CHICAGO If you think your neighborhood has changed since you first moved in, you should see what it looked like 60 years ago. Press ESC to cancel. History. They turned east on 63rd to Union Ave. (700 W.), then south to 63rd Place, then west to alongside (south of) the Halsted L station, then back north on Halsted. Our resident South side history expert M. E. writes: I have a lot of comments about your latest post #241. In the background, you can see the viaduct which is now part of the 606 Trail. 02. The Near North Sides Cabrini-Green complex at one time had 3,606 apartments. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7038 is on Western at Van Buren on June 11, 1956. The suburban bus company had two routes into Englewood one north along Western, then east on 63rd (this was the Harvey bus), the other north along Halsted St. from the south (this was the Chicago Heights bus). The Second Ghetto Unfortunately, public housing did not solve Chicago's housing problems. The South Side experienced a population shift during the move to suburbs following World War II. 12. I trust that the Trolley Dodger blog will continue as it is regardless of the future of ChicagoTransit. From the 1920s through the 1950s, Chicago's South Side was the center for African-American culture and business. 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. The Union Stock Yard finally closed its doors on August 1, 1971, after nearly 106 years of operation. 4:53 Engine whistle signals, loco #12, January 17, 1954 Pennsylvania Railroad GG-1s: 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. The discriminatory practice known as redlining was a color-coded classification system implemented by the Federal Housing Administration that determined the value of housing based on the racial demographics of a neighborhood. 08. 4:17 Car 306 (ex-AE&FRE), September 27, 1953 05. Pullman post-war PCCs did not disappear in one fell swoop. 05. 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 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. 10:36 (recorded May 3-7, 1958 line abandoned July 1958) I wish they could just appreciate from afar without taking and still destroying everything in their way. 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. 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. 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. Additionally, 7.68% of the population is represented by non-citizens. Foursquare. Puerto Rican people are the second-largest Latinx group in Chicago. The plan was ostensibly intended to decentralize Black poverty and relocate residents to mixed-income housing in integrated neighborhoods. (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. 5,034 1950s Chicago Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 5,034 1950s Chicago Premium High Res Photos Browse 5,034 1950s chicago stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7227 is on Western at Bross on October 15, 1954. The "new" green streetcars - replaced the old, wooden-seat red ones. In the background, you can see the large Chicago Bridge and Iron Works, which fronted on the north side of 107th St. Third Avenue El (New York City): Chicago's South Side in black & white May 12, 2016 SJNN By Alden Loury Looking West down 79th Street at Western Ave, Chicago, IL. Once a separate community, South Chicago began as a series of scattered Native American settlements before becoming a village. 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. Another treasure trove of photos thanks to the Wien-Criss Archive. Brace Yourself: Chicago's 'Hawk' Winter Wind Turns 50, Lin-Manuel Miranda Touts New Song To Raise Money For Puerto Rico: LISTEN, 'Stranger Things 2' Uses Wrong Skyline For 1980s Chicago, Obama Doesn't Want To Take A Selfie With You, And This Is Why, Chicago Is Close To Prince Harry's Heart: His GF Is A Northwestern Alumna. What was South Side Chicago like in the 1950s? From the beginning, Chicagos demographic makeup was segregated by race and ethnicity along neighborhood boundaries and the physical features of the built and natural environment. In any case, thanks again for all you offer on this website. Visit the website (wttw.com/firsthand) to explore all of the elements of the project. Under the Plan for Transformation, the City began to knock down the projects one by one like dominos. The New York Times - August 2, 1964. View of artists and attendees discussing one of the exhibited pieces during a show at the Southside Community Arts Center, in Chicago, Illinois, 1967. After that, the streetcars had to use the 77th and Vincennes barn. (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. IIRC, Jalens Snack Shop, the new occupant, was up and running by the Summer of 54 and for many years after that. In the 1980 census African Americans made up about 50% of the Chicago South side' population while Mexicans made up 40% as a result of white flight. The YMCA Hotel was on the west side of the street; the car is northbound, as evidenced by the Downtown head sign. The date is June 16, 1954. Hollstein School was a one-room schoolhouse in Tinley Park. Photo 516 is not at Halsted and Waveland, it is a half a block north at the streetcar layover area wedged between Halsted and Broadway (Hence the Route 8 destination sign!). But when industrial employment dried up in the 1950s and '60s, it descended into poverty and crime. Riverdale is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago since 478 crimes are reported annually in a small population of just 13,000 people. (Wien-Criss Archive), The date at which this photo of CTA PCC 4421 could have been taken, southbound on Clark at Van Buren, is a bit of a mystery. With its neighborhoods, parks, museums, and universities, the South Side continues to play an important role in the social, cultural, political, and economic life of the city. 