Schiller Woods Forest Preserve Magic Water Pump on Irving Park Road, Particulars.

The pump is located in Schiller Woods Forest Preserve in Schiller Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Google Maps: 41°57'08.8"N 87°50'38.6"W 

It was installed in 1945 to serve picnickers, just another of the hundreds of water pumps erected in the forest preserves of Cook County. 

It is a hand-operated pump that draws water from an aquifer. Many local residents believe the water has magical properties, improving health and vigor. Some believe the pump's water extends the life of anyone who drinks from it regularly, leading to the nickname "Chicago's fountain of youth." The pump is the most used of over 300 pumps maintained by the Forest Preserve Department of Cook County, necessitating yearly repairs. The pump handle was briefly removed in 1974 due to impurities but restored in 1975 after the water cleared.

There is no scientific evidence to support the claims that the water from the pump has any magical properties. However, many people swear by the water, and the pump remains a popular destination for people seeking a healthier lifestyle.

People say it has a specific taste and is unlike other waters. And it's not. It's the best water in the world! You've heard it's magic, right? I don't know if it is or if it has the rejuvenating qualities they say. But I don't try other pumps. 

It has been said that the Pope blessed it. "Holy water — that's what they call it." In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited the Northwest Side of Chicago. The Pope's motorcade drove along Nagle and Milwaukee avenues and the Kennedy Expressway and barely slowed down.

Those who swear by the Chicago's fountain of youth pump have said a lot of things: You hear it tastes better than tap water; it keeps colder for longer; it contains holistic qualities; it's good for heart and teeth; it's unfiltered and therefore not chlorinated or fluoridated; the water from this pump will keep you young an unnaturally long time.

There is no scientific evidence to support the claims that the water from this pump has magical properties.

The pump is located at the intersection of Irving Park Road and Cumberland Avenue. It is open from dawn to dusk. There is no fee to use the pump. If you're interested in visiting the pump, it's recommended that you go during the week. Remember to bring your own bottles to fill with water.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Abraham Lincoln's Plank on Education

When Lincoln prepared his first circular to be distributed among the voters of Sangamon County, Illinois, in the summer of 1832, he worked a plank[1] on education into his political platform. The following excerpt shows his interest in the subject when he was only twenty-three. 

Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.

"Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or sys· tern respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in. That every man may receive at least a moderate education, and thereby be enabled to read the histories of his own and other countries, by which he may duly appreciate the value of our free institutions, appears to be an object of vital importance, even on this account only, to say nothing of the advantages and satisfaction to be derived from all being able to read the Scriptures and other works both of a religious and moral nature, for themselves. 

For my part, I desire to see the time when education─and by this, morality, sobriety, enterprise, and industry─shall become much more general than at present, and I should be gratified to have it in my power to contribute something to the advancement of any measure which might have a tendency to accelerate that happy period." 

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

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[1] Lincoln's plank on education was a platform for the Republican Party in the 1860 presidential election. The plank called for universal education, meaning that all children, regardless of social class or race, should be able to attend school. The plank also called for establishing public schools, which would be funded by the government. Lincoln's plank on education was a radical idea at the time, as most children in the United States did not attend school. However, Lincoln believed education was essential for a democracy to function correctly. He argued that an educated citizenry would be better equipped to make informed decisions about government and to participate in civic life. The Republican Party's victory in the 1860 election helped to pave the way for establishing universal education in the United States. In the years following the Civil War, many states passed laws that established public schools and required children to attend school. Today, education is considered a fundamental right in the United States, and all children can attend school.