Entries for April 16 - 1911 and 2011 (Lincoln Park Zoo)

Rita's Entry: Easter Sunday, April 16, 1911
Loitering over breakfast before dressing for church when who should come but Dad!  Great tidings.  no church.  We took a walk to lake and up Sheridan Road.  After dinner Mr. and Mrs. S., Tin, Dad and I went to Lincoln Park and then down town to see the high buildings, etc.  Lots of fun.  Dad stayed all night on urgent invitation.  Felt fine.

IN RITA'S DAY: Rita and her father (above) were very close and his surprise arrival from Iowa, on Easter and after Rita had been so sick, must  have made her so happy.  Although she doesn't say what they saw at Lincoln Park, no doubt they went to the zoo.  The zoo is one of the oldest in the nation and began in 1868 with some swans (see below) given to Chicago from Central Park in NYC.  The lion house wasn't completed until 1912, but they also could have seen some bears.

TODAY: Swans have been an important tradition at the zoo.  Recently, the zoo has been involved in a project to repopulate the Midwest with trumpeter swans.  Another tradition has  been the swan paddle boats (see below) but the restoration of the South Pond required taking the boats out of the water.  People were hoping to have them back in 2011 but the zoo spokespeople say the plants must get established first.  Will the swan boats ever return?

Judy's Entry: Saturday, April 16, 2011
Went to a wedding shower at a winery in Mohegan.  It is quite nice and used to be an old stone church.  Very pleasant afternoon.  Lots of shower games like matching Disney films with the right love song.  I love music, but was not good at this game!!!  Too stuffed with shower food so just had toast for supper.