Close to the former site of Fort Dearborn was another important site in Chicago. It was where one…read moreof the city's most important figures lived. Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable also had a trading post on this site. Also it was the first permanent, non-native residence in the city it's believed. This is now partially occupied by Pioneer Court on the north side of the river by the Michigan Avenue Bridge, and there's a bust and plaque. After he sold the property, it was discovered it contained a bakehouse, two barns, a dairy, a poultry house, and a smokehouse among other buildings. It then became owned by John Kinzie. The land was sold to the city in 1834 and platted. Basically it was the first land north of the river the city expanded into. This was located from the lake to State Street. A plaque was placed in 1937 that notes the location of Kinzie Mansion. Then in 2009 Erik Blume made a bronze bust of Point Du Sable. Also the bridge was renamed after him. Then Lake Shore Drive was also renamed so he got honored quite a lot. He was an important figure in the city. In fact one of the first to live here. There's lots of recognition for him throughout.

This bronze bust is of the founder and first citizen of the city of Chicago. Pointe Dusable was a…read moreHaitian-born fur trader. The bust can be found in an area called Pioneer Court of the Magnificent mile with its back to the Chicago river. Interestingly enough it is located close to the site of the Pointe DuSable House, designated a National Historic Landmark since 1977. It is the work of Erik Blome, who did the sculpture in 2009. Lesley Benodin donated it to the City of Chicago Public Art Collection in honor of DuSable. The bust is sitting on a granite base. The base has a nice sized plaque that gives a brief blurb about the sculpture, the artist, and Pointe Dusable. It is in very good shape, very detailed and has an uncanny resemblance to what Pointe Dusable looked like. Remember there were not many photographs back then. It is a very scenic sculpture, with a nice view of the Chicago river and skyline serving as its backdrop. Parking to get a closer look at this sculpture is difficult to do. This sculpture is not a destination piece and most of its viewers will be passerbys such as myself. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. Also, be very careful if you are going to get a closer look, as i previously mentioned, this is located at a busy roundabout. With that being said, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

You will find this sculpture along Michigan Avenue, near the Chicago River bridge, in a place area…read morebetween the Apple Store and the Chicago Tribune. Brickhouse was a Hall of Fame announcer, known for announcing Chicago sports, most notably Cub games. He also announced White Sox games as well. Brickhouse was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1998. Brickhouse passed away from complications from a brain tumor in 1998. The statue shows Brickhouse from the waist up, sitting behind a desk with a microphone on it, reading from some papers. It is the work of Jerry McKenna, who made the piece in 2000. The sculpture was renovated in 2009. You will find inscriptions wrapped around all four sides of the bronze podium that Brickhouse sits behind. On the front is his name, above a motif of Wrigley Field, Soldier Field and Comiskey Park, With Brichouse's catch phrase "Hey, Hey" under it. The left side list some of Brickhouse's major accomplishments, while the back chronicles Brickhouse's Broadcasting career. The right side continues with the chronical of his broadcasting career. It is a very nice tribute to Brickhouse and is featured in the plaza that it is located. Parking to get a closer look at this sculpture is difficult to do. This sculpture is not a destination piece and most of its viewers will be passerbys such as myself. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. Also, be very careful if you are going to get a closer look, as i previously mentioned, this is located at a busy roundabout. With that being said, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

He was recognized by the Baseball Hall of Fame for his major contributions to the sport…read more He was a Chicago legend - he broadcast Cubs, White Sox, Bulls and Bears games for over 40 years. This memorial recognizes Brickhouse for his contribution to American sports, pop culture, and entertainment. It's a very cool statue of him sitting at an announcer's desk. There is a microphone on the desk in front of his face, and he is holding a notebook or a set of papers. The statue was dedicated in 2000 and his famous catch phrase "Hey-Hey" is inscribed on the front plaque. The full inscription reads: Jack Brickhouse, Hall of Fame Broadcaster 1917-1988 Hey-Hey Inducted into Media Wing of Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, N.Y. in 1983 and 13 other Halls of Fame throughout the nation. Broadcaster for Chicago Cubs - 40 years, Chicago White Sox - 27 years, Chicago Bears - 24 years, 1st TV voice for Chicago Bulls. 1962 - play-by-play announcer for 1st satellite telecast. Recipient of Local and International awards for Pope Paul VI papal audience. EXCLUSIVE Broadcast interviews - 6 Presidents. 4 Honorary Doctorates. 2 Autobiographical Bestsellers: "Thank You for Listening" and "A Man for All Seasons". 1934 - Entered broadcasting profession in hometown of Peoria - age 18, becoming youngest sports announcer in the nation. 1946 - Broadcaster for New York Giants - one season. 1948 - 1st voice on WGN-TV. 1979 - Reached milestone of 5,000 broadcasts for WGN Radio and TV. No baseball broadcaster WILL EVER televise as many games as Brickhouse. Continued broadcasting until his retirement from the booth - 1981. Brain tumors do not discriminate. Jack Brickhouse was one of the thousands who battled a brain tumor. The disease is complex, effective treatment is challenging. The American Brain Tumor Association exists to eliminate brain tumors through research and education..

