Cornell, a successful lawyer, businessman and real estate speculator, purchased  of Lake Michigan lakefront land between 51st and 55th Streets in Hyde Park Township (six miles south of  downtown Chicago). The land was also adjacent to the Illinois Central Railroad.
Cornell, a successful lawyer, businessman, and real estate speculator, acquired land on Lake Michigan's shoreline between 51st and 55th Streets in Hyde Park Township (six miles south of downtown Chicago). The property was also situated near the Illinois Central Railroad.