You’d have to look pretty far and wide to find something that former President Barack Obama and President Andrew “Old Hickory” Jackson and the artist Yoko Ono have in common. It wouldn’t be their backgrounds, it’s unlikely to be their musical tastes and it’s certainly not going to be their politics. But they definitely share an extraordinary bond in their unique contributions to Jackson Park, an underappreciated jewel of the Chicago Park District and now home of the Obama Presidential Center.
And with the recent grand opening of the center, it’s timely — and fun — to explore those contributions, enjoy the “I didn’t know that” surprises and consider their collective importance to Chicago’s great South Side.
Jackson Park straddles the Hyde Park, Woodlawn and South Shore neighborhoods, with its main entrance at 6401 S. Stony Island Ave. It’s the third largest public park in the city, just behind Lincoln and Burnham parks — and every bit as special. For it’s much more than softball fields and walking paths. Most of the park’s 550 lagoon-filled acres reflect a breathtaking collage of nature, blending Lake Michigan and its beaches with marshes, grassland and wooded areas. A popular centerpiece is the Wooded Island and its delicate Osaka (nee Japanese) Garden.
Other favorites include the prairie habitat of Bobolink Meadow at the eastern edge of Jackson Park lagoon, and the collection of cherry blossom trees ringing the Columbian Basin. Birders seek out flocks attracted to the park during the migration seasons. And of course, the park has the requisite harbors, beaches, basketball, pickleball/tennis courts, ball fields and an 18-hole golf course/driving range. All in Chicago! Truly, something for everyone.
The history of the park’s development is as fascinating as its landscape. First known as “Lake Park,” it was developed in the late 1860s as part of a larger tract that included what is now Washington Park and Midway Plaisance, all three of which remain physically connected. Its designers included Frederick Law Olmsted, one of the famed architects of New York’s Central Park. Renamed in 1881 to honor former President Andrew Jackson, the park was reconstructed in 1893 to accommodate the World’s Columbian Exposition. From that site, only the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry and the restored Osaka Garden remain. And consider this trivia: The park was the site of an Army missile battery in the 1950s and several scenes in the 1980 film “The Blues Brothers.” It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
We know well Obama’s connection to the park. In May 2015, the Obama Foundation selected Chicago’s South Side as the home of the foundation and the Obama Presidential Center. The Chicago roots of the former president and first lady were major factors in their historic decision. Today, the completed center occupies almost 20 acres along the western boundary of Jackson Park, complete with a museum and various educational and community centers.
Jackson’s connection to the park beyond the name is nebulous. He was a famous general and two-term president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. He is primarily remembered for his vision of “Jacksonian democracy,” a controversial political doctrine. His consequential legacy of public service is marred by his forcible removal of Native Americans. He had no known association with Chicago; the renaming of the park appears to have followed the practice at the time of honoring past presidents through civic spaces.
The Yoko Ono connection has nothing to do with The Beatles or the Plastic Ono Band. Rather, it has everything to do with her skills as an artist, her Japanese heritage and her fondness for the city. In 2016, she dedicated to the park her peace-oriented sculpture Sky Landing, which consists of a dozen 12-foot-tall lotus flower petals. The sculpture is located at the site of the Japanese Pavilion from the World’s Columbian Exposition.
It’s nearly impossible to look today at Jackson Park and not think more broadly of how the Chicago park system famously contributes to the quality of city life. It’s not just the great beauty and popularity of the lakefront parks. It’s also the weekend barbeques at Columbus Park, the sweeping views of Ping Tom Park, the walking trails of Winnemac Park, the ball fields of Warren Park, the crush of activity at Oz Park and others. From every direction, the park system serves as the quintessential urban oasis, the fiber that connects residents to their neighborhoods and communities to their city.
If you can’t get tickets to the Obama center, never mind. Head down to the South Side anyway. If you can find the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, you can find Jackson Park. Just 7 miles from Clark and Madison! And chances are you’ll enjoy it just as much. And Old Hickory will no doubt be pleased that you made the trip.
Michael Peregrine is a retired Chicago lawyer. His grandparents lived at 6928 S. Crandon Ave., just south of the park.
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