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HP Hyde Park Historical Society Non-Profit Org. 5529 S. Lake Park Avenue U.S. Postage HS , IL 60637 PAID Chicago, IL Permit No. 85

H Vol. 37y dN0. 4 e PublishedPa by ther Hydek Park H istoricalH Society istoautumnr 2015y autumn 2015 The Courthouse Holding Court on Wooded Island of Jackson Park

This Newsletter is published by the Hyde Park Historical Society, a Hyde Park Historical Society not-for-profit organization founded Collecting and Preserving Hyde Park’s History in 1975 to record, preserve, and llecti o ns r ict S pecial Co a rk D ist Time for you to join up or renew? promote public interest in the history go P of Hyde Park. Its headquarters, Fill out the form below and return it to: located in an 1893 restored cable car

station at 5529 S. Lake Park Avenue, y the C hica The Hyde Park Historical Society houses local exhibits. It is open to tes 5529 S. Lake Park Avenue • Chicago, IL 60637

the public on Saturdays and Sundays Cour ✁ from 2 until 4pm. Cahokia Courthouse on Wooded Island, 1939

Enclosed is my new renewal membership Web site: hydeparkhistory.org By Raymond W. Johnson Our story begins 100 years before the in the Hyde Park Historical Society. Telephone: HY3-1893 Revolution. After the death of Father Jacques Early History of the Cahokia Area Marquette S.J. in May of 1675, Governor Frontenac Student $15 Individual $30 Family $40 President: Michal Safar of “” granted permission to René- Vice-President: Janice A. Knox any know about the role of Jackson Park Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, to explore the areas Name Secretary: Gary Ossewaarde and Wooded Island during the 1893 World’s west and south of Lake and claim them Treasurer: Jay Wilcoxen Address Exposition in Chicago. Probably for France. In January of 1682, LaSalle began a Editor: Frances S. Vandervoort Mabout the same amount of or more know expedition by way of the Zip Email Membership Coordinator: nothing about the fact that between 1906 and 1939 and the River. On February 5th the party Claude Weil Wooded Island was host to the oldest public building entered the Mississippi and on April 9th reached the Phone Cell Designer: Nickie Sage west of and north of New Orleans, the Gulf of . At the Gulf, La Salle staked France’s Cahokia Courthouse. rclaim to the entire Valley, which ➤ 2 r2 r7

