GIFT TO VILLAGE STARTED PARK DISTRICT OF LOMBARD, ILLINOIS ON THE WAY TO ITS EXTENSIVE OPERATIONS

By HUBERT E. MOGLE, Secretary, Lombard Park District

The Lombard Park District, known as one of the finest in the State of Illinois, has an interesting history.

In 1867, Col. William R. Plum, who had served as a telegrapher in the Civil War, graduated from the Yale Law School, married Helen Maria Williams, and came West to establish his home.

Locating on an extensive piece of property, which sixty years later was to become the nucleus of Lilacia Park, Col. and Mrs. Plum built their lovely home, a stately New England Colonial type, with the wide, open veranda, spacious entry hall and its inviting open stairway. This, today, is the Plum Memorial Library, with beautiful Lilacia Park for its setting.

The Plums were fond of travel and it was on one of their trips abroad that they visited the famous LeMoine Gardens in Nancy, France. They brought back two of the famous French creations, the beautiful pure white Mine. Casimir Perrier and the lovely double, light purple Michel Buchner. Thus the world famous Lilacia Park and its collection of French lilacs had its beginning. They also brought back from the Black Forest of Germany, a silver poplar which was planted in front of their home. This, today, is the grand old tree of Lombard, having a spread of approximately sixty feet and rising high above the library. In the wind, the leaves have the appearance of scintillating silver.

With the passing of years, the Plums added variety after variety to their collection of lilacs. Col. Plum was a great trader—traded with anyone who had a variety he did not possess, and particularly with the Lilac Garden of Rochester, New York.

Upon his death, April 28, 1937, Col. Plum left the entire property to the Village of Lombard—the residence to serve as an endowed library in memory of his wife who preceded him in death—the grounds to serve as a Park.

By the will of Col. Plum, his estate was a gift to the people of Lombard, providing a park district was organized to perpetuate it and enlarge on what he had started. The estate was accepted by a referendum vote, and by court order the Lombard Park District was established September 26, 1927. It was approximately two miles square and about a third larger than the Village. The population of Lombard was close to 3,000 and the Park District about 3,600 at this time.

Col. Plum's Estate was nearly three acres in size, about two-thirds of which consisted of rare lilacs, all labeled and set out along winding paths. The Trustee Deed of Col. Plum's Estate was turned over to the Lombard Park District June 26, 1928.

Until the Fall of 1929, awaiting the remodeling of the old two and a half story frame surrey and horse barn, which was built on the side of a hill and had more the appearance of a house than a barn, the meetings of the new Board of Park Commissioners, who were elected at the time of the park referendum, were held in the basement of the old Lincoln School. The remodeling was completed at a cost of $4,500.00. The Board moved into a beautifully furnished Administration Building.

In May, 1958, Jens Jensen, a noted landscape and park architect of the Chicago Park District, was chosen to lay out and supervise the ground arrangement of the Plum Memorial Park, as it was first designated. His entire charge was $600.00. He seemingly had a deep interest in developing Lilacia Park and often visited it. One interesting landmark he left was a steel windmill, located near the barn, which Col. Plum had once used to supply water. It was kept in repair for three or four years, but children had the dangerous habit of climbing the structure and it had to be removed.

Numerous problems for consideration of the new Commissioners began to appear, but the most important decision to be presented was the purchase of practically what is now the north half of Lilacia Park, about three acres, and on which was an old frame residence and another frame building that had once served as the Village Post Office and general store. The property was owned by three unrelated families, and the total valuation was $67, 600.00.

In March, 1929, a bond issue of $118,000 was carried; the north half of Lilacia Park purchased and the balance of the bond issue, approximately $50,000.00, was not sold for a year, when it was used to purchase another ten acre tract now called Terrace View, and to complete the landscaping of Lilacia Park.

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Three other half acre lots were later purchased adjoining Lilacia on the West, thus making it approximately seven and a half acres.

This print shows a large portion of the purchased north part of Lilacia; part of the original estate with the top of the Library showing, and the famous First Church Congregational tower, which has been a Village landmark for over 100 years. This was where the Plums attended church. His pew has been reserved one Sunday each year of the Lilac Festival and a large bouquet of lilacs placed in it.

The first Lilac Festival started in May, 1929, and took on the form of pageantry in connection with the floral display in Lilacia Park. These wandering; minstrel-like shows were carried out in the manner of elaborately costumed plays and were held across the street on a large vacant prairie east of Lilacia Park.

A Lilac Queen and her Court of four Princesses presided as rulers and there were brilliant parades with decorative floats, Robin Hood archers, clowns, horsemen and costumed school children. The plays were written and directed by three very talented local women. It was all most picturesque, featuring the Robin Hood period of England.

