If you've wandered around the prairie district or used the 18th street footbridge to go to Soldier field you probably have noticed a small, innocent looking park at the corner of 18th and Calumet. It's not very impressive, but seems to serve its purpose by providing some green space for the local high rise and town house community.However, this Saturday the park is going to be renamed "Battle of Fort Dearborn Park" to commemorate the battle:
Please join us on Saturday, August 15, 2009 from 10-11am for this important event that is almost 200 years in the making. Native Americans, battle descendants, War of 1812 reenactors, historians, National Guardsmen, Park District representatives, residents of the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance and 2nd Ward Alderman Robert W. Fioretti will assemble to dedicate and name the park, "Battle of Fort Dearborn Park," and to place an historic marker which will commemorate the site for its significance in Chicago's early history.Should be interesting and somewhat educational. For more background check out the Chicago Journal's recent piece on the renaming.
I'm all for being politically correct and recognizing the complex history of relationships between European settlers and Indian tribes in North America. But I'm curious exactly what rôle the nine women and 18 children played in the Battle of Fort Dearborn? There's a reason we always called it the Fort Dearborn Massacre.
ReplyDelete