Logan Square, Chicago

Logan Square is an official community area, historical neighborhood, and public square on the northwest side of the City of Chicago. The Logan Square community area is one of the 77 city-designated community areas established for planning purposes. The Logan Square neighborhood, located within the Logan Square community area, is centered on the public square that serves as its namesake, located at the three-way intersection of Milwaukee Avenue, Logan Boulevard and Kedzie Boulevard.

Logan Square is, in general, bounded by Metra's Milwaukee District North Line on the west, the North Branch of the Chicago River on the east, Diversey Parkway on the north, and the Bloomingdale Trail (also known as "The 606") on the south. The area is characterized by the prominent historical boulevards, stately greystones and large bungalow-style homes.

History

Name and Centennial Monument

Logan Square is named after General John A. Logan, an American soldier and political leader. The square itself is a large public green space (designed by architect William Le Baron Jenney, landscape architect Jens Jensen and others) formed as the grand northwest terminus of the Chicago Boulevard System and the junction of Kedzie and Logan Boulevards and Milwaukee Avenue. At the center of the square is the Illinois Centennial Monument, built in 1918 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Illinois's statehood (geographic coordinates as shown above for this article). The monument, designed by Henry Bacon, architect of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and sculpted by Evelyn Beatrice Longman, is a single 70-foot (25-meter) tall "Tennessee-pink" marble Doric column, based upon the same proportions as the columns of the Parthenon in Ancient Greece, and topped by an eagle, in reference to the state flag and symbol of the state and the nation. The monument was funded by the Benjamin Ferguson Fund. Reliefs surrounding the base depict allegorical figures of Native Americans, explorers, Jesuit missionaries, farmers, and laborers intended to represent Illinois contributions to the nation through transportation as a railroad crossroads for passengers and freight (represented by a train extending across the arm of one of the figures), education, commerce, grain and commodities, religion and exploration, along with the "pioneering spirit" during the state's first century.

Development

Originally developed by early settlers like Martin Kimbell (of Kimball Avenue fame) in the 1830s, forming around the towns of "Jefferson", "Maplewood", and "Avondale", the area was annexed into the city of Chicago in 1889 and renamed Logan Square. Many of its early residents were English or Scandinavian origin, mostly Norwegians and Danes, along with both a significant Polish and Jewish population that followed.

Milwaukee Avenue, which spans the community, is one of the oldest roads in the area and remains both a cultural and commercial artery. The road traces its origins prior to 1830 as a Native American trail and became known as "Northwest Plank Road" when it was constructed with wooden boards in 1849. In 1892, a streetcar line was extended along Milwaukee Avenue and, in 1895, the electrified elevated rail line (today's Blue Line) was built alongside the road up to Logan Square itself, stimulating a new building boom. Milwaukee Avenue was finally paved in 1911 to accommodate motor cars. A baseball stadium at the corner of Milwaukee and Diversey hosted the Logan Square Baseball Club, which defeated both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, who had just played each other in the crosstown 1906 World Series.

21st century

The neighborhood is home to a diverse population including an established Latino community (primarily Mexican and Puerto Rican, with some Cuban), a number of ethnicities from Eastern Europe (mostly Poles), and a growing number of millennials, due to gentrification. Known as the "Logan Square Boulevards District", the area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and became a protected Chicago Landmark in 2005.

Churches

Logan Square has churches along its boulevards including Minnekirken, a Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, and St. Mary of the Angels.

Neighborhoods

Belmont Gardens

Belmont Gardens spans the Chicago Community Areas of Logan Square and Avondale like neighboring Kosciuszko Park, located within its northwest portion, where the Pulaski Industrial Corridor abuts these residential areas. The boundaries of Belmont Gardens are generally held to be Pulaski Road to the East, the Milwaukee District North rail line to the West, Belmont Avenue to the North, and Fullerton Avenue to the South.

Most of the land between Fullerton Avenue and Diversey Avenue as well as Kimball to the Milwaukee North rail line was empty as late as the 1880s, mostly consisting of the rural "truck farms" that peppered much of Jefferson Township. This began to change with the annexation of this rustic hinterland to the city in 1889 in anticipation of the World's Columbian Exposition that would focus the country's eyes on Chicago just a few years later in 1893.

