Rogers Park / West Ridge Historical Society

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Home History Links Early History
Early History
Display # 
1 Bridgeport
Welcome to the Bridgeport history home page. Bridgeport has been an ethnic neighborhood and is well known for the mayors and politicians that grew up here. But when those -- mostly Irish -- political heavyweights were youngsters walking the streets of Bridgeport, you can bet that they knew a Pole, or a Lithuanian, or an Italian, or one of the other ethnics of the place. Bridgeport was truly a neighborhood of neighborhoods -- not a single urban village, but a collection of them. Bridgeport has a long history. It got its start when the Illinois & Michigan Canal construction got underway in 1836. Times were a bit different then. Journey back with us to have a brief look. And a brief look is all that we will be able to take: the history of Bridgeport even predates the beginnings of the canal. It is quite literally one of the oldest localities in northern Illinois of note; although to read the original notes, you'd have to know French. The history of Bridgeport is quite rich; much of it has yet to be rediscovered.
2 The Haymarket tragedy
In connection with the nation-wide strike for the 8-hour workday, which began May 1, 1886, a mass meeting was held on the night of May 4th in the Chicago haymarket. Its purpose was to protest a police attack on Union pickettes at McCormick Harvesting Machine Company in which workers were injured and killed. When police ordered the protest meeting to disperse (peaceful though it was), a bomb was thrown toward the police by an unknown person. The police responded by firing at the crowd. This became known as the "Haymarket Riot," now more properly named the Haymarket Tradgey. The 8-Hour Day Movement was destroyed in the nation-wide hysteria which followed.
3 Death Notices for Chicago
Names, places*, dates, and ages at death of some of Chicago's Old Settlers, prior to 1843, and other well - known citizens who arrived after 1843, together with others prominently connected with Illinois history.

* In most cases, except as otherwise stated, the deaths occurred in Chicago.
4 This is Evanston
Compiled by the League of Women Voters in Evanston, this 122 page book delves into the history of our northern neighbor. There were several instances where Evanston and Rogers Park residents voted whether Evanston should annex Rogers Park. They all were defeated.
5 Early Chicago
This web site is based on the book
A Compendium of the Early History of Chicago to the Year 1835,
when the Indians left.

The volume was self-published by the authors in the year 2000. The intent of book and web site is to inform about all persons and all significant events for which historical records can be located. Any book on history, once printed, is set, and will in time become obsolete. This web site, however, will be updated with the continuing stream of new information that ongoing research provides. Already, with reader participation, many of the stories have continued to enlarge. Such is the nature of historic records, that they are never finite. Once the time of the authors and present contributors has run out, our intention is that the work will be continued by a foundation established for this very purpose.
6 Cook County Townships, 1910
A list of townships extant in Cook County in the year 1910

2009 House Tour Photos by Roy Alexander

How to Contact Us

By Mail:7344 N. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60645
By Phone:773-764-4078
By FAX:773-764-2824
By E-mail:rpwrhs@aol.com

Our hours:
Wednesday and Friday afternoons, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Other times by special appointment

Board of Directors meetings are held the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Society's offices.