Related Records

1. Artesian Lake - Print of Artesian Lake showing Swan Island and East School in the background. Artesian Lake was once a ten acre lake formed in 1883 by the Lake Bluff Camp Meeting Association for summer recreational use; Swan island was used for picnics. A concrete dam was built west of Evanston and the lake was fed by an artesian well drilled near the present fire station. However, an underpass from the train station was completed in 1904, when the spur line for the North Shore Electric Line to Libertyville was built. There was an obvious problem: This underpass was several feet lower than Artesian Lake and needed a story water drain. Also in 1904, the dam that formed the lake burst, thus draining the lake. By this time the Camp Meeting era was long gone and the lake had outlived its usefulness. For over 30 years it was a refuse dump until the Park District filled it in 1938 and created Artesian Park. NOTE: The description on the photo is reversed.

   Artesian Lake

   Record Type: Photo

   
2. Artesian Park - A black and white photo taken in 1938 of Artesian Park when it was used as a dump. The photo is part of the 1938 Village Improvement Study.

   Record Type: Photo

   
3. Field House Lake Bluff - Black and White photograph showing the field house in Artesian Park . This building was replaced by a brick structure in 1989.

   Field House

   Record Type: Photo