Belmont Gardens' first urban development began thanks to Homer Pennock, who founded the industrial village of Pennock, Illinois. Centered on Wrightwood Avenue, which was originally laid out as "Pennock Boulevard", the area was planned to be a hefty industrial and residential district. The development was so renowned that the village was highlighted in a "History of Cook County, Illinois" authored by Weston Arthur Goodspee and Daniel David Healy. Thwarted by circumstances as well as the decline of Homer Pennock's fortune, this district declined to the point that the ''Chicago Tribune'' wrote about the neighborhood in an article titled "A Deserted Village in Chicago" in 1903. The original name of Healy station, "Pennock", was named after this now lost settlement.

While Homer Pennock's industrial suburb failed, Chicago's rapid expansion transformed the area's farms into clusters of factories and homes. At the turn of the 20th century as settlement was booming, Belmont Gardens and Avondale were at the northwestern edge of the Milwaukee Avenue Polish Corridor – a contiguous stretch of Polish settlement which spanned this thoroughfare all the way from the southern tip of Wicker Park's Polonia Triangle at the intersection of Milwaukee, Division Street and Ashland Avenue, north to Irving Park Road.

Belmont Gardens offered more than just a less congested setting for its new residents. Due to its proximity to rail along the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, the area developed a plethora of industry that still survives in the city's Pulaski Industrial Corridor. It was adjacent to his own factory that Walter E. Olson built what the ''Chicago Tribune'' put at the top of its list of the "Seven Lost Wonders of Chicago".

The Olson Park and Waterfall was a 22-acre garden and waterfall complex remembered by Chicagoans citywide as the place they fondly reminisce heading out to for family trips on the weekend. The ambitious project took 200 workers more than six months to fashion it out of 800 tons of stone and 800 yards of soil.

Latino settlement in the neighborhood began in the 1980s. Today the area still retains its blue collar feel as much of surrounding Logan Square and Avondale undergo increased gentrification.

Bucktown

Bucktown is a neighborhood located in the east of the Logan Square community area in Chicago, directly north of Wicker Park, and northwest of the Loop. Bucktown gets its name from the large number of goats raised in the neighborhood during the 19th century when it was an integral part of the city's famed Polish Downtown. The original Polish term for the neighborhood was ''Kozie Prery'' (Goat Prairie). Its boundaries are Fullerton Avenue to the north, Western Avenue to the west, Bloomingdale or North Avenue to the south, and the Kennedy Expressway to the east. Bucktown's original boundaries were Fullerton Avenue, Damen Avenue (formerly Robey Street), Armitage Avenue and Western Avenue.

Bucktown is primarily residential, with a mix of older single family homes, new builds with edgy architecture, and converted industrial loft spaces. Horween Leather Company has been on North Elston Avenue in Bucktown since 1920. The neighborhood's origins are rooted in the Polish working class, which first began to settle in the area in the 1830s. A large influx of Germans began in 1848 and in 1854 led to the establishment of the town of Holstein, which was eventually annexed into Chicago in 1863. In the 1890s and 1900s, immigration from Poland, the annexation of Jefferson Township into Chicago and the completion of the Logan Square Branch of the Metropolitan Elevated Lines contributed to the rapid increase in Bucktown's population density. Three of the city's most opulent churches designed in the so-called " Polish cathedral style" – St. Hedwig's Church, the former Cathedral of All Saints (now Covenant Presbyterian Church) and St. Mary of the Angels – date from this era.

The early Polish settlers had originally designated many of Bucktown's streets with names significant to their people – Kosciusko, Sobieski, Pulaski and Leipzig (after the Battle of Leipzig). Chicago's City Council, prompted by a Bucktown-based German contingent with political clout, changed these Polish-sounding names in 1895 and 1913. In its place the new names for these thoroughfares bore a distinct Teutonic hue – Hamburg, Frankfort, Berlin and Holstein. Anti-German sentiment during World War I brought about another name-change that left today's very Anglo-Saxon sounding names: McLean, Shakespeare, Charleston, and Palmer.

Polish immigration into the area accelerated during and after World War II when as many as 150,000 Poles are estimated to have arrived in Polish Downtown between 1939 and 1959 as Displaced Persons. Like the Ukrainians in nearby Ukrainian Village, they clustered in established ethnic enclaves like this one that offered shops, restaurants, and banks where people spoke their language. Milwaukee Avenue was the anchor of the city's "Polish Corridor", a contiguous area of Polish settlement that extended from Polonia Triangle to Avondale's Polish Village. Additional population influxes into the area at this time included European Jews and Belarusians.

