Historical Note

Jefferson Township was annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889. Even before annexation, the villages in Jefferson Township which would later become neighborhoods of Chicago contained citizens associations which sought to bring improvements to the communities. These associations were the precursors of the "improvements clubs" which were to become the heartbeat of neighborhood pride and organization.

In 1914, the year of the official organization of the Northwest Federation of Improvement Clubs, the greater portion of the northwest side was contained in the 27th Ward. Thus, the umbrella organization which coordinated the efforts of the multitude of improvement clubs was given the name "27th Ward Federation of Improvements Clubs." The rapid growth of the northwest side led to the subdivision of the old 27th Ward into numerous smaller-area wards, and eventually the name was no longer applicable. The name was changed to the Northwest Federation of Improvements Clubs (hereafter NWF) and the boundaries of its influence extended on three different occasions until it ultimately included the entire portion of the city north of North Avenue (1600 N) and west of Western venue (2400 W). By the late 1940s, the NWF proudly noted that it was "the largest federation of improvement clubs known to be in existence anywhere." In 1947, the list of affiliated clubs past and present numbered 158.

NWF President Oliver W. Holmes wrote in 1930 that the Federation "was organized for the purpose of sponsoring civic movements of city wide or northwest sectional interest; also to assist its member clubs in working for improvements needed by those clubs. Since 1926 it has taken the lead on the northwest side for the obtaining of additional transportation by means of feeder bus or trolley bus extension to existing trolley lines. It has fought to keep the independent buses on the streets of the northwest side temporarily. It has assisted the various communities in fighting objectionable zoning violations and in obtaining the northwest side’s fair share of street repairs."

Among the numerous committees of the NWF were those concerning American Citizenship, Arterial Highways, Dunning Hospital (attempted to remove an insane asylum from the northwest side), Gas and Electricity, Home Owners Loan, Horticulture, Juvenile Delinquency, Legislative, Parks and Forest Preserves, Police and Fire Protection, Public Health, Schools and Playgrounds, Streets and Alleys, Taxation, Traffic and Safety, and Transportation.

By the 1950s, many of the neighborhoods of the northwest side, particularly those closer to the city center, were charging in ethnicity of population. In the late 1950s, the NWF became inactive. A lengthy and thorough history of the Federation is found in folders 1:21 and 1:22 of the collection.

Scope and Content

The collection is arranged in three series. Series 1: Administrative Records (1:1 to 2:5), includes membership lists, arrangements for and minutes of meetings, and general correspondence. Series 2: Committees (2:6 to 5:2), is the core of the collection. The vast majority of the NWF’S work was accomplished in committees.

Series 3: Topical Files

(5:3 to 5:28) contains information about specific crusades undertaken by the NWF and miscellaneous material.

The collection is particularly rich in economic information about Chicago during the 1920s years of plenty and the Depression which followed in the 1930s. See particularly the files on the Taxation Committee (3:5 to 3:16). Some information about Chicago’s participation in the war effort of the 1940s is found here.

Separation Record:
The following materials have been removed from the collection since they were not produced by the Northwest Federation of Improvement Clubs but only collected by the Federation. Most of them were originally in the NWFIC Transportation Committee files.

Removed to Chicago City-Wide Collection (Supplement 4)—Biography
Bernardi, Bill—Business card (music business); n.d.

Removed to Chicago City-Wide Collection (Supplement 4)—Business
Belmont Garden Tavern—Business card; [1941]
Chicago Real Estate Board—Real Estate (v.16, n.15); 1941 Apr 12
Chicago Title & Trust—"Some uses and purposes of land trusts"; 1939
Portland Cement Association—Flyers; 1933, n.d.

