Historical Society of Woodlawn Records
Scope and Contents
The Records of the HSW consist of financial records, minutes of meetings, membership rosters, printed materials and news clippings. The predominant years represented in the collection extend from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Administrative files include correspondence, certificates, constitution and by-laws, financial records and minutes of meetings. One narrative history of Woodlawn’s early years appears. News clippings document some of HSW’s activities from 1935 to 1946, as well as provide biographical information about some HSW officers and members. Printed materials such as poems, programs and meeting announcements, and song books are included in the collection. Finally, photographs depicting HSW meetings and members appear.
Dates
- 1937-circa 1965
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Please consult staff to determine ability to reuse materials from collection.
Biographical / Historical
Founded in 1937 and active until the mid-1960s, the Historical Society of Woodlawn (HSW) took as its mission the preservation of Woodlawn’s historical record. Staffed by volunteer community members, the HSW actively accessioned, cataloged and preserved Woodlawn’s neighborhood history. Over the years, HSW members have written numerous historical essays concerning Woodlawn’s development. In addition to collecting neighborhood history, the HSW sponsored annual dinners each May, guest lecturers throughout the year and held membership in both the Illinois Historical Society and the Associated Clubs of Woodlawn. The HSW disbanded sometime around 1965.
Extent
1 Linear Feet (in 2 boxes, including 10 photographs)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Records of the Historical Society of Woodlawn consist of financial records, minutes of meetings, membership rosters, printed materials and news clippings.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged alphabetically by format and either alphabetically or chronologically within.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Funded by the Scholl Foundation, the collection was transferred from the Historical Society of Woodlawn during the summer of 1984.
Separated Materials
The following materials have been removed to the locations given.
- Rubber stamp by Progress Stamps Works, Chicago, reading “Historical Society of Woodlawn.” Moved to Special Collections Artifacts
- Fifty-eight lantern slides of Chicago parks and Civil War images. Moved to Frank W. Smith Glass Plate Slide Collection, Supplement 8. (Slides #987-1044)
- Twenty-four lantern slides, New Salem, Illinois, 1920s. Moved to Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site Petersburg, IL 62675
- Two lantern slides, Bryant Cottage, Bement, Illinois (Lincoln-Douglas debates). Moved to Bryant Cottage State Historic Site, Bement, IL 61813
- Woodlawn (Chicago, Ill.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Source
- Historical Society of Woodlawn (Chicago, Ill.) (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Historical Society of Woodlawn Records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Original author unknown. Processed, 1989. Updated and ingested into ArchivesSpace by Johanna Russ, 2021.
- Date
- 1989
- 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
Harold Washington Library Center, 9th Floor
Chicago Public Library
400 S. State Street
Chicago IL 60605 United States
(312) 747-4875
specoll@chipublib.org