Belmont Cragin
(Brickyard, Cragin, Hanson Park)
Zipcodes
60634, 60635, 60639, 60641
Boundaries
North: Belmont Ave.
East: CNWRR
South: CMSTPPRR
West: CMSTPPR
Featured Annotation
The Bungalow Belt
The Chicago Architecture Center discusses the bungalow belts throughout the center: “Lincoln Square, Belmont Cragin, Berwyn, Marquette Park, Chatham, and South Chicago”.[1] All built between 1919 and 1930, the houses have to be recognized by the Chicago Bungalow Association, and great care is taken through grants and other resources to preserve the homes.[2] The 10 historic bungalow districts, according to the Chicago Bungalow Association, are as follows: Hermosa, Brainerd, Portage Park, Auburn Gresham, West Chatham, Talman West Ridge, South Shore, Falconer (Belmont Cragin), North Mayfair, Rogers Park Manor, Wrightwood, Schorsch Irving Park Gardens, and South Park Manor”[3]. Student researchers should explore the particular history of Belmont Cragin’s belt and/or compare the bungalow belt in Belmont Cragin with the styles and origins of the other belts throughout the city.
Other Primary Sources of Interest
[1] “Chicago Bungalow.” (2019). Chicago Architecture Center. Retrieved from http://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/chicago-bungalow/
[2] “Bungalow Historic Districts.” (2019) Chicago Bungalow Association. Retrieved from https://www.chicagobungalow.org/historic-districts
[3] “Bungalow Historic Districts.” (2019) Chicago Bungalow Association. Retrieved from https://www.chicagobungalow.org/historic-districts
Dunning
(Belmont Heights, Belmont Terrace, Dunning, Irving Woods, Schorsch Village)
Zipcodes
60634, 60635
Boundaries
North: Montrose to Thatcher to Pioneer to Irving Park to Harlem and then Forest Preserve Ave. to Montrose to Narragansett to Irving Park
East: Austin Avenue
South: Belmont Ave. to Harlem and Wellington to Oriole and then Belmont to Pontiac
West: Pontiac Ave. to Cumberland Ave.
Featured Annotation
Read Zone-Dunning Memorial Park
In 1989, a long-forgotten paupers’ burial site for the institutionalized at Dunning and Cook County and Chicago’s indigent population was rediscovered. In 2001, the Read Zone-Dunning Memorial Park was established as a means of consecrating and commemorating those found; their graves have been relocated to the park. The Cook County cemetery website describes this in its history of the Memorial Park and the former Cook Country cemetery along with a database (http://cookcountycemetery.com/database.aspx), which provides one means of accessing this history for student researchers; however, visiting the Memorial Park itself on West Belle Plaine Avenue might also prove fruitful.
Other Primary Sources of Interest
Hermosa
(Belmont Gardens, Hermosa, Kelvyn Park)
Zipcodes
60639, 60641, 60647
Boundaries
North: Belmont Avenue
East: CMSTPPRR to Pulaski to Fullerton to Belden to Pulaski to Springfield to Dickens to CMSTPPRR to Armitage to Cortland
South: CMSTPPRR
West: CNWRR
Featured Annotation
Birthplace of Walt Disney
Located at 2156 North Tripp Avenue, the house in which Walt Disney was born was built and designed by Walt Disney’s parents. The group doing the work has been documenting their work towards gaining landmark status and the restoration process as a whole. Student researchers could research the process by which individuals and organizations acquire historic landmark status and/or the process of historic preservation.
Other Primary Sources of Interest
Irving Park
(Irving Park, Kilbourn Park, Old Irving Park, The Villa)
Zipcodes
60618, 60630, 60639, 60641
Boundaries
North: Lawrence to Kostner to Elston to Montrose Ave.
East: North Branch of Chicago River
South: Addison to Pulaski and then Belmont to Knox
West: School to Knox and Roscoe and then CNWRR and CMSTPPRR and then Montrose to CNWRR and then Cicero
Featured Annotation
Irish American Heritage Center
The Irish American Heritage Center celebrates, per its name, Chicago’s Irish Americans. The Center itself contains a gift shop, hosts a number of classes including one on the Gaelic language, and holds a small library containing the largest collection of Irish American ephemera in North America. This is a great place for student researchers to begin exploring Irish culture and presence in Chicago; the librarians are eager to help and would welcome student researchers. That said, this library, unlike the Irish American collection in Mount Greenwood, is not connected to the Chicago Public Library. Students should be prepared to do their reading and note-taking at the library itself.
Other Primary Sources of Interest
Montclare
(Montclare)
Zipcodes
60634, 60635
Boundaries
North: Belmont Avenue
East: CMSTPPRR
South: CMSTPPRR
West: Harlem Ave.
Featured Annotation
Galewood-Montclare website
The neighborhood of Galewood in the Austin community area and the Montclare community area/neighborhood often collaborate on issues of community development; this website (http://galewood.net)and the various clubs represented within exemplify that. While student researchers might effectively use this site to research Austin or Montclare, they might also use this site as a means of exploring how various neighborhoods or community areas cooperate. The boundaries between community areas in this sense are permeable, and inter-community work is possible.
Other Primary Sources of Interest
Portage Park
(Portage Park, Six Corners)
Zipcodes
60630, 60634, 60641
Boundaries
North: Gunnison Ave to Central and then Lawrence
East: Cicero to CNWRR to Montrose to CMSTPPRR to CNWRR to Roscoe and School down to Knox
South: Belmont Ave. between Knox and Austin
West: Austin to Irving Park and then Narragansett back to Gunnison
Featured Annotation
National Veterans Arts Museum nee National Vietnam Veterans Arts Museum
Formerly the National Vietnam Veterans Arts Museum on Prairie Avenue on the Near South Side, the National Veterans Arts Museum (https://www.nvam.org) moved across town to Portage Park at 4041 N Milwaukee Avenue. As with all of the National museums in the city, it is free. While there are a number of veterans memorials spread throughout the city, student researchers studying veterans should perhaps make sure to visit here.
Other Primary Sources of Interest
