oak forest heritage preserve master plan & vision executive summary July 2012

Prepared for: Forest Preserve District of Cook County Cook County Real Estate Management Division

Prepared by: Conservation Design Forum with: Bluestone + Associates Environmental Design International Midwest Archaeological Research Services, Inc. Primera Engineers Residents enjoy watermelon outside the Forest Hospital.

Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan executive summary

Project Summary & Purpose Planning Process Th e Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan is a Th e master planning process began in the fall of 2011, comprehensive vision for the future development, when a team of consultants led by Conservation Design public use, and long-term management of the Oak Forum, Inc. (CDF) was retained to assist the FPDCC Forest Heritage Preserve. Th e plan is intended to help and Cook County in the analysis and planning of the guide circulation and access improvements, ecological Oak Forest Heritage Preserve. Acquired in 2010 by the and site restoration, memorialization of sacred space, FPDCC, the property warranted detailed investigation implementation of recreational amenities, and the and documentation of the site’s ecological and cultural preservation and interpretation of the rich natural and features, as well as the rich history of human activity cultural history of the Preserve and adjacent properties. and interaction over many millennia. Th ese discoveries Th e plan addresses four parcels: the Forest Preserve helped guide the development of the Master Plan. Th e District of Cook County (FPDCC) Parcel, and three team CDF assembled included experts in all aspects others immediately adjacent to the Preserve—the of naturally and culturally sustainable planning Corner Parcel, the Oak Forest Health Center (OFHC), practice: Conservation Design Forum, Inc. (Project and the Cicero Parcel, all owned by Cook County. Lead, Landscape Architecture, Planning), Bluestone + Associates (Interpretive Planning), Environmental All uses and development proposed for the Oak Forest Design International (Environmental Assessment), Heritage Preserve in this Master Plan are consistent Midwest Archaeological Research Services, Inc. with the mission of the Forest Preserve District of Cook (Cultural Resources), and Primera Engineers County…to restore, restock, protect and preserve the (Engineering). natural forests and such lands together with their fl ora Cook County Corner Parcel and fauna, as nearly as may be, in their natural state and 46.9 acres condition, for the purpose of the education, pleasure, and recreation of the public…

Oak Forest Forest Preserve District Health Center of Cook County Parcel 81.7 acres 176.3 acres Future uses will also recognize ecosystem health, preservation of historic resources, protection and interpretation, and the partnership with the Oak Forest

Cook County Health Center. Cicero Parcel 23.9 acres

project parcel map

Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan 1 executive summary

Burr Oak Elizabeth A. Conkey Forest

Turtlehead Rubio Woods Lake Forest Preserve Bachelor Grove Woods 143rd St to downtown Midlothian

43 294 Sundrop Prairie Nature Preserve

Kerkstra Middle Jack Hille Middle Central Park Oak Forest High Elementary Breman Foster Elementary Paintbrush Prairie Community Nature Preserve St. Damien 83 Metra Rock Island High Elementary Gensburg-Markham Midlothian Scarlet Oak Elementary Oak Forest Prairie Preserve Meadows Oak Forest McClaughery Metra W. 159th St School 6 Markham Nelson Woods St. Gerard Majella Fieldcrest Tinley St. Mihiel Elementary Markham Park Elementary Park Reservation DePaul University

Morton Gingerwood Elementary

57 Arbor Park Middle 50 175th St

Yankee Woods Country Club Hills 80 Legend Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Forest Preserve District of Cook County properties The Nature Conservancy prairies school university Metra station park trails

South Green trail connection CookCounty

WillCounty Belt Forest county line

0’ 1,000’ 2,000’ 4,000’ 6,000’ north

regional context map

2 Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan executive summary

Pogie Lake

Project Goals ancient Th e geologic formation of the site and past region; Th e Master Plan goals are to: • Restore the ecological landscape, improve surface Th ousands of years of nomadic water management, and provide new recreation and foraging; improvements consistent with the FPDCC’s More recent Native American mission; settlement and seasonal agriculture; • Showcase the rich cultural history of the site; Modern industrialized agriculture • Identify opportunities for continued connections and the development of mechanized between the Oak Forest Health Center and farming practices that largely relied on the Forest Preserve District properties, while monocultures (growing just one type addressing the security needs of both; and of crop); • Explore connections to the larger community. Th e development of the Oak Forest Poor Farm and Infi rmary;

Telling the Story Th e interment of tens of thousands of Th e Oak Forest Heritage Preserve is a site with a complex indigents from the Poor Farm and the and interconnected set of stories of human history, County; archaeology, geology, ecology and natural history Th e development and progression of that span millennia. Th e property has seen changes in the Oak Forest Health Center; and occupancy and use that have aff ected the health of those sustainable Th e next chapter of use as the Master living on it and upon the land itself. Th e following is a future generalized chronology of the evolution of use: Plan vision is realized.

Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan 3 executive summary

Site Analysis - Key Findings Historic Vegetation Cultural & Geological Context Vegetation reported in the area of the Oak Forest Native American Settlement Heritage Preserve included oak savanna, oak- Aft er the last retreat of the Wisconsin Glacier forest, mesic and wet prairie, sedge meadow and pond approximately 14,000 years ago, the land area that systems. With the exception of harvesting, seeding, includes the Oak Forest Heritage Preserve has been a and mowing, it is possible that some areas of the parcel place of signifi cance. Th is is due largely to its location have been relatively undisturbed since the early surveyor at the transition between a morainal ridge left behind reports, and the oak savanna in the northwest corner by the retreating glacier and the fl at, open land of the of the Oak Forest site may be a remnant of the original Chicago Lake Plain, approximately 25-30 feet below. woodland described by land surveys in 1822. Th e elevation of the moraine above the plains off ered Native American inhabitants refuge from the heat and humidity of low-lying swamps, views of sweeping prairie fi res and the oncoming enemy, and ready access to nearby woodlands for harvesting materials for housing and sustenance. In this position, the recessional edge also provided the best trail location for travel and trading. Th e value of this location to Native American culture was confi rmed in 1958, when an archeological investigation uncovered eight houses and mapped an entire Native American village—the fi rst in northeastern . Th e site appears to have been oak savanna at the Corner Parcel occupied approximately around 1680.

Legend

property boundaries

0’ 200’ 400’ 800’ 1200’

north

1929 USGS topography

4 Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan executive summary

89

90 railroad Map of the Buildings and

80 Pulaski Road 87 W. 159th Street Grounds of the Cook 67 77 County Infirmary, 88 70 Tuberculosis Hospital 68 and Farm 84 64 6566 Oak Forest Illinois 85 63 69 62 93 1916 71 72 94 61 82 60 59 83 79 57 58 55 56 74 73 11 6 7 10 54 5 8 15 9 16 92 3 1 14 2 24 4 12 18 20 23 81 91 Legend 13 17 19 26 21 22 buildings 33 28 27 lake 32 78 34 29 25 stream 35 30 property boundaries 31 37 0’ 100’ 200’ 400’ 600’ north

S. Cicero Avenue Cicero S. 38 36 40 1. Administration Bldg. 15. Wards “F” 1,2,3&4 27. Smoke Stack 41. 55. 69. Antiseptic Tanks 83. Utilety House [sic] 39 75 2. Receiving Bldg. 16. Wards “G” 1,2,3&4 28. Laundry 42. 56. Poultry Houses 70. Lodgehouse & Gate 84. Cow Barns 3. Genl. Hospital 17. Genl. Kitchen 29. Storeroom 43. 57. & Yards 71. Cement & Floral Piece 85. Fruit Orchard 49 41 44 4. Morgue 18. Bakery 30. Wards “K” 1,2,3&4 44. 58. Frame Farm Cottage 72. Tennis Court 86. Parking Station 47 Greenhouse 59. 5. T.B. Nurses Home 19. Gen. Bath & 31. 45. T.B. Cottage Brick Farm Cottage 73. Baseball Grounds 87. General Store 50 42 45 6. Genl. Supt Cottage Toilet Room 32. Catholic Chapel 46. 60. Stables 74. Lawn Tool Houses 88. General Store 48 Colony 7. Infirmary Nurses Home 20. Workshop Bldg. 33. Wards “A” 1,2,3&4 47. 61. 75. Pumping Station 89. Railroad Station Frame Storehouses 43 46 8. Asst. Supt. Cottage and Mechan 34. Wards “B” 1,2,3&4 48. 62. 76. Catholic Cemetery 90. Eastern Casket Co. 9. Wards “C” 1,2,3&4 21. Water Tower 35. Aged Couples Home 49. 63. 77. County Cemetery 91. Lake 51 Hog Houses T.B. Tent Colony 64. 52 53 10. Wards “D” 1,2,3&4 22. Power House 36. 50. and Yards 78. County Cemetery 92. Rabits Island [sic] 11. Wards “L” 1,2,3&4 23. Paint Shop 37. T.B. Office Bldg. 51. School House 65. 79. Farm House 93. Canning Plant 12. Protestant Chapel 24. Rag House 38. T.B. Hospital Bldg. 52. Duty Tent 66. Tool House 80. Franciscan Fath. Residence 94. Arbor 76 13. Genl. Dining Room 25. Crematory 39. New T.B. Hospital 53. Duty Tent 67. Hog Hospital 81. Cistern 14. Wards “E” 1,2,3&4 26. Oil House 40. T.B. Dining Hall 54. Poultry Houses & Yards 68. Hog Colony 82. Smoke House

