I recently finished reading The Third Coast by Thomas Dyja, this year's One Book One Chicago selection. The OBOC program this year is framed by the theme, "Chicago: The City That Gives." This time of year, that message really resonates. To honor the theme and to continue my goal of highlighting connections between CPL's archives and Dyja's history, I give you a story of giving.
The Chicago Outdoor Art League (COAL) was founded in 1900, and for almost 100 years, until it disbanded in 1999 or 2000, COAL worked to beautify Chicago by donating seeds and trees to various organizations such as veterans' hospitals. The project it was perhaps best known for was Operation Green Thumb.
For Operation Green Thumb, COAL sold vegetable seeds, tree seeds and saplings and flower bulbs at extremely low prices to children and families through the Chicago Public Schools. Those schools with large enough orders were then given free shrubs, trees or bulbs to plant on school grounds, beautifying the campuses and instilling pride in the students who helped plant and tend the trees. A 1957 letter from Brainard School (2113 Washburne Ave.) principal Donald J. Blyth thanks COAL for their project:
"Thanks for the beautiful rose bushes! Children from our school have so far this Spring planted 130 Chinese elm seedlings and 20 silver maple seedlings in backyards and front yards throughout our attendance district. We value the cooperation in our school-community beautification effort that we receive from the Outdoor Art League as they furnish seedlings at such low cost."
Did any of you participate in this project during your youth? Please tell us about it or any other story of giving from Chicago's past.
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