Forged in History: Lincoln Park, Shaping Chicago

Our newest documentary is underway and has completed Phase One—the filming of the park.
Please join us in helping bring this film to life.

Forged in History: Lincoln Park, Shaping Chicago is a feature-length documentary that uncovers how Chicago’s most visited park preserves the city’s vital roots through its land and monuments. Once a 19th-century cemetery, Lincoln Park became a proving ground for public health reform, civic memory, and democratic access to green space as Chicago confronted war, immigration, fire, disease, and rapid growth.

By revealing how Native American presence, Civil War remembrance, Progressive-era reform, and artistic intent are embedded in the park’s design and bronze sculptures, the film shows why Lincoln Park is not simply a recreational space, but an important historical record hiding in plain sight. At a time when urban development increasingly erases local character and the past is often absent from classrooms, this film makes a compelling case for why preserving and understanding civic landscapes matters to the future of American cities.

Click here for an early preview clip on YouTube.

We are currently seeking tax-deductible funding to complete Phase Two, which will film the expert interviews essential to moving the project into post-production.

Fiscal Sponsorship & Support

This project is fiscally sponsored by Chicago Filmmakers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1980. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

To make a tax-deductible donation online (credit card or Venmo):
Please use their PayPal link
 

OR visit the Forged in History project page on the Chicago Filmmakers website:
https://chicagofilmmakers.org/productions-we-sponsor/forged-in-history-lincoln-park-shaping-chicago

To make a tax-deductible donation by check:
Payable to: Chicago Filmmakers
Memo: “Forged in History”
5720 N. Ridge Avenue
Chicago, IL 60660

Questions:
Chicago Filmmakers: (773) 293-1447
Or submit an inquiry through their website.

Thank you for your support.