Oz Park

Last updated
Oz Park in early Spring. Oz Park.jpg
Oz Park in early Spring.

Oz Park is a public park in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of North Side, Chicago. It is located at 2021 North Burling Street, [1] at the corner of Lincoln and Webster, just south of the Lincoln, Halsted, and Fullerton intersection.

Contents

The park borders Lincoln Park High School and features many statues fashioned after characters in The Wizard of Oz , a book which was authored by Chicago reporter L. Frank Baum. [2]

History

Children playing on the sidewalk by the park in 1989 Oz Park, North Larrabee Street, Chicago, February 1989; photographer, Jeff Wassmann.jpg
Children playing on the sidewalk by the park in 1989

During the 1950s, the area surrounding what is now called Oz Park was in need of improvement. The city of Chicago gave the Lincoln Park Conservation Association permission to improve the community in the 1960s. [3] In 1974, the Chicago Park District acquired the land and began constructing a park. [3] Lyman Frank Baum, a children's author and the creator of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , was a resident of Chicago’s Humboldt Park in the 1890s. [4] Remembering its former resident, fans of The Wizard of Oz would gather in the park for an Oz Festival to honor the famous book, movie, and author every year. [4] The park was officially named Oz Park in 1976, The Oz Park Advisory Council raised the money to put sculptures of the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and Dorothy and Toto by sculptor John Kearney in the Park.

Facilities

The 13.32-acre (53,900 m2) park has one walking/biking trail, which is 0.61 miles (980 m) long. [5] To go along with the Wizard of Oz theme, the park's garden is named "The Emerald Garden", and the playground is called "Dorothy's Playlot." The Emerald Garden (located at the corner of Webster and Larrabee) features flowers through which guests may walk. The Gardens are maintained by the Oz Park Advisory Council, which is a local group of volunteers. Dorothy's Playlot has swings and other climbing equipment on which children can play. While Dorothy is the main character of The Wizard of Oz, the playground is also named after Dorothy Melamerson, a retired Chicago gym teacher. [6] Melamerson, interested in children's physical well-being, donated enough money in 1994 to create an athletic field with basketball courts, an asphalt volleyball court and tennis courts. In 1996 and 1997, $600,000 of the $900,000 that Melamerson left for park upgrades and to begin youth sports programs went to renovating the Oz Park athletic field. In her honor, the field was named Melamerson Athletic Field. State Representative John Fritchey and Alderman Vi Daley gave the Oz Park Advisory Council funding for improvements to Dorothy's Playlot in 2006. In 2007, Dorothy's Playlot was covered with a rubberized material, and several pieces of play equipment were replaced. [7]

Sculptures in the park

Shortly after the park had been built and named, the artist John Kearney was approached by an elderly woman who wanted him to create sculptures of the main characters from The Wizard of Oz to decorate the park. She died, however, before the park approved the project four years later. Approximately 30 years later the documents regarding the initial plans were found, and in the early 1990s Kearney was commissioned by the Oz Park Advisory council to create the first of the four statues. He later went on to create a total of four: The Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, The Scarecrow, and Dorothy & Toto. [8]

Tin Man

Installed in October 1995, the Tin Man sculpture stands at the northeast corner of the park near the intersection of Lincoln, Webster, and Larrabee. It is made from old automobile parts, which is Kearney's signature medium. The plaque below the statue reads "The Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum welcomes you to Oz Park. A heartfelt salute to the community from the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, October 1995." [3] [8]

Cowardly Lion

In June 2001, the Cowardly Lion statue was added to Oz Park. It stands in the southeast corner of the park near the intersection of Larrabee and Dickens. Unlike the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion was created out of bronze, which was poured into wax casts to create the forms of the statue. [8] The plaque below the statue reads "The Cowardly Lion became a citizen of Oz Park in June 2001. Commissioned by the Oz Park Advisory Council, created by Sculptor John Kearney, and made possible by three very generous donors: Wonderful Wizards, Good Witch Glindas, Emerald City Citizens." The names of the donors are written below each of the donor categories.