building and grounds map from 1916

A History of Healing Site Conditions In 1910, what was to later become Oak Forest Hospital Ecological Inventory and today’s Oak Forest Health Center, opened its doors € e current ecological conditions at the Preserve include as the Cook County Work Farm/Oak Forest In rmary, a six general plant communities: poor farm and home for the county’s indigent population. Mowed lawn: areas of turf grasses that are maintained € e location of this institution, 22 miles from Chicago, by regular mowing. served as a major stimulus for the 20th century growth of the Oak Forest community. In addition to the Poor Oak savanna with lawn: rolling, timbered landscape Farm, the Oak Forest In rmary property also served as that include mature . a tuberculosis treatment center and burial site for the Bur oak hillside: a small, east-facing slope in the Cicero county’s indigent and many of those who died at Oak Parcel that has Bur Oak as the dominate canopy tree, and Forest Hospital. Written records of these burials have weedy shrubs in the sub-canopy. been preserved by Cook County, beginning March 4, Old ! eld: open  elds dominated by a mixture of Eurasian 1911, and continuing through November 17, 1971. grasses and forbs, plus various native species. Overgrown thicket: disturbed areas comprised primarily of unassociated woody growth.

Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan 5 executive summary

Wetlands: seven delineated wetland areas, most of marginal to poor quality. Wetland Five contains open water (Pogie Lake) and its associated drainage channels. As part of a largely urbanized watershed, the water levels in Pogie Lake fl uctuate with rainfall runoff , and the site experiences fl ooding. Th e hydrology of the Pogie Lake aquatic complex is still remarkably stable given the largely urbanized condition of the upstream watershed area and drainage channels directing stormwater into the system.

Cultural & Archaeological Findings During the 2011 Phase 1 Cultural Assessment, a reconnaissance survey conducted on the FPDCC and Corner Parcels as part of the background investigation tool making debris found at the Oak Forest Heritage Preserve for this Master Plan, Midwest Archaeological Research Services, Inc. employed shovel probes as a means of surveying the land. A total of 411 prehistoric artifacts and 40 historic artifacts were recovered during the survey. All of the prehistoric artifacts are stone, either tools or the by-products of stone tool manufacture and/ or re-sharpening. Nine new sites recorded with the Illinois State Museum and the increased boundaries for two of the previously recorded sites. Th ese fi ndings, in conjunction with the fi ndings from the 1958 and 1979 excavations help to establish this site and a unique and valuable archaeological site. bur oak hillside The Vision Th e Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan is intended to guide the evolution of the property from an inaccessible, environmentally disturbed site with a hidden past, into a preserve that is beautiful, culturally and biologically rich, accessible, and educational. Th e plan includes ecological, cultural, recreational, and interpretive elements that uncover the site’s rich history, and help to defi ne a new future—one in which the Oak Forest Heritage Preserve is a valued, well-utilized amenity embraced by the community of Oak Forest, Cook County, and the region.

old fi eld

6 Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan executive summary upgraded sidewalk new signal atnew intersection

S. Cicero Avenue savanna 1. oak

W. 159th Street proposed property easement Health Center Oak ForestOak complex 2. health center

visitor center

and restroom temporary temporary temporary temporary restroom

museum / (12 cars) parking (40 cars) parking center 3. visitor farm 4. poor water/hydrology 11. restoration: Fieldcrest Park alternate crossing pedestrian parking lot farmsted existing gazebo existing dock cemetery 5. historic wildlife crossing pedestrian andpedestrian 6. wetlands biodiversity & vegetation 10. restoration:

archeology 7. ongoing Legend new road new existing road minor green screening major green screening pond wetland rainwater enhancement area low profile prairie native savanna oak native woodland native prairie & soils 9. geology

forest site 8. oak Pulaski Road Pulaski Route 57 “You Are Here” signs wayfinding interpretation resting spot/overlook path intersection treatment fence boardwalk path (3’ mowedtertiary or gravel) path (8’ gravel)secondary path (12’ gravel)primary relocate, stabilize, and combine channel (24 cars) parking

master site plan

Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan 7 executive summary

Infrastructure Improvements Vehicular Access A number of secondary and tertiary paths off er a more Vehicles will access the Oak Forest Heritage Preserve intimate, slower-paced pedestrian experience and through the existing entrance drive off of 159th Street provide access to the delineated character zones, cultural (currently used for the Oak Forest Health Center) with amenities, and interpretation. separated, secure entrances for the OFHC and FPDCC activities. Adjacent Connections Th e primary path connects the two adjacent Forest Trails Preserves, Midlothian Meadows and St. Mihiel A system of trails will loop through the FPDCC parcel Reservation, in an eff ort to join these fragmented open and around the OFHC campus. Th e loop path around spaces. A pedestrian and wildlife crossing over 159th the OFHC will connect to the Cicero Avenue sidewalk, Street could potentially be built on the northeast side of which will be widened to allow bicycles and pedestrians the FPDCC Parcel to allow for a safe, grade-separated to safely pass. Th e trail loop around the FPDCC parcel crossing over 159th Street for people, bicycles, and will follow the rolling topography of the site, passing (potentially) the many wildlife species that live here. through each type of plant community. A connection Additionally, a new traffi c signal is suggested for the between this path and the Fieldcrest neighborhood 163rd Street and Cicero Avenue intersection to provide is proposed through two southward spurs: one to a connection from the Preserve site to the St. Mihiel the parking lot at Fieldcrest Park, and the second at Reservation and the Twin Lakes. Fieldcrest Elementary School.

typical primary path section

8 Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan executive summary

The Corner Parcel could be restored to an oak savanna, an ecosystem that dominated this area before European settlement.

Structures In addition to the restoration areas, this plan envisions Th e proposed Visitor Center would ideally re-use an the creation of bioinfi ltration and other water absorptive existing building to house an interpretive museum. A landscapes elements to help recreate natural hydrology separate restroom could also be installed near the main for stormwater treatment. Vegetative screens along entrance of the Preserve, as seen on the Master Plan. the edges of the site help ensure separation between confl icting uses and serve as noise and visual buff ers Landscape Restoration between the Preserve and adjacent properties. In order to achieve a natural landscape that is in harmony with the site, virtually the entire property will Cultural Landscapes need to be re-established with native plant ecosystems While the vast majority of the site is proposed to be appropriate for the climate, geology, hydrology, and preserved and restored as natural/native landscape, other conditions of the overall habitat. Th e Oak Forest some “feature areas” are planned as cultural landscapes, Heritage Preserve Master Plan has identifi ed fi ve general using adapted, compatible plant species. plant community types that would be appropriate to establish or reestablish on site, based on initial fi eld Farmstead: Th e historic Poor Farm will be “restored” observations of existing conditions, historic cultural to create the feeling and aesthetic of the working farm use, and intended use of the land. Th e communities are of the site’s past. Th e landscape could consist of prairie native prairie, native woodland, native oak savanna, grasses and perennials, an ornamental orchard, and rainwater enhancement areas, and wetland. vegetable and herb plots that could become an active farming or community gardening practice associated

Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan 9 executive summary

A community garden in the Corner Parcel farmstead utilizes the remaining cement infrastructure from historic livestock pens.

with the OFHC’s horticultural therapy program or a Pogie Lake: Restoring the shoreline of Pogie Lake will local gardening organization. help to highlight the wildlife that is already present, draw more species to the site, and ensure the long term health Historic Cemetery: Although the physical of this ecologically and culturally signifi cant feature. boundaries and extent of burials within the historic cemetery on site are unclear, the Master Plan sets aside Interpretive Plan a cemetery space in the general location of the historic An essential aspect of this Master Plan is the integration burials as a place for refl ection and memorial within of access, controlled views, artwork, landscape, and the Preserve. Th e landscape treatment in the cemetery educational and interactive features into the landscape. will be characterized by a grid of mass plantings of low Th e addition of informational signage, interpretive profi le prairie grass species. elements, and wayfi nding helps to provide an interesting and rewarding experience for visitors. Oak Forest Site: Th e Native American Oak Forest site, perhaps the most culturally signifi cant place on In total there are eleven distinct locations or stops at the property, should stand apart as a unique part of the which the history and natural history of the site could Preserve. Th e 17th century Native American dwellings be interpreted to the visiting public. Th ese stops are that were uncovered during archaeological excavations located throughout the combined properties on site and in 1958 and 1979 could be marked on the ground using could consist of a combination of interpretive signage, stones or temporarily recreated 3-dimensionally using wayfi nding, sculpture, and other storytelling tools. Stop invasive trees removed from the site during restoration. would include information on the oak savanna, health