Latino migration to the area began in the 1960s with the arrival of Cuban, Puerto Rican, and later Mexican immigrants. Puerto Ricans in particular concentrated in the areas along Damen and Milwaukee Avenues through the 1980s after being displaced by the gentrification of Lincoln Park that started in the 1960s. The local Puerto Rican community lent heavy support for the Young Lords and other groups that participated in Harold Washington's victorious mayoral campaign. In the last quarter of the 20th century, a growing artists' community led directly to widespread gentrification, which brought in a large population of young professionals. In recent years, many trendy taverns and restaurants have opened in the neighborhood. There also have been a considerable number of "teardowns" of older housing stock, often followed by the construction of larger, upscale residential buildings.

Bucktown has a significant shopping district on Damen Avenue, extending north from North Avenue (in Wicker Park) to Webster Avenue. The neighborhood is readily accessible via the Blue Line and has multiple access points to the elevated Bloomingdale Trail, also known as the 606.

Kosciuszko Park

Kosciuszko Park spans the Chicago Community Areas of Logan Square and Avondale like neighboring Belmont Gardens, located within its northwest portion, where the Pulaski Industrial Corridor abuts these residential areas. It is known by locals as "Koz Park", or sometimes the "Land of Koz".

Adjacent to Kosciuszko Park's border with Avondale proper near the intersection of George Street and Lawndale Avenue is St. Hyacinth Basilica.

Dedicated in 1916, Kosciuszko Park is named for Tadeusz Kościuszko who fought in the American Revolution.

Logan Square

Logan Square is a neighborhood located in the north-central portion of the Logan Square community area in Chicago. The neighborhood boundaries of Logan Square were originally held to be Kimball Avenue on the west, California Avenue to the east, Diversey Parkway on the north, and Fullerton Avenue to the south. However, as memory of the village and later neighborhood of Maplewood has receded, the boundaries have grown beyond these streets, with eastern boundary has now shifted to the North Branch of the Chicago River, western boundary to approximately Pulaski Rd, southern border past Armitage Ave, and the northern border past Diversey Avenue.

The area is characterized by the prominent historical boulevards and large bungalow-style homes. At one time, Logan Square boasted a large Norwegian-American population, centered along the historic boulevards. With relatively inexpensive housing and rent available, this neighborhood was a favorite for immigrants and working-class citizens. Logan Square was the site of the Norwegian-American cultural center, Chicago Norske Klub. Many elaborate, stylish, and expensive houses and mansions line historic Logan and Kedzie Boulevards where the club was once situated. Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church (Norwegian: ''Den Norske Lutherske Minnekirke''), also known as Minnekirken, is also located on Kedzie Boulevard in Logan Square.

Palmer Square

The Palmer Square neighborhood of Chicago is a pocket neighborhood located within the Logan Square community, directly west of Bucktown, north of Humboldt Park, and northwest of Wicker Park. Although there is no clear consensus on this neighborhood's exact boundaries, the City of Chicago Neighborhoods Map shows that it is generally bound by Fullerton Avenue (2400 N) to the north, Armitage Avenue (2000 N) to the south, Kedzie Boulevard (3200 W) to the west, and Milwaukee Avenue to the east.

The neighborhood takes it name from the Palmer Square Park (pictured to the left) that sits near the western edge of the neighborhood and is the namesake of John McAuley Palmer (1817–1900), a lawyer and Civil War General who served as the 15th Governor of Illinois, a United States Senator, and at age 79, was a candidate for president in 1896. Palmer was an avowed abolitionist, friend and supporter of Abraham Lincoln, and, as the Military Governor of Kentucky in 1865–1866, aggressively commanded Federal forces to root out the remnants of slavery in that state.

As the bicycle craze swept Chicago beginning in the mid-1880s, the then-called Palmer Place oval became a popular track for bicycle-riding "wheelmen", also known as "scorchers", who competed with pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages. Ignaz Schwinn (1860–1948), founder of the Schwinn Bicycle Company, lived at the corner of W. Palmer St. and N. Humboldt Blvd.

The City of Chicago in 2005 received a matching grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to develop a children's play space, walking trails, soft surface jogging trail, open lawn areas, lighting, seating, and landscaping in Palmer Square. After extensive community input and prolonged design and construction periods, the Chicago Park District (CPD) finished construction of the park and opened it to the public in July 2009.

A series of live music performances in Palmer Square Park takes place each Sunday during the summer of 2021.

Public libraries

The Chicago Public Library operates one branch located in the Logan Square community area, the Logan Square Branch at 3030 W. Fullerton. The branch in Kosciuszko Park, one of the system's most utilized branches, was closed by the 1950s.

