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Why does Chicago have so little love for the ‘Watchdog’ of the lakefront? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 1, 2026 · 25 MIN

Why does Chicago have so little love for the ‘Watchdog’ of the lakefront?

from Curious City · host WBEZ Chicago

The name Aaron Montgomery Ward might sound familiar, either from the chain of now-defunct department stores that once bore his name or as the catalog guy who revolutionized mail-order shopping over 150 years ago. His lesser-known legacy, perhaps, is his drawn out fight over Grant Park. Ward spent 22 years and upwards of $1 million in today’s dollars fighting to keep Chicago’s premier downtown park “forever open, clear and free” from buildings. But why did he do it? And why isn’t he celebrated more for his crusade?

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 1, 2026

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Why does Chicago have so little love for the ‘Watchdog’ of the lakefront?

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