
be a combination of landscape gardening and athletic ground
engineering. Indoor facilities for this group should be sup-
plied by developing well located school property marked as
"neighborhood centers" on the map. Two gymnasiums,
swimming pool, shower and locker rooms should be in each
community center building.
Group 4 — adults. In a sense this is a very much larger
problem than that presented by the needs of Groups 2 and 3,
but in this particular case the proposals already made go a
long way toward solving it. The development of the lake
MAP SHOWING SCHOOL BUILDINGS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, ATHLETIC FIELDS AND PLAYGROUNDS,
PRESENTJAND PROPOSED
54 ] ''Plan of Evanston
shore, with its outer island and lagoon, would provide admir-
able boating and bathing facilities in summer, and excellent
skating in winter. Part of the space in the parks should be
devoted to the construction of good tennis courts.
A very important item in the provision of entertainment
for adults is the development of neighborhood public build-
ings, where lectures, concerts and dances could be held.
Already we have neighborhood public buildings which could,
and should, be developed to serve this purpose; namely, the
schools. It is a thousand pities that these large and very
expensive plants should be used only five hours a day and
five days a week. A proper development and extension of
their facilities to serve the purposes already mentioned, as
well as for gymnasiums and swimming pools, is the logical
and inevitable next step.
There remains one more important play need for our
youthful and adult population — a need not met by any of the
foregoing recommendations: This is for a municipal golf
course. The committee recommends the purchase of a tract
suitable for this purpose, near the western limits of the city.
This would be of vast benefit to the health and happiness
of young and old. There are a large number of people who
cannot afford to join a private golf club and who would derive
great benefit from a municipal course. At present there are
many of our young people using the municipal golf links of
the surrounding towns, thus being exposed to temptations in
going and coming which would not occur if Evanston had
golf links of its own. Such a tract of land might also include
a recreation field and a large swimming pool, and wading pool
for the children, to give relief from the summer's heat to
those who could not readily reach the lake.
Last, and most difficult to solve, is the problem of pro-
viding play space for little children. Little children, for very
obvious reasons, cannot venture any distance from the home
door-step. They get into trouble easily, are imposed upon
and bullied by older children; they don't well know how to
'Plan of Evanston [ 55
play if left to themselves. Street car lines and railroad
viaducts are all dangers to little children and act as so many
barriers to playgrounds. It is obvious that the nearer these
play spaces for little children can be to the home door-yard,
the more nearly will the problem of that particular group be
solved. Providing public play spaces, under proper super-
vision, at regular intervals throughout the city, so that no
small child would have to go more than a few hundred yards
from his home to find one, would be very costly, both as to
initial expense and subsequent operation. Some children are
fortunate enough to have adequate play facilities provided at
home, and parents, or nurses, who will act as play leaders.
But the vast majority of children are not so fortunate. Yet
it is generally agreed that wholesome play is essential to
childhood.
Play facilities for little children are precisely as much a
problem in well-to-do Evanston as they are in the crowded
slum district. From the child's point of view, it isn't at all a
question of open yards, green grass, and fresh air. The
areaway of a dirty tenement house on Halsted Street pre-
sents just as fascinating a play space, is just as populous with
goblins and fairies, and all the wonderful people of a child's
mind, as an Evanston lawn. The child must have something
to play with, and someone to show him how to play. Chil-
dren are not born with the knowledge of games, any more than
they are born with the knowledge of mathematics. They
acquire play knowledge slowly. And the beginning of this
knowledge is the beginning of their knowledge of life. They
can acquire a perverted attitude toward life by having play
instinct perverted at the start, or can acquire a fine and
wholesome attitude toward life by having play instinct turned
in the right direction.
We suggest that our children have as much right to full
consideration as the children of the slum district. With our
opportunities for providing better and finer things for the
youngsters of Evanston, we should lead in this respect, instead
56 ] 'Plan of Evanston
of being about twenty years behind the poor districts of our
big cities.
We suggest, as a possible solution of the problem of play
for little children, the following:
An interior play space can be provided in the center of any
city block. This could be accomplished by the vacation of
the alley and the acquisition of a small piece of land on either
side of it. This space could be treated in such a way as to
make it very attractive from a gardening standpoint, as well
as a very attractive playground.