10 Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan executive summary

A grid of gravel paths planted with low-profi le prairie grasses refl ect the layout of unmarked burial plots beneath.

A full-scale, three-dimensional mammoth sculpture at Hidden Oaks Nature Center is a unique interpretive piece.

Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan 11 executive summary

center complex, Poor Farm, historic cemetery, wetlands, Th e cost of the initial phases of the improvements is archaeological history, Native American settlement, estimated at $2.5 to 3.9 million and would be funded geology and soils, and ecological restoration. from existing FPDCC Capital Funds.

Project Phasing All further site work and improvements would depend Th e Master Plan for the Oak Forest Heritage Preserve on securing funding and potential partners; these “future presents a comprehensive, ecologically, and culturally phases” would include the creation of feature areas like sustainable transformation for the site that will occur the cemetery and farmstead, the visitor’s center, fi nal over many years. Th e fi rst phases focus on making the interpretive stations, permanent parking areas, entrance Preserve accessible to public, creating safe vehicular and drive and traffi c circle, traffi c signal at Cicero and 163rd pedestrian access to the Preserve, and the restoration Street, and an above-grade pedestrian crossing over and enhancement of the hydrology and landscape: 159th Street. It is recommended to form a partnership committee to jointly pursue funding for future phases, Phase 1a would include trail extensions to the Field- and begin identifying potential funding sources for the crest subdivision, a temporary parking area near the future phases immediately. existing gazebo or a small new lot off the OFHC drive, wayfi nding, and “under construction” signage. Public Funding Strategies access could be allowed as early as Fall of 2012. Th ere are a number of local, state, and federal agencies Estimated costs: $42,000 – $80,000 that promote and support many of the strategies and tactics outlined in the Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Phase 1b would begin in Spring 2013 with the fi rst Master Plan. Th ese agencies off er grants, tax incentives, phase of site improvements, including the initial land- and other forms of fi nancial incentives for projects such scape restoration, planting in the cemetery, vegetative as this to lead the way in implementing and applying screening, hydrological improvements, pedestrian sustainable practices. Current programs and funding paths, and wayfi nding and interpretive stops. sources that may be applicable to the Oak Forest Estimated costs: $1.8 - $2.7 million Heritage Preserve include the USEPA Section 319 Program, Illinois Green Infrastructure Grant Program Phase 1c initiates the improvements on Cook County for Stormwater Management, Open Space Land properties: upgrading the Cicero Avenue sidewalk, Acquisition Development Program, and the Land and restoration in the Corner Parcel, stormwater treatment Water Conservation Fund. area establishment, additional signage, and several interpretive stops. Th e Master Plan includes a variety of diff erent programming opportunities that, in addition to Estimated costs: $580,000 - $1 million ecological conservation and restoration, include health and wellness, outdoor recreation, cultural heritage, Phase 1d begins initial improvements to the Oak For- political history, and education. Private foundations and est Health Center Campus, such as a path around the corporate sponsors that focus on these issues could be health center, landscape restoration, stormwater treat- approached for fi nancial support. ment area establishment, and additional temporary wayfi nding signage. Estimated costs: $86,900 – 138,000

12 Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan executive summary upgraded sidewalk

S. Cicero Avenue

W. 159th Street proposed property easement Heath Center Oak ForestOak temporary temporary temporary temporary restroom (12 cars) parking Fieldcrest Park parking lot farmsted existing gazebo

existing dock Legend cemetery pond wetland stormwater treatment area plantingcemetery native savanna oak woodland native native prairie entrance signage boardwalk path (8’ gravel)secondary path (12’ gravel)primary existing road minor green screening major green screening

Route 57 Pulaski Road Pulaski (24 cars) parking

phases 1a - 1d

Oak Forest Heritage Preserve Master Plan 13 executive oak forest summary heritage preserve July 2012 master plan & vision Forest Preserve District of Cook County Cook County Real Estate Management Division