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Back of the Yards Community Collection

 Collection
Identifier: spe-nhrc-boy

Scope and Contents

The collection contains materials relating to the Back of the Yards community, including news clippings, historical sketches and microfilm reels of the Back of the Yards Journal and the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council (BNYC) scrapbooks.

Dates

  • 1921 - 1983

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Please consult staff to determine ability to reuse materials from collection.

Biographical / Historical

The community known as The Back of the Yards is located to the west and south of the old packinghouse district between Racine and Ashland Avenue. The neighborhood is part of the community area of New City that extends from 39th to 55th Streets between Halsted and the railroad tracks along Leavitt Street, just south and west of the former Union Stock Yard and adjacent packing plants.

Historically, the area was highly industrialized and been populated by successive waves of immigrant groups. It was the setting of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, published in 1905. The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council (BYNC) was founded in 1939 by Joseph Meegan, Saul Alinsky, and Bishop Bernard J. Sheil. Comprised of dozens of small neighborhood organizations and parishes, the BYNC’s local leaders worked with outside organizers to help address community problems ranging from racial and ethnic tensions to economic inequities to housing conservation.

Extent

1 Linear Feet (in 1 box, plus 13 microfilm reels)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The collection contains materials relating to the Back of the Yards community, including news clippings, historical sketches and microfilm reels of the Back of the Yards Journal and the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council (BYNC) scrapbooks.

Arrangement

The Collection is arranged into 2 series: Series 1: Documents, 1921-1970, undated and Series 2: Microfilm, 1937-1983

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Microfilm transferred from the Back of the Yards Library Branch in 1998. Other documents were transferred Sherman Park Branch Library in September 2000. Contents in Box 1, Folders 8-9 were added in 2018.

Related Materials

Back of the Yards Newspaper Collection

Chicago City-Wide Collection

Chicago Public Library Archives, Branch Annual Reports. Back of the Yards

Chicago Public Library Archives, Branch Annual Reports. Canaryville

Chicago Public Library Archives, Branch Annual Reports. New City

Chicago Public Library Archives, Branch Annual Reports. Sherman Park

Title
Guide to the Back of the Yards Community Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Original author unknown. Updated and ingested into ArchivesSpace by Michelle McCoy, 2021
Date
2000
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Unit at Harold Washington Library Center Repository

Contact:
Harold Washington Library Center, 9th Floor
Chicago Public Library
400 S. State Street
Chicago IL 60605 United States
(312) 747-4875