south side chicago 1950s south side chicago 1950s

Went to kindergarten there. The southeast corner building was nondescript, although at one point it was a Stineway drug store. The first order to build rapid transit cars from PCC streetcars was in June 1953 for 150 cars; followed by a 100 car order in Feb. 1954, a 20 car order in Dec. 1954, an 80 car order in June 1955 and a 50 car order in Dec. 1955. Check out these old photos of Illinois from the 1940s. Through a century of discriminatory strategies from the City and the real estate industry, in addition to antiquated attitudes toward Black residents and people of color, Chicago continues to be a city of neighborhoodshighly segregated neighborhoods. Amazing! https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic535.jpg All those seem to date between 1952 and 1954. 2. 06. (Wien-Criss Archive), Here, a CTA Pullman PCC is northbound on Clark at Roosevelt Road. With maybe at least a few St.Louis-built cars being included in some of those orders; the Pullman cars were largely gone from the streets by the end of 1955. Toledo & Eastern: The Robert Taylor Homes, located between 39th and 54th streets, had more than half of those apartments. Racially restrictive covenants were also common in the Chicago area, as in the rest of the country. Railroad Record Club Traction Rarities 1951-58 Second, they were all shared with our readers by Jeffrey L. Wien of the Wien-Criss Archive. The plan was ostensibly intended to decentralize Black poverty and relocate residents to mixed-income housing in integrated neighborhoods. As he led a march through Marquette Park on the Southwest Side, he was attacked with bricks by a racist white mob. Despite the simplicity of Chicagos famous grid system, designed for flat land and seemingly equitable on a map, residents of Chicago have never been equally dispersed or had the same freedom of movement and belonging. Prior to its more official naming, the media referred to the Bronzeville neighborhood and adjacent areas using derisive names such as the "Black Belt," "Black Ghetto," and even more appalling names such as "Darkie Town." This story was produced for WTTWS FIRSTHAND: SEGREGATION, an award-winning FIRSTHAND multiplatform, multi-year initiative focusing on the firsthand perspectives of people facing critical issues in Chicago. All copies purchased through The Trolley Dodger will be signed by the author. On the northeast corner, the 1933 art deco Sears store building with its tenant, the Hillmans Pure Foods grocery store are partially obscured by the Arthur Murray sign and the one in back of it. 01. A bit of detail on photos (pic571.jpg & pic572.jpg) at 71st & Western, the temporary facing crossover was installed without a corresponding crossover overhead wire. My Auntie Stell and her co-workers, Chicago. Western/Berwyn canopies lasted a long time, into late 80s, before they rusted off at the ground! I can remember the screeching noises and sparks from when the connectors hit the wires. PCCs were taken off Madison on December 13, 1953. 1454 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605. Technology advances enter the classroom and Chicago schools now have projectors, microscopes and early computer kits. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4004 is on Western at 26th on June 7, 1956. The only way to get there (still with usable tracks and live trolley wires) was along 69th St. to Wentworth (200 W.), south to 73rd St. at Vincennes, then southwest on Vincennes to the barn at 77th. In the 1960s, then-Mayor Richard J. Daleys administration began to address the dilapidated housing conditions of the citys poorest and signed off on the construction of 165 high-rises managed by the Chicago Housing Authority that would house mainly Black Chicagoans. Photo 513 has a pet peeve caption as far as I am concerned. White flight caused redlining as the community was now at almost 90% black by 1960. Despite the Citys first settler, Jean-Baptiste Point DuSable, being of Haitian descent, Chicagos infamous segregation is still intact, and it joins a list of large cities with similar rates of racial polarization, such as Cleveland, Newark, Philadelphia, and Houston. I LOVE this article! National Archives Stateway Gardens, a housing project on Chicago's South Side, housed nearly 7,000 people in 1973. PCC 7113 would be powered into the crossover while the conductor pulls the pole from the rear window, as the car then coasts onto the parallel track. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4227 is on the turnback loop at Clark and Howard, the north end of Route 22. From speakeasies in the '20s to rooftop bars today, Chicago's seen a lot of wild nights. So we're diving into that jet-setting, Mad Men time when Michigan Avenue became the "Mag Mile.". A community can be described as a collection of individuals who share a common location or trait.People who live in the same neighborhood, work at the same company, or attend the same school together are . Chicago's South Side in black & white May 12, 2016 SJNN By Alden Loury Looking West down 79th Street at Western Ave, Chicago, IL. 1957: Civil Rights Act of 1957 is responsible for enforcing the civil rights laws passed. . During the 1950's, the time that the Younger family was living in Chicago, whites and blacks were living completely separate lives and a majority of the blacks were living in poverty. 