Chicago Neighborhoods Project

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Katy Canzone Hst 240 Englewood The neighborhood of Englewood, located on Chicago’s southwest side, currently holds a violent reputation. With one of the highest crime rates in the city, the neighborhood is home to immense poverty. The negative connotation Englewood holds has developed over years of dramatic downturn within the neighborhood. Englewood was not always such a bad place to live; in fact it once thrived, serving as a home to some of the most powerful and most wealthy people in Chicago. Determining what exactly caused this neighborhood to decompose over the years is not a simple task; the history of this neighborhood however stands as a model for many other neighborhoods within Chicago and the study of its demise may help future neighborhoods escape Englewood’s dark fate. Along with many other suburbs, Englewood’s history truly began after the Great Fire of 1871; in the years following the fire Englewood was deemed one of Chicago’s fastest-growing suburbs. Englewood’s location heavily aided its sharp expansion; with eight railroad lines converging within its borders Englewood was an ideal location for stockyard supervisors and company officials. Residents of the neighborhood could take trains or streetcars to work, send their children to local schools, attend church, and wander the lavish parks. They were congratulated for living upwind of the Stockyards and seen as well off by Chicago standards1. The Chicago World’s Fair- or The Columbian Exposition- of 1893 also aided Englewood’s expansion. Its close proximity to Jackson Park, the location of the fair,

1

Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. New York: Vintage, 2004. Print.

made it ideal for visitors to stay while touring the fair2. Throughout the 1890’s almost 100 new hotels were constructed in Englewood, along with markets, shops, and various other tourism outlets. Young people from around the world were drawn to the neighborhood for its vast number of jobs and low priced, but affordable homes. Entrepreneurs saw opportunities to open their shops here and investors saw opportunities to make money off this new hot spot3. Once the fair ended in October of 1893 the neighborhood could no longer hide from the Depression that had engulfed the world around it. The end of the World’s fair meant the unemployment of hundreds of people into the streets of the city. Many flocked to Englewood hoping to get piece of the success it had experienced in the last decade. The neighborhood however was on the decline, unemployment shot up along with poverty levels and crime rate4. The dramatic change this neighborhood experienced sent them into a downward spiral that is still spinning today. Englewood developed a different kind of reputation amidst the economic struggles. Gamblers and gangsters invaded building saloons and roadhouses along South Broadway in an area known as Orchard Place. Englewood during this time was described as “seven saloons, a grocery store, and two sporting houses.” Shootings and knifings became every day occurrences and the down town area of Englewood was filled with
2

"City of Englewood : Englewood History." City of Englewood : Home. 22 Apr. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.englewoodgov.org/index.aspx?page=45>.
3

McDonnell, Rosemary. What It Takes: Community Development in Englewood : an Exploratory Urban Case Study. Chicago, IL, 1999. Print.
4

"City of Englewood : Crime Statistics." City of Englewood : Home. 14 Oct. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.englewoodgov.org/Index.aspx?page=491>.

cheap liquor, vulgar language, and fancy women. Residents of the area rallied, fighting for the formation of a city and in 1903 they got their wish. Known for its abundance of trees the neighborhood adopted the name “Englewood” which literally means “wooden nook.”2 By 1896 the country had elected a new Republican president- McKinely. The country, Chicago, and Englewood were brought out of the depression and into the years of the most rapid growth the country has ever seen. Englewood participated in this growth. They built schools, doctors’ offices, hospitals, an amusement park, and various other entertainment pubs. Committees transformed Orchard place into a beautiful space with paved roads and public gardens5. Englewood gained a reputation of close community and the residents prided themselves on it. When another wave of economic depression hit the city, Englewood fought to maintain their spirit of hometown friendliness. As the country fell into its deepest depression yet, Englewood looked inward for support. Local grocery stores ran soup kitchens to feed the hungry and hotels opened rooms after hours for those with no place to sleep. In the 1940’s the city backed the country in support of World War II; during this time however the city saw a decline in real-estate values6. The buildings were old, close to 40 years, and needed repair however the materials needed were scarce due to the war effort. Meanwhile the Black Belt expanded rapidly from the East2.

5

Keating, Ann Durkin. Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs: a Historical Guide. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2008. Print.
6

Stockwell, Clinton E. "Englewood." Encyclopedia of Chicago. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/426.html>.

