Are We All Losing It? (Wien-Criss Archive), The Streetcar Waiting Room at Archer and Western on November 15, 1954. 10. 1:39 (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4028 is on Western at 27th on November 20, 1955. But the most creative period for the city was the 1950s, when rivals Chess and Vee Jay battled for supremacy in the rhythm-and-blues market. The city, which had been 85.9 percent white in 1950 and 76.4 percent in 1960, saw that proportion fall to 65.6 percent in 1970 and 49.6 percent in 1980. Chicago, city, seat of Cook county, northeastern Illinois, U.S. With a population hovering near three million, Chicago is the state's largest and the country's third most populous city. Note the difference in fonts used for the numbers. Railroad Record Club North Shore Line Rarities 1955-1963 (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4373 and others at the Western and 79th loop on November 23, 1952. 07. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA PCC 4108 is northbound at Kinzie Street. 05. 4:56 Car 5706, January 16, 1954 One day I got off at Damen and walked under the tracks to see where they went. He is still stuck on the poverty line, working a food delivery job to support his girlfriend Tami and their son Freddie. US-born citizens make up 85.22% of the resident pool in South Side Chicago, while non-US-born citizens account for 7.1%. Google view shows the approximate location from which #536 was taken. Publisher Arcadia Publishing (SC), 2018 If youre ever in the neighborhood, the TV house is located at 2119 South Homan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60623. IIRC, Jalens Snack Shop, the new occupant, was up and running by the Summer of 54 and for many years after that. View of members or supporters of the Almighty BlackStone Rangers as they march on 63rd Street, in Chicago's southside, Chicago, Illinois, 1969. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7238 is southbound on Western at the Douglas Park L on April 22, 1955. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4408 on Western at 66th on July 16, 1951. Why not mention that the Panama Ltd and the City of Miami operated there on the tracks nearest to Cottage Grove; not to mention IC freight activity and such trackage rights New York Central trains as the James Whitcomb Riley and the Twilight Ltd? Seen as one of the most massive internal movements in United States history, it was an era that sparked the Harlem Renaissance . Building new lives in the 'Black Belt' by Alex Q. Arbuckle (opens in a new tab) At one point, Chicago boasted the largest Irish population and the second-largest Polish population of any city in the world. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You can also see trolley bus wires, used on North Avenue. Tenants were promised a right to return to soon-to-be-built housing on the sites and placed on voucher waiting lists, but many residents struggled to meet the bureaucratic requirements to be considered. The River Tunnels It would have made Chicago a much more commuter friendly city. But folks are also going back to the South, citing a lack of well-paying jobs and resources, as well as steady gun violence and a rising cost of living, as their main reasons for leaving the city. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 4402 on Western at 21st on June 17, 1954. (Wien-Criss Archive), An unidentified CTA red car is on Halsted at 63rd Street on September 16, 1953. 4:47 Cars #1797, 1759, and 1784 at 59th Street, December 31, 1954 From the Original Master Tapes 06. Tens of thousands of Black residents are also leaving their traditional South and West side neighborhoods in recent years, as has been extensively reported, in what some are calling an outmigration or a reverse migration. The citys Black population peaked in the mid-twentieth century and is now at its lowest level since then, with 787,551 Black residents as of 2020. There were approximately 813,000 Black residents in Chicago by 1960. It is such a same they did not have the foresight to keep these lines going. A 2017 study by the Metropolitan Planning Council and the Urban Institute looked at Latinx/white segregation, finding considerable disparities in educational attainment, upward mobility, and generational wealth between these groups. 02. Another treasure trove of photos thanks to the Wien-Criss Archive. The unrest in Chicago led to eleven deaths and over a hundred destroyed buildings. 16. 09. 60 years since the West Side Subway opened (June 22, 1958) (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 248 is at Crosby and Larrabee on May 17, 1954. Photo 537 I believe shows a detouring Halsted car turning off of Division st. onto Crosby St., not Larabee. 3. For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here. 02. https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic530.jpg 01. My parents came from PR in 1950s. Photo 516 is not at Halsted and Waveland, it is a half a block north at the streetcar layover area wedged between Halsted and Broadway (Hence the Route 8 destination sign!). Building Chicagos Subways is in stock and now available for immediate shipment. The only way to get there (still with usable tracks and live trolley wires) was along 69th St. to Wentworth (200 W.), south to 73rd St. at Vincennes, then southwest on Vincennes to the barn at 77th. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA PCC 4101 is westbound on Madison, but where did it cross the Chicago & North Western? Riverdale is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago since 478 crimes are reported annually in a small population of just 13,000 people. 11. Two restaurants were bombed last weekend, the damage at one estimated at $40,000. Capital Transit: From the 1920s through the 1950s, Chicago's South Side was the center for African-American culture and business. While Chicago Housing Authority was right on target for claiming the programs of urban redevelopment, urban renewal and public housing which . The New York Times - August 2, 1964. . The car at right has a 1953 Illinois license plate, but when this picture was taken, Dearborn was still a two-way street, meaning it is prior to November 16. In the 1980 census African Americans made up about 50% of the Chicago South side' population while Mexicans made up 40% as a result of white flight. #535 looks north on Halsted from the L station, this was the main crossroads of the Englewood shopping district. Order your copy today! Native American tribesthe Potawatomi, Odawa, Sauk, Ojibwe, Illinois, Kickapoo, Miami, Mascouten, Wea, Delaware, Winnebago, Menominee, and Mesquakiewere forced out of what is now Chicago by early French and British settlers. Shaker Heights Rapid Transit: This picture is the reverse direction, looking north from the westbound platform of the Englewood L at Halsted. During its heyday, there was Soft Sheen Products, a $100 million-a-year. