Dobson Playlot Park
History
In 1881, the City of Chicago acquired the lot at the northeast corner of South Dobson Avenue and 75th Place from real estate developer Paul Cornell, a leading force behind the creation of Chicago's South Park System 12 years before. The city soon built a fire house on the property. By 1945, however, the fire station had burned down, and the city's Bureau of Parks and Recreation had transformed the site into a small park with a wading pool, a sand box, and playground equipment. In 1959, the city transferred the park to the Chicago Park District, which made playground improvements in 1966 and again in 1991. Dobson Park takes its name from the adjacent street, named for R.W. Dobson, another south side real estate developer.