park district. With the approval of the Pleasure Driveway and Park District of Peoria in 1894, Bradley worked with the city to transfer the land to the park board. As part of the land agreement, Bradley stipulated that the board "shall not license or permit the sale or distribution of intoxicating drinks, or allow gambling, betting or games of chance, or boisterous conduct, or immoral or indecorous language or behavior within said park." Bradley always considered Bradley University to be her fondest project, which she established in 1896 to honor her husband Tobias and her six children, who all died at an early age. Bradley aimed to form an institution that would provide students with a practical and useful education. Bradley Polytechnic opened its doors in October 1897. Originally organized as a four-year academy, the school became a four-year college in 1920 and a university granting graduate degrees in 1946. Today the university enjoys the status of a fully accredited, independent institution that provides undergraduate and graduate education in engineering, business, communication, teacher education, nursing, physical therapy, fine arts, and the liberal arts and sciences. Death and interment According to biographer Allen A. Upton, Lydia Moss Bradley "was confined to her home with illness" in December 1907. Initially diagnosed with internal inflammation, she briefly improved under the care of her physician, but her health then declined once again following a revised diagnosis of "la grippe" in early January 1908. Although in great pain, the now-91-year-old philanthropist reportedly remained alert and engaged with the affairs of her estate. She succumbed to complications from her condition at 7:15 a.m. on January 16, 1908. Following funeral services at her home, she was laid to rest beside her husband at the Springdale Cemetery "in the family plot that held the remains of her father, mother, Laura, the five other children and the children of William Moss." Honors In 1997, Bradley University honored Lydia Moss Bradley by erecting a statue on Founder's Circle in her honor. That statue has since been featured regularly in images used for university recruiting brochures. In June 2018, the statue was knocked down during a traffic accident. On August 16, 2018, there was a celebration in honor of the restored statue. In 1998, Lydia Moss Bradley was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. See also Bradley University References Further reading Dagit, Christal. "Lydia Moss Bradley." Illinois Heritage (Mar/Apr2015)