This 1905 photo shows Chicagoans flocking to the city's first public beach
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A children's bathing beach in Chicago, 1905. Photo: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
As Chicago tries to cool down during this heat wave, a trip to the beach is likely in the cards.
- It's a local pastime that has been passed down from generation to generation.
The intrigue: This Getty archive photo shows a "children's bathing beach" in 1905. As you can see, there is a structure to the left, plus a curved shoreline.
Yes, but: This photo is 120 years old, and that wooden structure, plus the actual beach, are long gone.
Zoom in: The photo shows the "Lincoln Park Beach," known to be the first public beach in Chicago, opened in 1895. It was located just north of Fullerton Avenue.
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Zoom out: At the time, beaches were mainly privately owned by hotels and nearby associations.
- The popularity of the Lincoln Park Beach helped move the city to create more public beaches in 1910.
- Today, Chicago has 24 public beaches.
State of play: The beachfront area was eventually removed due to erosion, plus the expansion and development of Lincoln Park in the 1930s.
- Now, the closest beach is just south at North Avenue.