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 . This is post 1 of 6 in the series FIRSTHAND: SEGREGATION. Those canopies were short-lived after the end of streetcar service, as buses eventually ran into them. Note that the platforms have been moved to the east and no longer extend over Halsted St. From the Original Master Tapes 15. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA PCC 4108 is northbound at Kinzie Street. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7243 is on Western at the Chicago River on June 10, 1956. Photo 530 is at the south end of the Vincennes Ave. private right-of-way segment at the 10800 block of Vincennes (108th St. did not go through to Vincennes, there were no intersections along Vincennes between 107th St. and 109th St.). 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 Robert Taylor Homes, located between 39th and 54th streets, had more than half of those apartments. Not quite CSL sold it in 1920s, but amazingly close! Rockwell is 2600 West. 04. https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic534.jpg #1 Looking south on State Street, 1964 6 Points Upvote Downvote * #2 Randolph Street theaters, 1967 5 Points Upvote Downvote The stores from left to right are: S S Kresge, on the southwest corner; The Ace department store on the northwest corner; and Sears Roebuck, the huge building on the northeast corner (with a Hillmans grocery in the basement). 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. When I got to Western they ended and I recall seeing a few feet of track bent down from the last support. Tom. (Wien-Criss Archive), Passengers are getting off northbound CTA 7192 at Western and Van Buren on October 10, 1952. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 5248 at Vincennes and 105th on November 27, 1949. (Wien-Criss Archive). 16:26 sounds recorded on board a PCC (early 1950s) The first waves of Black migrants fleeing the Jim Crow South were relegated to a vertical strip of land near Lake Michigan. First time I came across it and Im barely 23! Total time: 79:30 29:34 (Johnstown Traction recordings were made August 9, 1953) Through the citys use of eminent domain, much of that neighborhood, which included Black, Italian, Greek, and Jewish residents, was razed in the 1960s for the construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway and the development of the University of Illinois Chicago Circle Campus. 5:20 #80, October 1954 It was converted to apartments in 1985. Most famously, the Clarks were a middle-class Black Chicago family that in 1951 attempted to move into a Cicero apartment, but couldnt last a day after thousands of white protesters set their belongings and the whole property on fire. [/caption], RRC-OMTT The construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway in the 60s further othered the Street State corridor. Striking B&W Photos Capture the Black Experience in 1940s South Side Chicago. 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. The deadliest tornado hit on April 21, 1967, traveling through Oak Lawn and the South Side of Chicago, killing 33 and injuring 500. . 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. 2023 2022 South Side Weekly. Built between 1949 and 1961 at a cost of $183 million, the Eisenhower Expressway displaced an estimated 13,000 people and forced out more than 400 businesses in Chicago alone. 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. The University of Illinois at Chicago's digital photo collections . During the 1950s, Puerto Ricans began to arrive in the city of Chicago. In the twenty years from 1890 to 1910, Chicago's African-American population increased . 10. Since 1950, there have been 271 tornadoes recorded across . 17:25 (Car 187, Brighton Car House, December 13, 1951 regular service abandoned April 29, 1951) Technology advances enter the classroom and Chicago schools now have projectors, microscopes and early computer kits. After its peak in the 1950s, a variety of changes influenced the direction the Outfit took. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 6142 at Clark and Archer on November 9, 1953, running Route 42 Halsted Downtown. 09. 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. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7240 is at 69th and Morgan on October 25, 1954. This picture was taken on June 17, 1955 at Western and 71st. In 1950, Miller's Pub was a dark, no-frills saloon and a reputed front for a . 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. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA prewar PCC 4008 is at Cottage Grove and 115th, south end of Route 4. Take a look at these stunning historical photos of Chicago in the 1960s that shows the street, roads, transport, nightlife, and everyday life. Do you recall the L that ran across Chicago Ave near Goldblatts in the 50s it crossed Chicago Ave between Ashland & Wood St. Im trying to find a photo but cant locate one. 