Garfield Ridge, Chicago
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Garfield Ridge is the 56th of Chicago's 77 community areas. Located from the Loop, it is on the city's far southwest side. , the area had 36,396 inhabitants. Named for Garfield Boulevard and a nearby glacial ridge, the area suffered from land of poor quality and was historically used as a transportation corridor rather than a place of residence. Annexed to Chicago piecemeal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the area's population surged during the 1920s after
Midway International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport is a major commercial airport on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the city's Loop business district, and divided between the city's Clearing and ...
was constructed. The decline in the use of Midway in favor of
O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the primary international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, Loop business district. The airport is ope ...
led to a corresponding decline in population, which transitioned from being predominately Eastern European to having a substantial number of Hispanic people. , Hispanics comprised almost half of the area's residents. In addition to Midway Airport, the area is home to other transportation.


History


Etymology

The area is named for Garfield Boulevard and a ridge in the area from the glacial retreat of
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
. The area was formerly known as Archer Limits.


19th century

The area was primarily used as a thoroughfare rather than a place of residence by both indigenous people and white settlers. Transportation through the area was done through Archer Road, the
Illinois and Michigan Canal The Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. In Illinois, it ran from the Chicago River in Bridgeport, Chicago to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru. The canal crossed the Chicago ...
, and the Chicago and Alton Railroad. William B. Archer (for whom Archer Avenue is named) purchased of land in the area in 1835, followed by John Wentworth in 1853. Other speculators purchased land in the area, as did farmers, but few maintained a permanent presence. The area's land was soggy and received limited agricultural development throughout the century. Some of the earliest settlers were Dutch farmers; by 1899 the Archer Avenue Reformed Church had moved from nearby
Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...
and comprised 275 parishioners. Chicago first
annexed Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held to ...
parts of the area in 1889.


20th century

Industry started nearby around 1900 and would soon enter the area, prompting residential development. Early residential areas were concentrated in the northeastern part of the area, known at the time as "Sleepy Hollow". Chicago annexed more of the modern area in 1915 and 1921. Garfield Ridge was one of the 75 community areas defined by the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
during the 1920s. The population first had a major expansion in the 1920s, surging . This was fueled by immigration of Eastern Europeans, especially Poles; by 1930 29.5 percent of the population was foreign-born and another 55.1 percent had at least one foreign parent. This was encouraged by development of industry, the addition of a streetcar line on Archer Avenue, and the construction of the Chicago Municipal Airport (renamed
Midway Airport Chicago Midway International Airport is a major commercial airport on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the city's Chicago Loop, Loop business district, and divided between the city's C ...
in 1942) in 1926. The area retained a bucolic quality; in 1936 the area west of Central Avenue still had dirt roads and farms with grazing animals. After a slowdown during the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
growth continued, with the population nearly doubling during the 1940s and more than tripling during the 1950s. By 1950 residential development surpassed industrial development. During this era single-story
bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is typically single or one and a half storey, if a smaller upper storey exists it is frequently set in the roof and Roof window, windows that come out from the roof, and may be surrounded by wide ve ...
s were constructed in the western part of the area. The
1960 United States census The 1960 United States census, conducted by the United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 179,323,175, an increase of 19 percent over the 151,325,798 persons Enumeration, enumerated ...
marked the first appearance of African-Americans in the area. At this time they solely inhabited the LeClaire Courts housing project, which had been constructed in 1950 and expanded in 1954. The population peaked at 42,998 in 1970. Loss of traffic at Midway in favor of
O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the primary international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, Loop business district. The airport is ope ...
farther north caused a decline in jobs and population. The trial of corrupt police officer
Michael D’Andrea Michael D'Andrea (born 1954) is a retired Central Intelligence Agency officer who played an instrumental role in American counterterrorism efforts during the War on Terror. He served nine years as director of Counterterrorism Center (CTC), and h ...
led to racial tensions in the community. Whites moved out while blacks and Hispanics from Little Village and Pilsen moved in; as of the 2000 Census 77.3 percent of the area's population was white (over a third with Polish ancestry), 12.3 percent was black, and 16.5 percent was Hispanic.