➤ ➤ 1 he then called the Province of in honor Historical Society in 1906. The document dates of the at 5743 S. Harper. Favorite architectural features of the present King Louis XIV of France. In 1696 school at 1794 and reads: Rosalie Court included the prominent front porches and the many the Jesuit Mission de l’Ange Gardien was founded in upper level balconies. Throughout the tour the Chécagou (the name first given by explorers for the To the Gentlemen, the Judges of the Honorable Court On a lovely June afternoon, the Hyde Park students wondered what it would be like to grow up southwestern tip of ) by Father Pierre of Cahokia: Historical Society hosted Hyde Park Free School in one of the Rosalie Villas and experience the unique Francois Pinet. In March of 1699 he established the students in Russell Jaffe’s World History and neighborhood that is now Harper Avenue. FSV Mission de Sainte Famille de Caoquias at what is now The inhabitants of the parish of the Holy Family of Geography class on a walking tour of Rosalie Villas. Cahokia, Illinois and also when its written history Cahokia have the honor to express to you at their assembly Rosalie Villas can be found between 57th Street began. that they have the desire to establish a school in the said and 59th Street on Harper Avenue—Hyde Park On February 10, 1763, following Great Britain’s parish [or ] for the instruction of their children. Kenwood’s first planned community. In 1883 Rosalie victory in the , the As they are obliged to do many necessary public Buckingham, the future Mrs. Harry Selfridge, UPCOMING EVENTS was signed and the fell under British rule. In July works in the parish, they cannot at once undertake the purchased the two blocks and divided them into Saturday, September 12 History of the of 1778, during the Revolutionary War George construction of a building necessary to hold the said forty-two lots. Under the direction of architect Solon Hyde Park Neighborhood Club, to be Rogers Clark of and nearly 175 of his men school, so these representatives ask you gentlemen that you Beman the villas and cottages were built in similar held at HPNC headquarters with a photo took the of Kaskaskia, Cahokia and Vincennes allow them to hold the said school in your audience room architectural styles, predominantly Queen Anne. exhibit at Society Headquarters. Details from the British without firing a shot. It seemed that the of the courthouse until they construct a building which The areas included Rosalie Square, a club forthcoming. French and Indians who occupied these areas were not will oblige all the inhabitants whose children have their house, and a public hall for lectures and concerts. keen on taking up arms for the British. By December instruction in the school and in which case, should there Prior to the tour, the students’ main associations with 9th of that year, Virginia claimed the “” arise any defacement of the said audience room, they will the area were the annual Halloween Trick-or-Treat, and it became the County of Illinois, Virginia. I found it leave it in the best condition which you judge necessary and Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer. After a brief interesting that our great State of Illinois was the largest and proper. history of Rosalie Villas at the Historical Society county in Virginia for five years! That is why they supplicate you to accord them this building, the students proceeded to walk through the Bert’s Words (Part 7) On September 3, 1783, America and Britain signed request as being necessary for the public good. In this neighborhood. Among the favorite houses identified peace articles in Paris ending the Revolutionary War. cause they submit themselves to your good will and have by the students were the bright blue homes on Rosalie “The trouble with our times is that the stupid are One year later Virginia ceded its claim to western the honor to be, very respectfully. Square as well as the distinctively painted home cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.” territory to the in order to settle – Bertrand Russell wartime debts. Your very humble and very obedient servants. On July 13, 1787, Congress passed an ordinance “The wise man must remember that while he is a that established the , and General Louis Sebrun descendent of the past, he is the parent of the future.” Arthur St. Clair was appointed Governor. Governor Louis Grand – Herbert Spencer St. Clair traveled to the area in 1790 and in May Cahokia, 6 May, 1794 established St. Clair County in . He “Since God loves everybody, I don’t have to!” appointed officials and militias in both Kaskaskia and The Courthouse, The Louisiana Purchase – Larry Janiak Cahokia. The county court officials purchased the Exposition, and that would become known as the Cahokia “The greatest of faults—is to be conscious of none.” Courthouse in 1793. Although popular history places Due to the constant threat of floods from the – Thomas Carlyle the date of the building of the Cahokia Courthouse at Mississippi, the St. Clair County seat was moved to 1716, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency states Belleville in 1814. The former courthouse became “The record of a generous life runs like a vine around that the building was built as a residence in 1740. the memory of our dead, and every sweet, unselfish The building was originally the home of Captain Jean is now a perfumed flower.” – Robert G. Ingersoll Baptiste Saucier who established Ft. De Chartres. On December 8, 1793 Antoine Gerardin, John Dumoulin and Phillip Engil, judges of the court of common a rk Fr ee S ch oo l pleas, purchased the building from Gerardin’s son New Member Francois for $1,000. It was now the county seat of St. Clair County and extended north all the way The Society welcomes new member Frank Valadez, to . The courthouse handled everything Executive Director of the Chicago Metro History Fair. from contracts to criminals and heard cases from Peoria, du Chien, Chicago, and Green Bay, . It also held the first United States court the Hy de P r at affe , teache session in Illinois as well as the first election. Answer to Mystery Quiz: In addition to being the oldest public structure in Illinois, it was also the site of Illinois’s first public

J o / R u ssell Leon Trotsky school. A document written in French and translated t Cahokia at 1904 Fair into English was brought to light by the Chicago ph o

