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Riverdale is one of the 77 official community areas of
Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
and is located on the city's far south side. As originally designated by the Social Science Research Committee at the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the ...
and officially adopted by the City of Chicago, the Riverdale community area extends from 115th Street south to the city boundary at 138th Street and from the
Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also c ...
tracks east to the
Bishop Ford Freeway A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
.


History

The first non-native settler in the area was David Perriam who, in 1837, claimed land north of the horseshoe bend in the
Calumet River The Calumet River is a system of heavily industrialized rivers and canals in the region between the south side of Chicago, Illinois, and the city of Gary, Indiana. Historically, the Little Calumet River and the Grand Calumet River were one, the ...
in an area referred to as Wildwood. This land was later acquired by Colonel James H. Bowen who was instrumental in construction of the Cal-Sag canal connecting the Calumet River to the
Illinois River The Illinois River ( mia, Inoka Siipiiwi) is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River and is approximately long. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, it has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins at the confluence of the ...
. After he lost his home in the Chicago Fire, Bowen moved to Wildwood and made this a palatial summer home where Chicago's elite gathered in the 1870s. Another early resident, George Dolton, settled near the Calumet River by the Chicago-Thornton Road (today's Indiana Avenue). He operated a chain ferry across the river. Levi Osterhoudt operated a tavern/road house at 133rd and Thornton Road from 1840 and the area became known as the Riverdale Crossing. In 1842, Dolton and Osterhoudt replaced the ferry with a toll bridge and called it the "Dolton Bridge. In 1849, the Dolton family leased 50 acres of farmland on the north bank of the Calumet River to
John Ton John Ton (born Jan Cornelis Ton) (30 May 1826, Akersloot, North Holland - 4 June 1896, Chicago, Illinois) was a Dutch-born American abolitionist active in the Underground Railroad in Illinois. Early life Ton was born in a village in the province ...
, a
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People ...
immigrant who was one of the founding fathers of the new settlement of Roseland to the north. Ton was an
abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...
who operated a station on the
Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...
from this site until the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policie ...
. The north end of Riverdale is more closely aligned with Roseland both historically and culturally. In 1852, the
Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also c ...
opened a station at 115th Street where the
Michigan Central Railroad The Michigan Central Railroad (reporting mark MC) was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in ...
joined the ICRR tracks calling it the Calumet Station, later renamed, "Kensington" after the palace and gardens in London. In 1880,
George Pullman George Mortimer Pullman (March 3, 1831 – October 19, 1897) was an American engineer and industrialist. He designed and manufactured the Pullman sleeping car and founded a company town, Pullman, for the workers who manufactured it. This ulti ...
began constructing his model city just north of 115th Street. At
Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Garden ...
, a small settlement of stores, boarding houses and saloons sprang up to serve the construction crews and immigrant tradesmen who came to work at the Pullman shops. The notorious saloons prompted the modest Dutchmen of nearby Roseland to nickname Kensington, "Bumtown." Riverdale was annexed into Chicago in 1889. In the aftermath of the
Pullman Strike The Pullman Strike was two interrelated strikes in 1894 that shaped national labor policy in the United States during a period of deep economic depression. First came a strike by the American Railway Union (ARU) against the Pullman factory in Chi ...
in 1894, hiring practices in the area opened up bringing many new industries to the area.
Italian American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan area ...
s flourished working not only at Pullman but Illinois Terra Cotta and other nearby industries. The Pullman Land Association operated the Pullman Farm on the west bank of Lake Calumet. The farm was fertilized by sewage waste from the town of Pullman. The Calumet Paint Company started operations in an abandoned church between Pullman and the lake. It was later acquired by the
Sherwin-Williams Sherwin-Williams Company is an American Cleveland, Ohio–based company in the paint and coating manufacturing industry. The company primarily engages in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of paints, coatings, floorcoverings, and related ...
Company and grew to one of the largest paint factories in America. Other employers in the area included the Swift and Knickerbocker ice plants, Chicago Drop Forge, Acme Steel, Riverdale Distillery and construction material companies providing bricks and lumber to the area. By the 1940s, more people worked in Riverdale than lived there but that was about to change. In 1945, the
Chicago Housing Authority The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) is a municipal corporation that oversees public housing within the city of Chicago. The agency's Board of Commissioners is appointed by the city's mayor, and has a budget independent from that of the city of C ...
began the massive effort to build low cost housing for veterans returning from the War. Altgeld Gardens, the Philip Murray Homes and the Pacesetter section west of the Calumet River provided low rent and Section 8 housing. Riverdale's population grew to over 15,000 by 1970. Services were overtaxed or completely lacking, with city water and sewer service finally connected in 1980. Carver High School at 131st and Doty Road transitioned into a military school, and efforts to shift the school population to nearby Roseland have led to sporadic gang violence. In 1953, Illinois established the Chicago Regional Port District to coordinate with the opening of the
Saint Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway (french: la Voie Maritime du Saint-Laurent) is a system of locks, canals, and channels in Canada and the United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North Ameri ...
to deep water ships. The
Port of Chicago The Port of Chicago consists of several major port facilities within the city of Chicago, Illinois, operated by the Illinois International Port District (formerly known as the Chicago Regional Port District). It is a multimodal facility featuring ...
was moved from
Navy Pier Navy Pier is a pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side, Chicago, Near North Side community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Navy Pier encompasses over of parks, gardens, s ...
to Lake Calumet. The lake was converted to a deep water
turning basin A turning basin, winding basin or swinging basin is a wider body of water, either located at the end of a ship canal or in a port to allow cargo ships to turn and reverse their direction of travel, or to enable long narrow barges in a canal to tu ...
linked to huge grain elevators, petroleum storage tanks, and public and rail terminals. The port opened to great fanfare in 1958 but never fully realized its expected potential. In the 1960s and 1970s, the area's industries began to close and the population became predominantly African American. The Pullman-Standard plant, once the employment center of the area, produced its last railcar in 1981. Acme Steel, which employed almost 1,200 workers in 1929, has been shuttered several times. The Sherwin Williams paint factory closed in 1980 and was torn down. In Kensington, Saint Salomea Church, a vestige of European immigrants, now houses the Salem Baptist Church. In 1998, several precincts in Kensington voted to ban the sale of alcohol making the once famous "Bumtown" dry. Currently, the area has the highest "hardship index" of any Chicago community area.


