HISTORYHISTORY OFOF WASHINGTONWASHINGTON PARKPARK 1905 - 1908 1910 Peak Five branches of the south transit service: 5 branches green line were added. and 47 stations.

TRANSPORTATION 1947 CTA began to cut service to nearly 1887 Cable 1907 The “L” is extended 100 stations with low riderhip or considered “uneconomical.” Impact was felt hard on Green Grand Boulevard cars reached as far 1892 Garfield Station the length of Washington Park Boosts and Blocks are inspired HISTORY 1874 Line. horse carriage path is dug south as 63rd on State built to transport visitors to and into Woodlawn. by United for a Fair Economy (UFE). They represent (now Martin Luther King Street and 67th on the 1893 World’s Fair. events that had either a positive or negative impact Boulevard). Cottage Grove. on the neighborhood.

In the 1890s, German Jews had begun to settle in eastern Washington Park 52,736 and African-Americans began moving to the area south of Garfield, west POPULATION GROWTH of State Street. It was an early example of neighborhood diversity, but not *44,016 POPULATION GROWTH everywhere was so welcoming. Many municipalities in Illinois were known to be “sundown towns,” where Black people were not allowed to be when 1940 the sun went down. After the Great Fire of 1871, the South 1930 Manufacturing Side expanded quickly as both the rich employment in the city and the poor left the city’s center. of peaked at 1920 667,407 workers. 1910 The Black population in Chicago 1900 increased from 44,000 to over 1890 109,000 between 1910 and 1920. 1880 *Population data became available in 1930.

Potawatomi ceded 1833 1905 The Chicago 1930 The University the last of their Illinois and Defender is founded by of Chicago serves as Wisconsin lands as part of the Robert Abbott, as a forum headquarters of the Treaty of Chicago. Chicago to attack racial injustice, Federation of Neighborhood is incorporated as a town, credited with being a major Associations through the and as a city 4 years later. As catalyst for the Great 1929 Black residents of 30s and 40s, its primary American townspeople began 1879 Washington Park 1891 Washington Park Field Migration. 1922 Loredo Taft’s Chicago gain access to city purpose being the opposition to outnumber the French dedicated, former President House is designed by Daniel 1917 Jesse Binga moved to sculpture “” jobs, expanding professional of e"orts made by the Black and Potawatomi inhabitants, Ulysses S. Grant presided over 1940 The Federal Home Owners’ Burnham. Washington Park; he was the added to Washington Park, class; Bud Billiken Parade community to get legislation the government forced most the ceremonies. A boulder Loan Corporation creates “redlined” founder of The Binga Bank, world’s earliest concrete started. passed that declared of the Potawatomi people was placed where he planted maps of Chicago, identifying areas the first privately owned finished art work restrictive covenants as from Northern Illinois to new a tree. by racial composition for risk in African-American bank in invalid. homes on the far side of the Chicago. home security mortgages, making Chicago’s Mississippi. 1884 The area was dredged 1920s it extremely di!culty for black to turn the swampy land into a thriving “Black Belt” of 1933-1947 The people or anyone in integrated 1848 Illinois becomes more livable place. Bronzeville extends south spends neighborhoods to secure loans into the Washington Park a truly free state with the 1910 ’s $110,923.72 on “community to purchase or upgrade homes, 1889 Washington Park area neighborhood, wealthier constitution of 1848 that o!ce designed an interests,” and $83,597.46 or generate wealth from home is annexed into the city of white residents begin to 1930s The Chicago Black outlawed both slavery and 1893 Twenty-seven million administrative park building, on defending restrictive ownership. The risky investment label Chicago. move from the area, closing Renaissance, influenced by indentured servitude. visit the south side for the which now houses the covenants also prevented business loans and World’s Fair in Jackson many businesses; jazz Age; Great Migration and Great small-scale investment, leading to 1890 University of Chicago DuSable Museum of African- Park and Washington Park Washington Park defined as Depression, promoted 1940 Rhumboogie Cafe neighborhood decline. opens in the adjacent Hyde American History. 1919 The city was a connected by Midway Community Area 40. racial pride and a new black opens at 343 East Garfield Park neighborhood. “hotbed” of racial tension, Plaisance. culminating in city-wide consciousness which led Boulevard, starting a short but 1947 The Illinois General Assembly 1917 The Chicago Real to the growth of jazz/blues/ successful reign. Estate Board set out a formal race riots of 1919. Invading passed the Illinois Blighted Areas Irish and White gangs led 1926 The US Supreme gospel and literature that Redevelopment Act, creating a new policy of racial segregation Court upheld racially 1940 Native Son, by 1871 Washington Park to the formation of the first addressed Chicago culture/ agency called the Land Clearance and voted to expel any restrictive covenants in Richard Wright is published, is designed by Frederick Black street gangs in the racial tensions/issues of Commission with the power to acquire member who sold property Corrigan v. Buckley that whose main character, Bigger, Law Olmstead and Calvert Bronzeville area to defend the identity/search for meaning. “blighted” land by force and sell it to on White blocks to Black were used to keep Black drives Mary Dalton and her Vaux, named after the first community. Some South Side private developers. for residential people Chicagoans in segregated and 1937 Chicago Housing boyfriend around Washington president, originally “mowed” industry closed during riots, development. over-crowded areas Authority is formed Park. by roaming cows and sheep. impacting the economy. 1997 Demolision of Green Line Tracks east of Service on three branches 1950s Cottage Grove eliminating of the green line south were ended, service to Jackson Park lines closed.