The apartment boom in the 1920’s provided many low-income residents with homes. However, the conditions were poor and over-crowded7. As more and more blacks migrated into the neighborhood, the community transformed. In 1940 Blacks made up just two percent of the population. This number increased to eleven percent by 1950 and jumped to 96 percent in by 1970. As black population soared the whites fled along with the companies they had brought in8. The once infamous shopping district had deteriorated to almost nothing and restoration projects were unsuccessful. Major department stores such as Sears and Wiedoldt’s left Englewood and the Chicago State University relocated. For the first time since its founding, Englewood saw its population decline; from its peak of 97,000 in 196 it fell to 59,000 in 1980 and then to 40,000 in 20009. The slow decline Englewood’s residents had been desperately fighting since the 1890’s was moving faster than anyone could keep up with and Englewood’s fate as a low-income community was sealed (Hill). The demographic make up of Englewood by 2000 had changed as dramatically as its economic. Of the 40,222 residents, 39,352 about 97% were black. Other races included Asian, Hispanic, and white but none made up even 1% of Englewood’s population. The majority of residents in Englewood in the year 2000 ranged from ages 25-64. About 30,000 of those residents were born in Chicago, while the other 10,000 migrated to the state at some point9.
7

Squires, Gregory D. From Redlining to Reinvestment: Community Responses to Urban Disinvestment. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1992. Print.
8

Benedict, Lyle A. Chicago Neighborhoods: How to Find Statistics and Other Information on Local Areas in the Municipal Reference Library. Chicago, IL: Library, 1985. Print.
9

"Area 68- Englewood." Chicago FactFinder / Census Data for the City of Chicago. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.nd.edu/~chifacts/chicago.html>.

The neighborhood of Englewood has fought endlessly to preserve the once elite reputation it had. The introduction of parks, museums, and health care centers represent the joined effort residents put in to their community. The dramatic economic changes and even more dramatic population changes doomed Englewood to a fate no community effort could pull it out of. The drastic difference of the Englewood we see today and the Englewood that once was is shocking. This neighborhood has a truly colorful history that is, for the most part, forgotten. This neighborhood was home to an infamous cereal killer, the cities most successful railroad owners and corporate managers. Englewood has boomed and crashed with the peaks and downfalls of the nation’s economy; as it coasts along this path of destruction however more and more people are giving up on the neighborhood. The community organizations are being to crumble and the governor continues to ignore the true need this neighborhood has for restoration. Englewood will slip away from history all together if it does not turn around soon.

The Antioch Haven Homes are located in West Englewood on 63rd street. As a visitor to the area this looks like a nice place to live. There are courtyards, walkways, and the area around it is well kept. The homes were built in 2000 as part of an urban renewal project. There are 192 units within the homes and are designed for low in-come families. They are a visual representation of the effort the local government and neighborhood communities have put in to keeping this space beautiful and keeping this community united against poverty.

As I walked down 63rd I noticed rows and rows of these houses; on either side of the street and down every cross street. Every house is identical, they almost reminded me of a stereotypical suburbia. The homes were part of the same urban renewal act that built the Antioch Haven Homes. These homes were built for middle-income families and are located to the three best schools in West Englewood. The federal government provides the financing to maintain these places of residence. Each home has a sizeable back yard and the walkways between the homes are well kept.

The corner of 63rd and Wallace was home to the Nations’ first documented serial killer- Dr. H. H. Holmes. As I took this picture residents walking past me cautioned me against doing so and told me about a curse they believed Dr. Holmes left them with. I was amazed at the amount of complete strangers that stopped to talk to me about this corner, this serial killer, and the story he left. I originally took this picture for myself but after talking with the residents I felt I had to include it. As I read through histories of Englewood the same phrase kept coming up “hometown friendliness” and for a neighborhood with so much violence, friendliness was the last thing I expected. Everyone however was more than willing to stop and talk to me. One man even told me the story of the haunted post office. I included this picture because it represents how Englewood is more than its statistics. It is home to some wonderfully friendly people, and wonderfully terrifying stories!

Englewood’s post office stands as one of the last unifying features of the neighborhood. The post office is under threat of closing by the government due to its slow service, lack of adequate employees and low maintenance. One resident I spoke with was very concerned about the after effects of closing this post office. He believes that its presence in the neighborhood legitimizes Englewood as a neighborhood and its removal would be the final breaking point. I have included a picture found on exlporingillinois.blogspot.com due to the bad picture quality of my personal photo.

This photo captures the remnants of a community park. The park borders the newer homes but severely contrasts the quality of their lawns and courtyards. The park has various parts from a playground as well as benches that have been torn apart. The walkways are nearly completely covered with leaves and over grown grass and the fence surrounding the park is covered in graffiti. This park may have been part of the community effort to “beautify” during the 1980’s after the construction of Cinderella City; over the years the park has been forgotten however, and stands as a sad representation of the neighborhood’s decline.

This mural immediately caught my eyes as I walked off the Red Line. This mural extends along the walls of a freeway over pass and expresses the views of the people. They show their appreciation for the railroads they are losing and the goals they hope to fulfill in the future through a more environmentally friendly neighborhood. This portrait again exemplifies the sense of community the people of Englewood cherish.

This is the remaining portion of the mural included above. It shows various types of people- immigrants, laborers, women and children etc. The mural progresses as you move from left to right, illustrating the words written above. The first portion shows a very industrialized neighborhood centered around the railroad and as you move right you see the instruction of greenery, parks, and playgrounds. The mural is gorgeous, colorful, and tells the story of Englewood through the peoples’ eyes.

