2 days ago
A 1915 photo of Chicago's oldest park revealed
This week's History Mystery revealed: The 1915 photo captures Chicagoans of all ages (look at the buggies!) enjoying a brisk day at Washington Square Park, also known as Bughouse Square, on the Near North Side.
Context: This Getty archival photo of the oldest park in Chicago, first built in 1842, reveals few visual clues.
Yes, but: The former Unity Church, now the Scottish Rite Cathedral at 935 N. Dearborn Street, offers a dead giveaway.
Zoom out: The area surrounding the park includes some impressive Chicago architecture, including homes designed during the post-Fire rebuilding period right before the turn of the 19th century.
The homes were mainly designed for Chicago's wealthiest.
It was also around this time that the Newberry Library was built just north of the park.
The intrigue: Around 1890, the park started hosting public debates, giving it the nickname "Bughouse Square."
The soapbox speeches continued throughout the 20th century, featuring famous speakers like Studs Terkel, whose ashes were spread at the park after he died in 2008.
