In 1906, after the Illinois Central Railroad had torn down Mary Tinker's home, Tinker added elaborate gardens on the creek bank across from his Swiss Cottage. The gardens became a new destination for his swinging bridge. The gardens featured a lagoon, small footbridges and stone features, and shaped flowerbeds.
 Willard Dorr's period pastel of the garden |
With the financial support from an Illinois Department of Natural Resources Grant, Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum was able to begin Phase I of the Railroad Garden Restoration Project during the summer of 2007. The garden area is now graded, irrigated and seeded. The paths are in place and the historic stairs built by Robert Tinker have been cleared. The pond has been aerated and now hosts a multitude of turtles and frogs. In 2008 fundraising will begin to raise support for the restoration and ongoing maintenance of the historic flower beds that will contain flowers and plantings specific to the original Railroad Garden. |
 Garden restoration begins! |
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 Restoration in process |
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 Robert Tinker's historic stairs |
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 Volunteers Connie and Jim Coffey |