Now I know that the David Wallach Memorial Fountain, which is at Promontory Point (hereafter referred to as the Point) is already on Atlas Obscura, but I think the Point itself should be on there as well.
The Point is a beautiful man-made stretch of land that juts out onto Lake Michigan. It has a running path lined with trees that skirts the lake front. There are multiple fire pits that you have to compete for if you want to have a cozy night out by the lake. There is also a park district building that not only provides bathrooms but has hosted weddings, summer camps (I should know, I went to one there), and more. It's a beautiful park oasis in one of Chicago's neighborhoods that provides a spectacular view of the skyline on a clear day (and a mysterious view on a foggy day).
The edge of the water is lined with mostly limestone. There is historic graffiti carved into the rock and more modern graffiti that can be seen dotting the bricks if you look closely enough. At various points in time, the city has wanted to strip away the limestone and replace it with cement (there is a portion with cement and cement benches but it's not the majority of the Point) leading to "Save the Point" campaigns (one of which is going on right now). The limestone gives the Point a wild and exploratory effect that would be lost if lifeless cement took over.
Yet there is more to the Point than just its beauty. It also has a storied history.
"A nuclear capable Nike Hercules missile and its crew in action at U.S. Army Air Defense Command missile site C-03 on Montrose Beach (now the Lincoln Park Yacht Club) during a readiness drill. (1959) An identical site (C-41) existed in Jackson Park until 1971. The IFC (Integrated Fire Control) radar tower area was located at Promontory Point, with the Launcher area in a meadow across from the 63rd St. Beach," (http://ed-thelen.org/C-41-Epperson/).
"The radar towers stood south of the fieldhouse on a large tract surrounded by a barbed-wire fence. One of the towers reached 150 feet in height, and all of them dwarfed the turret of the fieldhouse. Many neighborhood residents resented the radar towers and their placement on the Point, but protests became vocal only in the Vietnam era. After the radar towers finally came down in 1971, there was a victory rally with the slogan, "We've won our Point."--Excerpt from "Promontory Point: Lake Michigan at 55th Street, Chicago, 1937-1987" by John McDermott, Jr." (http://ed-thelen.org/C-41-Epperson/).
That's right, the Point used to hold radar towers. I think this is interesting in part because it's so hard for me to imagine living somewhere with a casual radar tower. I think, especially during war time, it would stand as a constant reminder to that war and what our government is involved in. Now, I recognize that many people do live with something that stands as this reminder, but it seems odd to me that it would've existed in my little park oasis on the lake.
On a much lighter note, George Lucas got married at the point. I remember because it was shut down for the event (not sure how that works since it's park land but I guess money makes everything happen), but also repainted and cleaned up so I didn't mind the temporary closure too much. Lucas's bride was from Chicago I believe so I assume she picked the place.
The Point's Wiki page also tells me that it appeared in a couple of films, but I'm honestly surprised it hasn't appeared in more given how beautiful it is and how close it is to the University of Chicago as well as the Museum of Science and Industry. I supppose it could appear again in some films (in fact, I hope it does).
Overall, the Point is a beautiful spot to look out at the lake and skyline; take your dog for a walk; go for a swim (although you're not really supposed to since there aren't any lifeguards), run, or bike ride; sit around a fire with friends, or just get some small nature time in while you live in a big city. I highly recommend everyone who visits Chicago to visit the Point, or at least go somewhere on the lakefront and reach beyond downtown.
For all of those reasons, I think the Point should be in Atlas Obscura.
What do you think? What would you add to the Atlas? Note that you can in fact get stuff added! I got the Curraghduff Alpaca Farm added.
(Prompt by Kimisha Cassidy)
Comments
Post a Comment