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Riverside, Illinois

Posted by
Steven (Chicagoland, United States) on 24 June 2024 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.

Riverside is arguably the first planned suburb (as opposed to a stand-alone community) in the United States, designed in 1869 by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted. The village was incorporated in 1875. The Riverside Landscape Architecture District, an area bounded by 26th Street, Harlem and Ogden Avenues, the Des Plaines River, and Golf Road, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. In 1863 the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was built heading southwest from downtown Chicago to Quincy, Illinois, passing through what is now the Near West Suburban area of Chicago in a western-southwestern direction. This new access to transportation and commerce brought about a significant housing and construction boom in what was once farmland far from the bustle of the city of Chicago.

In 1868, an eastern businessman named Emery E. Childs formed the Riverside Improvement Company, and purchased a 1,600-acre tract of property along the Des Plaines River and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad line. The site was highly desirable due to its natural oak-hickory forest and its proximity to Chicago. The company commissioned well-known landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner, Calvert Vaux, to design a rural bedroom community. The town's plan, which was completed in 1869, called for curvilinear streets, following the land's contours and the winding Des Plaines River. The plan also accorded for a central village square (seen here), located at the main railroad station, and a Grand Park system that uses several large parks as a foundation, with 41 smaller triangular parks and plazas located at intersections throughout town to provide for additional green spaces.

Weekly prompt: Postcard

Photo captured May 28, 2023.

NIKON D7000 1/125 second F/11.0 ISO 892 18 mm

New photos posted on most Mondays through Thursdays.
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Ginnie Hart from Netherlands

This definitely has a postcard look to it, Steve. Well done. But I had no idea this was America's first suburb!

24 Jun 2024 5:04am

@Ginnie Hart: Not really the first suburb, but the first "planned suburb" where Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted actually laid out the community like architects design buildings. Nothing was built until the streets were laid out, village square and park land were identified.

Astrid from Netherlands

What a great story about Riverside and they sure had a vision, Steven. I like this view very much as a postcard.
Have a wonderful day.

24 Jun 2024 5:39am

Marie from Parc régional naturel de Chartreuse, France

Thank you for this very interesting note on the Riverside. I'm learning a lot about the history of your country Steven.
Very nice photo too with these flowers at foreground.
https://mesregards.fr/

24 Jun 2024 5:42am

Daniel from Perpignan, France

Un bel observatoire !!!!!

24 Jun 2024 5:56am

Pascale MD from Parc National des cévennes, France

Une bien jolie photo et une note très intéressante.
Merci Steven.
Bonne journée.

24 Jun 2024 6:25am

Giulio from Turin, Italy

This beautiful postcard is also a piece of American history. Thank you for the information.

24 Jun 2024 7:28am

PascalXLD from Lorient, France

Très sympa ce cadrage
Bonne journée

24 Jun 2024 7:29am

Yellowbear from Droitwich, United Kingdom

A fine picture postcard of what sounds like a delightful place

24 Jun 2024 7:47am

fereshteh. from Iran

A part of history and excellent

24 Jun 2024 7:52am

Hiro from Kyoto, Japan

fantastic point of view including the flowers

24 Jun 2024 8:42am

mo.langel from Courtelary, Switzerland

Superb framing and composition!

24 Jun 2024 9:52am

Sam from Chennai, India

Beautiful view nicely framed. Gorgeous flowers. And interesting information. :)

24 Jun 2024 10:42am

Marjolein from Voorne aan Zee, Netherlands

A very fine postcard of Ilinois

24 Jun 2024 10:57am

Ruthiebear from Titusville, NJ, United States

HOw beautifully you have composed this!

24 Jun 2024 11:38am

Petits Bonheurs from AIGLUN, France

Merci pour tes explications Steven. On apprend et c'est agréable. Une jolie photo également.
Un bon lundi.

24 Jun 2024 11:55am

Rose from United States

Interesting...have the map up, and am looking at the area. I want to explore it more later.

24 Jun 2024 2:17pm

Willem from Noord-Scharwoude, Netherlands

A beautiful photo accompanied by an interesting explanation.

24 Jun 2024 3:32pm

Jason Kravitz from Brussels, Belgium

Beautiful blooms to accompany this historic slice of Americana. Excellent information as well for this digital postcard.

24 Jun 2024 3:42pm

Jean-Luc.M from Nancy et ailleurs, France

A very flowery postcard of this neighborhood, a nice change from the skyline view!

24 Jun 2024 5:29pm

Ted from Blackwood, Caerphilly, United Kingdom

Great image and history of town planning.

24 Jun 2024 6:58pm

Mhelene from Villiers-sur-Marne, France

Very beautiful composition of your postcard !

24 Jun 2024 7:02pm

Ron from Fraser Valley, Canada

I like the perspective and nice colorful flowers in the foreground. It looks like the area was well planned and thought out. It's great that the plan included a lot of parks for green spaces.

24 Jun 2024 7:17pm

Harry from Apex, NC, United States

I like all the elements you included in this photo. The flowering bus provides great interest and cover for the water tower. If anything, a slightly different angle might have produced some separation between the light pole (still gas!) and the flag.

25 Jun 2024 2:09am

Elaine Hancock from Olney, United States

A beautiful image. I think that it is fascinating that this was the first planned suburb. I like that idea that it was planned instead of some the the sprawl that we see today with no plan whatsoever. It sounds like a beautiful place and has a rich history.

25 Jun 2024 2:57am

Jypyä Pop from Turku, Finland

Stunning scene

25 Jun 2024 4:00am

Darkelf Photography from Perth, Australia

Excellent perspective. I like looking at the tower through he flowering plant in the foreground. Thank you for providing interesting information and history of this place.

25 Jun 2024 4:20am

jeanmadis from chonburi, Thailand

Very nice flowery corner under a beautiful blue sky, not to mention the American national flag.

26 Jun 2024 5:01am

Remus from Portugal

When places are planned from the beginning, it's clear that they have better conditions, even in terms of public spaces and streets. In contrast, places that have grown without planning over the centuries generally have narrow, winding streets and a great lack of green spaces and parks.
Beautiful flowery postcard.

26 Jun 2024 3:10pm