Talk:Midway Plaisance

Canal Would Have Drained the Lake?
There are some major problems in the "University of Chicago" section. (I'll set aside the fact that the problem areas shouldn't necessarily even be in a section entitled "University of Chicago")

I. Citation / Dubious Statement Issues

The claim is made that the proposed canal system would have led to the drainage of Lake Michigan into Washington Park and, eventually, into the Mississippi River. This claim is further detailed by the addendum that such drainage would be caused due to the slope of the land from east to west.

As a threshold matter, I'm extremely doubtful that anything being said in that paragraph is, in fact, accurate. If it is, it certainly needs to be sourced; meaning, the claim about the slope of the land, the claim that that would lead to drainage of Lake Michigan into Washington Park, and the claim that that drainage would eventually flow into the Mississippi River.

II. Contradictions

In the very next paragraph, it is stated that, in fact, the proposed canal plan would not have led to any issues related to drainage of Lake Michigan because of the design of the canal. That's in direct contradiction to the earlier paragraph which claims that the proposed canal plan would have led to issues related to drainage of Lake Michigan. It's one or the other folks.

More generally, this isn't how to write an encyclopedic article. This isn't Aristotle. You don't begin with an incorrect claim and then go on in the next paragraph to correct it. That may be rhetorically ?philosophically? effective, but it isn't a straightforward way to present information.

(I note that the earlier paragraph is NOT saying 'the public perception of the canal was that it would cause drainage' with the subsequent paragraph saying 'but, in fact, the proposed canal would not have caused.' That would be a very different--and, I think, appropriate to retain--matter. The paragraphs make no such transition or distinction. They just flatly contradict one another). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.194.246.118 (talk) 07:28, 8 April 2010 (UTC)

The name "Midway"
I've always wondered how the name "Midway" became connected to this park. I'd been hoping this article would reveal that. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.169.167.8 (talk) 10:27, 23 May 2011 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: American Studies 101
— Assignment last updated by CSU ENG PROF (talk) 20:39, 17 October 2023 (UTC)