The RHS Facebook page is a rich archive of history-related posts by Carol Flynn, RHS Facebook admin and writer until mid-2025. Carol prolifically wrote a wide variety of meticulously researched local history articles for RHS. She continues to write for the Beverly Review and other media sources with articles particularly focused on local Ridge history.
Wild Ridge History
There was another event in March – World Wildlife Day was Sunday, March 3. The Blue Island Ridge has a long and very interesting history when it comes to wildlife. There were animals here in abundance before "development" – wolves were all around; deer were plentiful; birds, waterfowl, small animals, fish in the Calumet River and creeks, native reptiles – it was a paradise.
Thomas Morgan, for whom Morgan Park is named, even bought game animals and hunting greyhounds with him from England, on his own ship The Emmanuel. He populated the woods around his estate Upwood with his imported deer and pheasants, and had hunting parties to chase down the wolves. His estate was on the top of the Ridge around 91st Street and Longwood Drive.
Today, we co-exist in Beverly/Morgan Park with wildlife – raccoon, opossum, fox, coyotes, birds of prey are all spotted. There are deer in the cemeteries to the west of us.
This will be the first of several postings about the "wild Ridge" and the Ridge Historical Society hopes others will share stories and pictures.
Here are two pictures of recent sightings. The first is of deer in Mt. Hope Cemetery last summer, photo by C. Flynn, RHS. The second is of a hawk in the yard of artist Judie Anderson just this year.