Arn's Blog: Of Chicago Parks and Statues

Lots and lots of parks… one of the things I really like about Chicago. There are more parks in Chicago than there are Ministops in Makati and these are parks where you can actually hang out and do stuff in. We also have parks here but they aren’t as nice the ones there. Besides, if I wanted to go to a place where I can read a book, draw or write something or just bum around, I’d probably go to the nearest Starbucks...

… or I can go to work.

My favorite parks in Chicago would include Wicker (hay…), Millenium (skating!), Grant (big open space) and Lincoln (lotsa squirrels).

Some things I found weird though about the parks, particularly the statues in it:

1. Lincoln in Grant Park

Walk into Grant park and you would see Buckingham fountain which used to be the biggest fountain in the world. Walk around and you would see a statue of… Abe Lincoln? What’s Lincoln doing in Grant park? Why not call this Lincoln park instead? Dunno, doesn’t make any sense really.

2. Grant in Lincoln Park

Take bus #22 along Clark and go down at Lincoln Park Zoo. It’s a nice clean place and best thing about is… it’s free! It’s also the place where I found the most squirrels (and you know I love them little critters). The pond at the middle, the ducks and geese, there’s a camel and oh wait… there’s a statue of Grant. Now what’s HE doing here?!?

Lincoln in Grant park. Grant in Lincoln park. It still doesn’t make any sense. In fact, what the heck where they thinking?!? How did they name these places?!?

Flashback to the early 1900’s:
Person 1: The Chicago Parks committee meeting is now in session. Now what do we name that place where Grant’s statue is?
Person 2: Lincoln park!
Person 1: Wow! That’s smart! But what do we name that place where Lincoln’s status is if we’re gonna call this other place Lincoln park already?
Person 2: Uh… Grant park?
Person 1: Wow! I NEVER thought of that!

Yeah yeah let’s laugh at them but years later they built the Sears Tower, reversed the flow of the Chicago river and drafted Michael Jordan.

At least we know whose statue to find when we go to Rizal Park :P

3. Grant’s Shoes

Here’s a theory: Maybe the statues were originally placed where they should supposed to be. If that was the case, how did they “switch” them? Maybe Lincoln and Grant walked… hahahahah

Or did they?

Here’s a pic of Grant’s statue. See his shoes? Those are grass and straw caught in his shoe. Wow! Could it be possible that this statue actually walked all the way there? You know what this means? You’re already riding a horse… then you decide to walk all the way instead?!?

4. Unusual Lincoln statue

Statues of people either in their finest moment or in a made up majestic pose. Did you see Michael Jordan’s statue at the United Center? Did you see the Christopher Columbus statue shrine? How about Lincoln… I wonder which pose he should have?