West Pullman, Chicago
West Pullman | |
---|---|
Community area | |
Community Area 53 - West Pullman | |
Coordinates: 41°40.8′N 87°37.8′W / 41.6800°N 87.6300°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Illinois |
County | Cook |
City | Chicago |
Neighborhoods | list
|
Area | |
• Total | 3.58 sq mi (9.27 km2) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 26,104 |
• Density | 7,300/sq mi (2,800/km2) |
CDT) | |
ZIP Codes | parts of 60628 and 60643 |
Median income | $33,898[1] |
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services |
West Pullman is a neighborhood located on the far south side of the
It is bounded on the north by 115th Street, on the east by the former
Demographics
According to a June 2017 analysis by the
Economy
The median income is $33,898.
West Pullman residents were victimized by predatory lenders during the 1970s. In the 1980s, West Pullman residents lost both industrial and professional jobs making unemployment an extra hurdle for the community. Habitat for Humanity has built and is continuing to build homes in the community of West Pullman. The residents are working hard to turn their economy around.
West Pullman recently overcame the industrial legacy of toxic waste with the help of the EPA. There is now a community garden in place of the former "toxic zone."[2]
West Pullman is also home to the largest urban
History
After the expulsion of the Potawatomi as part of the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, the area that is now West Pullman was settled by westbound settlers. In the 1880s, real estate speculators created the West Pullman Land Association to develop land between Wentworth and Ashland Avenues. The Association was successful in industrial development, and later residential development before the Panic of 1893, the Pullman Strike of 1894 dealt an economic blow that resulted in bankruptcy.[4]
The University of Chicago sociologists created the West Pullman community area in the 1920s. They did this by merging several existing communities. The first of these communities was Kensington which grew alongside the town Pullman. The second of these communities was the former village of Gano. The area of Gano was populated by Pullman workers who desired to own their own homes and escape from the corporate control of George Pullman's company town. Many ethnic groups called the area home, including Italians, Poles, Hungarians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Armenians, many of whom built houses of worship and cultural centers, like St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church.[5]
West Pullman was launched as an industrial and residential subdivision in 1891 by the West Pullman Land Association. West Pullman was the largest of the identifiable communities in the nation where a type of fusion between residential and factory life existed in the same space.
Parks
West Pullman Park[6] - Indoor Pool
Kensington Park[7] - Basketball Court with Seating. Playground equipment.
Major Taylor Trail[8] - 6 Miles
Gano Park
Morgan Field Park
Cooper Park (Jack Leroy)
Sports / Community Facilities
Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Community Center Corps[9]
Lion's Field Kroc Community Center
Healthcare
According to the Pritzker School of Medicine, fourteen percent (14%) of the West Pullman population is uninsured, though ninety-two percent (92%) report having a consistent primary care provider. The obesity rate is fifty-three percent (53%).[10]
Politics
West Pullman is a stronghold of the
At the local level, West Pullman is located in Chicago's 9th and 34th wards represented by Democrats Anthony Beale and Carrie Austin respectively.[13][14]
Transportation
West Pullman is home to four stations on the Metra Electric District's Blue Island branch; Racine, State Street, Stewart Ridge, and West Pullman.[15] Red Ahead, a program to extend the Red Line south to 130th Street, would result in a new station at Michigan Avenue in West Pullman. In 2020, it was estimated that this project would begin construction in 2025 and would be completed in 2029.[16]
Improvement Projects
Habitat For Humanity is interjecting single-family homes throughout the neighborhood for improvement.
Cottage Grove Ave is being extended Southbound from E 115th St. to E 130th St. with light and visual improvements.
E 115th St. and S. Cottage Grove Ave will see train station improvements along with retail improvements.
Notable people
- Robert A. Clifford (born 1950 or 1951), trial lawyer notable for representing Rachel Barton Pine in her lawsuit against Metra and representing the families of the victims of the respective Alaska Airlines Flight 261 and American Eagle Flight 4184 crashes. He was raised in West Pullman near 121st Street and South Laflin Street.[17][18]
- Ed Derwinski (1926–2012), 1st United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He resided at 12109 South Parnell Avenue during his time as a Congressman.[19]
- Arthur Swanson (1926–2010), member of the Illinois Senate from 1963 to 1971. He resided at 12556 South Harvard Avenue while serving as a legislator.[20]
References
- ^ a b c "Community Data Snapshot - West Pullman" (PDF). cmap.illinois.gov. MetroPulse. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ "Pullman Residents Turn Former Toxic Waste Site Into Community Garden". DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ Chicago Exelon City Solar Plant
- ISBN 9781625851468. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
- ^ "West Pullman". The Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ "West Pullman Park | Chicago Park District". www.chicagoparkdistrict.com. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ "Kensington Park | Chicago Park District". www.chicagoparkdistrict.com. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ "Major Taylor Trail | Illinois Trails | TrailLink". www.traillink.com. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ "Kroc Center Chicago | Let Your Kroc Adventure Begin". www.kroccenterchicago.com. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ "Community Profile: West Pullman" (PDF). Pritzker School of Medicine. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- DNAinfo.com. Archived from the originalon March 17, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- DNAinfo.com. Archived from the originalon March 17, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- ^ Connolly, Colleen (February 6, 2015). "Get to Know Your Ward: 9th Ward". Ward Room. WMAQ-TV. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ Connolly, Colleen (February 6, 2015). "Get to Know Your Ward: 34th Ward". Ward Room. WMAQ-TV. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ Lane, Laura (January 19, 2014). "Map: South Shore Line, Metra Electric Line". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "CTA Wins Federal Approval for Next Phase of Red Line Extension; Construction Could Start in 2025".
- ^ Clements, Bill (May 2005). "Chicago's Most Feared Attorney". Illinois Super Lawyers. Eagan, Minnesota. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
- ^ Strom, Roy (December 1, 2012). "Chicago Lawyer's 2012 Person of the Year: Robert A. Clifford". Chicago Lawyer Magazine. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ Illinois Blue Book 1959-1960. p. 94. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- ^ Illinois Blue Book 1965-1966 page 164