Daniel Burnham's 1909 plan called for a chain of five artificial islands stretching from Grant Park to Jackson Park.
They only built one — this one.
By 1933, it was the site of the Century of Progress World's Fair. After the fair, the island became Meigs Field — a single-runway airport.
Then, in 2003, Mayor Richard M. Daley made one of the most dramatic moves in Chicago political history.
In the middle of the night — without warning, without permits — he sent bulldozers to destroy the runway. Just carved X's into the concrete so planes couldn't land. Stranded 16 aircraft on the ground.
Today it's a nature sanctuary.
— From the tour: Landfill of Dreams
