The History of Chippewa Park in Chicago, Illinois.

Chippewa Park, 6758 North Sacramento Avenue (at Pratt Boulevard) in Chicago, was one of four parks created by the Ridge Avenue Park District, established in 1896. The park district's other properties were Indian Boundary Park, Pottawattomie Park, and Morse Park (now Matanky {Eugene} Park).

In 1931, the park district purchased the property in the southwest corner of the district, built a one-story brick fieldhouse designed by Clarence Hatzfeld, and designated the new park Chippewa.

The five-room fieldhouse, including a kitchen, sits on 3.26 acres with a new "ChicagoPlays!" playground, and a water spray feature.

Looking NW at the Chippewa Park Fieldhouse on Sacramento Avenue, with Pratt Boulevard just to the right, but out of the picture. (March 30, 1936)

The name recognized the Chippewa Indian tribe that lived in the Great Lakes region when Europeans arrived. Between 1600 and 1760, the Chippewas made their home along the northern shores of Lakes Michigan and Superior and numbered between 25,000 and 30,000. The Chippewa formed a loose confederacy with the Ottawa and the Potawatomi. By the 19th century, the three tribes were known as "the Three Fires." 

The name Chippewa is an adaption of the word Ojibway, "to roast till puckered up," a reference to the puckered seams of their moccasins.

Today, the park offers Interaction for toddlers. Classes for preschoolers include Early Childhood Recreation, as well as Playschool Activities.

Don't forget to feed the Bunnies!

Classes for youth include Arts & Crafts and Fun and Games. Choose from Soccer, T-ball, Flag Football, Snag Golf and Outdoor Tennis for multi-ages. Chippewa also offers a fun-filled day camp for ages 5-8, which runs for 6 weeks.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

A 3-Wheel Velocipede (Handcar) in Effingham, Illinois.

This velocipede[1] was built by the railroad for track inspectors whose job it was to check the tracks and fill the track signals with fuel which would last six to seven days.

Where the girl is riding is where the fuel was carried for filling the signals. The picture was taken in Southern Illinois. Man is George Frazer, who worked for C&EL Railroad, born in 1875 in St. Elmo and died in 1945 in Altamont, buried in Union Cemetery.

The lady is Marie (Sidwell) Frazer, who was born in 1882 in Sefton Township and died in 1956 in Altamont and is buried in Union Cemetery. She was a school teacher in Effingham, Illinois. In the picture, she is carrying a gun as she always did. Many ladies carried some form of protection in those days.

Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.

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[1] Velocipede: The term "velocipede" is today, however, mainly used as a collective term for the different forerunners of the monowheel (the unicycle), the bicycle, the dicycle, the tricycle and the quadracycle developed between 1817 and 1880.