Vittum Park
History
The Chicago Park District began creating Vittum Park in 1947 as part of the Ten Year Park Development Plan. During the post-World War II period, Chicago's booming population was severely underserved in terms of parkland and facilities. The plan identified areas in critical need of new parks as well as existing parks with inadequate recreational facilities. As part of the expansion effort, the park district acquired a 13-acre property in the Garfield Ridge area. In 1961, the park district transferred a small area of the park, less than one acre in size, to the Board of Education, allowing for the construction of Frank Baum Elementary School. Despite the adjacent school, Vittum Park did not have sufficient indoor facilities until the park district constructed its fieldhouse in 1981.
The park honors Harriet Elizabeth Vittum (1872 -1953), an important social reformer heralded as the "First Lady of the needy." In 1904, Vittum began volunteering at the Northwestern University Settlement House, one of Chicago's innovative community centers that provided housing and services to underprivileged neighborhoods. Three years later, Vittum became the facility's administrator. Remaining involved with the settlement house for forty years, she established nutrition clinics, educational programs, and children's summer camps. Vittum received a 1948 Distinguished Service Award from the Chicago Recreation Commission that cited her as "an illustrious pioneer in the settlement... [and a] courageous practitioner of social welfare."
