North Lake Shore Drive Historic Timeline

1868: The Chicago River and the lake front are quickly becoming a hub of commercial shipping. 1850’s: Dr. John Rauch leads 1865: Swain Nelson creates a plan for Lincoln Park, located between 1900 & 1905: Lake Shore Drive consists of a carriage-way at the lake’s edge. This provides a space where Chicagoans can take a leisurely walk or ride along the shore. 1930’s-1940’s: As motorized traffic increased on Lake Shore Drive, the Chicago Park District used various barriers, including hydraulic “divisional fins,” to improve safety and modify lane configuration Increasing demands are placed on the existing infrastructure. a public movement for conversion Wisconsin Street and Asylum Place (now Webster Street), featuring a during rush hour periods. of Chicago’s lake front cemeteries curvilinear path system and lagoons. 1903: Inner Lake Shore Drive (today Cannon Drive) into park space, calling the burial follows the path of the original lake shore, while the grounds a threat to public health. recently constructed Outer Lake Shore Drive extends along a breakwater as far north as Fullerton.

NORTH AVE. DIVISION ST.

GRAND AVE. CHICAGO AVE. OAK ST.

LASALLE DR.

CANNON DR. FULLERTON PKWY.

DIVERSEY PKWY.

BELMONT AVE. CLARENDON RD. 1930’s-1940’s: Increasing traffic and prioritization of vehicles along Lake Shore Drive required the installation of pedestrian overpasses and underpasses. Many of these structures still exist today, despite ongoing accessibility concerns.

IRVING PARK RD.

MONTROSE AVE.

WILSON AVE.

LAWRENCE AVE. SHERIDAN RD. 1951-1954: Lake Shore Drive is extended north on lakefill. Buildings such as the Edgewater Beach Apartments are no longer on the water’s edge.

FOSTER AVE.

HOLLYWOOD AVE.

BRYN MAWR AVE. 1900: City of Chicago constructs a breakwater and adds landfill Early 1960’s: Michigan Ave and Oak Street connect to Lake Shore connecting Ohio Street to Oak Street. Drive at a grade level intersection. Traffic backups increase due to ARDMORE AVE. greater use of North Lake Shore Drive as a thoroughfare.

1927: The Lincoln Park Commission constructed a grade separation 1938: The Chicago Park District eliminated the North Avenue grade separation and extended LaSalle Drive through the south end of Lincoln Park to a new grade-separated intersection with Lake Shore Drive. interchange at North Avenue.

Today: The eight-lane Lake Shore Drive runs along the eastern edge of Lincoln Park into the 1937: The double-decker Link Bridge over the Chicago River heart of the city. is completed, paving the way for a continuous Lake Shore Drive 1920s: This post card illustrates the view from the Drake Hotel 1964: Michigan Ave and Oak Street are connected with a tunnel. connection from south to north. looking north over Oak Street and Lake Shore Drive. Note the park The highway-style improvements to Lake Shore Drive reduce traffic space along the lakefront. 1940’s: The three “cloverleaf” ramps at Montrose, Wilson and 1951: Plans are completed for the Lake Shore Drive extension from Foster to Ardmore. delays, but also reduce usable park space. Lawrence, completed in 1933 and eliminated in the 1960’s, constituted Swain Nelson creates a plan for a park Work begins on extending Lake Work begins to extend Lake the nation’s first series of such intersections. Storms wash away stretches of between Wisconsin Street and Asylum Place Shore Drive to Foster, but is Shore Drive to Bryn Mawr. Bike The Drive is launched, lakefront, leading to construction of (now Webster Street). This new park is Lincoln Park and Lake Shore stalled by 1934 due to the By 1954 the roadway is Michigan and Oak Street intersection is allowing participants to experience North Lake Shore Drive Phase One stronger breakwaters. 1840 1860 1880 Drive expand North to Cornelia. car-free biking on Lake Shore Drive. 1900 named after Abraham Lincoln. 1920 Great Depression. 1940 extended to Hollywood. 1960 rebuilt to highway standards. 1980 2000 “Redefine the Drive” begins. 1837 1859 1860 1865 1885-1886 1899 1910 1916 1929 1941 1951 1959 1964 1978 1994 2002 2013 The City of Chicago is incorporated and soon Due to concern over the spread of cholera from The Outer Drive runs atop a breakwater Motor Buses, trolleys, and cars draw FDR’s New Deal helps to fund completion Chicago Park District transfers Reversible lane use is halted after a series Lincoln Park is listed on the National Register takes possession of an 80-acre burial ground the swampy lakeside cemetery, new burials east of the rowing lagoon. The lake front millions of passengers to the lake front. of LSD as a limited access highway between jurisdiction of North Lake Shore of head-on collisions. Hydraulic lane of Historic Places. The Art Deco bridges on north of the city, between North Avenue are prohibited. The following year, 60 acres of drive between North Avenue and Fullerton North Avenue and Foster Avenue. Drive roadway to City of Chicago. separators were removed over a period Lake Shore Drive are recognized as resources and Webster Street. unused cemetery are dedicated as parkland. Boulevard is used as a carriage-way. of time from 1967-1991. that contribute to the park’s significance.