It is realized that such a scheme could not be applied
wholesale. It would have to depend for carrying out upon
the initiative of each individual block. The needs of hardly
any two blocks would be exactly alike, and in each case the
problem would have to be worked out by the residents of the
block in a way that met their local needs.
We believe this scheme to be, in the highest degree,
feasible. Our alleys are neither beautiful nor necessary, and
by a proper usage of the street, could be done away with,
causing very little loss of municipal or domestic economy.
The back yards of the town, taken in the main serve very
little purpose except for the drying of the Monday wash. A
co-operative scheme, heartily entered into by the residents of
a block, could, at very small expense, and with very little
sacrifice, provide a little interior park that could be both
attractive from a gardening standpoint, and a very practical
playground, which every child resident in the block could
have access to without crossing a single street.
The above scheme for recreation and play, together with
the map shown on page 53, was contributed to this report
by Mr. James P. Petrie, and is concurred in by Mr. George
C. Cone, the Park Superintendent.
DISTRICTING AND ZONING REGULATIONS
'Plan of Evanston [ 59
VI
establishment of districts from which factories,
9 stores, or apartment buildings, or any or all of these,
will be excluded by law is one of the most difficult
problems that any rapidly growing city has to solve. We
say, without exaggeration, that we believe it vital to the well-
being of Evanston that such a system of zoning and building
regulations, at once effective and equitable, be formulated
and enforced. We believe that any citizen willing to give
the matter serious thought will agree that this is so. No one,
whether he be the owner of an ancestral mansion, or the
possessor of a one-year lease on an apartment, wants to be
forced to move by a sudden change in the character of the
neighborhood in which he has established his home. Every
property owner would like to be protected against the pos-
sibility of seeing his property deteriorated and its rent-earning
possibilities reduced by the intrusion into its neighborhood of
an inferior or inappropriate building. All would approve, in
theory, of a system whose operation would result in the
stabilizing and conserving of real-estate values.
Evanston is primarily a city of individual homes, and it
cannot afford to lose its character. It is precisely because it
is a city of individual homes that people are attracted to come
and live in it. In order to command a vista of these homes
and spacious lawns a man will pay a greatly increased rent for
his apartment.
From decade to decade, of course, the character of Evans-
ton must change, just as it has changed in the past. And
if the immutable economic law of supply and demand
could only be relied upon to work in individual cases no
system of building restrictions would be necessary. Facto-
ries, stores, and apartments would grow up where they were
needed. But it is a matter of experience that the individual
builder does not invariably consult this law, and his mistakes
60 ] 'Plan of Evanston
often result in the demoralization of whole neighborhoods.
It has been the experience of scores of cities that districting
regulations were necessary, and a number of them, notably
New York, Boston, Baltimore, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth,
Milwaukee, Seattle, Washington, St. Louis, and Los Angeles,
have adopted them. The most drastic regulations have been
established in the last named city, which, by ordinance,
created distinct industrial and residential districts, and
excluded certain kinds of business from the latter, even though
they were already established in the proscribed district
previous to the passing of the law. The California Supreme
Court has upheld the validity of these ordinances.
These examples seem to give assurance that the districting
of American cities is no longer an experiment, and it seems
clear that Evanston should not lag behind in dealing with
this vital question. The longer the attempt to deal with it
is postponed the more difficult and the less effectual any
solution will be.
The kernel of the difficulty is, of course, that while we
might unanimously agree that the restriction upon the
building of industrial, commercial, or apartment buildings
from certain districts would be a good thing, so long as it did
not abridge our individual liberty or impair the value of our
property, it must be admitted that we would, to a man, look
with aversion on any proposition in conflict with our indi-
vidual interests. And if, in addition to seeing our own
interests jeopardized, we had reason to believe that someone
else was profiting at our expense, we would resist as long and
as violently as possible.
It will require, then, skill, careful study, and the most
complete and unquestionable disinterestedness to draw up a
system of districting regulations which would be acceptable,
as a whole, to the citizens of Evanston ; which would protect
our merchants as well as owners of residential property ; which
would stabilize values without causing dry-rot; which would
allow to each individual the greatest measure of liberty con-
'Plan of Evanston [61
sistent with his not invading the liberties of anyone else.
