P
hilip McGregor Rogers (August 15, 1812 – December 13, 1856) once owned all the land in an area bounded by Lake Michigan, Birchwood Terrace (now Juneway Terrace), Ridge Boulevard, and Devon Avenue. He lived with his family in a house on the northwest corner of what is now known as Rogers Avenue and Clark Street [now Walgreens parking lot]. The trees in the area were primarily Birchwood trees and Philip started a charcoal factory to help him clear the area of trees. Once he had gotten rid of the trees he could, and did, run a vegetable farm. During a recorded interview with his grandson, the late S. Rogers Touhy, he remarked “only fate caused grandpa to settle in the area.”