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. (Wien-Criss Archive), Riverview Park at Western and Roscoe on June 10, 1956. ), Now Available On Compact Disc If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. In the 1960s, for instance, the advent of "free love" took a significant bite out of the . African Americans who settled in northern cities like Chicago, New York, and Detroit earned at least twice as much as those who stayed in the South in 1930, according to work by Leah Boustan, an. Greg Nye. 05. IND Subway (New York City): Chicago's Carson Pirie Scott built in 1907, Other Restaurant & Fast Food Advertising for sale | eBay, PHOTO - CHICAGO - SOLDIERS FIELD - AERIAL - NIGHT - SKYLINE BACKGROUND - ALL-STAR GAME - 1953, Chicago, Marshall Field & Co. 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. Store which was acquired by the Sears interests who replaced the original Becker-Ryan building. Photo 537 I believe shows a detouring Halsted car turning off of Division st. onto Crosby St., not Larabee. (Really! 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." (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4375 is at 69th and Hamilton on November 5, 1954. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7208 is on Western near 34th on September 3, 1950. You can see the shadow of the now-gone Ogden Avenue viaduct at the bottom of the photo. 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. This corresponds to the white on dark green format of the 54 Illinois plates. 4:35 August 27, 1954 https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic556.jpg Your email address will not be published. But the largest group of projects was the Street State corridor in the former Bronzeville Black Belt, which had a total of 7,938 units. (Source: A. Visit the website (wttw.com/firsthand) to explore the elements of the project. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7253 is on Western at Leland (by the Ravenswood L, now the Brown Line) on June 10, 1956. Subways Since 1960 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. 4:00 Master Unit car #74, August 8, 1953 Why not mention that the Panama Ltd and the City of Miami operated there on the tracks nearest to Cottage Grove; not to mention IC freight activity and such trackage rights New York Central trains as the James Whitcomb Riley and the Twilight Ltd? For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here. The original objective was to treat basic illness and to train nurses and interns. You can help us continue our original transit research by checking out the fine products in our Online Store. ?etc And we thank you for sharing this helpful bit of history! Title Building Chicagos Subways Order your copy today! (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4059 on Western at 28th on November 20, 1955. RRCNSLR St. Louis Public Service: 2. So, my best guess is this picture was taken during the summer of 1954. I can remember the screeching noises and sparks from when the connectors hit the wires. Disc Two Potomac Edison (Hagerstown & Frederick): (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA PCC 4201, operating on Route 36 Broadway-State, has apparently been diverted from State Street, possibly due to a parade, and is northbound on Dearborn at Lake Street. Shameless fans, you are welcome to come inside the gate and take pictures on the porch, a sign in front of the house reads. 4:51 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. He is still stuck on the poverty line, working a food delivery job to support his girlfriend Tami and their son Freddie. #536 is a companion picture from the street to #534. 4:56 Car 5706, January 16, 1954 (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. Capital Transit: 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. (Wien-Criss Archive), PCC meets PCC in this famous Bill Hoffman photo, showing CTA PCC streetcar 4373 on Western Avenue, while a Garfield Park L train crosses on Van Buren temporary trackage. Required fields are marked *. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4053 at Western and Leland on June 10, 1956. 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. 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. Mexican residents of the area around Jane Addamss Hull House settlement housetodays University Villagehad a similar fate as the Puerto Ricans. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4227 is on the turnback loop at Clark and Howard, the north end of Route 22. Second, they were all shared with our readers by Jeffrey L. Wien of the Wien-Criss Archive. According to a reliable website called HeyJackass!, during 2017, someone in Chicago was shot every 2 hours and 27 minutes and murdered every 12 hours and 59 minutes. Western/Berwyn canopies lasted a long time, into late 80s, before they rusted off at the ground! (Wien-Criss Archive), The Western-Berwyn loop on June 10, 1956. In the 1940s and 1950s, and even into the 1960s, tiki bars popped up all over the United States, including in Chicago, as people . (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4389 is southbound on Western near Leland Avenue, having just passed under the Ravenswood L (todays Brown Line), where a train of wooden cars are in the station. 5:09 Passenger interurban #9 The Trolley Dodger On the Air The date is June 17, 1955. In the Windy City, jazz started out in small local clubs on the South Side. 1957: Civil Rights Act of 1957 is responsible for enforcing the civil rights laws passed. CTA PCC 4144 is southbound on Halsted. 