Neighborhoods

South of Kensington and north of 130th Street is the massive Calumet Water Reclamation Plant operated by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. It treats wastewater from areas of Chicago and the south suburbs totalling approximately 300 square miles and is the oldest of seven such facilities in the region. Over half of Riverdale's area is made up of the water reclamation plant, rail yards, land fills and industrial sites. In addition to these industrial usages, the community area houses a number of residential neighborhoods.


Altgeld Gardens

Named for the Altgeld Garden Homes, a CHA public housing project. A 1978 survey of Chicago residents performed by the Department of Planning gives the neighborhood boundaries for the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood as 130th Street in the north to the Calumet River in the south, and from approximately Langley Ave. in the west to the railroad tracks west of Doty Ave. in the east.


Eden Green

Named for the housing development of the same name, the Eden Green neighborhood extends from 130th Street in the north to the Calumet River in the south, and from the Canadian National railroad tracks in the west to the Union Pacific tracks in east. The housing development, constructed in 1968, was one of the first black-owned and -operated developments. It eventually included over 1000 townhouse and apartment units for low- to moderate-income families.


Golden Gate

Named for Golden Gate Park, a park on S. Eberhart Ave. operated by the
Chicago Park District The Chicago Park District is one of the oldest and the largest park districts in the United States. As of 2016, there are over 600 parks included in the Chicago Park District as well as 27 beaches, several boat harbors, two botanic conservatories ...
, the Golden Gate neighborhood extends from 130th Street in the north to the Calumet River in the south, and from the Union Pacific railroad tracks in the west to approximately Langley Ave. in the east.


Riverdale

The Riverdale neighborhood extends from the Calumet River in the north to 138th Street in the south, and from Indiana Ave. in the west to the Union Pacific railroad tracks in the east.


Demographics

According to a 2018 analysis by the
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, there were 7,262 people and 2,560 households in Riverdale. The racial makeup of the area was 1.8%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 95.3%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
, 0.3% Asian, 0% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties form ...
or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population. In 1990, an approximated 63% of households in Riverdale lived in poverty.Encyclopaedia Chicago: Riverdale
/ref>


Education

* Aldridge Elementary School * Carver Military Academy High School * CICS Lloyd Bond * Dubois Elementary School * George Washington Carver Elementary School


Politics

The Riverdale community area is a stronghold for the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa * Botswana Democratic Party * Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *De ...
. In the 2016 presidential election, Riverdale cast 2,140 votes for
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senat ...
and cast 9 votes
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
(98.85% to 0.42%). It was Clinton's best showing in the City of Chicago, which she won with 83.63% of the citywide vote. In the
2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: ...
, Riverdale cast 2,537 votes for
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
and cast 7 votes for
Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusett ...
(99.69% to 0.28%). It was Obama's best showing in the City of Chicago, which he won with 84.01% of the citywide vote. The Riverdale community area is located in
Illinois's 2nd congressional district Illinois's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Illinois. Based in the south suburbs of Chicago, the district includes southern Cook county, eastern Will county, and Kankakee county, as well as the city ...
and is represented by Congresswoman
Robin Kelly Robin Lynne Kelly (born April 30, 1956) is an American politician from Illinois who has served as the U.S. representative from since 2013. A Democrat, Kelly served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. She then served as c ...
(D-
Matteson Matteson may refer to: Places * Matteson, Illinois Matteson () is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,073 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of Chicago. History The area encompassed by modern Matteson was ...
). At the state-level, the majority of the Riverdale community area is located in the 15th Legislative District and 29th House District represented by Senator
Emil Jones III Emil Jones III Site variously referred to Jones as "Emil Jones, III"; "Emil Jones III"; and "Mr. Emil Jones Jr. III" (born May 16, 1978) is the Illinois State Senator for the 14th Senate District since 2010. The 14th district covers all or pa ...
(D-Chicago) and Representative Thaddeus Jones (D-
Calumet City Calumet City ( ) is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 36,033 at the 2020 census, a decline of 2.7% from 37,042 in 2010. The ZIP code is 60409. Etymology The word ''Calumet'' is the Miꞌkmaq and French word for ...
). The far eastern portion of Riverdale is in the 17th Legislative District and 34th House District represented by Senator Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) and Representative Nicholas Smith (D-Chicago). At the local level, Riverdale is located in the 9th Ward and is represented on the
Chicago City Council The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms. The council is gaveled into session regularly, usually mont ...
by Alderman Anthony Beale who is also the 9th Ward's Democratic Committeeperson. As of September 2019, the 9th Ward does not have an elected or appointed Republican Committeeperson.