Autumnr 2015 Autumnr 2015 r6 r3 Trial Pardon. Hunter was a junior level winner at the a saloon, home and meeting hall. The floods took appealed to the South Park Commission to find Celebrating the 2015 National History Fair in , DC. their toll on the old courthouse. By 1900 it was in a location in one of the parks. The Board decided Logan Young, who will be a senior at the University such bad condition that it was sold at auction to an that they were unable to find a suitable location. Metro History Fair of Chicago Laboratory School in September, spoke of East St. Louis business named Alexander Cella. Cella Interestingly, a month later the Daughters of the Arthur Holly Compton: 1927 decided he could make some money by dismantling American Revolution also requested a site for the Winners Nobel Prize Winner. Logan was also a winner of the the building and reconstructing it at the Louisiana Cahokia Courthouse—their request was approved on Hyde Park Historical Society Award. Purchase Exposition of 1904 held in St. Louis. It April 19, 1905. Miss Smith thanked the Board for By Kathy Huff This was Eva Lewis’s second presentation to the then was located near the South Building locating the Cahokia Courthouse in Jackson Park. Hyde Park Historical Society. Last year, her project and station number 12 of the Intramural Railway On May 17,1905, the historian of the Daughters Karolina Jekielek, whose project, Philanthropy at about the South Shore Cultural Center was a winner just southeast of the Art Palace on the Exposition of the American Revolution, Mrs. Lucy D. Hall its Finest: , will be a senior at at state and national history fair competitions. grounds. The reconstructed courthouse was only Fake, officially thanked the Board, but within 2 South High School in Park Ridge. She was pleased This year’s project, Roosevelt College: A about one-quarter of its original size and contained weeks declined the location. On July 15, 1905, Miss that Peter Ascoli, grandson of Julius Rosenwald, was in Educational Democracy, again took her to the only one room instead of four. There were no pegs or Smith again addressed the board about locating in the audience and was able to comment on his national history fair. Furthermore, Eva has been chinking as in the original. It was reported that the the courthouse on Wooded Island in Jackson Park: grandfather’s philanthropy. Karolina was the winner selected to be the sole student representative from leftover timbers were cut into cigar shaped souvenirs. this request was granted. (It seems to me that Ms. of the Hyde Park Historical Society Award for being Illinois at the National History Day event in New Mr. Cella was unable to get permission to sell beer Smith knew a little something about politics.) Once one of the best Chicago Metro History Fair projects Orleans, Louisiana in December. from his building so it could only contain documents, reconstructed, the building was 16 feet by 28 feet. related to Hyde Park Township. The panel presiding over this well-attended event benches, a table and a gavel. It was built in the French style, with walnut boards Hunter Bennett, student at Kenwood Academic included Jay Mulberry, former HPHS president, Prior to the close of the World’s Fair, there were perpendicular to the base. It had a shingled roof with Center who will be enrolling in Frank Valadez, Executive Director of the Chicago opposing ideas about what the fate of the building a 5-foot-wide porch all around the building. as a 9th grader, presented his project, Justice, Not Metro History Fair, and Timuel D. Black, Jr., local should be. Henry D. Sexton, an East St. Louis banker, Political Expediency: ’s Haymarket historian and educator. HPHS wanted to purchase The Courthouse and the Beginning of the building and Chicago’s Municipal Court Reform use the timbers to construct furniture By 1906, reform was starting to come to the for the new Illinois Chicago court system. Years of abuses by the Justice of State Supreme the Peace and Police Magistrate systems were about to Court Building. His end. Under the old system, justices of the peace and idea was opposed magistrates were not salaried employees. They derived by Miss Valentine their pay from whatever fines or fees they could pass Smith, a member down to defendants in a case and many times they of the Chicago would schedule a case as far away from a defendant’s Historical Society residence as possible. This would sometimes result in and granddaughter a defendant being late or absent from a court case, in of Mr. James A. which case they would rule in favor of the plaintiff Smith, a pioneer and thereby increasing the amount of their incomes. furrier and hatter in All that changed in the Cahokia Courthouse on Chicago. The Society Saturday, December 1, 1906. Chief Justice of the wanted to purchase Illinois Supreme Court, Orrin N. Carter, commissioned the building using Harry Olson as the first Chief Justice of the Chicago funds raised by the Municipal Court along with 27 new municipal court Chicago Centennial judges. Commission. Miss Smith arranged for this ceremony to be held in The Chicago the historic building on Wooded Island. During the Centennial was held ceremony, Miss Smith presented Chief Justice ➤ 4 in 1903 instead of in 1937 because the commission Miss Valentine Smith recognized the Mystery Quiz: beginning of Chicago Question: While in Mexico in the mid- y Hu ff s / Kath

o as the construction of in 1803. In t 1908 Miss Smith became Chicago’s first archivist and 1930s, former Alderman Leon Despres ph o museum curator with a salary of $2,500. and his wife Marian met a famous Russian Hunter Bennett of Kenwood Academy Bolshevik. Who was he? Karolina Jekielek of in Park Ridge, with Peter Ascoli, grandson of describes his project about the Altgeld After Chicago was selected for the building over Julius Rosenwald. Haymarket Trial. East St. Louis, the Chicago Historical Society

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➤ 3 Olson with a commemorative gavel made from Unfortunately, the Northwest Territory The Courthouse Heads Home y one of the walnut timbers of the courthouse. Chief Sesquicentennial Commission in East St. Louis failed Judge Olson replied, “That shall have a place of honor to bring the celebration to fruition in 1929 and the The State of Illinois finally did take over in 1938 in the archives of the new court.” He then pounded courthouse was not moved. Shortly thereafter, Mr. when a Cahokia Memorial Survey was conducted the gavel on the rickety wooden bench. In actuality David O. Thomas, the superintendent of the St. in 1938. Under the supervision of the Illinois State enc o n Ag vati the gavel didn’t make it into the court archives, Clair County Department of Highways in Belleville, Museum, the project became part of the Works and now can be found in the artifact collection of Illinois took up the cause and wrote directly to Dr. Project Administration (WPA). The excavation of the . Otto L. Schmidt, a board member of the Chicago original site was conducted under the direction of a or ic Pr ese r For the next almost 34 years the courthouse Historical Society. Dr. Schmidt had been intimately state archaeologist during the summer of 1938. The remained on the south end of Wooded Island just involved with previous negotiations concerning the original foundation of the building was uncovered south of the garden that still bloomed with the Cahokia Courthouse. Mr. Thomas, in a letter to Dr. as well as some period artifacts. The building on y I llin o is H ist