I was walking down a side street and noticed these strange teepee- like piles of wood. A man passed by and saw me staring and told me these were the shelters for homeless people. He explained how during the day the dwellers will abandon them but come back to them to sleep. He also explained that these shelters are cleared away daily by various maintenance and trash men but that the homeless always find wood to rebuild. These “homes” severely contrast the homes I first photographed and are a reminder that although the government has put money into urban renewal many residents of Englewood still find themselves living on the streets.

This is Banneker Elementary School off of Marquette Road. This is one of the few still standing public schools in Englewood and the center around most urban renewal projects prosper. The school is well kept and has a better reputation than most in the neighborhood but this may be due to the fact that it is an elementary school. The lawns around the school are gardened regularly and the maintenance in and around the school is looked after regularly. Englewood takes pride in this landmark in the same way it does its post office, claiming it is one of the few centerpieces holding the community together.

Signs such as this are placed everywhere around the neighborhood- locals looking for work and promoting themselves. The sign however has multiple holes punched through it and almost falls over every time the wind kicks up. Behind and all around the sign you can see another abandoned area in Englewood one that has been left to over grow and become home to whoever or whatever passes through. Much of the neighborhood looks this way- abandoned- with little traces of life. The neighborhood has been forgotten in a large sense and needs all the aid it can get to restore its life.

Eric Larson, author of the national best seller, The Devil in the White City, details the story of architect Daniel H. Burnham and mass murdered Dr. H. H. Holmes. Before reading this novel one might question the relationship between these two men and their relevance to anyone’s life today. Larson lays out his message beautifully in a personal note, concluding with this profound statement, “In the end it is a story of the ineluctable conflict between good and evil, daylight and darkness, the White City and the Black. ” The message Larson hopes to lay out is similar to the message this project will hopefully lay out. As a student in the year 2011, one might dread doing a project such as this one, one that forces them to research, to travel, and to interpret statistics. One might not understand how this project will affect their life or impact the lives of others. As students in the year 2011 we tend to be ignorant to the point of all this education we are absorbing. The neighborhood of Englewood holds one of the most negative reputations of the 77 neighborhoods in Chicago. When one hears the name “Englewood” they automatically think of the high crime rates, the high unemployment, and the high poverty. They do not think back to the success and beauty the neighborhood has held. As a foreigner to the city one will look at CityCenter Englewood not knowing it was once home to the largest shopping mall east of the Mississippi; they will stand on the corner of 63rd and Wallace not knowing that that was home to Nation’s first documented serial killer. In the same sense students in the years ahead will be unaware of what Englewood was like in 2011. It is important to document these neighborhoods and to learn about their histories for two reasons: one, so they are not forgotten and two, so we can learn from them. Larson created a novel that has memorized the nation because its message can and will

transcend through the years. The themes he writes about are still as present as they were in the 1890’s. The battle between good and evil prevails, as it always will. We cannot prevent the battle we can simply learn from history and work towards a better future. Without the sources I have used in this project the history of Englewood would be erased, and as students it is our job to continue that documentation. Englewood was home to one of the most magical moments in time. That same moment is widely forgot from modern history. Englewood needs to be remembered as a beautiful place not a place of poverty and despair. In a hundred years this neighborhood may lead again, and if so, its residents will have this project to look back on, remembering the hardships it has endured.

Bibliography "Area 68- Englewood." Chicago FactFinder / Census Data for the City of Chicago. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.nd.edu/~chifacts/chicago.html>. Benedict, Lyle A. Chicago Neighborhoods: How to Find Statistics and Other Information on Local Areas in the Municipal Reference Library. Chicago, IL: Library, 1985. Print. "City of Englewood : Crime Statistics." City of Englewood : Home. 14 Oct. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.englewoodgov.org/Index.aspx?page=491>. "City of Englewood : Englewood History." City of Englewood : Home. 22 Apr. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.englewoodgov.org/index.aspx?page=45>. "Clearmaps: Crime Indicator." CLEARMAP Chicago Police Department Geographic Information System. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://gis.chicagopolice.org>. "History, Mission and Vision." Benjamin E. Mays Academy. 01 Oct. 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.mays.cps.k12.il.us/>. Keating, Ann Durkin. Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs: a Historical Guide. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2008. Print. Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. New York: Vintage, 2004. Print. McDonnell, Rosemary. What It Takes: Community Development in Englewood : an Exploratory Urban Case Study. Chicago, IL, 1999. Print. Moreno, Rich. "The Site of the Infamous Murder Castle." Exploring Illinois by Rich Moreno. 6 Apr. 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://exploringillinois.blogspot.com/2010/04/site-of-infamous-murder-castle.html>. Pacyga, Dominic A. Chicago: a Biography. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2009. Print. Squires, Gregory D. From Redlining to Reinvestment: Community Responses to Urban Disinvestment. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1992. Print. Stockwell, Clinton E. "Englewood." Encyclopedia of Chicago. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/426.html>.

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