1961 The first segment 1982 The Jackson of the Dan Ryan expressway park branch of the CTA Entire 2019 The Garfield Gateway opens cementing segregation/ 1994 was closed and tracks 1994 Green Line shut down Project brought $43 million in 1950 Green Hornet Streetcar environmental justice concerns Disaster: a streetcar traveling too fast for were removed. 63rd & Racine for rehabilitation improvements for the station that wet conditions veers into a gasoline tanker, and 58th & work, resulting in 2 2001 Historic Garfield included art by Nick Cave triggering a massive explosion that kills over Prairie stations years of no service to Boulevard “L” station and overpass 30 passengers. permanently the area. designated with landmark status closed. 56,856 46,024 Between 1950 and 2000, the City of Chicago as a whole saw a sharp decline in population, but the impact was even stronger in the neighborhoods that experienced significant “white 1950 43,690 flight,” like Washington Park. In 1950, Washington Park had two percent of the city’s population. Today, Washington Park has only 0.4 percent of the City’s population. 1970 31,935 1960 19,425 The construction of high-density 14,146 Robert Taylor Homes gave the 11,717 11,502 neighborhood a slight increase 1980 in population as the base of the 1990 community was slipping away. 2000 2010 2017

1948 US Supreme Court strikes down racial 1980 Wisconsin Steel Closes 1993 US Steel Closes 2008 There are 163 foreclosure 2015 After a 34-day hunger strike led by covenants filings in Washington Park, the residents, Dyett High School reopens. 1995 Heatwave of three days highest rate per 1,000 properties of 1952 The University of Chicago formed the leaves 739 Chicagoans dead, all Chicago neighborhoods 2015 Obama Presidential Library selects the Hyde Park Kenwood Urban Renewal Program including many from Washington University of Chicago’s proposal, ultimately (nicknamed “Urban Removal”), which displaced Park Dyett HS has the largest choosing Jackson Park over Washington Park thousands of African Americans on the South 2008 increase in students going to college Side. It tore down strips of worker housing for 1970s Robert Taylor Homes in all of CPS. 2016 The University of Chicago buys 26 student dorms, decimated the local jazz scene, become neglected by the Chicago properties in Washington Park because of the and bulldozed the commercial corridor on 55th Housing Authority and the police 1983 Harold Washington elected 2008 KLEO Center founded to Obama center bid street, leaving behind only 3 new business sites. first African American mayor address domestic violence. Robert Taylor Homes 1962 1972 Dyett HS is built on the 2009 Chicago prepares 1955 The Illinois General Assembly passed completed as huge low-income northern border of Washington Park. (unsuccessful) bid to host the 2016 an amendment to the Illinois Blighted Areas housing project between 51st and Olympic Games with Washington Redevelopment Act, to give the Chicago Land 54th and State to Federal; not Park at the center of festivities. Clearance Commission more power in emminent everyone who wanted housing 2004 Washington Park added domain and use the land for industrial purposes. could be accommodated. to the National Register of Historic 2011 Citing poor academic Places. performance, CPS decides to phase 2018 Green line performing Arts Center opens, 1963 CPS mass walkout of over out Dyett High School over the run by the Arts and Public Life. The University 220,000 students to protest course of a three-year period also reopens the Level 1 Trauma Center after overcrowded and underfunded 1986 The passing of the Anti-drug years of activists calling for adequate emergency majority-Black schools abuse act creates disparate negative care. impacts on Black communities in 1965 More than half of the US during the War on Drugs. In manufacturing jobs in the Late 1970s Beasley Academic Chicago, police were busy targeting metropolitan area relocated into Center opens at 5255 S. State Street gang leaders who had maintained the suburbs by this point. in Washington Park. Programming some semblance of codes of 1961 The DuSable Museum of African- includes a free Child Parent Center conduct around violence, breaking American History founded by writer and 1971 The Union Stock Yard closed preschool program, a selective large gangs into many factions leading 2007 Robert Taylor Homes 2014 The Sweetwater Foundation arts activist Margaret Burroughs and seven its doors after nearly 106 years of enrollment gifted program and regular to increased violence. completely torn down. opens the Perry Avenue Commons 2020 Renovation of Indiana Playlot with others as the first African-American museum operation. education magnet school programs. on the site of a former correctional grants and support from the Washington Park independent of a university. school for boys. Chamber, SECC, and My Block My Hood My City