Transportation

The
Chicago Transit Authority The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its surrounding suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago 'L' and CTA bus service. In , the system had a ridership of , or ...
provides bus service via the #34 South Michigan bus travels along 131st Street, Ellis Avenue, 133rd Street, and Langley Avenue. PACE Suburban Bus #353 has a stop near the neighborhood at Indiana Avenue and 130th Street. However, as PACE is a suburban service, it runs express through the City of Chicago to the CTA Red Line Station at 95th Street. Residents report using these busses to access this station as a link to the
Chicago Loop The Loop, one of Chicago's 77 designated community areas, is the central business district of the city and is the main section of Downtown Chicago. Home to Chicago's commercial core, it is the second largest commercial business district in Nort ...
. The nearest
Metra Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines. I ...
station is the Riverdale station located in the neighboring suburb of
Riverdale, Illinois Riverdale is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,663 at the 2020 census. The village shares its name with the bordering Riverdale neighborhood in Chicago. Geography Riverdale is located at (41.640684, - ...
at 137th Street and Illinois Street. The area was served by the Wildwood station, located near 130th Street and Indiana Avenue, until the early 1960s. As part of the Red Line extension, the proposed 130th Street terminal would be near the Altgeld Gardens Homes.


Parks and Open Space

Notable parks and open space within the Riverdale community area include Golden Gate Park (CPD), Kensington Marsh (MWRD), Little Calumet Marsh (private), and Beaubien Woods (FPDCC).


Notable residents

* Jason Avant (born 1983), professional American football wide receiver. He was a childhood resident of the Altgeld Garden Homes. * Lloyd Bond, researcher in the field of psychometrics. He was a childhood resident of the Altgeld Gardens Homes. *
Terry Cummings Robert Terrell "Terry" Cummings (born March 15, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cummings was voted Rookie of the Year and was a two-time All-Star, a ...
(born 1961), professional basketball player. He was a childhood resident of the Altgeld Garden Homes. * Tim Hardaway (born 1955), professional basketball player. He was a childhood resident of the Altgeld Garden Homes. * Scoop Jackson (born 1963), sports journalist, author and cultural critic. He was a childhood resident of the Altgeld Garden Homes. * Hazel M. Johnson (1935–2011), founder of People for Community Recovery and mother of modern-day environmental justice movement. * Priest Lauderdale (born 1973), professional basketball player. He was a childhood resident of the Altgeld Garden Homes. *
Cazzie Russell Cazzie Lee Russell (born June 7, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. An NBA All-Star, he was selected by the New York Knicks with the first overall pick of the 1966 NBA draft. He won an NBA championship with ...
(born 1944), professional basketball player. He was a childhood resident of the Altgeld Garden Homes.


Notes


External links


www.altgeldgardens.com

Official City of Chicago Riverdale Community Map




{{Geographic Location 2 , Center = Riverdale, Chicago , North =
Pullman, Chicago Pullman, one of Chicago's 77 defined community areas, is a neighborhood located on the city's South Side. Twelve miles from the Chicago Loop, Pullman is situated adjacent to Lake Calumet. The area known as Pullman encompasses a much wider ...
, Northeast = South Deering, Chicago , ESE = Hegewisch, Chicago , Southeast =
Calumet City, Illinois Calumet City ( ) is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 36,033 at the 2020 census, a decline of 2.7% from 37,042 in 2010. The ZIP code is 60409. Etymology The word ''Calumet'' is the Miꞌkmaq and French word for ...
, South =
Dolton, Illinois Dolton (pronounced "DAWL-ton") is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,426 at the 2020 census. Dolton is located just west of the expressway Interstate 94 and immediately south of the city limits of Chicago. It ...
, Southwest =
Riverdale, Illinois Riverdale is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,663 at the 2020 census. The village shares its name with the bordering Riverdale neighborhood in Chicago. Geography Riverdale is located at (41.640684, - ...
, WNW =
West Pullman, Chicago West Pullman is a neighborhood located on the far south side of the city of Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the 77 Community areas of Chicago, official community areas of Chicago. The Neighborhood of West Pullman was largely inhabited by workers ...
, Northwest =
Roseland, Chicago Roseland is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois, located on the far south side of the city. It includes the neighborhoods of Fernwood, Princeton Park, Lilydale, the southern portion of West Chesterfield, Rosemoor, Sheldon ...
Community areas of Chicago South Side, Chicago Populated places established in 1837 Populated places on the Underground Railroad