0:56 PCC car 1557, Route 20 Cabin John line, July 19, 1953 07. 07. Children listen attentively at Hollstein School in 1952. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA prewar PCC 4027 (at left) passes a postwar car on Western at 24th on June 7, 1956. # of Discs- 3 5:07 December 31. Building Chicagos Subways is in stock and now available for immediate shipment. (Wien-Criss Archive), The conductor of CTA 7156 is throwing a track switch at Western and Archer on November 17, 1954. There were 300 Pullmans in all. . For Shipping to Canada: In the 1950s, the Chicago Transit Authority sought to . The significance that play takes place on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s because families like the Youngers experienced segregation from the white community.. What is the community? 4:04 Chicago's South Side. 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. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA PCC 4208 is southbound on State Street at 64th, just a few blocks south of where car 7078 was involved in a horrific crash with a truck on May 25, 1950. And this photo is at 69th and Western, showing a northbound Western car turning east on 69th to head to the 77th St. barn. Note the dark areas where some touch-up painting has been done on the PCC. The unrest in Chicago led to eleven deaths and over a hundred destroyed buildings. 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. 14. In its aftermath, white flight from Chicago accelerated. Original Rainbow Cone on Western Ave in Beverly, Chicago: Grandma would take us on the bus to visit the cemetery and after we would stop at the Rainbow Cone! (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7039 is at Western and 71st on August 12, 1955. Went to kindergarten there. During the 1940s Mercury Records was founded from a Chicago base and emerged as a viable rival to the established major companies. Seems to have been a good choice since the same building is still a Ford dealer today. I remember as a kid in late 1961 seeing the Humboldt Pk tracks from my seat on the Logan Sq El. 3:32 Box motor #5, May 24, 1953 . What I would also love to see is pictures of what the Chicago neighborhoods and its residents looked like during that specific time period. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4008 is on Western at 65th on October 2, 1955. It is very unlikely that he will ever be able to recoup his investment, but we support his efforts at preserving this important history, and sharing it with railfans everywhere. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 248 is at Crosby and Larrabee on May 17, 1954. Beneath this L platform, along 63rd Place, were streetcar tracks for Halsted cars that ended at 63rd St., as well as curb space for the two suburban bus companies, South Suburban Safeway Lines and Suburban Transit System. Known as "Bronzeville," the neighborhood was surprisingly small, but at its peak more than 300,000 lived in the narrow, seven-mile strip. 03. The expressway was originally called the South Route. While the elevated Chicago Loop is justly famous as a symbol of the city, the fascinating history of its subways is less well known. Street Scenes of Chicago in the 1970s Through Amazing Photos October 24, 2020 1970s, Chicago, Illinois, life & culture, street Charles William (Bill) Brubaker (1926-2002) was a member of the Chicago-based architecture firm Perkins & Will from 1950 until 1998. 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? 5:37 Cars #606, 605, and 601, December 31, 1954 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. From the 1920s through the 1950s, Chicago's South Side was the center for African-American culture and business. (The Census Bureau didn't begin to identify "non-Hispanic whites" as a separate category until 1980, when that group accounted for . Another clue that helps pinpoint the date is the light lettering on dark background seen on license plates in this image. 3:45 Box motor #5 I have produced some comments about your most recent photo group (Chicago in the 1950s). Native American tribesthe Potawatomi, Odawa, Sauk, Ojibwe, Illinois, Kickapoo, Miami, Mascouten, Wea, Delaware, Winnebago, Menominee, and Mesquakiewere forced out of what is now Chicago by early French and British settlers. Along with hundreds, or perhaps even a few thousand other onlookers, I watched as 30 ft flames gutted the building that July evening. In my book Chicago Trolleys (page 107) there is a picture of track work being done at this location on July 17, 1954. . 4 Board of Trustees/Directors minutes May 1952-Oct 1956 draft copy. 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). In the mid-1950's Chicago suffered its first post industrial crisis as the major meatpacking companies began to close their production facilities. There are pictures on my blog, and also in my book Chicagos Lost Ls. The renovation plans of the 40s failed and building quality decreased. Yes, there were significant traffic jams in Chicago back in 1958. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA PCC 4108 is westbound on Madison at the Chicago River, running on the Madison-Fifth branch of Route 20. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. 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. and Here are some shots around Illinois during the 1950s. 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.