Plan of the South Open Ground, the Upper Plaisance, the Midway Plaisance, the Lake Open Ground, the Lagoon Plaisance and the Parkway Quadrant : as proposed to be laid out by Olmsted, Vaux & Co. landscape architects

America Transformed: As people flocked to cities in the late 19th century, Americans recognized that cities lacked space where locals could enjoy nature and its health benefits. In 1869, Chicago decided that it needed a system of parks and green boulevards. City officials hired Frederick Law Olmsted, who had designed New York City's Central Park and Boston's Emerald Necklace. This plan, published in 1871, offers a vision of Chicago with open lawns, trees, and a lagoon along Lake Michigan. This site was chosen for the location of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and today this chain of green spaces is Washington Park, the Midway Plaisance, and Jackson Park.
Courtesy of Boston Public Library