Scarecrow

Statue of Dorothy and Toto in Oz Park DorothyTotoOzPark.jpg
Statue of Dorothy and Toto in Oz Park

The statue of the Scarecrow joined its companions in the park in June 2005. The statue stands closely behind the statue of the Tin Man in Emerald City Gardens. It was made in the same way as the statue of the Cowardly Lion out of bronze. The plaque below the statue is almost identical to that of the Cowardly Lion [8] and reads "The Scarecrow became a citizen of Oz Park in June 2005. Commissioned by the Oz Park Advisory Council, created by Sculptor John Kearney, and made possible by three very generous donors: Wonderful Wizards, Good Witch Glindas, Emerald City Citizens." The names of the donors are written below each of the donor categories.

Dorothy and Toto

The statue of Dorothy and Toto was added to the park in May 2007. The statue stands on the west side of the park near "Dorothy's Playlot". It too is made in bronze using the same process as was used to create the statues of the Cowardly Lion ad the Scarecrow. [8] The plaque below the statue reads "Dorothy & Toto became citizens of Oz Park in May 2007. Commissioned by the Oz Park Advisory Council, created by Sculptor John Kearney, and made possible by three very generous donors: Wonderful Wizards, Good Witch Glindas, Emerald City Citizens." The names of the donors are written below each of the donor categories.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</i> 1900 childrens novel by L. Frank Baum

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz after she and her pet dog Toto are swept away from their home by a cyclone. Upon her arrival in the magical world of Oz, she learns she cannot return home until she has destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West.

<i>The Marvelous Land of Oz</i> 1904 childrens novel by L. Frank Baum

The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, commonly shortened to The Land of Oz, published in July 1904, is the second book in L. Frank Baum's Oz series, and the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). This and the following 34 books in the series were illustrated by John R. Neill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Gale</span> Fictional protagonist in Oz novels

Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his Oz novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels. In addition, she is the main character in various adaptations, notably the 1939 film adaptation of the novel, The Wizard of Oz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glinda</span> The Wonderful Wizard of Oz character

Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his Oz novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country South of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land of Oz</span> Fantasy land created by L. Frank Baum

The Land of Oz is a magical country introduced in the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarecrow (Oz)</span> Character in L. Frank Baums fictional Land of Oz

The Scarecrow is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W. Denslow. In his first appearance, the Scarecrow reveals that he lacks a brain and desires above all else to have one. In reality, he is only two days old and merely naïve. Throughout the course of the novel, he proves to have the brains he seeks and is later recognized as "the wisest man in all of Oz," although he continues to credit the Wizard for them. He is, however, wise enough to know his own limitations and all too happy to hand the rulership of Oz to Princess Ozma and become one of her trusted advisors, though he typically spends more time having fun than advising.

<i>Journey Back to Oz</i> 1972 animated film by Hal Sutherland

Journey Back To Oz is a 1972 American animated adventure musical fantasy film produced by Filmation. It is loosely based on L. Frank Baum's second Oz novel The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904), although Baum received no screen credit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mombi</span> Fictional character

Mombi is a fictional character in L. Frank Baum's classic children's series of Oz Books. She is the most significant antagonist in the second Oz book The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904), and is alluded to in other works. Mombi plays a very important role in the fictional history of Oz.

<i>The Wizard of Oz</i> (TV series) Animated television series based on the 1939 movie

The Wizard of Oz is a 1990 American animated television series produced by DIC Animation City to capitalize on the popularity of the 1939 film version, to which DiC had acquired the rights from Turner Entertainment, Co. The series aired for thirteen episodes and premiered on ABC, starting on September 8, 1990. The show presented a number of stories and characters from L. Frank Baum's original Oz series.

The Oz Kids is an American direct-to-video animated fantasy comedy-drama series produced by Hyperion Animation based on The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's novel, and its various sequels. Nine episodes were released between October 1, 1996 and February 18, 1997 by Paramount Home Video.

<i>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</i> (TV series) 1986 TV series

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, known in Japan as Ozu no Mahōtsukai (オズの魔法使い), is a Japanese anime television series adaptation based on four of the original early 20th century Oz books by L. Frank Baum. In Japan, the series aired on TV Tokyo from 1986 to 1987. It consists of 52 episodes, which explain other parts of the Oz stories, including the events that happened after Dorothy returned home.

