Illinois Statutes Chapter 75. Libraries § 20/1. Chicago public library; possession of Dearborn Park; erection and maintenance of library building; Soldiers' Memorial Hall

§ 1. The Chicago Public Library is authorized to take possession of the piece of ground now known as Dearborn Park, in that part of the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, known as the Fort Dearborn Addition to Chicago, and bounded on the north by the south line of Randolph Street, on the east by the west line of Michigan Avenue, on the south by the north line of Washington Street, on the west by the east line of an alley known as Dearborn place, and to erect and maintain thereon a public library building under the power and authority conferred upon The Chicago Public Library by an act entitled, “An Act in relation to free public libraries for cities, villages, incorporated towns and townships and to repeal Acts and parts of Acts therein named”, approved July 12, 1965, as amended:  1 Provided, that no building shall be erected upon the north one-quarter ( 1/4 ) of said ground by the Chicago Public Library until it has obtained, by purchase or otherwise, whatever interest the Soldiers' Home in Chicago acquired in the same, under “An Act to authorize the Soldiers' Home in Chicago to erect and maintain a soldiers' memorial hall on the north one-quarter ( 1/4 ) of Dearborn Park, in the City of Chicago”, approved June 4, 1889:  2 And provided, further, that in case The Chicago Public Library shall obtain, by purchase or otherwise, whatever interest the Soldiers' Home in Chicago may have in said north one-quarter ( 1/4 ) of Dearborn Park, then and in such case the Chicago public library, in erecting such library building, shall construct in such part of it as it may elect or determine a hall to be known and forever maintained as a memorial hall to commemorate the patriotism and sacrifices of the Union soldiers and sailors of the late civil war, which hall, when completed, may be leased by the Chicago Public Library at a nominal rental for the period of one hundred years to the Grand Army Hall and Memorial Association of Illinois, to be used by it and such other organizations of Union soldiers and sailors of the late civil war and such other organizations of United States soldiers, sailors and marines of succeeding wars and expeditions of the United States, having their headquarters in Cook County, as they may direct, for the purposes of their organizations.