Cultural organizations

Logan Square has a number of diverse cultural centers, such as The Comfort Station, an art gallery and event space, and AnySquared Projects, a nonprofit art collective; St. Hedwig's Church, a strong cultural and civic institution for Chicago's multi-ethnic Catholic community; the Hairpin Arts Center, managed by the Logan Square Chamber of Arts, located in nearby Avondale; as well as Chicago's Polish Village. The Lincoln Lodge on Milwaukee Avenue presents live comedy most nights of the week. Next door is the office of '' In These Times'', an independent magazine founded in 1976 which focuses on social justice.

Media organizations making their home in Logan Square include the Community TV Network – a youth media organization – and the Chicago Independent Media Center. The neighborhood is covered by a number of neighborhood news blogs, including LoganSquarist.

A comprehensive redevelopment of the historic Congress Theater was approved by the Chicago City Council in March, 2019. On June 28, 2021, David Baum announced that Baum Revision had taken over the project and planned to redevelop the landmark theater, the surrounding apartments, and retail space, using the already approved plan (although excluding the associated 72-unit apartment building). On June 9, 2022, the project was approved by the city's Permit Review Committee.
In early December 2024, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks approved $6.2 million in Class L tax incentives for the first 12 years of project. Assuming approval by the full City Council, construction is slated to begin the first quarter of 2025 with completion by the end of 2026. The following week workmen began installing safety fencing on the roof in preparation for the first stage of restoration work to begin. Final plans call for a full restoration of the 3,500 seat theater as a performance venue, 13,000 square feet of restored retail spaces on the ground floor, and 16 affordable apartments on the upper levels.

Government and infrastructure

The Roberto Clemente Post Office is located in Logan Square.

Logan Square is served by three stops on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)'s Blue Line: Western, California, and Logan Square. All three stations provide 24/7 service to O'Hare International Airport, downtown, and Forest Park.

Education

Residents are zoned to Chicago Public Schools.

Politics

In the 2016 presidential election, Logan Square cast 27,987 votes for Hillary Clinton and cast 2,435 votes for Donald Trump (86.99% to 7.57%). In the 2012 presidential election, Logan Square cast 22,608 votes for Barack Obama and cast 3,362 votes for Mitt Romney (83.88% to 12.47%).

Notable people

* Jessica Camacho (born 1982), actress (''The Flash'', '' Taken'', and '' Watchmen''), was a childhood resident of Logan Square
* Morris Childs (1902–1991), double agent for the F.B.I. against the Soviet Union, was a childhood resident of 3264 West Fullerton Avenue
* Eve Ewing (born 1986), sociologist, author, poet, and visual artist, was a childhood resident of Logan Square
* John Guzlowski (born 1948), Polish-American author and poet was a childhood resident of Logan Square
* Lori Lightfoot (born 1962), 56th Mayor of Chicago (2019–2023), resides in Logan Square with her wife and daughter
* Adam Lizakowski (born 1956), a Polish poet, translator, and photographer, former resident, he founded the ''Unpaid Rent'' group, a collective of Polish language poets who were based out of his former home in Logan Square
* Richard Nickel (1928–1972), photographer and preservationist, was a childhood resident of Logan Square
* Knute Rockne (1888–1931), football coach, was a childhood resident of Logan Square He grew up in the Logan Square area of Chicago, on the northwest side of the city.
* William A. Redmond (1908–1992), 64th Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives (1975–1981), was a childhood resident of Logan Square
* Mike Royko (1932–1997), author and Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper columnist, was a childhood resident of Logan Square living at 2122 North Milwaukee Avenue
* Ignaz Schwinn (1860–1948), a designer, a founder, and the eventual sole owner of the Schwinn Bicycle Company
* Shel Silverstein (1930–1999), author and poet, was a childhood resident of Logan Square
* Jacob Winchester (born 1987), writer, voice actor, and composer worked in a Logan Square warehouse

See also

* Norwegian Americans
* Polish Americans
* Polish Cathedral style

References

External links

Official City of Chicago Logan Square Community Map

Bucktown Community Organization


* ttp://www.logansquarepreservation.org/ Logan Square Preservation
Logan Square Chamber of Commerce

Logan Square Neighborhood Association

Wicker Park & Bucktown Chamber of Commerce

Palmer SquareChicago Norske Klub

{{Neighborhoods in Chicago

Community areas of Chicago
North Side, Chicago
Populated places established in 1889
1889 establishments in Illinois