Geography and neighborhoods

Garfield Ridge is community area #56. It is located on Chicago's far southwest side, from the Loop.


LeClaire Courts

LeClaire Courts was built in 1950 as the first integrated low-rise housing project in Chicago, and named for the pioneer
Antoine Le Claire Antoine Le Claire (also LeClaire; December 15, 1797 – September 25, 1861) was an American military interpreter, businessman, philanthropist, and principal founder of Davenport, Iowa. Biography Early life Le Claire was born on December 15, 1797 ...
. The complex consisted of low-rise buildings and was predominantly occupied by African Americans. Considered one of the most attractive projects in the city, it accommodated several community resources and became the first project in the state to be managed by its residents in 1987. The residents were evicted in 2009 and the complex was demolished in 2011 to make way for a redevelopment into
mixed-income housing The definition of mixed-income housing is broad and encompasses many types of dwellings and neighborhoods. Following Brophy and Smith, the following will discuss “non-organic” examples of mixed-income housing, meaning “a deliberate effort to ...
; although the previous tenants were given a right to return to the new development, the site remained vacant .


Demographics

, 36,936 people in 12,160 households lived in Garfield Ridge. This represents an increase of 5.5 percent from the 2010 Census, which in turn had represented a 4.4 percent decline from the 2000 Census. The area's racial composition was 44.7 percent white, 4.4 percent African-American, and 1.9 percent other races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 49 percent of the population. The age range was spread out, with 25.4 percent under the age of 19, 19.1 percent aged 20 to 34, 21.1 percent aged 35 to 49, 19.7 percent aged 50 to 64, 7.9 percent aged 65 to 74, 4.5 percent aged 75 to 84, and 2,3 percent older than 85 years old. The median age was 38.7. English was the sole language spoken at home for 52.7 percent of residents older than five years old. The remainder spoke a language other than English, and 17.7 percent spoke English less than "very well". Median household income was $68,212, compared to the citywide median income of $52,497. The income distribution was such that 15.2 percent of households earned less than $25,000, 21.0 percent earned between $25,000 and $49,999, 18.9 percent earned between $50,000 and $74,999, 12.5 percent earned between $75,000 and $99,999, 18.4 percent earned between $100,000 and $150,000, and 14.1 percent earned more than $150,000. This compares with a citywide distribution of 26.7 percent, 21.1 percent, 15.8 percent, 10.9 percent, 12.7 percent and 12.9 percent respectively. , one
census tract A census tract, census area, census district or meshblock is a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census. Sometimes these coincide with the limits of cities, towns or other administrative areas and several tracts commonly exis ...
in the northeast corner of the area had a median household income of between $21,700 and $36,200, below the
Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the secretary of housing and u ...
(HUD)'s very-low-income limit but above its extremely-low-income limit. Of the remaining census tracts, one in the southeast corner of the area had no data, four in the eastern half of the area had a median household income of between $36,200 and $57,900, below HUD's low-income limit and above its very low-income limit, and the remaining five had a median household income of between $57,900 and $86,900. Hardship index is a metric, used by Chicago, which takes six indicators of public health to quantify the relative amount of hardship in a community area. The indicators generate a score of one to 100, with a higher score indicating greater hardship. Garfield Ridge's hardship index was 32.


Politics


Local

In the
Chicago City Council The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the Law and government of Chicago, government of the Chicago, City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 Wards of the United States, wards to serve four-year t ...
, the northern third of Garfield Ridge is part of the 22nd Ward represented by Michael Rodriguez, while the middle third is part of the 14th Ward represented by Democrat
Edward M. Burke Edward Michael Burke (born December 29, 1943) is an American politician found guilty of racketeering, bribery, and extortion who served as the alderman of Chicago's 14th ward from 1969 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first ele ...
and the southern third is part of the 23rd Ward represented by
Silvana Tabares Silvana Tabares (born January 7, 1979) is a member of the Chicago City Council from the 23rd ward. Prior to her June 15, 2018 appointment to the City Council, she had served in the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 21st district s ...
. In the
Cook County Board of Commissioners The Cook County Board of Commissioners is a legislative body made up of 17 commissioners who are elected by district, and a president who is elected county-wide, all for four-year terms. Cook County, Illinois, Cook County, which includes the City ...
, much of Garfield Ridge is part of the 11th district represented by
John P. Daley John P. Daley (born December 5, 1946) is an American politician and insurance broker. He is the 11th Ward Democratic Committeeman in Chicago, Illinois, a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners ( 11th district), and the Chair of the Coo ...
, while some of the northern half is part of the 19th district represented by Jeffrey Tobolski, and the northeastern corner is part of the 7th district represented by Alma Anaya.


