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Midway PlaisanceMidway Plaisance is a linear park located along Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois near the downtown "Loop" area. Better-known locally as simply the Midway, it served as a center of amusements during the World Columbian Exposition in 1893, lending its name to become a common noun frequently used to define such areas at county and state fairs. Laid out with long vistas and tree lines at the turn of the century, the Midway followed the vision of Frederick Law Olmsted, one of the creators of New York City' famous Central Park, minus his impossible dream to create a Venetian canal between the lagoon systems of Jackson and Washington parks. Later designers and artists added (or sought to add) their vision to the Midway. Almost a part and a pet project of the University of Chicago, it has remained essentially a green area. Origin of the name The word "plaisance" is an obsolete spelling for "pleasance", itself an obscure word thought in this context to mean "a pleasure ground laid out with shady walks, trees and shrubs, statuary, and ornamental water." The term is frequently used in Paris, France. The "midway" portion of the name probably refers to its location and function as a connection between Washington and Jackson Parks. History The Midway Plaisance began as a vision in the 1850's of Paul Cornell, a land developer, to turn an undeveloped stretch of infertile land south of Chicago into an urban lakeside retreat for middle and upper class residents seeking to escape the crowds and dirt of the booming city. The area was a lakefront marsh ecosystem. In 1869, Cornell and his South Park Commission were granted the right to set up a complex of parks and boulevards that would include Washington Park to the west, Jackson Park to the east on the lakeshore, and the Midway Plaisance as a system of paths and waterways connecting the two. The firm of Olmsted, Vaux, and Co., famous for creating New York City's Central Park, was hired to design the urban oasis. Part of their plan was that the Midway would function as "a magnificent chain of lakes," allowing boaters to go from the ponds to be built in Washington Park to the lagoons to be developed in Jackson Park and through the lagoons to Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, the South Park Commission office where all the detailed plans were stored was located directly in the path of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The expense of rebuilding the city eliminated any expenditures that the plans would have entailed anyway, and the area remained largely in its natural swampy state. World Columbian Exposition The World Columbian Exposition of 1893 was held in the underdeveloped parts of the South Park. The worldwide celebration of Columbus's transfer of "the torch of civilization to the New World" in 1492 was one of the most successful and influential of world's fairs. It covered over 600 acres and attracted exhibits and people from all over the world. For the Exposition, the Midway Plaisance was turned over to Sol Bloom, a protg of P. T. Barnum from San Francisco. It became a grand mix of fakes, hokum, and the genuinely educational. The "Street in Cairo" amusement was the most popular with 2.25 million admissions. George Ferris' first Ferris Wheel had 1.5 million riders. The Midway's money-making concessions and sideshows made over $4 million in 1893 dollars, and it was the more memorable portion for many attendees. In the years after the Exposition closed, midway came to be used as a common noun to refer to the area for amusements at a county or state fair, circus, or amusement park. University of Chicago In the 20th century, the Midway Plaisance was returned to a park-setting, under the plans of Frederick Law Olmsted. He hoped to create a Venetian canal between the lagoon systems of Jackson and Washington parks, but this part proved unfeasible. The land slopes downward from east to west and the proposed canals would drain Lake Michigan into Washington Park. The Midway has gradually become a part of the University of Chicago which expanded in 1926 to be located on either side of it. Later designers and artists, including Lorado Taft, and Eero Saarinen added or sought to add their vision to the Midway. It has remained essentially a green area, a public resource subject to much speculation, and various and periodic plans of development. The sunken panels, home now to soccer players and a new ice skating and sports facility, the cross-street "bridges," and the east-west lines of trees, pay homage to Olmsted's vision. In 1999, a new master plan for the Midway Plaisance was unveiled by the University of Chicago and the Chicago Park District. See Also External Links *Midway Plaisance Plan at the University of Chicago
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