From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Oak Street Beach
Beach in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Beach in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| name | Oak Street Beach | |
| native_name | }} -- | |
| type | Beach | |
| photo | Oak Street Beach.jpg | |
| photo_caption | The beach in July 2018, looking south | |
| map | Chicago | |
| coordinates | ||
| location | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| area | ||
| length | ||
| width | ||
| depth | ||
| drop | ||
| elevation | ||
| surface_elevation | ||
| highest_coords | ||
| website |
| volcanic_arc/belt =
Oak Street Beach is located near Oak Street on 1100 North Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan.
History
Up until the late 1800s the Lake Shore sloped from Oak Street to the Chicago river in a much gentler fashion. However the construction of a shipping pier at the river led to a build up of sand and silt just to the north. As the land rose up out of the water squatters began to take residence, leading to disputes with lakefront property owners.
The biggest series of clashes surrounded a man named George Streeter in 1886. Streeter's boat, with passengers and cargo, became stranded on the sandbar created by the pier. As he unloaded waste and cargo, he created a small island. Eventually he persuaded people to dump more there, and claimed a sizable island. However the city would not stand for it, and after legal battles (some of which included gun fights) Streeter was evicted and the land, which was eventually filled in, became part of Chicago and became known as Streeterville.
Oak Street Beach was formed by sand washing up against the northern side of Streeterville. Originally, it was under control of the Lincoln Park District, one of several districts in the city that were consolidated in 1934 to create the Chicago Park District.
Through the 1960s the sand area of Oak Street covered more than twice the area it does now, and the water was as much as three feet higher than its current level. The beach was popular for residents and tourists as a summer social spot near down town.
Cultural impact
A radio advertisement for mattresses, in the 1970s, featured a child reading a letter he was writing to the Sandman. The punch line was the child asking, "Is it true you get all your sand from Oak Street Beach?"
Chicago pop-punk band Knuckle Puck released a song titled "Oak Street" on their "While I Stay Secluded" EP.
Chicago hip-hop artist Chance The Rapper mentions Oak Street Beach in the third verse of his song, Windows.
Gallery
Oak Street Beach in Chicago.jpg|Oak Street beach at night, 2010 20070703 Oak Street Beachstro.JPG|The beach's 'Oak Street Beachstro' View of Oak Street Beach, Lake Shore Drive and Drake Hotel, Chicago (60767).jpg|Postcard view c.1940s
References
References
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Oak Street Beach — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report