Archer Avenue

Archer Avenue Soundex Code A626

1 W. at 1900 S. to 6400 W. at 5500 S.

Wikipedia page about Archer Avenue

The street was named for Colonel William Beatty Archer, an abolitionist and civil engineer. He was shunned at first by Bridgeport's immigrant Irish when he supported the Union cause in the Civil War. Some Irish feared freed slaves would take their jobs, but eventually they came around to the Union cause.

Archer gave hundreds of jobs to Bridgeport's Irish while supervising the construction of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, begun in 1836. He was a popular guy. And in 1856 he nominated Abraham Lincoln for Vice President, and later he supported the new president's declaration of civil war.

"To Lincoln's call for volunteers, the sons of Chicago gave an instant warm response," wrote historian Joseph Hamzik. The Chicago Irish formed Mulligan's Brigade and the Irish Legion and fought valiantly for the Blue.

Going back yet another thirty years along Archer Road, history records the first stirrings of Chicago's continuing city-suburban feud.

Addresses

2100 Block

2144 A S. Archer Avenue, American Metro Bank, Chinatown Branch: