The naturalistic setting of Wooded Isle, designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, stood in contrast to the formal splendor of the White City buildings of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. Fairgoers retreated to the island for relaxation on its shaded trails. They also could stroll through Hunter's Cabin (a monument to Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone) or the Japanese exhibit, a cluster of buildings reflecting several centuries of Japanese architectural styles. Additional buildings constructed for the Century of Progress Exposition were moved to the island in 1935. The structures were destroyed over the course of several years, beginning in 1941 when vandals set the wood buildings afire following the attack on Pearl Harbor. A Japanese Garden designed during the 1930s remained on the island, renamed Osaka Japanese Garden in 1993 in honor of Chicago's "sister city" relationship with the city of Osaka.

Photographer: Charles Dudley Arnold
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-18420)