CHICAGO'S LAKEFRONT IS OFTEN
REFERRED TO AS ONE OF THE CITY'S
CROWN JEWELS.
AND AS WITH MANY VALUABLE THINGS
IT'S BEEN THE SUBJECT OF
FREQUENT HIGH PROFILE POLITICAL
AND LEGAL FIGHTS.
AS "CHICAGO TONIGHT'S" NICK
BLUMBERG REPORTS A NEW HISTORY
TRACES 150 YEARS OF NONSTOP
LITIGATION.
>> CHICAGO'S WATERFRONT IS REN
NOUNED.
PARKLAND AND BEACHES THE
LAKEFRONT TRAIL AND THE LACK OF
A INDUSTRIAL PRESENCE BUT THOSE
WERE NEVER A SURE THING.
>> CHICAGO'S JUST DARNED LUCKY.
>> ATTORNEYS AND LEGAL SCHOLARS,
JOSEPH KEARNEY AND THOMAS
MERRILL ARE AUTHORS OF THE BOOK
LAKEFRONT WHICH TRACES THE
NAMESAKE BACK TO 1862 WHEN THE
COUNCIL LET THE CENTRAL RAILROAD
LAY TRACK NEXT TO LAKE MICHIGAN.
>> WHAT WE KNOW AS GRANT PARK
WAS BEING WASHED AWAY BY THE
CURRENTS OF THE LAKE SO FROM THE
BEGINNING, THE RAILROAD PLAYED A
KEY ROLE IN THE PRESERVATION AND
DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAKEFRONT.
>> BUT THE RAILROAD ALSO SPARKED
IMMEDIATE CONTROVERSY AMONG
WEALTHY PROPERTY OWNERS ON TONY
PRAIRIE AND MICHIGAN AVENUES IN.
1890s A LEGAL BATTLE GAVE US
WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC
TRUST DOCTRINE.
>> THE COMMONLY KNOWN IF NOT
ALTOGETHER UNDERSTOOD DOCTRINE.
>> IT HOLDS THE SUBMERGED LAND
UNDER LAKE MICHIGAN IS TOO
VALUABLE A RESOURCE TO SELL-OFF
TO A PRIVATE OWNER AND MUST BE
HELD IN THE PUBLIC TRUST.
>> THE DOCTRINE ENTERED WITH A
BIG BANG AND IT ENTERED INTO
DORMANCY.
>> IT GOT ATTENTION FROM PARK
ADVOCATES AROUND THE TIME OF THE
ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT OF THE
1970s.
>> IT'S BECOME KIND OF THE
VEHICLE IN RECENT DECADES TO
CHALLENGE VARIOUS PROJECTS LIKE
THE LUCAS MUSEUM OR THE OBAMA
PRESIDENTIAL CENTER.
THE OUTCOMES ARE I MIXED.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT HOW
THE LAWSUITS WILL BE RESOLVED.
>> THE BOOK DOES DEEP ON
HISTORICAL FIGURES LIKE THE
SKAUT SQUATTER CAPTAIN STREETER
THAT FOUGHT FOR THE LAND WITH
THE SCAMMERS AND POTWATOMI.
>> MORE OF A WILD WEST STORY.
MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN JUST
STREETER VERSUS THE RICH
INVESTORS.
>> BUT THE WEALTHY AND POWERFUL
WERE THE ONES WHO COULD FILE
LAWSUITS AND LOBBY LAWMAKERS.
THE CAUSES THEY TOOK UP
DETERMINED MUCH OF THE
LAKEFRONT'S DESTINY IN CASES
LARGE AND SMALL LIKE THE FIGHT
OVER A MAKESHIFT LAKEFRONT BALL
PARK ONCE HOME TO THE CHICAGO
WHITE STOCKINGS A FORERUNNER TO
THE CUBS.
>> THE PROPERTY OWNERS DID NOT
LIKE THE BASEBALL PLAYED IN
FRONT OF THEIR PROPERTY SO THEY
GOT THE U.S. ATTORNEY TO
SHUTDOWN THE BASEBALL CLUB.
>> MERRILL SPENT 20 YEARS IN
CHICAGO AND KERN ANY GREW UP
HERE HE CAME AT THE PROJECT...
>> AS THE LEGALLY TRAINED TO BE
SURE BUT NATIVE CHICAGOAN WHO
WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHY VARIOUS
THINGS ARE AS THEY ARE.
WHY LAKE SHORE DRIVE ENDS AT
HOLLYWOOD AND 0 THE NORTH SIDE
OR WHY THE 1893 COLUMBIAN
EXPOSITION WAS IN JACKSON PARK
AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE NOW KNOW
AS GRANT PARK.
>> IN TRYING TO ANSWER SOME OF
THOSE QUESTIONS, MERRILL SAYS IT
BECAME CLEAR THERE'S NEVER BEEN
A MASTER PLAN GUIDING THE
LAKEFRONT'S DEVELOPMENT.
>> IT WAS A SERIES OF EVENTS
THAT COULD HAVE GONE ONE WAY OR
THE OTHER WAY BUT IN CHICAGO IT
ENDED UP WITH A VERY, VERY
SPLENDID AND HAPPY OUTCOME.
>> AND A RESOURCE THE AUTHORS
THAT DEMANDS CONTINUED VIGILANCE
IT MIGHT BE PRESERVED FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS.