Lower West Side Community Collection

The Lower West Side community area is three miles southwest of Chicago’s Loop. This community is bounded by the Chicago River on the south and east and by the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks on the north and west. The northeast sections of the neighborhood were included in the city's boundaries when it incorporated in 1837. The remaining sections were annexed in 1853. It is number 31 of the 77 official communities that make up Chicago.

The Lower West Side has served as an entry point for several immigrant groups over the years including Bohemians, Germans, Poles and Mexicans. The area was settled by Germans and Irish in the 1860s and 1870s. By the turn of the century, the population was largely Polish, but included Slovenian and Italian communities. In fact, the area of the Lower West Side known as “Pilsen,” referenced a city in the Czech Republic where many of the early residents came from. As the meatpacking houses of the nearby stockyards district shut down in the 1950s, many Mexican American families moved into the Pilsen and Little Village areas. This was soon followed by an influx of Mexican and other Latinx groups into the area over the next few decades.

Each subsequent community left its imprint on local schools, religious institutions and newspapers, often adapting existing organizations to the new community preferences. For the Latinx community, Howell Neighborhood House was transformed into Casa Aztlán. Fiesta del Sol celebrations have been held since 1973, the Benito Juárez High School was created in 1977, murals celebrating Mexican culture abound and the Mexican Fine Arts Center (National Museum of Mexican Art) opened in 1987.