By 1938 the upkeep of Lilacia Park had become too heavy and expensive. Larger and larger attendances at the Lilac Festival was the rule and the wear on the park was ruinous. The Park Board started charging admission that year of 25 cents for adults who did not live in the Park District. Children were admitted free.

This picture is of three other half acre lots purchased on the west of Lilacia as it appears today. The iron deer used to be in front of Col. Plum's home. It is a great picture setting for children, who like to straddle the deer and hold on to its ears.

Two free admission passes were mailed out to each Park District family—more if requested—and this practice has continued to the present time. The charge now, however, is 40 cents.

To conduct a Lilac Festival, it is necessary for the Park Board to appoint one of its commissioners Lilac Festival Chairman ; hire a director of admissions—a lady—and she hires her staff of paid helpers as ticket sellers and collectors. The Festival is usually held around the middle of May, depending on the lilac bloom, and lasts about two weeks.

Five lilac Princesses are chosen each year and one becomes the Lilac Queen in a very important ceremony held in Lilacia Park, with the stage setting framed by flowering lilac bushes, shapely blue spruce and evergreen trees, just above a pool, with a colored, flood-lighted, splashing waterfall beneath emptying into a large goldfish pool. The entire park is flood-lighted; soft music is wafted over the park and the crowds stand in seemingly awed attention until the sealed envelope containing the

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name of the new Queen is handed the master of ceremonies, and opened. The camera flash lights begin darting around, and shortly after a big reception is held for the Queen and her Court.

The Chamber of Commerce, Jaycees, Lion's Club and other organizations promote a grand opening parade with no advertising allowed; the Village shopping centers are gayly decorated with bunting; the Village Chief of Police supervises his regular and auxiliary police during the Festival Season on traffic and parking regulations; sometimes the Village President, the Superintendent of Schools, the Park President or other noted person crowns the Queen. It is all a very cooperative civic program.

Around thirty or forty thousand visitors from all over the United States come to Lombard yearly and pay admission to see the beautiful floral display of lilacs and some 40,000 harmoniously arranged tulip beds. They come in buses, by train, and even by air, from Texas, California and Oklahoma. Church organizations near Lilacia Park serve appetizing meals and lunches, with a full course dinner at $1.75. Add to these visitors the citizens of Lombard, and the Park really becomes lively, but well ordered. Lilacia is beautiful any time. Lombard people are proud of their inheritance from Col. Plum.

Returning to the opening statement, "the Lombard Park District is known as one of the finest in the State of Illinois."

The District is now made up of six other fully developed parks besides Lilacia: Sunset Knoll, 25 acres; Madison Meadow, 30 acres; Terrace View, 10 acres; Lombard Lagoon, 10 acres, and our big central park, Lombard Common, 45 acres, with a lovely Memorial Garden of about 5 acres in one corner of Lombard Common formally laid out with flowering crab apple trees and grouped evergreens.

Lombard Common has a new triple pool, with bath house, canteen and pumping room ; a glorious Community Building, five or six ball diamonds, a putting green and children's play areas fully equipped.

Lombard Lagoon has five acres of lake for winter skating, kept clear by latest ice equipment, an attractive, roomy modern combination warming room, canteen and recreation center and equipped play areas.

Terrace View and Park Terrace grade school work together. The park district uses the gymnasium, washroom and parking facilities of the school and it uses the park for a grand playground with baseball diamonds and play apparatus.

Madison Meadow is fully landscaped and equipped with a Recreation Building.

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LILACIA PARK, LOMBARD

(Continued from page 154)

Sunset Knoll has another school adjoining, and it also has a fine winter toboggan hill.

The Park District has a paid Recreation Director and staff of assistants, supported by a Recreation tax. The canteens at the pool and skating pond turn in a profit. The pool is also proving sell-supporting. The Community House provides rental income and is a very popular place for gatherings.

Schools, the Village and Park District all work together, each using the other's facilities. Lombard with a population crowding 20,000—the Park District close to 32,000—is the second largest cily in DuPage County, and the people who live here seem to enjoy suburban life thoroughly.

Norman H. Klopp is President of the Park District ; Richard W. Moulds is Superintendent of Parks and Recreation; William A. Watson is Village President; Charles A. Willis is the Village Manager; John D. Biehl is Chief of Police, and Glenn Westlake, Superintendent of Schools. Melvin Dobski, special Photographer for the Lombard Spectator and Press Publications, took all the pictures shown in this article.

HUBERT E. MOGLE, Secretary, LOMBARD PARK DISTRICT.

EDITOR'S NOTE; The writer of this article has been the Secretary of the Lombard Park District from the first meeting of the Park Board, and was Village Clerk of Lombard for 13 years—1932.1946.

Lilacs were presented to Governor Stratton, by Lombard officials. Left to right: Charles A. Willis, Village Manager; William L. Watson, Village President; Governor Stratton, and Norman H. Klopp, President, Lombard Park District.

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