planted during the 1893 World’s Columbian Schmidt dated February 23, 1929, stated that he had Wooded Island in Jackson Park was dismantled, tes Exposition. After the Municipal Court Ceremony the purchased the land to erect a Cahokia Memorial Park transported and used in the reconstruction of the our c building become a stopping point for school groups, using highway funds but didn’t wish Dr. Schmidt to original building based on a search of photographs The courthouse today scouting groups and educators as well as a curiosity make that fact public. He also mentioned that he had and sketches of the original building. The building is for those others who visit Wooded Island. spoken to a number of prominent companies in the architecturally significant as an example of the French church and Cahokia Courthouse, 1904 Over the years the building suffered from neglect area (the North American Company that owned the Colonial vertical log poteaux-sur-solle (“post-on-sill”) Smith, Valentine, Valentine Smith papers [manuscript], 1831-1904. and vandalism due in large part to its rather secluded Cahokia Power Plant and Anheuser-Busch) and had construction technique. Collections Danckers, Ulrich & Meredith, Jane, Early , Early location. Meanwhile, in 1926, a Northwest Territory met with a positive reaction. In his letter he wrote: The courthouse was placed on the National Register Chicago Incorporated, 2000 pp. 14-17 Sesquicentennial Commission was formed in East of Historic Places in 1972. It is currently cared for by Official Guide Company, Ground Plan of the Louisiana Purchase St. Louis to celebrate the 150th anniversary of The East St. Louis people took hold of this a year or The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and is Exposition, St. Louis, MO, 1904 General Clark’s victories over Cahokia, Kaskaskia and two ago and as usual messed the whole thing up, and I located at 107 Elm Street in Cahokia, Illinois. After Illinois Department of Conservation, Division of Parks and Vincennes. The festivities were planned for 1929 and do not care to deal with them, but am operating alone many years of adventure and misadventure the historic Memorials, Pamphlet, “Cahokia Courthouse”, 1969 HPHS Special Collections, Official Proceedings the Commission, along with the St. Clair County and letting no one in on my plans excepting yourself. little courthouse is back where it belongs. South Park Dist. Feb 3, 1904 to July 12, 1905, Volume #8 Board, sent requests to the Chicago Historical Society References Chicago Tribune, “New City Court Begins Activity”, December 2, to return ownership of the Cahokia Courthouse to the On March 13, 1934 a letter written from Alan 1906, pg. 2 Rademacher, Diane. 2003. Still shining: discovering lost treasures St. Clair County Board in order that they might return C. Dixon to Charles Pike (President of the Chicago from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. St. Louis, MO: Virginia Pub. Chicago Tribune, “New Court Near At Hand”, November 30, 1906, pg. 3 it to its original location in Cahokia. A letter written Historical Society) stated that he was entertaining the Terp, George William, A series of investigations in early idea of using the Cahokia Courthouse as a concession architectural construction in the state of Illinois, Master’s Thesis for Chicago Tribune, “Constable Rule Goes Into Grave”, December 1, Armour Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 1934 1906, pg. 3 at the Fair in Chicago in 1934. Chicago Tribune, “City Ratifies City Archivist”, May 26, 1908, pg. 2 It doesn’t appear that the Courthouse was ever used Chicago History Museum, Correspondence relative to Cahokia in that fashion. Less than a week earlier on March 8, 1934 a letter was written by Earl H. Reed, Jr. to Paul

M. Angle. Mr. Reed was the District Officer for the r afa Historic American Building Survey, an agency under the United States Department of the o / M azin S

Interior. Paul M. Angle was the Director of the Illinois t

State Historical Library in Springfield. In the letter Mr. ph o l Reed stated his opinion that the Illinois State Historical Society should become involved in the movement of the Cahokia Courthouse back to St. Clair County. In his letter he voiced his concern about the current condition of the Courthouse in Jackson Park. In part he wrote: Furthermore, all old photographs and drawings Courthouse, close up Wooded Island available here of the building in its former states seem to to the South Park Commission by the President of the confirm our fears that the present assemblage in Jackson Chicago Historical on January 27, 1927, stated that the Park is rather a botch – No fireplace, roof lines different, Chicago Historical Society had voted on January 12th windows changed and even the beautiful old walnut to allow the removal of the Cahokia Courthouse by logs themselves sadly misplaced…The more I look into the proper authorities of St. Clair County and that the the state of affairs regarding the present situation of the Illinois Historical Society had decided similarly at their House, the more inclined I am to feel that it should meeting on December 3, 1926. On Friday, April 8, be taken over by the State Society and returned to its 1927, the South Park Commission passed a resolution original site in St. Clair County to be guarded as a Society members enjoy marching to return the Cahokia Courthouse to St. Clair County. priceless relic of old French Illinois. in the July 4 parade.

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