Augusta Park
History
The City of Chicago purchased the property for Augusta Park in 1932. The city's Bureau of Parks and Recreation operated the park until 1959, when it was transferred to the Chicago Park District. Although there is no clear record of this park's naming, the Bureau of Parks and Recreation often used adjacent street names for purposes of identification. Augusta Boulevard apparently takes its name from Augusta Carpenter, daughter of Philo Carpenter (1805-1886), Chicago's first druggist. Carpenter travelled from Chicago to Troy, New York by mail coach and Indian canoe in 1832. Upon arrival, he opened a drug store near the river on what is now Lake Street. By 1834, he had made a fortune investing in real estate. Carpenter later became a vocal advocate of abolitionism and temperance, and served as a director of the Chicago Theological Seminary. The Chicago Park District has recognized Carpenter's role in the city's early history by naming another park for him.
