It was happy birthday to Colonel Robert McCormick at Cantigny Park’s McCormick Day.
It’s thanks to McCormick that people can enjoy Cantigny Park. The World War I veteran and owner of the Chicago Tribune left behind his 500-acre estate upon his death in 1955, and requested it be turned into a park for the public.
Every year, Cantigny Park holds McCormick Day to celebrate his life.
“McCormick Day is kind of a gift to the local community. We try to theme each year with something that was important to the McCormick’s,” said Jeff Anderson, Interpretation Manager at the McCormick House. “This year we chose to go with art, the family liked to collect art, and they also liked to paint. Amy McCormick, Robert’s wife was a huge painter.”
Visitors could participate in art-themed activities like water color painting, enjoy the park’s gardens, and tour the McCormick House museum.
And a living history performer played the Colonel’s wife Amy, who cut the birthday cake, and helped to give out cupcakes to the party-goers.
Colonel McCormick would have been 137 years old.
Napervile News 17’s Blane Erwin reports.
