Big Mary

One of the reasons I love real estate is that it gives me the ability to get out and about and experience Chicago's fantastic community areas and neighborhoods. Today brought me to Hyde Park while collecting information for a new listing in a popular 56th Street high rise.

While there I had to pay a visit to the Statue of the Republic ("Big Mary") and snap a few photos. Located in Hayes-Richards Circle, the statue standing today is a replica of the original 111 foot statue constructed to greet visitors to the World's Columbian Exposition held in Jackson Park in 1893.

For a fantastic tale of the exposition, the individuals who brought it to life, and the killer that stalked it's grounds, be sure to read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. It will make your trip to visit "Big Mary" all that more memorable.