The difficulty of the problem is matched only by its impor-
tance.
The Committee recommends that the City Council
appoint a commission of persons both able and disinterested,
to study the experience of other cities. And on the basis
of this study secure enabling legislation.
'•••*.-••'.
L**X?>*«&-
*&& II
an of Evan s t on [63
T]
VII
'HE TREES OF EVANSTON
by J. Seymour Currey
THE land now occupied by the city of Evanston was
originally covered by a forest consisting mainly of oak
trees, though there were certain tracts of low land lying
between the ridges and sandy spaces where no trees grew.
When Evanston passed from the condition of an open country
district and was organized as a village in 1854, almost the
first step taken in improvement was a provision for lines of
shade trees along the streets that as yet existed only on paper.
It was well said by the superintendent of parks in Boston in a
public address some years ago, that "the planting of street
trees should be classed as one of the most important of civic
duties," and he might have added "one of the first." In
this respect the wisdom of our early citizens was well exem-
plified.
It was realized by the residents that the forest trees
would gradually disappear to a large extent in the process of
opening streets and clearing the ground for buildings, and
that in any event the old trees were not desirable as shade
trees and were not in positions to conform to the plans of
regularity required. The Northwestern University had ac-
quired a tract of 380 acres of land the previous year (1853),
and had laid out the new village upon this tract on the plan
with which we are all familiar. The predominant influence
in public affairs at that time was centered in the board of
trustees of the University, and the work of improvement was
largely in their hands.
An extensive tract of woodland, consisting mostly of
elms and maples, was situated about two miles west of the
village, some vestiges of which still remain and are known by
the old name of "The Big Woods. " These "Big Woods" are
now to be purchased by the Forest Preserve Commissioners
64]
an of Evanston
and will thus be kept for us and our children forever. Large
numbers of saplings were taken up in these woods and trans-
planted along the borders of streets looking very weak and
insignificant among the older forest trees promiscuously scat-
tered about. This work went on for years under direction
largely of Dr. Philo Judson, the energetic business agent of
the University. Just as foreseen, nearly all the old trees have
passed away and the elm and maple saplings have grown to
be splendid avenues of shade trees, which give to Evanston
of the present day the well deserved distinction of being the
best shaded city in the West. The double rows of ''imme-
morial elms" standing along the borders of Judson and Forest
avenues are specimens of what has been accomplished by this
early planting, their towering branches arching over the streets
suggesting the effects produced by the pointed arches in old
Gothic cathedrals of Europe. There are many miles of streets
in Evanston along the borders of which stand serried rows of
'Plan of Evanston [65
shade trees, some of them dating back more than sixty years.
Evanston has /indeed been fortunate in possessing a class of
citizens who had a vision of the future in tree culture and
who clearly saw that many years were required before trees
could attain to their proper development. Tree planters do
not see the full fruition of their work in their own lifetime as a
rule. Now when these men have all passed away we of the
present day rejoice in the complete results of their labors.
In view of the immense benefits conferred on the people
of this generation through the far-sighted wisdom of the men
of the past, we should regard our trees as a priceless heritage,
and their conservation as of the utmost importance. If one
thing above all others symbolizes the domestic charm of
Evanston it is the trees which are its outstanding natural
feature.
Very little credit is due to us of the present generation;
we reap whereof we have not sown. Not only this, but we
are squandering our patrimony. Whenever a noble tree falls
away, it leaves an ugly gap in an otherwise fine row, and
unless some public spirited citizen replaces this tree, seldom
is anything done.
It should be possible for the City to acquire a modest
farm of a few acres, reasonably near to Evanston, to use as a
nursery. There we could grow at a small expense our own
trees and shrubs. Whenever one of the old trees should go,
we would be ready to replace it with a vigorous young tree
which some day could take its place among those old trees of
which we are so justly proud.
New sections are added to the City of Evanston from
time to time, and we should lay out the trees in new sub-
divisions with the same foresight as the provisions are made
for sewers and water. Trees planted now would yield hand-
some dividends in years to come.
We have a great many small and some large parks, both
owned now and hereafter to be acquired, which are more or
less undeveloped but are to be soon developed by carefully
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AN ALLEY ENTRANCE
Designed by Dr. A. W. Hebert
'Plan of Evanston [69
VIII
RAILROAD RIGHTS-OF-WAY
Northwest Park district has shown us what can be
done by co-operating with the Northwestern Railway
to beautify the railroad right-of-way. This should be
continued so that all railroad rights-of-way in Evanston
would be softened by vines and flowers and changed from
eyesores to things of beauty.
FOUNTAINS
Evanston is bountifully supplied with water, and our
parks and public squares should be amply provided with
flowing fountains, as the squares of Detroit and other cities.
Fountains in themselves are a pleasure to the eye and a good
influence in the City.
ALLEY ENTRANCES
Much good could be done by putting vine covered arch-
ways with pendant electric lights at our alley entrances to
conceal the ugliness beyond and light up dangerous places at
night. A good example of this is the alley entrance on the
north side of Clark Street between Chicago and Hinman
Avenues.
BRIDLE-PATHS
We urge that a bridle-path be built in Lake Front park on
the east side of Sheridan Road, so that equestrians will not
have to contend with the menace of intersecting streets.
Provision should be made to carry the bridle-path west,
possibly by passing through the University grounds and out
Harrison Street, so that access could be had to the Forest
Preserve lands which will extend along the north branch of
the Chicago River and be developed as parks for the people
of Cook County. Also a bridle-path should be built along
the east side of and adjacent to the drainage canal.
SUGGESTIONS FOR REALIZING THE PLAN OP
EVANSTOX
72] ^Plan of Evanston
IX
IT must be borne in mind that it is not proposed to carry
out all the suggestions made in this report at one time or
even in the immediate future. The City Plan is intended
as a guide for gradual development over an extended period of
years.
We urge as far as possible that the development of the
plan rest in the hands of the City Council. Let us consider
what the Council is able to do toward developing the sug-
gestions of the plan.
The Constitution of Illinois requires provision to be made
for paying all municipal bonds within twenty years and
limits the amount of indebtedness which any municipal body
may incur to five per cent of the assessed value of taxable
property therein. Extensive park development in Evanston
if accomplished quickly must be accomplished by bond is-
sues. It is perhaps not good policy to try to pay by a single
tax levy for any large improvement that could be financed
by bonds and the burden distributed over a period of twenty
years. The benefits derived from park improvements will
be shared in by the children and grandchildren of the present
generation. It is right, therefore, that they should share in
the payment of these benefits. Property purchased now will
so greatly enchance in value during the next twenty years
that the prices we pay at the present time will seem ridicu-
lously small by comparison at the time these bonds mature.
The limitations encountered under the State Constitution
prevent Evanston from extensive bonding for park purposes,
as the City for other purposes is already bonded practically
up to its constitutional limit. Also the limitations of the Juul
law tend to reduce the revenue that the City is able to raise
for park purposes.
The voters of Evanston on the recent election date,
November 7th, 1916, authorized the City Council to levy an
'Plan of Evanston [ 73
annual tax o^ three mills for park purposes. This will give
a revenue of approximately $30,000.00, but this will not go
very far except to maintain and improve present parks and
will not admit of the acquiring of much new park area at any
one time. It may be possible that in a few years there will
be an amendment to the State Constitution, which will give
the City of Evanston more bonding and taxing powers for
park purposes.
The present management of the parks in Evanston, except
those controlled by Park Boards, is under the Park Com-
mittee of the City Council, and the parks are very ably main-
tained by them. The appointment of Mr. Geo. C. Cone, a
trained landscape architect, as Park Superintendent, insures
the City intelligent park development, and satisfactory re-
sults if his plans are adhered to.
A possible way to get a quicker start toward the accom-
plishment of the broader aspects of the City Plan would be to
have the present existing two park boards merged into one,
and the districts extended to include all of Evanston. It
has even been suggested that the Wilmette Park District
might also be merged with an all Evanston District and that
the new district might include some additional territory to
the west of Evanston.
Such a Park Board organized under the Legislative act
of June 24th, 1895, could acquire land for parks or boulevards
by purchase or condemnation, and the Board of Park Com-
missioners could accept from the City of Evanston the control
of any park or boulevard therein. Bonds could be issued
up to three per' cent of the assessed valuation of property in
the district, and, in addition to taxes for the payment thereof,
a general tax of four mills on the dollar could be collected.
