In the lead-up to the 1893 World's Fair, the many residents of the city were all preparing for the festivities. Carter Harrison was appointing John Coughlin as the VP of Entertainment throughout the fair. Daniel Burnham was furiously at work putting the final touches on his plans for the glorious White City. Jackson Park and the Midway Plaisance were being appointed with all the finest decorations(including The Republic). Even the Illinois Central Railroad was getting in on the prep, as ridership was about to skyrocket.
But in the midst of all of that, the Women's Christian Temperance Union was arranging their own contribution to the fair in the form of a fountain. Lets back up a bit to explain. Back in those days, folks would stop into the local watering hole for more than just booze, including(lo and behold) actual drinking water. Of course, for some men, this temptation proved too great, and they then switched to more potent libations. The goal of this fountain was to give the men some place that served cold water without also serving them a big heaping plate of temptation. And it worked great.
In the aftermath of the fair, it stuck around the park for several more decades until it was stolen in the 1950s. For the next 6 decades, not much was done on this front, at least until October 2, 2013, when a new bronze statue was reattached to the pedestal and rededicated. And with that, a legacy that was started over 140 years ago has come full circle and now once again will serve as a monument to the efforts of the WCTU.
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