south side chicago 1950s south side chicago 1950s

07. The Gallagher House is the home of the Gallagher Family. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7208 is on Western near 34th on September 3, 1950. The interactive map shows that by the 1950s, Black residents had started to trickle into grade C or yellow-lined European immigrant neighborhoods on the West and Southeast sides. Chicago 's historic South Side neighborhood is a largely residential community defined by its red brick houses and tree-shaded sidewalks. 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. There are different types of segregation beyond the Black-white binary that normally, and rightfully, comes to mind. Late 1950s. 05. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7236 is at Archer and Western on November 17, 1954. 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. The unrest in Chicago led to eleven deaths and over a hundred destroyed buildings. Notice 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. In the 1960s, for instance, the advent of "free love" took a significant bite out of the . 06. 1954 A cropped version of this photo ran in one of our earlier posts, but this was scanned from the original negative. 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. . Total time: 79:30 Between 1950 and 1960, most white residents in Chicago's south side Woodlawn neighborhood fled as poor blacks moved in. (Wien-Criss Archive). Note the difference in fonts used for the numbers. (David Sadowski Photo). 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. Queensboro Bridge Company (New York City): In those days, the fastest way from the south side to the Loop was the Englewood L, which ended at 63rd Place and Loomis (1400 W.) And of course the Englewood business district was very prosperous. Open in Google Maps Foursquare 1312 W 111th St, Chicago, IL 60643 (773) 238-7171 homeofthehoagy 1,461. Chapter Titles: Chicago's South Side April 1941: Life In 'The Black Belt' In April 1941, Russell Lee and Edwin Rosskam arrived in Chicago, Illinois. A man walks down Clark Street in Chicago in 1940. The color pictures were taken by the late Bill Hoffman. It truly is a phenomenal resource, not only for those interested in transit history, but also for anyone researching Chicago or Twentieth Century urban life. The interactive map shows that by the 1950s, Black residents had started to trickle into "grade C" or "yellow-lined" European immigrant neighborhoods on the West and Southeast sides. 01. If youre ever in the neighborhood, the TV house is located at 2119 South Homan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60623. These were stipulations written into deeds of sale that prohibited Black residents and non-whites from buying, leasing, or inhabiting property in a determined parcel. 03. Under the Plan for Transformation, the City began to knock down the projects one by one like dominos. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 5248 at Vincennes and 105th on November 27, 1949. (312 . 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. This led to disinvestment and redlining to . Seen as one of the most massive internal movements in United States history, it was an era that sparked the Harlem Renaissance . Second, they were all shared with our readers by Jeffrey L. Wien of the Wien-Criss Archive. The first waves of Black migrants fleeing the Jim Crow South were relegated to a vertical strip of land near Lake Michigan. There were 679 murders and . 09. In the early years of the twentieth century, Chicago was the fastest-growing city in the U.S. Look at this classic car in Rockford back in 1956. Bibliographic information: The date is June 16, 1954. This northeast corner was originally occupied by the long defunct Becker-Ryan Dept. 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. Chicago in the 1950s - The Trolley Dodger Chicago in the 1950s October 29, 2019 15 Comments You would be forgiven for not recognizing this location, but that's the Western Avenue station on the Humboldt Park "L", just north of North Avenue. To replace workers at local factories, business brought in w. Many immigrants were fleeing poverty and war, with many others coming to Chicago in pursuit of economic prosperity. We thank him for his generosity. Look at the bottom of the photo. Potomac Edison (Hagerstown & Frederick): St. Louis Public Service: This portion of the old Humboldt Park line was not demolished for another decade, and the story goes that it would have been used by Chicago Aurora & Elgin interurban trains as a midday storage area, if service on that line could have continued after 1957. 