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7236 is at Archer and Western on November 17, 1954. They were simultaneously subject to predatory practices such as contract selling, in which realtors would deceive buyers into signing contracts to buy marked-up houses on installment with high interest rates and no guarantee of title. Residents enjoy close access to several major shopping destinations, particularly the 87th Street Center and the diverse selection of shops and restaurants . Another clue that helps pinpoint the date is the light lettering on dark background seen on license plates in this image. First, they were all taken in Chicago during the 1950s. South Side Chicago Chicago School Al Capone Al Capone's Chicago home, old Prairie avenue home, 7244 South Prairie Avenue. https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic512.jpg, https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic530.jpg, https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic534.jpg, https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic535.jpg, https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic544.jpg, https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic555.jpg, https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic558.jpg, https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic556.jpg, https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic566.jpg, https://thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pic568.jpg, https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7788385,-87.6447587,3a,75y,3.14h,91.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYcGafc7OK9fQ0w712doa2A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192, https://chicagology.com/wp-content/themes/revolution-20/century/194063rdhalsted.jpg. Potomac Edison (Hagerstown & Frederick), Capital Transit, Altoona & Logan Valley, Shaker Heights Rapid Transit, Pennsylvania Railroad, Illinois Terminal, Baltimore Transit, Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto, St. Louis Public Transit, Queensboro Bridge, Third Avenue El, Southern Iowa Railway, IND Subway (NYC), Johnstown Traction, Cincinnati Street Railway, and the Toledo & Eastern In the 1940s and 1950s, and even into the 1960s, tiki bars popped up all over the United States, including in Chicago, as people . It appears that the street has already been made a one-way, which did not happen until November 16, 1953. Roy lived in the Roseland area since his birth in 1963, at 103rd Street & Wentworth Avenue. In 1991 the Chicago White Sox began to play in a new Comiskey Park across the street from the old stadium. Children listen attentively at Hollstein School in 1952. You can hear our 19-minute conversation here. Photos depict intersections, streets, bridges, snow removal and other traffic features in the city, mainly along major streets. This corresponds to the white on dark green format of the 54 Illinois plates. In the mid-1950's Chicago suffered its first post industrial crisis as the major meatpacking companies began to close their production facilities. (Wien-Criss Archive), A CTA prewar PCC is on Western at Congress on June 11, 1956. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 7239 is on Western at the Douglas Park L on November 11, 1955. White flight caused redlining as the community was now at almost 90% black by 1960. During the 1940s Mercury Records was founded from a Chicago base and emerged as a viable rival to the established major companies. PCC 7113 would be powered into the crossover while the conductor pulls the pole from the rear window, as the car then coasts onto the parallel track. After returning from World War II, American service members brought back memories and souvenirs from the South Pacific. 1. #534 looks south on Halsted from the (A line) L station, note the curved pull-offs of the overhead which is well defined along with the curves corresponding track which converges into the south bound track in view #536. Mexican residents of the area around Jane Addamss Hull House settlement housetodays University Villagehad a similar fate as the Puerto Ricans. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA 640 is running under the L on Halsted at 63rd Place on May 25, 1954. Black communities bore the brunt of the closings of fifty-plus Chicago Public Schools that were shuttered during former Mayor Rahm Emanuels administration. Chicago South Side 1940s-1950s - Untitled During the 1940s & 50s During the 1940s and 50s, the South Side of Chicago, was the creatively teeming area called Bronzeville This was the home to poet Gwendolyn Brooks, playwright Richard Wright and dancer Katherine Dunham, and a lot more. (Wien-Criss Archive), CTA prewar PCC 4008 is southbound on Wabash at about 900 South. All copies purchased through The Trolley Dodger will be signed by the author. 4 Board of Trustees/Directors minutes May 1952-Oct 1956 draft copy. Our resident South side history expert M. E. writes: I have a lot of comments about your latest post #241. Yusay beer stands out on a lot of the photos. The sign indicates that this bridge is going to be converted to one man operation, meaning that it will be operated from only one tower instead of two. This picture was taken on June 17, 1955 at Western and 71st. Last Run of the Hagerstown & Frederick: #536 is a companion picture from the street to #534. In Chicago, most of the South and West sides have 40 to 60 percent of residents living below the poverty level. The light green paint originally used on these cars faded badly and was hard to match. The streetcars shown here were Western Ave. cars, running east on 69th St. to get to the Vincennes / 77th St. barn. Their numbers fell off during the Depression amid intensified immigration crackdowns, according to researchers. Hollstein School was a one-room schoolhouse in Tinley Park. 5:20 #80, October 1954 Cheryl Johnson and Peggy Salazar, lifelong residents of Chicago's South Side, grew up in some of the city's most polluted neighborhoods, in the shadow of dirty industries, including steel.