Return to Oz is a 1964 animated television special produced by Crawley Films for Videocraft International. It first aired on 9 February 1964 in the United States on NBC's The General Electric Fantasy Hour block, then later aired on syndication from 1965 to the 1990s and on the Disney Channel in 1995. It was directed by F. R. Crawley, Thomas Glynn and Larry Roemer from a teleplay by Romeo Muller, who later wrote Dorothy in the Land of Oz. This was the first special produced by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass of Rankin/Bass Productions.

<i>The Wizard of Oz</i> (1902 musical) 1902 musical extravaganza

The Wizard of Oz was a 1902 musical extravaganza based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Although Baum is the credited bookwriter, Glen MacDonough was hired on as jokewriter after Baum had finished the script, and the book was largely ghostwritten by a man named Finnegan. Much of the original music was by Paul Tietjens and has been mostly lost, although it was still well-remembered and in discussion at MGM in 1939 when the classic film version of the story was made. The original show was particularly popular because of its two comedy stars: Fred Stone playing the Scarecrow, and David C. Montgomery as the Tin Woodman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jellia Jamb</span> Fictional character

Jellia Jamb is a fictional character from the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. She is first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), as the head maid who works in the royal palace of the Emerald City which is the imperial capital of the Land of Oz. In later books, Jellia eventually becomes Princess Ozma's favorite servant out of the Emerald City's staff administration. She is also the protagonist of Ruth Plumly Thompson's 1939 novel Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz. Her name is a pun on the phrase "Jelly or jam?"

<i>The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True</i> 1995 American film

The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True is a 1995 television musical performance based on the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The book and score of the film were performed on stage at Lincoln Center to benefit the Children's Defense Fund. The concert featured guest performers including Jackson Browne as the Scarecrow, Roger Daltrey as the Tin Man, Natalie Cole as Glinda, Joel Grey as the Wizard, Jewel as Dorothy, Nathan Lane as the Cowardly Lion, Debra Winger as the Wicked Witch, and Lucie Arnaz as Aunt Em. The Boys Choir of Harlem appeared as the Munchkins, and Ry Cooder and David Sanborn performed as musicians.

The Soldier with the Green Whiskers is a character from the fictional Land of Oz who appears in the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum and his successors. He is introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). His name is Omby Amby, but this was so obliquely stated that he also became known briefly as Wantowin Battles.

<i>The Wizard of Oz</i> (2011 musical) 2011 musical based on the 1939 film

The Wizard of Oz is a 2011 musical based on the 1939 film of the same name in turn based on L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with a book adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses the Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg songs from the film and includes some new songs and additional music by Lloyd Webber and additional lyrics by Tim Rice. It is the third stage musical adaptation of the film following the 1942 version for the St. Louis Municipal Opera and the 1987 version for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

<i>The Wizard of Oz</i> (1942 musical) 1942 musical commissioned by the Muny

The Wizard of Oz is a musical commissioned by The Muny based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, using the film's songs by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg. The book of the musical is by Frank Gabrielson, who would later write an adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz (1960) for Shirley Temple.

<i>Dorothy of Oz</i> (book) Book by Roger S. Baum

Dorothy of Oz is a 1989 children's novel written by L. Frank Baum's grandson Roger S. Baum. The book details Dorothy Gale returning to the Land of Oz when a Jester has been using the wand of the Wicked Witch of the West to take over the Land of Oz. The book was adapted into a film called Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return in 2014 by Clarius Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowardly Lion</span> Fictional character from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak.

References

  1. "Chicago, IL - Chicago, Illinois Map & Directions - MapQuest".
  2. "Things to Do in Chicago". Chicago Tribune .
  3. 1 2 3 "Chicago Park District: Oz Park". chicagoparkdistrict.com. Archived from the original on 2005-11-30.
  4. 1 2 "Chicago Park District Oz Park Chicago".
  5. "Keyword Park". Chicago Park District.
  6. "Chicago Park District: Oz Park". www.chicagoparkdistrict.com. Archived from the original on 2005-11-30.
  7. "Parks in LCA". www.lincolncentral.org. Archived from the original on 2004-12-12.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Time Out Chicago".

41°55′15″N87°38′44″W / 41.9209°N 87.6456°W / 41.9209; -87.6456