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. Chicagos position as the hub of a vast railroad system enabled a bustling industrial economy that was teeming with job opportunities in its stockyards, factories, and steel mills. Total time (3 discs) 215:03. Geographically, it is the largest of the three Sides of the city that radiate from downtown-the other Sides of the city being the North Side and the West Side.South Side, Chicago. A more detailed 1950s map showcases crowded clusters of Irish, Italian, and smaller ethnic groups establishing new communities across the city. For Shipping to US Addresses: As he led a march through Marquette Park on the Southwest Side, he was attacked with bricks by a racist white mob. Western Ave. cars had used the carbarn at 69th and Ashland until it closed. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7193 has three followers at Western and 69th on October 13, 1953. Extending trolly lines is much easier and economical than L tracks. Note that the platforms have been moved to the east and no longer extend over Halsted St. Two laws in 1947, the Blighted Areas Redevelopment Act and the Relocation Act, helped create the Chicago Land Clearance Commission, enabling the City to raze areas that it deemed blighted without regard for who it would displace. 03. A few years later, the CHA placed a light-skinned Black woman named Betty Howard in the previously all-white Trumbull Park Homes. 5 . Tens of thousands of Black residents are also leaving their traditional South and West side neighborhoods in recent years, as has been extensively reported, in what some are calling an outmigration or a reverse migration. The citys Black population peaked in the mid-twentieth century and is now at its lowest level since then, with 787,551 Black residents as of 2020. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4060 is southbound on Western at 66th on October 9, 1955. Seen in March of 1985 prior to demolition. By 1964 most of the large packers had disappeared. By 1960 there were 32,371 Puerto Rican residents in Chicago, a number that more than doubled within a decade. Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the United States. (Wien-Criss Archive), Passengers are getting off northbound CTA 7192 at Western and Van Buren on October 10, 1952. The highest ratio of discriminatory acts to race-related tests occurred in the Near North Side neighborhood, where over half of the tests involved race discrimination, the Chicago Commission on Human Relations and the Chicago Lawyers Committee found. First time I came across it and Im barely 23! 5:20 #80, October 1954 IIRC, Jalens Snack Shop, the new occupant, was up and running by the Summer of 54 and for many years after that. 3. 4 Board of Trustees/Directors minutes May 1952-Oct 1956 draft copy. This view is looking south along Western at 71st St. Note the circa 1953 Cadillac at left. The Freight Tunnels Yelp Says If You Want To Open A Business, Do It In These 5 Neighborhoods, When It Comes To Nuts, Squirrels Are Crazy, But Not Like A Fox, At UC, Katy Perry Jokes With Mom About Song 'You Pray For Me About': WATCH, Elena Delle Donne's Fiance Proposed On Chicago Dog Beach (And Pup Helped), Decapitated Doll Heads Seen Around West Town Spark Curiosity, Concern, Look Inside This Award-Winning School Converted to Luxury Apartments, TGIF: 13 Stories To Remind You How Awesome Chicago Is This Weekend, Thanks, La Nina: This Winter Expected To Be Snowier Than Usual, New Short Film 'BlacKorea' Set In Englewood, Solo Cup Is Psyched The New 'Star Wars' Movie Is Called 'Solo', Jake Arrieta's Most Incredible Delivery Came From His Nose Last Night. Join us in looking back on three swanky nightclubs from the '60s. Once a separate community, South Chicago began as a series of scattered Native American settlements before becoming a village. In the background, you can see the large Chicago Bridge and Iron Works, which fronted on the north side of 107th St. For Shipping to Canada: Todays photos have two things in common. . In 1950, Miller's Pub was a dark, no-frills saloon and a reputed front for a . Twentytwo of the targets has been restaurants. Nob-Hill Club 5228 Lake Park Avenue 1950's Lefty Bates CD Oct. 10, 1953; Ben Webster and Miles Davis CD Dec. 5, 1953 Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, University of Chicago 1156 E 59th Street Duke Ellington Sacred Concerts, CD Sept. 25, 1967 St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 55th and Kimbark Count Basie, CD Jan. 22, 1975 (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7038 is on Western at Van Buren on June 11, 1956. But by then, the Pullman PCCs were systematically being retired and shipped to St. Louis, where they were scrapped and parts were reused in rapid transit cars. The River Tunnels Also, its wonderful to see all the old advertising signs on the street cars and the buildings. If the station was open, there would be a sign advertising this, similar to ones seen in some of the other pictures in this post. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7123 on Western at 66th on July 9, 1950. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7160, viewed from the Douglas Park L (todays Pink Line), is operating on Western at 21st on June 15, 1955. During its heyday, there was Soft Sheen Products, a $100 million-a-year. Another treasure trove of photos thanks to the Wien-Criss Archive. https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic530.jpg In the 1940s and 1950s, and even into the 1960s, tiki bars popped up all over the United States, including in Chicago, as people . During the 1940s to 1960s, the second ghetto is driven with tensions over housing and the dynamics of neighborhood change due to the rapid growth of black community. 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. What is the South Side of Chicago called? Western/Berwyn canopies lasted a long time, into late 80s, before they rusted off at the ground! And this photo is at 69th and Western, showing a northbound Western car turning east on 69th to head to the 77th St. barn. 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 The New York Times - August 2, 1964. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7213, the last streetcar to operate in Chicago, is on Western at 21st on July 16, 1951. Yusay beer stands out on a lot of the photos. I can remember the screeching noises and sparks from when the connectors hit the wires. This is post 1 of 6 in the series FIRSTHAND: SEGREGATION. Total time: 74:02 Building Chicagos subways was national news and a matter of considerable civic pridemaking it a Second City no more! The expressway was originally called the South Route. 1.5k Views. They were not all taken at the same time, however. The African-American population in Chicago now makes up 25 percent of the city, but racial segregation is high, and much of the South and West sides have become densely populated, marginalized, low-income areas. 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. What was South Side Chicago like in the 1950s? National Archives Stateway Gardens, a housing project on Chicago's South Side, housed nearly 7,000 people in 1973. # of Discs 1 For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here. There is no shoo-fly yet, meaning construction had not yet started on the Western Avenue bridge that would eventually go over the Congress Expressway. Will Guy Fieri Cook The Bean Before It's Windexed? 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. IND Subway (New York City): Press ESC to cancel. The streetcar is running on the Halsted/Vincennes/111th St. line, heading northeast on Vincennes. So the suburban bus line went as far as 63rd Place and Halsted (next to the L station). 02. 10. 17:25 (Car 187, Brighton Car House, December 13, 1951 regular service abandoned April 29, 1951) The cars have 1953 license plates. (Really! 1. In the twenty years from 1890 to 1910, Chicago's African-American population increased . Looking back at Chicago in the 1960s and the racial tensions that divided Blacks and Whites, I decided to write a book about that experience. The date is June 16, 1954. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7044 is on Western at Leland on June 10, 1956. It grew to encompass the State Street, Dearborn-Milwaukee, and West Side Subways, with the latter modernizing the old Garfield Park L into the median of Chicagos first expressway. 07. Some southbound HOUSING SEGREGATION IN 1950S SOUTH SIDE CHICAGO Already experiencing a population boom after Reconstruction, Chicago was a popular destination for African Americans moving from the South to the North in the early 20th century. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4053 at Western and Leland on June 10, 1956. One comment, the photo of CTA 687 is at Division and Crosby, not Larrabee. Length 128 pages My Auntie Stell and her co-workers, Chicago. Of this, 46.22% are males and 53.78% are females. Maps of Chicagos early ethnic composition show that immigrants and their descendants lived in clusters. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4037 is on Western at the Chicago River on June 10, 1956 just one week before the end of streetcar service on Route 49. After that, the streetcars had to use the 77th and Vincennes barn. 5:02 Streamliner #300, northward from Edwardsville, February 14, 1955 A few include: the first Black President, Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, the first Black female Senator, Carol Moseley Braun, and the first Black presidential candidate to win a primary, Jesse Jackson. 4:45 Car 5727, January 16, 1954 Racially restrictive covenants were also common in the Chicago area, as in the rest of the country. 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. From the 1920s through the 1950s, Chicago's South Side was the center for African-American culture and business. If there was one impresario of the South Side during that period, it was Johnny Robinson, also known as Johnny Pepper, who operated three successive clubs from the late 1950s through the early . Median income and employment plummeted, and L ridership fell. Southside of Chicago Capital of Black America By Carla Punla Suffered its first postindustrial crisis as the meatpacking industries began to close Robert Taylor Homes was known to be the largest housing project. Is BCD Travel a good company to work for. Another 537 were injured, more than half of whom were Black. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4008 is on Western at 65th on October 2, 1955. Women approach a news stand in Chicago in 1940. There were approximately 813,000 Black residents in Chicago by 1960. Death of an Interurban This move included the expansion of popular music styles, bringing jazz to Chicago and the rest of the country. The rest of Madison was bussed. 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. 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. 10:36 (recorded May 3-7, 1958 line abandoned July 1958) The Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad Company was the first to successfully obtain right-of-way and permission to build an elevated passenger railway in Chicago. These demarcations were shaped by racist sentiments toward Black residents and non-whites and manifested through urban planning, housing policies, discriminatory banking, and other practicesall effectively confining people from different demographic groups to certain parts of the city. Notice the Yellow cabs waiting for L passengers. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7253 is on Western at Leland (by the Ravenswood L, now the Brown Line) on June 10, 1956. Open in Google Maps. Perhaps there was a parade on State Street that day (between 1939 and 1949 there was no State Street bridge, and this would have been the regular route for 36 then). Here are some shots around Illinois during the 1950s. Photo 537 I believe shows a detouring Halsted car turning off of Division st. onto Crosby St., not Larabee. During the 1950s, Puerto Ricans began to arrive in the city of Chicago. Cincinnati Street Railway: . 06. Englewood Hospital that served the South Side of Chicago for nearly a hundred years was founded in 1894 as Englewood Union Hospital and was located at 426 West 69th Street. This bar is well-known by DePaul University students who frequent here on the weekends, and god knows also the weeknights. 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. Mexican residents of the area around Jane Addamss Hull House settlement housetodays University Villagehad a similar fate as the Puerto Ricans. In the background, you can see the viaduct which is now part of the 606 Trail. To reach Englewood, this bus line ran east on 95th to Vincennes, north to 87th, west to Morgan, north to 63rd, then east to the Englewood L. 4:56 Car 5706, January 16, 1954 This picture is the reverse direction, looking north from the westbound platform of the Englewood L at Halsted. Edition illustrated Keep up the excellent effort. 4:00 Master Unit car #74, August 8, 1953 During the 1940s Mercury Records was founded from a Chicago base and emerged as a viable rival to the established major companies. The photos come from the Illinois Department of Transportation and appear to have been made for the Chicago Park District's Engineering Section, according to the university. As always, if you have any information to share about these pictures, or simply have a question or comment, do not hesitate to let us know. Interesting experience for me,mind you I am Latina searching for African Americans to complete 2.5hrs survey ?and more details no problem. Total time: 61:31 Illinois Terminal: While the Gallaghers are said to live on Wallace Street, the house is actually located on Homan Avenue. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4059 on Western at 28th on November 20, 1955. Author David Sadowski Southern Iowa Railway: (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7156, sporting unusual yellow numbers, is on Western at Van Buren on August 13, 1954. Went to kindergarten there. 5:37 Cars #606, 605, and 601, December 31, 1954 12. Wonderful shots as usual. It was converted to apartments in 1985. Southside 1-1000 - 1950 is rated/received certificates of: Finland:K-16 Sweden:15 USA:Passed (National Board of Review) USA:Approved (PCA #14768) West Germany:16. South Side Chicago. 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. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4375 is at 69th and Hamilton on November 5, 1954. From speakeasies in the '20s to rooftop bars today, Chicago's seen a lot of wild nights. 