State

In the
Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 representativ ...
, the northern part of Garfield Ridge in District 21, represented by Democrat Celina Villanueva, while the southern part in District 22, represented by Democrat
Michael Madigan Michael Joseph Madigan (born April 19, 1942) is an American politician and convicted felon who is the former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was the longes ...
and the eastern part in District 1 represented by Democrat Aaron M. Ortiz. In the
Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the ...
, the eastern part of Garfield Ridge in District 1, represented by Democrat Antonio Muñoz while the western half in District 11, represented by Democrat Martin A. Sandoval.


Federal

Garfield Ridge has supported the Democratic nominee in the past two 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 ...
, Garfield Ridge cast 9,237 votes for
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
and cast 5,720 votes for
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
(59.34% to 36.75%). 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: ...
, Garfield Ridge cast 8,999 votes for
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
and cast 4,924 votes for
Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...
(63.60% to 34.80%).


Government


Courts and governance

Garfield Ridge is in the third subcircuit of the
Circuit Court of Cook County The Circuit Court of Cook County is the largest of the 25 Illinois circuit courts, circuit courts (trial courts of original jurisdiction, original and general jurisdiction) in the judiciary of Illinois as well as one of the largest unified cour ...
. With the rest of Chicago, it is part of the Circuit Court's first municipal district. With the rest of
Cook County Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40 percent of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. ...
, it is in the first judicial district of the
Supreme Court of Illinois The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the judiciary of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the ...
and the state's appellate courts. Garfield Ridge is in Stickney Township in Cook County.
Township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
s in Chicago were abolished for governmental purposes in 1902, but are still used for property assessment.


Postal service

The majority of Garfield Ridge is in ZIP Code 60638, but the northeastern portion is in ZIP Code 60632 and the southeastern portion is in ZIP Code 60629. The
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
operates the Clearing Post Office at 5645 South Archer Avenue.


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 List of the largest school districts in the United States by enrollment, fourth-large ...
operates area public schools. K-8 schools serving the community area include Byrne, Hearst, Kinzie, and Mark Twain. Kennedy High School serves the community. The
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church located in Northeast Illinois, Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. The Vatican erected it as a diocese in 1843 and e ...
operates Catholic schools. St. Daniel the Prophet is a thriving school located in Garfield Ridge. St. Jane de Chantal School is in Garfield Ridge. In the 2015–2016 school year, the school had 281 students. This figure declined to 272, 245, and then 202 in subsequent school years. In total, from circa 2017 to 2020 the student population declined by 92.
Spanish version
/ref> In the 2018–2019 school year it had 202 students and 20 employees, with 14 of them in the faculty. The archdiocese stated that the school could stay open if the community raised $357,000, but the community did not do so.


Notes


References


Works cited

* * Fehrenbacher, Don Edward (1957). ''Chicago Giant: a Biography of "Long John" Wentworth''. Madison. American History Research Center. * Hill, Robert Milton (1983). ''A Little Known Story of the Land Called Clearing''. RM Hill. * * Swierenga, Robert P. (2002) ''Dutch Chicago : a history of the Hollanders in the Windy City''. Grand Rapids, Mich. : A.C. Van Raalte Institute, Hope College : W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co * ''Local community fact book: Chicago metropolitan area''. Chicago. * Kott, Robert (2009). ''Summit''. Chicago: Arcadia Pub.


External links


Official City of Chicago Garfield Ridge Community Map
{{Neighborhoods in Chicago Community areas of Chicago South Side, Chicago