In a cornfield north of Joliet, Illinois in 1942, Dominic Romano was developing a subdivision he…read morehad called Stern Park. When he heard of the Nazi atrocity against the village of Lidice, Czechoslovakia, he renamed the development Lidice in honor of those who lost their lives at the hands of the Gestapo. It was the first town or part of a town to be named in honor of the obliterated village, others would follow around the world. (Lidice is pronounced, roughly, "LEE-de-seh".) On June 9, 1942 the Gestapo surrounded the village and on June 10, rounded up everyone. They shot all men over 16 and children were separated from their mothers. The women and all the children, except for a few that were selected for "Germanization" were sent to a concentration camp, where many perished. The Nazis demolished the village, plowed it under, desecrated the cemeteries, and even diverted the river that once flowed through the village. Any trace of Lidice was gone. After WWII came to an end, the surviving women and children returned to Lidice where a new village was built near the old one. Crest Hill is a sister city to Lidice in the Czech republic. Romano created a memorial to Lidice in 1942 and the exiled president of Czechoslovakia attended the dedication of the memorial. This memorial is one of only two in the United States dedicated to Lidice. It is not easy to find, located in the heart of Romano's development. Still, it is worth a visit to remember and honor those who died at the hands of the Nazi war machine.

Remember those who were massacred. Learn the true story. It's online. The new park is lovely.read more

Robert Morris was born in England and became an American businessman. He was one of the men who…read moresigned the Declaration of Independence. Hyam Salomon was born in Poland and moved to New York where he became a businessman and joined the Anti-British Sons of Liberty. So why does this memorial show George Washington in his Revolutionary War uniform shaking hands with Morris and Salomon? Well, those two men were considered to be the major financiers of the Revolutionary War. It was dedicated on the 150th Anniversary of the Ratification of the American Bill of Rights on December 15, 1941. A plaque on the base is inscribed with these words: Symbol of American Tolerance and Unity and of the Cooperation of People of All Races and Creeds in the Upbuilding of the United States. This monument designed by Lorado Taft and completed/by Leonard Crunelle was presented to the city of Chicago by the Patriotic Foundation of Chicago The main inscription reads: Robert Morris . George Washington . Haym Salomon "The government of the United States which gives to bigotry no sanction - to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support" President George Washington 1790. Unfortunately the plaque and inscription are in poor shape and are difficult to read. The back of the monument has a very cool bronze image of Lady Liberty embracing a huge crowd of people that are obviously of different origins.

As always..amazing public art…read more.. Just "discovered" the J. Seward Johnson "Lincoln Statue" near the Chicago Riverwalk in Pioneer Square in downtown Chicago area. The statue is called "Return Visit." It depicts Former President Abraham Lincoln standing tall (25 feet to be exact!) with his arm stretched up to the sky holding his hat as if greeting the "modern" man who stands in shorter stature below....Lincoln is gifting him a copy of "The Gettysburg Address." "Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." Quote from Abraham Lincoln's famous "Gettysburg Address." For more information see: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-abraham-lincoln-statue-pioneer-court-met-20161101-story.html

Beautiful statue of Abraham Lincoln which is about a 20-minute walk from the Lincoln Park zoo…read more Worth the visit and a great place to take pictures. Very peaceful area this statue honors one of the greatest presidents ever of the United States of America. About a 5 minute walk from the 22 and 36 bus. 5 solid stars for the man, president Abraham Lincoln!

Every time coming across this structure, I have to admire it. If going along the Lakefront Trail in…read moreLincoln Park, it's pretty hard to miss. The Kwagluth Totem Pole is one of the park's many monuments and other things. Carved by an actual tribal chief. You can get close enough to see the craftsmanship and skill. Actual name of it is Kwanusila. It's a 40 foot high totem pole. This was carved by Tony Hunt, who was the chief of the Kwagu'ł tribe. He also carved many others. There's one in Vancouver's Stanley Park. An interesting history about the Lincoln Park one and how it came to be. His ancestor, ethnologist George Hunt, carved one for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Then it was purchased by cheese producer James L. Kraft and placed on this site in 1929. It suffered from weather damage and vandalism over the years, and was moved to the Museum Of Anthropology at the University Of British Columbia. Then in 1986 this one was made by Tony Hunt to replace this one at the same site. It's carved from red cedar. There's a sea monster on the bottom, a man riding a whale in the middle, and Kwanusila the Thunderbird is on top. Conveniently located to the east of Lake Shore Drive close to Addison. It's one of many classic structures in the park. This isn't the original but it still looks pretty impressive and certainly is among the best examples of classic woodcraft.

The very finest Totem pole in Chicagoland! Perfect to visit…read moreon your bike. Tell em Josh sent you.

I'm so glad I made it to the Pullman Garden Walk! Last year at just about nine months pregnant I…read moredecided it wasn't the time to make the trek down to the far south side but I always enjoy a visit to Pullman so it was on my calendar as soon as I got the date. Pullman is often pretty overlooked as a neighborhood but they put on some fantastic events and it's always worth checking them out. This year there were 10 homes on the garden walk. Something interesting is that almost all of the homes had docents at them rather than the homeowner themselves, although at one of the homes the owner was there to answer questions and offered a place to sit. The gardens spanned a five block or so radius, though we weren't able to get to the outliers because we only got there a couple hours before it ended. I liked that they had the docents, who I assume were members of the Historic Pullman Garden Club. Some of the gardens have been cultivated over many years and some were significantly newer. The uniqueness of Pullman architecture allowed for some front yard gardens and some back yard gardens, and some you needed to enter through the alleyway because of the connected homes. There was a rock garden--the entire yard had been pulled up and replaced with stones and raised vegetable garden beds--and there was a garden wherein the owner had placed her own sculptures, at least half a dozen or more. Some of the homes had water or something for folks visiting (very useful since it was a terribly hot day). I would happily visit the Pullman Garden Walk again.