Bowen Park (Waukegan) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Joseph T. Bowen Country Club
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| Location | 1917 N. Sheridan Rd., Waukegan, Illinois |
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| Area | 60.1 acres (24.3 ha) |
| Built | 1843 |
| NRHP reference No. | 78003400 |
| Added to NRHP | November 30, 1978 |
Bowen Park is a fun outdoor area in Waukegan, Illinois. You can find it along Sheridan Road. This park has a beautiful old-growth forest and a deep ravine. The park is about 60 acres big. It started as a private home in 1843.
From 1857 to 1896, it was the home of John Charles Haines. He was an important politician from Illinois. In 1911, a group called the Hull House Association bought the land. They renamed it the Joseph T. Bowen Country Club. They used it as a summer camp for children. The Waukegan Park District bought the land in 1963.
Contents
The Story of Bowen Park
Early History of the Land
In 1843, a politician named James Montgomery built a house here. It was on a big piece of land, about 72 acres. This was near what is now Waukegan, Illinois. Back then, Waukegan was called Little Fort. Later, the property was owned by William Fay.
In 1857, William Fay sold the land to John Charles Haines. Haines used it as his summer home. He was a member of the Chicago City Council. The next year, he was elected Mayor of Chicago. He served two terms as mayor. Haines stayed active in Illinois politics for the rest of his life. He even served in the Illinois Senate. In the early 1870s, Haines added more rooms to the house. He passed away there on July 4, 1896.
In 1909, Fred W. Buck bought the property. He was the mayor of Waukegan. He wanted to give the land to the city to use as a park. But the city said no. They thought it was too far from the center of town.
Hull House and the Summer Camp
The property was empty for two years. In 1911, Jane Addams was looking for a new summer camp. She needed a place for the children from Hull House. Hull House was a special place in Chicago that helped people. Before this, Addams had rented land in Wisconsin and Michigan. But those camps had bad weather and were hard to take care of.
A real estate agent gave Addams a list of many possible camp locations. So, she went on a trip with Louise DeKoven Bowen. Bowen was another leader at Hull House. They visited 67 different places. On December 11, Addams and Bowen bought the land from Fred Buck. They named the land the Joseph Tilton Bowen Country Club. This was named after Bowen's husband, who had recently passed away.
Life at the Camp
The club opened in 1912. Louise Bowen had her own gardener help plan the grounds. They created beautiful formal gardens. There was also a baseball field, a vegetable garden, and an orchard. Kids could play on tennis courts and a playground. There was even a croquet club.
During the summer, children from Hull House came for two weeks at a time. They usually came if they were already part of other Hull House activities. The children paid a small fee to help take care of the property. This also taught them responsibility. The Chicago and North Western Railway gave the children free train rides to the camp. Over 40,000 children visited the Bowen Country Club. This happened between 1912 and 1963. When it wasn't summer, the club was used for meetings and other private events.
Bowen Park Today
In 1963, the Hull House Association sold the club. The Waukegan Park District bought it for $360,000. Hull House had found a new camp in East Troy, Wisconsin. A group of local churches and welfare organizations got permission to use the park. They paid $1,200 each year. This group stopped working four years later. Then, the Waukegan Park District took over running the property completely.
In 1987, the park district finished building the Jack Benny Center. This center is home to the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra and Concert Chorus. It also houses the Bowen Park Theatre and Opera Company.