Special assessments for local improvements could be levied.
Districts bordering upon navigable bodies of water are em-
powered to reclaim submerged lands, and the title of the
state is granted for that purpose to the park district to which
such submerged land is adjacent. The park authorities
74 ] 'Plan of Evanston
could construct islands or driveways beyond the present
water line. They would be required to recompense the
owners of the shore for any loss or diminution of their riparian
rights; but the benefits to the shore lands would doubtless in
many, if not most, instances more than offset the cost of the
property and property rights that would be taken or damaged
for the improvement.
By the Act of March 4, 1907, even more extensive powers
are conferred upon the commissioners of every public park
district appointed and selected pursuant to any act which
has been or may be submitted to the legal voters of such park
district and by them adopted. Full power is given to pur-
chase or condemn any land for the establishment of new
parks or the extension of old parks, and, by vote of the people,
to issue bonds to any desired amount within the constitu-
tional limit. This act materially increases the powers of the
boards to which it applies.
The present assessed valuation of the City of Evanston
is approximately $13,000,000.00, and if a city wide park
district were formed it could issue bonds to the limit of 3%
of this amount, or approximately $390,000.00. It could levy
an annual tax for the bond sinking fund and interest and in
addition thereto a four mill tax for maintenance and upkeep
of the park district amounting to approximately $52,000.00,
subject to some slight paring due to the Juul law. This is
in contrast to $30,000.00 for park purposes now raised by the
city acting alone. The city tax of course would not be levied
if the park district were formed and all the present city parks
turned over to this board.
We have had a preliminary estimate made by an engineer
of the cost of the proposed lake front island, shown on our
map, page (13). This island to start at the south limit line
of Evanston extended, and to continue north as far as the
proposed harbor at the foot of University Place. This
estimate is based on construction similar to the development
work of the Commissioners of Lincoln Park, Chicago. The
'Plan of Evanston [ 75
estimated cdst includes breakwaters, revetments, fill, leveling,
black dirt and seeding, and amounts to approximately
$1,690,000.00, and to this must be added the cost of a 40 foot
roadway and inexpensive pontoon bridges in locations as
shown on plan, amounting to an additional $110,000.00.
Thus you see the island scheme is something for the future—
to be considered when the city grows larger or perhaps in
co-operation with some such body as the Lincoln Park Com-
missioners.
Through the courtesy of a gentleman well informed on
real estate values in Evanston, we have received figures on
the values of property affected by our City Center plan that
we consider reliable. The block bounded by Davis Street,
Sherman Avenue, Church Street and Orrington Avenue is a
very hard piece of property to put a value on for the reason
that its value depends largely on the use made of it as it could
be improved with so many different frontages; for instance,
the Davis Street frontage running back one hundred feet on
both Sherman Avenue and Orrington Avenue, to our mind,
would be worth about one-quarter of the entire block. The
property immediately adjoining this property on the north
really should be considered as one frontage as it would only
have an average depth of 90 to 100 feet, and if split into
two frontages would only have about 45 feet in depth. The
property now used as a park would be considered by some as
Church Street frontage and by others Orrington Avenue and
Sherman Avenue frontages and the values, of course, would
change accordingly. In order to get at a reasonable ground
value it has been figured in several ways and after doing so,
we feel justified in saying that the ground value of this block
would be approximately $125,000.00.
We understand that the ground contained in the above
mentioned triangle all belongs to the Northwestern University.
The interests of the University and those of the city at this
point are in a measure indentical. It is just as important
for this great educational institution to have a dignified
76 J :P/an of Evanston
entrance to Evanston as it is to the residents of the city. We
therefore hope that the University will find a way to enable
them to dedicate not only "Commercial Park" but the
balance of the property in the triangle as well for the benefit
of the entire community. We understand several long term
leases exist. These could either be acquired or allowed to
run to maturity. If the University would go on record now
that eventually the entire triangle would be emancipated,
they would confer an everlasting benefit on the entire city.
