In the early 1900s, President Teddy Roosevelt wanted a naval training base built. There were 37 sites bordering the Great Lakes considered, and it looked as though Wisconsin was going to be awarded the prize.
This man, a member of the Chicago Merchants' Society, lobbied and bullied Chicago businesses for the money to purchase 172 acres in Lake Bluff, Illinois. Once acquired, the property was sold to the government for $1, and became the site of Great Lakes Naval Training Base. It was a huge victory for Illinois.
He died of a stress-induced heart attack even before the cornerstone could be installed at the future naval base. Some say Great Lakes is his memorial.
While he was not from Uptown, he is honored here. Who was he?
Sheridan??
ReplyDeleteSheridan- as in Fort Sehridan ?
ReplyDeleteMake that Sheridan- can't type
ReplyDeleteCliff Clavin. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteGraeme Stewart!
ReplyDeleteGraeme Stewart?
ReplyDeleteGraeme Stewart is correct! Kudos to CLC and Toucan.
ReplyDeleteHe was also instrumental in ensuring that Chicago had "a lake front park."
Good guy, deserving of a school being named after him.
Sorry to say they closed that school!
DeleteGramme Stewart also ran for mayor of Chicago as a Republican.
I have some original campaign posters of him for sale lrykrt@aol.com
FYI...Fort Sheridan and, closer to home, Sheridan Road (and Sheridan Park) are named for Civil War General Phil Sheridan, the commander of the Union Cavalry under General U.S. Grant in the waning days of the war. There is a statue of him on horseback in the traffic island between Sheridan Road and LSD just north of Belmont.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a certain appeasing British Prime Minister to me.
ReplyDelete