by Hank Morris
People are frequently confusing Rogers Park as East Rogers Park and West Ridge as West Rogers Park. There is some basis in fact for these names. But, it’s not what you may think. There actually WAS an East Rogers Park and West Rogers Park and both were in Rogers Park. Neither were in West Ridge.
When Rogers Park was a village, Clark Street was the main center of commerce. The village hall was on Clark Street. Clark Street divided Rogers Park in two segments, east and west. Hence the names “East Rogers Park” and “West Rogers Park.” It was just that simple.
Sometime after annexation, the image in the minds of various people moved the dividing line West from Clark Street to Ridge Blvd. and started calling the area to the west of Ridge Blvd. “West Rogers Park” and east of Ridge “East Rogers Park.” And so it began …
This confusion may never be resolved, but there’s comfort in the fact that these names were once correctly applied.