5:07 December 31. The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.Read the press release here. The Last Street Railway Most resided in Humboldt Park with Division Street being the heart of the neighborhood. Nowadays, transit agencies have style manuals, used to maintain consistency, but such was not the case in the early 1950s. (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 Their early presence is not reflected in our interactive map because the U.S. Census did not accurately track the Mexican population in Chicago during this time period. In any case, thanks again for all you offer on this website. The Robert Taylor Homes, located between 39th and 54th streets, had more than half of those apartments. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7157 is northbound on Western at 67th on June 15, 1955. Disc Two Publisher Arcadia Publishing (SC), 2018 You can compare the different CTA paint schemes on the first two cars. Wandering the streets of the 'Black Belt.' 1941. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA PCC 7057, a product of the St. Louis Car Company, is at Waveland and Halsted, the north end of Route 8. (1) The red-and-white bus in the background belonged to the South Suburban Safeway Lines. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7227 is on Western at Bross on October 15, 1954. I would always give my out of town Chicago racist tour: Take kedzie ave towards Humboldt Park -puertoricans, keep going south African Americans than come Mexicans,turn by Taylor you got Italians,get on Devon ave to see Indian community, Lincoln -Mckormick Jewish. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7012 at Western and Congress, crossing over the new expressway, on June 11, 1956. There were 28 buildings which was originally housed for 11,000 residents but soon became over 27,000- Population Crisis Chicago Loop. Wayne Miller Three Teenagers in a Kitchenette Apartment, from the "Chicago's South Side" Series c.1946 Wayne Miller, Magnum Photography Great 1918-2013 Ave atque Vale. 04. 1:43 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. 01. Interesting to look at photos 591 & 565 which show the same area on Western. The purpose was to find residents that were given Section 8 vouchers vs those who did not receive them. This is our 241st post, and we are gradually creating a body of work and an online resource for the benefit of all railfans, everywhere. Potomac Edison (Hagerstown & Frederick), Capital Transit, Altoona & Logan Valley, Shaker Heights Rapid Transit, Pennsylvania Railroad, Illinois Terminal, Baltimore Transit, Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto, St. Louis Public Transit, Queensboro Bridge, Third Avenue El, Southern Iowa Railway, IND Subway (NYC), Johnstown Traction, Cincinnati Street Railway, and the Toledo & Eastern Chicago Skyline Downtown Chicago Chicago Restaurants Chicago Illinois Chicago Area Chicago City White Castle Restaurant White Castle Hamburgers South Side Chicago Your caption says this streetcar is on 77th St. No, it is on Vincennes Ave., in front of the 77th St. barn, heading north. For a few months, Madison-Fifth continued as a shuttle operation between Madison and Pulaski, using older red streetcars. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7788385,-87.6447587,3a,75y,3.14h,91.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYcGafc7OK9fQ0w712doa2A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192, 63rd and Halsted in 1939 when this Sears store was 6 years old. Immigrants typically lived in inadequate housing near railroads and industryin bunk houses, boxcars, and section houses. After Chicagos incorporation by Yankees in 1837, European immigrants flocked to the city through the early 1900s; Irish, Jewish, Polish, German, Italian, Czech/Bohemian, Swedish, and Lithuanian immigrants among them. Altoona & Logan Valley/Johnstown Traction: 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. First, they were all taken in Chicago during the 1950s. Another clue that helps pinpoint the date is the light lettering on dark background seen on license plates in this image. As a field interviewer I had to look for displaced residents from the projects. But when industrial employment dried up in the 1950s and '60s, it descended into poverty and crime. All Rights Reserved. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA PCCs 4103 and 4076 pass each other while crossing the Chicago River on Madison Street. 75 years since the State Street Subway opened (October 17, 1943) The date is June 17, 1955. 05. Chicago nightlife history is full of fun and fascinating stories. All Rights Reserved. CHA admitted they lost track of thousands of displaced people as they moved to other Black neighborhoods. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7042, in the distance, is about to clear a temporary switch so that the car on the right can cross over to that side during track work. Chicago Southside 1950's 95 square miles of the 228 square miles were considered the "south side". With all the different types of people Chicago attracted at this time, the entertainment industry became a powerful force to be reckoned with.