In 1856, early lumber mill owner and real estate speculator George Bickerdike (1806-1880) transferred a small rectangular property to the City of Chicago as parkland.In 1899, the city formed the Special Park Commission to study Chicago's open space needs and to create playgrounds. Within a few years, the commission also began managing all of the city's existing parks. Bickerdike Square remained a city park until 1959, when it was transferred to the Chicago Park District along with more than 250 other properties. In the following decades, the park's lily pools were removed and the fountain was converted to a planter. Today, the site is one of 46 Chicago Park District properties used exclusively for passive recreation.