Encyclopedia o f Chicago
Interpretive Digital Essay : The Plan of Chicago
The Plan of Chicago
Chicago in 1909
Planning Before the Plan
Antecedents and Inspirations
The City the Planners Saw
The Plan of Chicago
The Plan Comes Together
Creating the Plan
Reading the Plan
A Living Document
Promotion
Implementation
Heritage
Address to the South Park Commission
Return to "Antecedents and Inspirations"

In this marked-up draft of his remarks to South Park Commission President James Ellsworth and other members of the commission in April 1896, Burnham explains that the idea of building a lakeshore parkway arose the previous year during a discussion about the downtown parks with Ellsworth, whom Burnham credits for the idea. "After some thought," Burnham continues, "the possibility of carrying it out appeared to be an entirely feasible one, and it was proposed that a design should be made."