Brighton Park is a community area located on the southwest side of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
. It is number 58 of the 77
community areas of Chicago.
Brighton Park is bordered on the north by the former
Illinois & Michigan Canal and the current
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, on the east by Western Avenue, on the south by 49th Street, and on the west by Drake Ave.
The neighborhood is a mix of residential areas, commercial zones, industrial works and transportation (primarily
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
and
trucking
Road transport or road transportation is a type of transport using roads. Transport on roads can be roughly grouped into the transportation of goods and transportation of people. In many countries licensing requirements and safety regulations e ...
) facilities. It is relatively peaceful, according to
Chicago Police Department statistics (2004 CPD Annual Report).
History
After the expulsion of the
Potawatomi, the land in what is now Brighton Park was platted and subdivided in anticipation of the opening of the
Illinois-Michigan Canal. In the 1850s, private investors, notably John McCaffrey bought it with the hopes of turning it into a center of commerce. In 1851, the area was incorporated as a municipality.
Named Brighton to invoke livestock markets in, among other places, the
Brighton neighborhood of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
and its livestock markets. Brighton Park had an active livestock market in the late 1850s, but it was overshadowed by the
Union Stock Yards
The Union Stock Yard & Transit Co., or The Yards, was the meatpacking district in Chicago for more than a century, starting in 1865. The district was operated by a group of railroad companies that acquired marshland and turned it into a central ...
in the 1860s.
In 1855,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
mayor
"Long" John Wentworth built the Brighton Park horse racetrack (whose name conveniently alluded to the more famous
Brighton Racecourse
Brighton Racecourse is an English horse racing venue located a mile to the northeast of the centre of Brighton, Sussex, owned by the Arena Racing Company.
Location and layout
It is situated on Whitehawk Hill, on the edge of the South Downs, ab ...
in England) directly east of the village, in what is now 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 conservatorie ...
's McKinley Park. The
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...
spared Brighton Park.
In 1889, after
Lake Township voted to allow for annexation, Brighton Park became part of the City of Chicago.
By 1871, the year of the
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...
, Brighton Park was served by the
Archer Avenue
Archer Avenue, sometimes known as Archer Road outside the Chicago, Illinois city limits, and also known as State Street only in Lockport, Illinois and Fairmont, Illinois city limits, is a street running northeast-to-southwest between Chicago's ...
horsecar
A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar.
Summary
The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, w ...
and the
Alton Railroad
The Alton Railroad was the final name of a railroad linking Chicago to Alton, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; and Kansas City, Missouri. Its predecessor, the Chicago and Alton Railroad , was purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1931 a ...
. (Brighton Park was not affected by the fire). The
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
built a
roundhouse in the neighborhood, and various factories were built.
Later the
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...
was electrified and extended and
interurban
The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 ...
electric railway service was provided by the
Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway
The Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway, or C&JE, was an electric interurban railway linking the cities of Chicago and Joliet, Illinois. It was the only interurban between those cities and provided a link between the streetcar network of Chicago ...
until 1934. Most of the residential buildings now in Brighton Park were built in the early part of the 20th century, between 1905 and 1925, after more electric
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...
lines (on Western Ave, Kedzie Ave, 35th St and 47th St) had been extended into the neighborhood, providing cheap & quick transport to work.
By the turn of the century, Brighton Park was becoming a destination for many European immigrants, particularly those arriving from Italy, Poland and Lithuania.
The
neighborhood's Polish identity was evidenced along Archer Avenue, which became the neighborhood's
main street for Polish owned businesses.
Transportation
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
's role as transportation gateway has always been a major influence on the demographics and economy of Brighton Park. Two major
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
landmarks exist in Brighton Park. The Corwith
Intermodal freight facility, once known as
Corwith Yards, covering nearly a square mile, is one of the major industrial features of Brighton Park.
Brighton Park crossing, near Western Avenue and Archer Avenue, is a major
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
railroad junction
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge. This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes (assuming they are of the same gauge), provided by ''points'' ( ...
and the former site of Brighton Park's railway station.
Access to, property values, and economic growth in the neighborhood have been improved by the 1964 opening of the
Stevenson Expressway,
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The h ...
, the 1993 opening of the
Orange Line rapid transit line, and the revitalization of the nearby
Midway International Airport
Chicago Midway International Airport , typically referred to as Midway Airport, Chicago Midway, or simply Midway, is a major commercial airport on the Southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the Lo ...
.
Government and infrastructure
![Brighton Park Library](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Brighton_Park_Library.jpg)
The
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
operates the Elsdon Post Office at 3124 West 47th Street. Post Office is closed as of June 2010. The neighborhood branch of the
Chicago Public Library
The Chicago Public Library (CPL) is the public library system that serves the City of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. It consists of 81 locations, including a central library, two regional libraries, and branches distributed throughout the ...
is located at 4314 South Archer Avenue.
Politics
The Brighton Park community area has supported 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
*Demo ...
in past presidential elections. In the
2016 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*7 January: Kiri ...
, the Brighton Park cast 6,930 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 sen ...
and cast
842 votes for
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 ...
(85.63% to 10.40%). 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 ...
, Brighton Park cast 5,699 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 ...
and cast 874 votes for
Mitt Romney (85.47% to 13.11%).
Portions of Brighton Park are located in the 12th, 14th, and 15th wards represented on the
Chicago City Council by
George Cardenas,
Ed Burke, and
Ray Lopez respectively. Cardenas and Lopez serve as the
Democratic Committeemen for their wards while State Representative
Aaron Ortiz
Aarón M. Ortíz is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 1st district.
Early life
Prior to his election to the Illinois House of Representatives, Ortíz was a teacher and college counselor at Back of the Yards H ...
serves as the Democratic Committeeman for the 14th ward. Rosa Pritchett is Lopez's Republican counterpart in the 15th ward while the 12th and 14th ward have no Republican committeeman.
Education
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the third-largest school district in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles.
...
operate the following public schools: Burroughs School, CPS Brighton Park School, Calmeca Academy, Columbia Explorers School, N. Davis School, Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy, Shields Elementary, and Shields Middle School.
The Acero Charter School Network operates the Sandra Cisneros School, Acero Brighton Park School and the Officer Donald J. Marquez School in Brighton Park.
." United Neighborhood Organization. Retrieved on June 16, 2012.
Notable people
*
Edward J. Moskala (1921–1945), recipient of the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
for his actions during the
Battle of Okinawa in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. He resided at 3120 West 38th Street at the time of his enlistment.
[Year: 1940; Census Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Roll: m-t0627-00945; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 103-789. Found via Ancestry.com]
See also
References
External links
Official City of Chicago Brighton Park Community Map
{{Authority control
Community areas of Chicago
South Side, Chicago
Populated places established in 1851
1851 establishments in Illinois
Former municipalities in Illinois
Former populated places in Illinois