Chicago Lawn, Chicago
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Community Area 66 - Chicago Lawn Location within the city of Chicago |
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| ZIP Code | parts of 60629 and 60636 | |
| Area | 9.04 km² (3.49 mi²) | |
| Population (2000) Density |
61,412 (up 19.8% from 1990) 6,794.1 /km² |
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| Demographics | White Black Hispanic Asian Other |
10.1% 52.5% 35.1% 0.64% 1.72% |
| Median income | $47,017 | |
| Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services | ||
Chicago Lawn is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois. It is located on the southwest side of the city. It is bounded by Bell Avenue on the east, Central Park Avenue on the west, 59th Street on the north, and 75th Street on the south. This puts it 8 miles southwest of the Loop. The local residents call the area "Marquette Park" after the 300 acre park in its center.
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[edit] History
The city of Chicago Lawn was founded by John F. Eberhart in 1871. Although it was annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889, it remained mostly farmland with some scattered settlements until the 1920s. Between 1920 and 1930 the population increased from 14,000 to 47,000. Residents of German and Irish descent began to move into the area from the Back of the Yards and Englewood neighborhoods. Poles, Bohemians, and Lithuanians followed them. Most new residents belonged to various Protestant denominations, but Chicago Lawn also was home to many Roman Catholic churches and schools. Today, there are six Catholic institutions that make up the Marquette Park Catholic Campus Council. Chicago Lawn was a thriving urban neighborhood as the Depression hit the nation and by 1940 its population had reached 49,291. In 1941, the National Biscuit Company announced plans to build a huge bakery in Chicago Lawn. When completed, this was the largest bakery in one location in the world. The size of the facility was doubled in the late 1990s.
The Lithuanian community has maintained a notable presence in the area by establishing a network of institutions that earned their community the label of Lithuanian Gold Coast. They formed some of the richest savings and loans in the city. The Lithuanian Sisters of Saint Casimir founded Holy Cross Hospital in 1928 and Maria High School in 1952. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church was established in 1927 on the corner of 69th Street and Washtenaw Avenue. It was founded as a Lithuanian National Parish and services are still held in Lithuanian.
Chicago's changing racial demographics had a profound impact on Chicago Lawn. In the 1960s Chicago Lawn became a target for civil rights groups' open housing marches. In 1966 a march led by Martin Luther King, Jr., into Marquette Park met a violent reaction. King himself was hit by a rock. Violence also erupted in the neighborhood when Gage Park High School attempted to integrate after Brown v. Board of Education. The primary resistance to integration came from fear of declining property values by people who put their life savings into their homes and disruption of ethnic bonds, especially for the Lithuanians.
By 1990 African Americans composed 27% of the population, while Hispanic groups accounted for 28%. Some Irish, Poles, and Lithuanians still remain, though most have moved further south and west. Many Lithuanians have reestablished a community in Lemont.
[edit] Notable residents
[edit] References
- Kathleen J. Headley. Images of America: Chicago Lawn/Marquette Manor. Chicago: Tempus, Inc., 2001.
[edit] External links
- City of Chicago—Chicago Lawn Community Map
- Chicago Park District—Marquette Park
- Chicago's Marquette Park Area Community Website
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