A history of Forest Park,
since 1907
Postcards, papers and photographs of Forest Park from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Before modern settlement, the area now known as Forest Park was inhabited by the Potawatomi and other Native American groups. In 1839, French trader Leon Bourassa purchased 160 acres of land where present day Forest Park lies. German immigrant Ferdinand Haase, bought 40 acres of that land from Leon Bourassa in 1851, which eventually became 240 acres. In 1856, John Henry Quick purchased the land, and named it Harlem after his hometown.
The community of Harlem was incorporated in 1884. However, was renamed to Forest Park, and officially incorporated under that name on April 17, 1907.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Forest Park’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
6 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewCasino at Forest Park Illinois am…, 1907: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Forest Park, decade by decade
CommonsHarlem Race Track Grandstand, 19011901
CommonsS002710 loc carl fisher harlem racetrack chicago cropped1904
CommonsCasino at Forest Park Illinois amusement park1907 · postcard
CommonsForest Park Amusement Park dedication circa 19071907 · postcard
CommonsForest Park Illinois amusement park Steeplechase ridec. 1907 · postcard
1950s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Harlem Race Track Grandstand, 1901 (1901) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (18). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.