The 138^th running of the Kentucky Derby takes place tomorrow, May 5. Often called “the most exciting two minutes in sports,” the storied race always draws a huge crowd to the track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky and millions more in television viewers. I recently visited Churchill Downs and took a memorable tour of the facility with a knowledgeable guide, who pointed out that the same company also owns Arlington Park Race Track near Chicago.

Like Louisville, Chicago has a long history of horse racing. It dates back to the 1830s and grew with the city, culminating with the opening of Washington Park Race Track at 61^st Street and Cottage Grove Avenue on June 28, 1884. Track owners, eager to make their mark and earn a profit, launched a new race for three year old thoroughbreds called the American Derby.

The Washington Park Club Official Program, 1885
ICHi-65472

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It’s May. Chicagoans are itching to feel the sunshine, enjoy the city’s parks, and admire the blossoming trees and flowers. Given that Chicago’s climate has been mostly the same over the last two centuries, this impulse has a long history.

Horticulture and the nursery industry were big business in Chicago, even as early as the 1840s. With access to the necessary resources through the city’s first nurseries and garden shops, home gardening was a popular pastime for some of the city’s earliest settlers. As Chicago’s population grew and living quarters became denser, urban dwellers started “kitchen gardens” in their backyards. And in the 1880s, a new trend encouraged homeowners to plant window boxes to do their part toward beautifying the city.

Slews of gardening columns ran in Chicago’s daily papers, with titles like “The Successful Home Garden” and “Farm and Garden,” giving advice on maintaining productive gardens and flowering boxes. Gardening was so popular that in 1901 the Chicago Tribune ran its first annual gardening contest; and in 1910, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad Company sponsored a garden contest for homes that ran along the elevated tracks to encourage Chicagoans to plant window boxes and pots on backyard porches to beautify L riders’ views.

Backyard peony garden, Chicago, 1914. CHM, DN-0062802

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This little black book speaks volumes, for it belonged to none other than Hugh Hefner, the Chicago native who founded Playboy in 1953. The book (and an intriguing “While You Were Away” note found tucked inside) will be on display at the Museum beginning Friday, May 4.

Hugh Hefner’s address book, 1956–57
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