Morgan Park Days – Part I
By Carol Flynn
Labor Day, which will be celebrated on Monday, September 7, has been a federal holiday since 1894. It grew out of the organized labor movement, which arose to protect workers from workplace abuses such as unsafe conditions and child labor as young as 5 years old. Labor Day honors and recognizes the contributions of the workforce, that is, the efforts of the millions of people who get the jobs done, to the development of the U.S. It was celebrated with marches, picnics, and speeches.
Locally, from 1901 to 1911, the day was also celebrated as “Morgan Park Day.”
Morgan Park Day was the idea of the Morgan Park Improvement Association (MPIA), which formed in 1898. Improvement associations grew out of the Progressive movement.
The Progressive Era spanned the 1890s to the 1920s and was a period of activism and reform in just about all areas of life – government, education, industry, finance, medicine, employment practices. Even the study of history became more professional, scholarly and research based. “Progressives” ranged from Republican Theodore Roosevelt to Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Chicago social worker Jane Addams was one of the most influential non-government reformers of this era.
There were many “movements” that came out of the Progressive Era. One was a national grassroots effort for “civic improvement” that focused on issues ranging from enhancing the physical beauty of communities to valuing the contributions of the countless immigrants streaming into the county to exposing government corruption.
The new American League for Civic Improvement (ALCI) said the goal was to “create cleaner, better cities and a higher, nobler city life.” Organizations sprung up all over the country comprised of “people who care.” When the Morgan Park Improvement Association, a member of ALCI, was founded in 1898, it was sixteen years before the Village of Morgan Park would annex to Chicago, and the suburb had its own government, taxes, schools, and public services.
The first president of the MPIA was Dr. William H. German. Dr. German was one of the most highly regarded early citizens of Morgan Park. His 1884 Queen Anne-style home still stands at 10924 S. Prospect Avenue. He was the first physician to set up practice in Morgan Park and there are numerous stories related to his medical practice. He founded the Morgan Park United Methodist Church and built the first church across the street from his own house; later the church/school complex at 110th Place and Longwood Drive was built. He was active in local affairs, serving on the school, library, and park district boards.
The object of the new MPIA was “the beautifying and general improvement” of the town. The Morgan Park Woman’s Club and the women of the town were squarely behind this movement and were the real workers to get things done. And children were a welcomed, indeed a valued, presence in the MPIA, and among the most enthusiastic members. Youngsters were tasked with keeping the sidewalks and public spaces clear of trash, a chore they wholeheartedly accepted.
Next: The first public celebration of Morgan Park.