History Plaza

History Plaza at Ridge Road and Burnham Avenue ~

In 2017, the Village and their architects worked together with the Historical Society to design History Plaza.  The plaza depicts the three neighborhoods that came together to form Lansing in 1893.  Also featured are early Lansing heritage, industry, agriculture, aviation and native plants.  The plaza is a quiet place to reflect on Lansing’s past, even though it is on a busy intersection.

Panel #1 RECEDING LAKE MICHIGAN FORMED THE RIDGE. It shows a wave from the prehistoric Lake Michigan whose boundary was the sandy ridge running through what is now Ridge Road in Lansing. A trail through the prairie grass of this sandy ridge was first travelled by Indian tribes and then settled by European immigrants. Today, Lansing businesses and a vibrant community continue to grow along “the Ridge.”

Panel #2 EARLY SETTLERS FARMED THE MARSHLAND. . In 1843, German and Dutch farmers migrated to obtain larger farms in the United States for their growing families. They built their homes, and by 1862 had united to dig a drainage ditch to create suitable farmland out of the marshland. Agriculture sustained many families in the area then known as Oak Glen. Onions, tomatoes, beets, and spinach were among the crops farmed.

Panel #3 BRICKYARDS AND THE RAILROAD PROVIDED LANSING JOBS. In addition to agriculture, brickyards also dominated Lansing’s economy in the late 1800’s. The Great Chicago fire of 1871 created a demand for bricks with which to rebuild the city. Purington, Harlan, Illinois Brick Company and Labahn brickyards brought jobs to Bernice and other parts of the area, which was rich in blue clay.

Panel #4 THE TWENTIETH CENTURY BROUGHT INDUSTRIAL GROWTH. The Ford Hanger at Lansing’s Municipal Airport brought honors to town. In 1923, Henry Ford hired noted architect, Albert Kahn, to design and build a hanger to house Ford’s Tri-motor airplanes. The award-winning design featured cantilevered construction, vast windows and easy-to-open sliding doors. The Ford Hangar was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1985.