Moccasin Ranch Playlot Park
History
The Chicago Park District acquired this once-vacant lot for recreational use in 1969, and officially named it Moccasin Ranch in 1998. The Moccasin Ranch is a collection of stories about life in the Mississippi Valley penned by Hamlin Garland (1860-1940), a significant figure in the Chicago Literary Movement. After gaining initial fame through Moccasin Ranch, Garland published more than a dozen novels, many of which focused on the Midwest. Garland, who lived near the park site at 6427 South Greenwood, is now regarded as one of Chicago's most important authors.