Village of Riverside v. MacLain

210 Ill. 308
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedJune 23, 1904
StatusPublished
Cited by43 cases

This text of 210 Ill. 308 (Village of Riverside v. MacLain) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Village of Riverside v. MacLain, 210 Ill. 308 (Ill. 1904).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Magruder

delivered the opinion of the court:

After a careful examination of the record, plats, maps and evidence we are of the opinion, that the testimony sustains the findings of the court below, and that the decree entered by it is correct.

About March 1,1869, the Riverside Improvement Company, incorporated under a special act of the legislature of Illinois for the purpose of establishing a suburban town, became the owner of the south half of section 25, and the whole of sections 35 and 36 in township 39 nórth, range 12, east of the third principal meridian, except that part lying south of the DesPlaines river, and also of some parts of sections 1 and 2 in township 38, which lands were included within the outlines of maps and plats hereinafter mentioned, and included said block 4 and .said tract B. The lands acquired lay to the east and west of the DesPlaines river in its north and south course. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad ran east and west, and a little south of west, through the tract and across the DesPlaines river. Immediately north of the railroad tracks was a tract of land, marked upon the plat “Land not belonging to the company,” which was not owned by the Riverside Improvement Company, and which at that time was not subdivided. North, however, of this unsubdivided tract was a tract, purchased by the company subject to a mortgage, which was afterwards foreclosed, and all the title of the Riverside Improvement Company was thereby eliminated. The latter tract was platted, and subdivided into roadways and parks upon the same plan as the land south of the railroad tracks. The tract here in controversy, and alleged to be a park or a part of a system of parks inaugurated by the improvement company, lies south of the railroad tracks and north and west of block 4 in which the lots of appellees are located. Subsequently, the northern part of the unsubdivided tract, lying north of said railroad tracks, was subdivided into lots and blocks and streets, and called “Beebe’s Central Riverside addition;” and the southern part of said tract was subsequently subdivided into lots and blocks, etc., and called “Wessencraft's Homestead addition." The street lying north of Wessencraft’s addition, and running east and west, was designated as Forest avenue. From -Forest avenue, West avenue runs south, as designated upon the plat in the statement preceding this opinion. West avenue runs southward as far as the north line of the railroad tracks. West avenue is a street fifty feet wide, and, where it strikes the north line of the railroad right of way, is about two hundred and thirty-four feet from the bank of the DesPlaines river on the west side of the street. It was dedicated as a public street, and has always been used as such. By an ordinance of the village, dated January 3, 1898, West avenue was extended across the railroad right of way to the park marked “Tract B,” including tract D, in pursuance of condemnation proceedings thereupon instituted. By the ordinance of August 28, 1900, amending the ordinance of August 24, 1875, it was provided that a roadway should be constructed for pleasure vehicles and pedestrians by the extension of West avenue south across the park, marked “Tract B,” to Bloomingbank road running south of said park and north and west of block 4. The extension of West avenue across the park rnarked “Tract B” is what is sought to be enjoined and prevented by this suit. All the property, including block 4 and the park marked “Tract B,” including tract D, here in controversy, lies in the first division of Riverside.

First—The first contention made by the appellant is that the lands lying between said block 4 and the said railroad are not “public park.” This contention cannot be maintained under the proofs in this case.

It appears from the written stipulation of facts, entered into by counsel and introduced upon the trial of the case, that the Riverside Improvement Company in March, 1869, as owner, subdivided and made a plat of the first division of Riverside and collected all the maps, showing the different divisions, into one map, and that this map showed the blocks, lots, parks and commons, and was hung in the offices of the Riverside Improvement Company in Chicago and Riverside; that the company sold the lots with reference to the same; made accurate surveys of the lots and blocks and parks platted into three divisions; recorded the plats on September 21, 1869; placed the recorded plats in its offices and offered and sold lots with reference to the maps and plats; that the said recorded plats showed the parks, lawns, banks and margins as places colored green, (being the shaded parts in the accompanying plat,) and the parts so colored green were declared bj^ the Riverside Improvement Company to be dedicated to public use,, and were so dedicated. It also appears from the stipulation and evidence that the Riverside Improvement Company continued to exhibit the recorded plats and maps referred to, and to distribute lithograph copies of the same, showing the public parks, river banks, islands, margins and commons, and represented that the places colored green were dedicated as parks and commons to public use; that, by means of such representations, many persons were induced to purchase lots in the first, second and third divisions, including the lots now owned by appellees; that appellees purchased and acquired their lots for valuable consideration, in good faith, and with full knowledge of the suits, decrees and records hereinafter set forth, which were in existence at the time of their respective purchases; that, after the fire of 1871 which destroyed all of the original recorded maps, and also the records thereof, the Riverside Improvement Company prepared and recorded plats, which, while they do not show as colored green the portions, dedicated to the public as parks by the original maps, yet show the park portions as blank and unsubdivided premises; it also appears from the stipulation and evidence that the village of Riverside, when incorporated in 1875, accepted the dedication of the parks and commons, and assumed the custody thereof.

In addition to this the town of Riverside in 1872 filed a bill, in which it recognized in general terms the dedication and the existence of the parks and commons, indicated in the original recorded plats and exhibited and distributed maps. On September 17,1885, the village of Riverside filed its original bill of complaint against the Riverside Improvement Company, Henry L. Glos et al., for the purpose of establishing by judicial proceeding the system of parks and commons, created and dedicated by the Riverside Improvement Company, in which suit a decree was entered on April 4,1887, which established as a complete system all of the parks dedicated originally by the Riverside Improvement Company, including the premises in question, as public park and common, and this decree found that the company hung a map in its office and circulated among the people a map of the lands and subdivision thereof, showing blocks, streets, lots, parks, public grounds and commons, and distributed lithographic copies of the same in large numbers among the people, and showed the same to prospective purchas: ers of residence sites; and that the map so circulated showed in conspicuous colors the parks, commons and public grounds, which the owners of the sites proposed to dedicate to the public forever for the use of prospective purchasers and residents.

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Bluebook (online)
210 Ill. 308, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/village-of-riverside-v-maclain-ill-1904.