East Garfield Park Community Collection
Scope and Contents
The East Garfield Park Collection contains manuscripts, printed material and photographs on businesses, cubs and organizations, religious institutions, residents, schools and street scenes in the community area, as well as Garfield Park itself.
News clippings in the original collection which were duplicated in the library's newspaper holdings have been indexed in this guide, but not physically included in the manuscript collection.
Dates
- circa 1870-1964
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 East Garfield Park neighborhood is 4 miles west of the Loop. The neighborhood runs from the Chicago and North Western Railroad tracks near Kinzie Street to a southern border of Taylor Street, and in some places Arthington Street. The 184-acre urban park, Garfield Park, forms the western border. The area was annexed into Chicago in 1869. East Garfield Park is number 27 of the 77 official communities that make up Chicago.
Among the early industrial developments was the Sears plant along the border with North Lawndale. After the Lake Street elevated train opened in 1893, other commercial development and two-flats and small apartment buildings were erected to house the local workers. East Garfield Park's early residents were mostly Irish and German. These groups were followed by Italians and Russian Jews. By 1914, the area contained a mixture of modest homes, commercial buildings and industry. In the 1950s, African Americans moved into the community.
Extent
21.5 Linear Feet (in 25 boxes, including 344 photographs, 12 oversize folders)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The East Garfield Park Collection contains manuscripts, printed material and photographs on businesses, clubs and organizations, religious institutions, residents, schools and street scenes in the community area, as well as Garfield Park itself.
Arrangement
The East Garfield Park Community Collection is arranged into 9 series:
Series 1: Biographical Data, 1890-1954, undated
Series 2: Business Establishments, 1884-1954
Series 3: Religious Institutions, 1913-1953, undated
Series 4: Clubs and Organizations, 1890-circa 1950s, undated
Series 5: Historical Sketches, 1935-1938
Series 6: Parks, circa 1870-1949, undated
Series 7: Residences, 1928-1940, undated
Series 8: Schools, 1888-1964, undated
Series 9: Streets and Transportation, circa 1885-1950
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transferred from Chicago Public Library, Legler Branch in the 1980s as part of a Dr. Scholl Foundation grant.
- Associations, institutions, etc. -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- Sources. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Business enterprises -- Illinois -- Chicago Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- East Garfield Park (Chicago, Ill.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Garfield Park (Chicago, Ill.)
- John Marshall High School ((Chicago, Ill.))
- Manley High School ((Chicago, Ill.))
- Parks -- Illinois -- Chicago Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Portraits -- Illinois -- Chicago Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Religious institutions -- Illinois -- Chicago Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Schools -- Illinois -- Chicago Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Societies and clubs -- Illinois -- Chicago Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Zimmerman, Mary, 1869-1953
Source
- Chicago Public Library. Legler Regional (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the East Garfield Park Community Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Original author unknown, July, 1989. Updated and ingested into ArchivesSpace by Michelle McCoy, 2022
- 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