Today in Chicago History: Buckingham Fountain opens
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1855: Cyrus Bradley was appointed chief of police in Chicago and served in that position until his death in 1856. He later introduced the department's motto: 'At danger's call, we'll promptly fly; and bravely do or bravely die.'
1927: The Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, one of the largest in the world, was opened and dedicated three months later. The majestic landmark was designed by architect Edward Bennet, who was also the creative mind behind Wacker Drive and the Michigan Avenue (now DuSable) Bridge. French artist Marcel Loyau designed its four seahorses, which represent the four states that border Lake Michigan.
Kate Buckingham donated the fountain to the city in honor of her late brother, Clarence. She established a $300,000 trust fund, administered by the Art Institute of Chicago, to ensure that taxpayers would not have to pay for the fountain's upkeep. This came in handy in 1994 when the fountain underwent a $2.8 million restoration.
The fountain's basin is constructed with pink marble from Georgia and was inspired by the Latona Basin in Louis XIV's gardens of Versailles in France — which is why Marie Antoinette might feel at home there. Inside the fountain, 134 jets powered by three pumps spit out more than 14,000 gallons of water per minute.
For many years, the computer that ran the fountain's pumps was located in Atlanta. But during the 1994 renovation, it was moved to a pump house next to the fountain.
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