The property located between Benson Avenue, Sherman
Avenue and the alleys in the rear of the City Hall and Post
Office Place is also very hard to put a proper value on, as
the lots fronting Sherman Avenue and Benson Avenue are one
hundred sixty-five feet deep, and while ordinarily the depth
of a lot over 100 feet does not add much to its value, as
business property, in this case, however, the rear end of both
properties are very valuable property as they are surrounded
by good paved alleys or streets on both sides and rear, which
makes the rear of the lots good frontages for some purposes.
In figuring the value of this property we have, therefore, had
to take that into consideration and have arrived at an approxi-
mate value for the ground alone of about $60,000.00. To the
above should be added a like amount for the buildings, which
would not exceed in value $60,000.00, making a total of
$120,000.00. The immediate acquiring of this property we con-
sider as the most important step to be taken toward the real-
ization of our City Center plan. If this is once accomplished
the rest of the plan will of necessity follow. If our public
spirited citizens approve of this plan and would put their
shoulders to the wheel and accomplish this one feature alone,
such a suction would be created that the other parts of the
City Center plan would quickly follow.
In order to get at an approximate value of the property
known as the Haven School property, we understand that
the School Board have refused $80,000.00 for the property and
we have been told that nothing less would be considered than
n of Evanston [ 77
$100,000.00; This property on our plan has been selected as
the site for a municipal auditorium. There is a state law
which provides that cities may issue a separate bond issue
provide funds for municipal auditoriums. We believe Evans-
ton could have this auditorium at once if such a move were
felt to be expedient.
The property we reserve on our City Center plan for an
Art Museum is on the north side of Church Street between
Sherman and Orrington Avenues. An Art Museum may
some day in the near future be given Evanston through the
generosity of some group of public spirited citizens in the
same way our Library was given, or it may come as the gift
of some one man ; but we feel that it must come and when it
does here is the ideal spot for its location. We can only
guess at the value of the property indicated for the Art
Museum but do not think it would be in excess of $100,000.00.
If a city wide park board were formed in the near future,
its financial resources would enable it to commence at an
early date on the following suggestions:
1. Develop our present and proposed small parks for
recreation and play as outlined in this report, in co-operation
with the School Boards.
2. Build and maintain adequate bathing beaches.
3. Start the development work of the City Center.
4. Extend and put Sheridan Road in shape as outlined
in the chapter on Highways.
5. Start work on the proposed Canal Boulevard by co-
operating with the Sanitary District Trustees.
6. Acquire a large tract of land west of Evanston for
the Municipal Golf Links and the recreation field.
7. It might co-operate in the building of the harbor.
8. It would be useful in many ways to develop sug-
gestions outlined in this report.
78 ] 'Plan of Evanston
WHEN Evanston became a village in 1854 its popu-
lation was probably between 500 and 600, but
there are no reliable figures which can be precisely
quoted. In a volume of statistics we find it stated that the
population of 1860 was 831. At the breaking out of the Civil
War in 1861 the population was considered to be about 1,000.
In 1870 the census gave the village a population of 3,062, show-
ing a rapid growth in that decade. After the Chicago fire of
1871 the population increased rapidly, but we have no figures
available until the year 1890, when the census showed that
the two villages of Evanston and South Evanston had a
combined population of 15,967. These two villages were
merged two years later in the city government of Evanston
which was incorporated March 29, 1892. In 1900 the pop-
ulation was 19,259; and in 1910, the date of the last census,
it was 24,978. Various annexations which have taken place
from time to time would affect the ratio of increase in the above
figures and any attempt to compute it is more or less guess
work. The population at the present time is generally con-
ceded to be in excess of 30,000. From the above there is an
apparent increase from 1900 to 1910 of roughly 25%. From
1910 to 1917 the ratio shows again an increase of 25%. If
we believe that the same relative increase will take place in
the next decade from 1917 to 1927, the population in 1927
will have grown to 37,500, and increasing at the same rate in
the year of 1937 Evanston will be a city of from 47,000 to
50,000. If this increase of population takes place it will
carry with it a corresponding increase of taxable property.
The assessed value of property in Evanston now being
in excess of $12,000,000.00, by the year 1937 we prophesy it
will be increased by two-thirds, or at that time will be in
excess of $20,000,000.00.
A BRIDLE PATH SUGGESTION
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA
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