5:02 Streamliner #300, northward from Edwardsville, February 14, 1955 https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic566.jpg This series was produced for WTTWS FIRSTHAND: SEGREGATION, an award-winning FIRSTHAND multiplatform, multi-year initiative focusing on the firsthand perspectives of people facing critical issues in Chicago. Recorded between 1955 and 1963 on the Skokie Valley Route and Mundelein branch. https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic530.jpg Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the United States. Chicago Youth Organize Townhall for Mayoral Candidates, Op-Ed: Chuy Garca Isnt Running as a Progressive This Mayoral Bid, Chicago Rapper 8MatikLogan Gives Himself A Second Chance, IRS Approves Federal Nonprofit Status for South Side Weekly NFP, Mayoral Debate was a Poor Night for Chicago, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Under the Plan for Transformation, the City began to knock down the projects one by one like dominos. 18. Shameless fans, you are welcome to come inside the gate and take pictures on the porch, a sign in front of the house reads. All Rights Reserved. (2) As can be seen from each side of the street in this photo, Western Ave. was auto dealer row for a mile or so to either side of 63rd St. https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic555.jpg The original Little Joes Pizzeria on 63rd Street & Richmond, The original 1960's era White Castle restaurant at South Archer and Kedzie Avenues, in Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood. Why does every recent description and photo caption of the segment of the Cottage Grove line south of 95th St. talk about it paralleling the Metra Electric? Queensboro Bridge Company (New York City): Andre Kristopans says it is Crossing under CNW and PRR at Rockwell. (Wien-Criss Archive). Will Guy Fieri Cook The Bean Before It's Windexed? Order your copy today! Our friend Kenneth Gear recently acquired the original Railroad Record Club master tapes. In order to continue giving you the kinds of historic railroad images that you have come to expect from The Trolley Dodger, we need your help and support. Their numbers fell off during the Depression amid intensified immigration crackdowns, according to researchers. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4050 is southbound on Western at the Douglas Park L on November 11, 1955. The shots of Chicago will surprise you. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7123 at Western and 69th on January 28, 1954. At this time, the temporary Van Buren trackage was still under construction, and this picture was taken from the Garfield Park L station, then still in use. 09. There were 28 buildings which was originally housed for 11,000 residents but soon became over 27,000- Population Crisis (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7208 is on Western near 34th on September 3, 1950. But when industrial employment dried up in the 1950s and '60s, it descended into poverty and crime. The original objective was to treat basic illness and to train nurses and interns. 16:26 sounds recorded on board a PCC (early 1950s) They were simultaneously subject to predatory practices such as contract selling, in which realtors would deceive buyers into signing contracts to buy marked-up houses on installment with high interest rates and no guarantee of title. 06. The streetcars shown here were Western Ave. cars, running east on 69th St. to get to the Vincennes / 77th St. barn. Chicago Hoods: West Side. From 1915 to 1960, more than 5 million African Americans moved from the rural South to the North in a phenomena called the Great Migration. Photo 504 shows car 4108 turning off of northbound Dearborn St. to westbound Kinzie St. before continuing north on Clark St. Photo 506 is certainly plausible. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4053 at Western and Leland on June 10, 1956. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7240 is at 69th and Morgan on October 25, 1954. Total time: 79:30 (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7113 is in an area where tracks are being worked on, and is crossing over from one track to another using a temporary switch. (The Census Bureau didn't begin to identify "non-Hispanic whites" as a separate category until 1980, when that group accounted for . The photographer who took the black-and-whites is not known, but it seems possible it was someone who did not live in this area, but came to visit. Chicago Photos . What is the South Side of Chicago called? https://chicagology.com/wp-content/themes/revolution-20/century/194063rdhalsted.jpg. The developments were primarily clustered into six groups in addition to scattered sites with low-rise buildings and row houses. We appeared on WGN radio in Chicago last November, discussing our book Building Chicagos Subways on the Dave Plier Show. Note that the platforms have been moved to the east and no longer extend over Halsted St. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 640 is running under the L on Halsted at 63rd Place on May 25, 1954. By the 1960s, Black residents had moved into "grade B" (blue) communities in the South Side, such as Roseland and Beverly. My parents came from PR in 1950s. During the 1950s many residents called the northeast . I remember as a kid in late 1961 seeing the Humboldt Pk tracks from my seat on the Logan Sq El. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4060 is southbound on Western at 66th on October 9, 1955. The South Side's 87th Street, for instance, was a stronghold of Black businesses, particularly during the 1980s. He would later say, I have been in the Civil Rights Movement for many years all through the South, but I have never seen not even in Alabama or Louisianamobs as hostile and hateful as this crowd. The Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968. Your caption says this streetcar is on 77th St. No, it is on Vincennes Ave., in front of the 77th St. barn, heading north. 14. chicago Go To Homepage Before You Go There are miscellanous directories available for later yearsbusiness directories and . The South Side has been home to some of the most significant figures in the history of American politics. Greg Nye. In the background, you can see the viaduct which is now part of the 606 Trail. 08. Nowadays, transit agencies have style manuals, used to maintain consistency, but such was not the case in the early 1950s. In the mid-1950s Chicago faced its first postindustrial crisis as the major meatpacking companies began to close their production facilities. 08. 17. This picture was taken on June 17, 1955 at Western and 71st. Many thousands gathered to celebrate the starting of work on the subway. The other bus company running from the south suburbs into Englewood was the Suburban Transit System, which ran primarily east and west along 95th St. out to Oak Lawn and beyond. The unrest in Chicago led to eleven deaths and over a hundred destroyed buildings. 02. Up until the 1940s, Black residents were confined to this corridor, better known as the Black Belt, which ran along State Street roughly between Roosevelt Road (12th Street) and 79th Street. Displaced The station was closed in 1952, probably just a few months before this picture was taken. # of Discs- 3 The lack of such a track indicates that any Western car ending its run and heading to the 77th and Vincennes barn had to start at the 79th and Western terminal, go north on Western, then turn east on 69th. Chicago Park District - Marquette Park Bridge over the lagoon--east side of the park. So the suburban bus line went as far as 63rd Place and Halsted (next to the L station). Pennsylvania Railroad GG-1s: #535 looks north on Halsted from the L station, this was the main crossroads of the Englewood shopping district. The South Side is one of the three major sections of the city of Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Geographically, it is the largest of the three sections of the city, with the other two being the North Side and the West Side.It radiates and lies south of the city's downtown area, the Chicago Loop.. Much of the South Side came from the city's annexation of townships such as Hyde Park. Cincinnati Street Railway: Close to a third of Chicago neighborhoods were given a D grade and marked red on a mapthus, redlined. These areas, all of which were predominantly Black communities, were deemed undesirable, and residents from these neighborhoods were usually denied bank loans and insurance, severely limiting their housing prospects and mobility. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA PCC 4101 is westbound on Madison, but where did it cross the Chicago & North Western? (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7243 is on Western at the Chicago River on June 10, 1956. South Side Chicago. To commemorate these anniversaries, we have written a new book, Building Chicagos Subways. 10:36 (recorded May 3-7, 1958 line abandoned July 1958) Coverage spans 1839-1928 but no directories are available for 1840-1842, 1918-1922, and 1924-1927. CHA admitted they lost track of thousands of displaced people as they moved to other Black neighborhoods. (Wien-Criss Archive), Riverview Park at Western and Roscoe on June 10, 1956. I remember old Chicago trolley buses from when I was a little girl. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA prewar PCC 4027 (at left) passes a postwar car on Western at 24th on June 7, 1956. By the 1960s, Black residents had moved into grade B (blue) communities in the South Side, such as Roseland and Beverly. Since 1950, there have been 271 tornadoes recorded across . Altoona & Logan Valley/Johnstown Traction: 04. Hollstein School was a one-room schoolhouse in Tinley Park. Illinois Terminal: 5:09 Passenger interurban #9 From the 1920s through the 1950s, Chicago's South Side was the center for African-American culture and business. Dr. Martin Luther Kings visit to Chicago during the Freedom Movement campaign for fair housing made headlines in 1966. 01. Later, this hotbed of activity attracted rural migrant workers from places such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the southern United Statesfrom which racist discrimination and violence drove more than 500,000 Black Americans to Chicago. Copyright 2009-2018, New York Public Radio. 17:34 Car #172, February 20, 1954 as broadcast on WJEJ, February 21, 1954, with host Carroll James, Sr. There are 223,867 residents in South Side Chicago, with a median age of 36. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7238 is southbound on Western at the Douglas Park L on April 22, 1955. This segment focuses on the Chicago Outfit during the period after Prohibition. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7012 at Western and Congress, crossing over the new expressway, on June 11, 1956. Open in Google Maps. The first waves of Black migrants fleeing the Jim Crow South were relegated to a vertical strip of land near Lake Michigan. A 2017 fair housing study looked into six community areas that had the most reported complaints of racial and income discrimination against renters: Jefferson Park, the Near North Side, Bridgeport, Hyde Park, Clearing, and Mount Greenwood. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA prewar PCC 4008 is at Cottage Grove and 115th, south end of Route 4. Notice Here are some shots around Illinois during the 1950s. According to the Hyde Park Herald, since 1916, restrictive covenants kept Chicagos neighborhoods white from the northern gates of Hyde Park at 35th and Drexel Boulevard to Woodlawn, Park Manor, South Shore, Windsor Park, and all the far-flung white communities of the South Side.. Total time (3 discs) 215:03. Notice the Yellow cabs waiting for L passengers. 4:56 Car 5706, January 16, 1954 04. Chicago Loop. Take a look at these stunning historical photos of Chicago in the 1960s that shows the street, roads, transport, nightlife, and everyday life. To replace workers at local factories, business brought in w. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA PCC 4154 is at Waveland and Halsted, the north end of Route 8. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. While the elevated Chicago Loop is justly famous as a symbol of the city, the fascinating history of its subways is less well known. 4:45 Car 5727, January 16, 1954 Southern Iowa Railway: Discriminatory housing policies meant that the majority of African American families lived like the Youngers, in kitchenette apartments - larger apartments were broken up into several smaller homes, with a very small kitchen and one bedroom. What I would also love to see is pictures of what the Chicago neighborhoods and its residents looked like during that specific time period. Median income and employment plummeted, and L ridership fell. 1960. Open in Google Maps Foursquare 1312 W 111th St, Chicago, IL 60643 (773) 238-7171 homeofthehoagy 1,461. 4:19 Interurbans #83 and #80, October 1954 Contract-buying schemes during the 1950s and 1960s cost Black families between $3 billion and $4 billion, according to "The Plunder of Black Wealth in Chicago: New Findings on the Lasting Toll of Predatory Housing Contracts," published in 2019 by the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University and the Nathalie P. Voorhees Center Located in what used to a Buick showroom, it features a large taproom with a BYOF policy that encourages delivery. Chapter Titles: Greektown, the south side's Chinatown, South Asians on Devon Street, Pilsen's Mexican Americans, and the Polish Triangle are just a handful of the vibrant communities in Chicago - famously. A more detailed 1950s map showcases crowded clusters of Irish, Italian, and smaller ethnic groups establishing new communities across the city. Over the last century, an array of political and cultural forces have created clear lines of division between racial groups. 12. 143 followers . 4:17 Car 306 (ex-AE&FRE), September 27, 1953 And we thank you for sharing this helpful bit of history! Once a separate community, South Chicago began as a series of scattered Native American settlements before becoming a village. Disc One This gigantic construction project, a part of the New Deal, would overcome many obstacles while tunneling through Chicagos soft blue clay, under congested downtown streets, and even beneath the mighty Chicago River. Two CTA bus routes served the 79th and Western station: West 79th (to almost Cicero Ave.) and South Western (to 119th St.) The buses shown were manufactured by ACF Brill, probably in the 1940s, because they had stick shifts. Disc Two (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4408 on Western at 66th on July 16, 1951. But future waves of immigration in the mid-twentieth century and, later, in the 1980s and 90s bolstered their numbers in the city. 1:39 (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4373 and others at the Western and 79th loop on November 23, 1952. (Wien-Criss Archive), A CTA prewar PCC is on Western at Congress on June 11, 1956. Early 1960s: Unequal learning opportunities lead parents in Chicago's South Side to protest public school . Last Run of the Hagerstown & Frederick: https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic556.jpg This led to disinvestment and redlining to . 3. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4053 on Western and 66th on July 31, 1955. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7213, the last streetcar to operate in Chicago, is on Western at 21st on July 16, 1951. 4:47 Cars #1797, 1759, and 1784 at 59th Street, December 31, 1954 In addition, the greater Chicagoland areawhich encompasses northeastern Illinois and extends into southeastern Wisconsin and northwestern Indianais the country's third largest metropolitan area and . 12th street beach, the beach we swam at in the 1950s, when we lived in Bridgeport. Images of America The area is on the south side of the city. They were concentrated in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on the North Side and are credited for pioneering the fight against displacement due to gentrification spurred by the expanding DePaul University campusa fight they lost. At the turn of the twenty-first century, as the City realized the projects sat on prime real estate, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley introduced a plan to transform public housing in 1999. Wonderful shots as usual. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA prewar PCC 4039 is at Cottage Grove and 115th, south end of Route 4. PCC 7151 is a two-man car, and passengers are boarding at the rear. The River Tunnels South Side Weekly partnered with WTTW and the Invisible Institute to co-publish text and visual reporting and analysis covering the impact racial divisions have on individuals, the city, and our region. The growing Black population eventually formed settlements farther south and up north in isolated and undeveloped areas along the Kinzie rail lines, Roosevelt, and the North Branch of the Chicago River. Seems to have been a good choice since the same building is still a Ford dealer today. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 601 at Halsted, Grand, and Milwaukee on May 17, 1954. Beautiful Vintage Postcards of Chicago's Restaurants from the 1950s and 1960s. The sign indicates that this bridge is going to be converted to one man operation, meaning that it will be operated from only one tower instead of two. "We were far enough away from downtown to be quiet and peaceful yet close enough to shopping, the lake . Tenants were promised a right to return to soon-to-be-built housing on the sites and placed on voucher waiting lists, but many residents struggled to meet the bureaucratic requirements to be considered. You can find those pages on the Newberry Library's Chicago Ancestors website.. 13. 04. 1954 (Wien-Criss Archive), An unidentified CTA red car is on Halsted at 63rd Street on September 16, 1953. But the most creative period for the city was the 1950s, when rivals Chess and Vee Jay battled for supremacy in the rhythm-and-blues market. Building Chicagos Subways is in stock and now available for immediate shipment. Children listen attentively at Hollstein School in 1952. The color pictures were taken by the late Bill Hoffman. From the Original Master Tapes Two things in this picture: Chicago South Side 1940s-1950s - Untitled During the 1940s & 50s During the 1940s and 50s, the South Side of Chicago, was the creatively teeming area called Bronzeville This was the home to poet Gwendolyn Brooks, playwright Richard Wright and dancer Katherine Dunham, and a lot more. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7189 is passing through an area where tracks are being worked on at Western and Cermak on October 15, 1954. Newly rediscovered and digitized after 60 years, most of these audio recordings of Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee interurban trains are previously unheard, and include on-train recordings, run-bys, and switching. Chicago, city, seat of Cook county, northeastern Illinois, U.S. With a population hovering near three million, Chicago is the state's largest and the country's third most populous city. 09. Fuller Park is one of the worst neighborhoods in the city by almost every metric. Fuller Park is the Chicago neighborhood which experienced the largest decline in population over the sixty years from the citys peak population in 1950 to 2010; its population declined precipitously from 17,000 in 1950 to under 3,000 . Make No Little Plans You can compare the different CTA paint schemes on the first two cars. March 20, 2019. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4060 is on Western at the Logan Square L on June 8, 1956. The New York Times - August 2, 1964. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA prewar PCC 4008 is southbound on Wabash at about 900 South. The Union Stock Yard finally closed its doors on August 1, 1971, after nearly 106 years of operation. US-born citizens make up 85.22% of the resident pool in South Side Chicago, while non-US-born citizens account for 7.1%. The city, which had been 85.9 percent white in 1950 and 76.4 percent in 1960, saw that proportion fall to 65.6 percent in 1970 and 49.6 percent in 1980. Interesting experience for me,mind you I am Latina searching for African Americans to complete 2.5hrs survey ?and more details no problem. Capital Transit: (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 248 is at Crosby and Larrabee on May 17, 1954. During the 1940s Mercury Records was founded from a Chicago base and emerged as a viable rival to the established major companies. Public housing was intended to house a mix of working-class and poor families and was welcomed and enjoyed by new residents, according to early testimonies. (Wein-Criss Archive), Northbound CTA PCC 7206 is on Western Avenue, passing a two-car train of PCC rapid transit cars on the Garfield Park temporary trackage in Van Buren Street. Store which was acquired by the Sears interests who replaced the original Becker-Ryan building. As a field interviewer I had to look for displaced residents from the projects. 5:37 Cars #606, 605, and 601, December 31, 1954 In the early years of the twentieth century, Chicago was the fastest-growing city in the U.S. Much of the promised housing failed to materialize, and its uncertain whether the CHA will ever build new housing for the 40,000 families currently on their waiting lists. This picture is the reverse direction, looking north from the westbound platform of the Englewood L at Halsted. But CHA maintenance began to fall off quickly, and by the 1980s the War on Drugs and mass incarceration created crises of crime and concentrated poverty in the densely populated towers of the Robert Taylor Homes, adjacent Stateway Gardens, and Cabrini-Green. 04. The University of Illinois at Chicago's digital photo collections archive has about2,300 black-and-white scans of photos of various intersections and notable outdoor areas throughout the city from the 1920s-50s.