Befitting this weekend’s sweltering temps — and the official start of the summer solstice — we bring to you this photo of the Burlington Park lagoon taken in the 1890s. The park, now the site of the Burlington Park Forest Preserve, was located on Naperville’s far north side and a summer recreation destination opened by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad line in 1880. For the price of a 50-cent, round-trip ticket, Chicagoans could take the train there for a day of fun in the sun. In addition to the lagoon for fishing, boating and swimming, created by damming the DuPage River, patrons could partake of a shooting gallery, carnival games, bowling alley, dance hall, photo gallery, merry-go-round, food pavilion, refreshment stand and beer bar, according to the history compiled by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Baseball games and races could be viewed from a grandstand.
