The Illinois Prairie Path Handout
Front of handout. Click to see more.
May Theilgaard Watts (1893-1975). The Illinois Prairie Path Along the Right of Way of the Aurora-Elgin-Electric Road Handout. Naperville: The Illinois Prairie Path, 1963.
1 mimeograph page: b&w; 21.59 x 27.94 cm.
The Sterling Morton Library of the Morton Arboretum
A Chicago Tribune "Letter to the Editor" on September 30, 1963 started an environmental movement of monumental importance. In this letter, May Watts described a potential footpath based on the abandoned Chicago, Aurora and Elgin railroad right-ot-way. This handout, featuring the text of that letter and a line representation of the proposed path, was produced to promote her idea of the Illinois Prairie Path. Watts' drawings depict the various plants along the way as well as a representation of the original plan to have 3 separate paths; a footpath, a bike path and an equestrian path. It was distributed in countless community meetings signaling the start of a tremendous "grass roots" effort to obtain the railraod right-of-way lease. It was Watts' vision of a public path network that started the American "Trails for Rails" organization.
1 mimeograph page: b&w; 21.59 x 27.94 cm.
The Sterling Morton Library of the Morton Arboretum
A Chicago Tribune "Letter to the Editor" on September 30, 1963 started an environmental movement of monumental importance. In this letter, May Watts described a potential footpath based on the abandoned Chicago, Aurora and Elgin railroad right-ot-way. This handout, featuring the text of that letter and a line representation of the proposed path, was produced to promote her idea of the Illinois Prairie Path. Watts' drawings depict the various plants along the way as well as a representation of the original plan to have 3 separate paths; a footpath, a bike path and an equestrian path. It was distributed in countless community meetings signaling the start of a tremendous "grass roots" effort to obtain the railraod right-of-way lease. It was Watts' vision of a public path network that started the American "Trails for Rails" organization.