Tony Soprano wasn’t the first mobster drawn to quiet suburban-style living. In the Roaring 20’s, the new bungalows of West Ridge provided an idyllic refuge on the northern edge of the city for organized crime figures involved in the gambling, rum-running, vice and gangland struggles for power that defined the Prohibition era in Chicago. Join […]
Mike Zimmerman grew up in West Ridge in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Now retired, he recently sent us this memoir about his childhood adventures.
What could be more Chicago than elections and hot dogs? Join us for our annual meeting and election of board members, plus a talk by popular food historian Bruce Kraig on Hot Dog History and Why Chicago’s Are the Best. We’ll also have an update regarding stewardship of the extensive RPWRHS collection archive. Only current members are […]
Join the Ranks of Our Digital History Detectives. Over the years, we’ve accumulated many photographs of homes, commercial buildings and other places in the neighborhood with limited information as to their location, date or subject matter. We’re filling in the details for as many as we can, and you can help. Join Rob Case, our […]
The Annual House Walk is a Rogers Park/West Ridge tradition that supports our work year-round. The 2018 tour was held in the Talman-West Ridge Historic Bungalow District. First developed in the post-World War I building boom, this neighborhood was home to iconic Chicago sports figures like Gabby Hartnett, star catcher for the Chicago Cubs from […]
The story of Clark Street as the commercial hub of the neighborhood starts with the earliest days of Rogers Park and continues today. Throughout its history, Clark Street has prospered in boom times, survived economic downturns, and continually adapted to the needs of the ever-changing population it serves. Join neighborhood historian Glenna Eaves on a walking tour […]
Last winter, Bena Shklyanoy gave a fascinating Living History presentation on her experience coming to Chicago as a Russian-Jewish immigrant in 1976. Now, her family’s story has been brought to the stage, in two new plays at the Piven Theatre in Evanston, written by Bena Shklyanoy and Kevin Olson. Join others from the Rogers Park/West […]
Don’t miss your chance to become a digital history detective. Last session left this summer. Over the years, we’ve accumulated many photographs of homes, commercial buildings and other places in the neighborhood with limited information as to their location, date or subject matter. We’re filling in the details for as many as we can, and […]
Be a digital history detective. Help identify photos from our archive. Over the years, we’ve accumulated many photographs of homes, commercial buildings and other places in the neighborhood with limited information as to their location, date or subject matter. We’re filling in the details for as many as we can, and you can help. Join Rob […]
On Saturday, June 9, after a dreary, rain-soaked morning when the spirits were willing but the sunshine was weak, an eager group met to take the Spirits of Rogers Park/West Ridge at Rosehill Cemetery tour. Indefatigable and resourceful guide Glenna Eaves led twenty-plus tour takers on a 3-hour walkabout of selected grave sites of local notables.