Pasteur Park
History
Pasteur Park, which sits adjacent to Pasteur School, is among a number of park sites operated jointly by the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Board of Education. The park district acquired most of the park property in 1948, as part of a ten-year plan to increase recreational opportunities in under-served neighborhoods in post-World War II Chicago. At the time, the southwestern section of the West Elsdon community was experiencing substantial residential growth. When the city vacated a portion of South Kolin Street and adjacent alleys in 1953, the park expanded by several acres. Within the next few years, the park district installed playground equipment and constructed a comfort station with an office and game room. The park district rehabilitated the playground in 1996.
Pasteur Park and the adjacent school bear the name of chemist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895). A native of Dole, France, Pasteur is recognized as the founder of the microbiological sciences. Pasteur postulated that microscopic organisms, which he called germs, caused both spoilage in food and disease in humans. Following up on his theories through experimentation, he developed pasteurization, a heat treatment that destroys micro-organisms in food and other perishable items. His experiments also led to vaccines for various life-threatening diseases, including rabies.
