Lilydale was a small enclave of modest homes in the northwest corner of Roseland that represents a microcosm of African-American self determination. In the 1920s and '30s the thinly populated area was referred to as little more than a "cabbage patch". It consisted of mostly vacant land between 91st and 95th Streets and between State Street and the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad tracks (then, the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad). The 1940s saw a peak in the Second Migration of Black workers from the South seeking jobs and a better life in the industrialized North. Affordable housing for Blacks was limited and generally restricted to the "Black Belt" on the south side of Chicago. Housing shortages grew more severe with the onset of World War II as defense workers moved into the city to aid the war effort.
Lilydale became an attractive area due to its proximity to the steel mills and other defense industries on the south side. It was centrally located and convenient to railroads and streetcars. Beginning in 1942, Black contractors Matthew Goodwin and "Duke" Hodges began building simple, low cost single family homes and duplexes for a growing working-class black neighborhood[1]. To Black trades workers, Lilydale represented an all-too-rare opportunity to use their skills and help resolve their own housing problem.
While the homes were modest, they were made of brick and many still stand today. They were originally intended to be rented to defense workers and sold to veterans after the War. The homes were dramatically more affordable than similar homes in the area making them attractive to workers and veterans alike.
In 1944, the western half of Lilydale was purchased and developed by a local banker/realtor named Donald O'Toole [2] who constructed low cost row houses in a development called Princeton Park. In the 1950s the Dan Ryan Expressway cut a wide swath through the eastern section. Today, only about 12 city blocks remain of the original settlement and the area is generally referred to as Princeton Park. It remains a working-class neighborhood which has withstood the test of time and radical urban change that afflicted other communities in the area. It is adjacent to the Dan Ryan and the Red Line 'L' train to downtown Chicago. 95th Street is a major thoroughfare lined with retail shops and churches. The community stands as a lasting success story of African-American achievements.
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