"Probably the most egregious closings occurred in the 1920s when Chicago Mayor William Hale "Big Bill" Thompson called off school and gave children free tickets to the Riverview amusement park on the North Side. At least twice, in 1922 and 1928, the notoriously corrupt mayor thumbed his nose at parents and teachers alike to curry favor with future voters still in school.
"Parents were understandably outraged that their kids were pulled from class and dumped in the middle of the park unchaperoned.
"The Tribune reported of school children learning from a 'snake charmer' and being seduced to see an 'Amazonian jungle woman'.:
I remember going out to Chicago's Great America amusement park once with students who were to use math and science to determine how the rides worked and their heights. More on that next post.
I Would Like to see that "Amazonian Jungle Woman." --Cooter
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