Removed to Chicago City-Wide Collection (Supplement 4)—Clubs & Organizations
Central Northwest Business Men’s Association—Flyer re feeder bus lines; [1930s]
Illinois Tax Amendment Committee—"Apace with progress: the case for tax revision"; 1916

Removed to Chicago City-Wide Collection (Supplement 4)—Municipal Agencies
Board of Cook County Commissioners—"Problems of governmental simplification..." 1929
Joint Committee on Real Estate Evaluation
"Appraisal standards for the assessment..."; 1932
"Real estate deflation in Chicago 1928-1933"; 1933

Removed to Chicago City-Wide Collection (Supplement 4)—Schools
Chicago Four-Year College Committee—Flyer; [1940s?]
Federation of Women High School Teachers—"High school education in Chicago"; 1934
Illinois Civic League—"The Chicago public schools"—Flyer; [1930s]

Removed to Chicago City-Wide Collection (Supplement 4)—Streets
Lake Shore Drive—Proposed cross-section of Lake Shore Drive; 1936
"Misc. data for the public hearing on traffic facilities…" 1935

Removed to Chicago City-wide Collection (Supplement 4)—Transportation (Urban Mass Transit) [Arranged chronologically)
Levering, Benjamin, "The Subway" (pamphlet with map); [1900s?]
City Council Committee on Local Transportation—"Transportation Bulletin #1"; 1915 Mar
"An Ordinance …comprehensive municipal local transportation system; 1925 Feb 27
"Outstanding features…of an ordinance…local transportation system"; 1925 Feb 27
Citizens’ Traction Settlement Committee—"Status of Chicago’s traction program"; 1929

Chicago Surface Lines—Service News (Street Car Edition); v.II, n.3; 1930 Mar 15
"Draft of an ordinance…comprehensive unified local transportation system"; 1930 Apr 22
"An Ordinance…comprehensive unified local transportation system"; 1930 May 19
"Transfers between Chicago Surface Lines and Chicago Rapid transit" (map); 1935
Wardens, Edward—"Municipal government and transportation"—Radio address; 1936 Aug

"The Chicago Surface Lines streamlines local transportation"; [1936?]
"Proceedings of the committee on local transportation…City Council"; 1937 Jan 19
"Mayor Kelly’s plan for a comprehensive transportation…"; 1937 Jan
"A Comprehensive local transportation plan for the city of Chicago;" 1937
Chicago Rapid Transit Company—"Do you want ‘L’ service extended?"; [1930s?]

"Preliminary draft of exhibits to accompany…ordinance…for a comprehensive unified local transportation system"; 1940 June 28
"An Ordinance…comprehensive unified local transportation system…"; 1940 July 8
Chicago Rapid Transit Lines Transportation Map; 1941 "First inspection trip—Chicago subway"; 1943 Apr

Removed to Portage Park Community Collection 1:16 and 1:17
Old Portage Park District—General Ordinances; 1931 Oct 19 Portage Park Sportsmen’s Club—Field Day & Patriotic Demonstration—Program; Memorial Day, 1920

Provenance

The materials in this collection were gathered by the West Side Historical, which met at the Legler Branch Library of The Chicago Public Library system. After the society disbanded, its collections remained at Legler, where they were neglected, abused, and rifled. In 1976 the material was transferred for a period of ten years to the care of the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 1986 the entire collection was again transferred, to the Special Collections Department of The Chicago Public Library. The West Side Historical Society materials were then divided up into numerous neighborhood collections. The northwest Federation of improvement Clubs collection is one of those subdivisions.

Processed by Galen R. Wilson, April 1993

Access

The Northwest Federation of Improvement Clubs Records are available to the public for research in the Special Collections and Preservation Division Reading Room on the 9th floor of the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 South State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60605. The collection does not circulate although photocopy and photoreproduction services are available depending upon the condition of the original materials. First time patrons to Special Collections must present a photo i.d. and complete a Reader Registration Form. Telephone inquiries on this collection and other Special Collections holdings can be directed to 312-747-4875.

Box and Folder Inventory

BOX 1

Series 1: Administrative records 1 Anniversary meetings—28th and 30th; 1942, 1944
2 Blank forms
3 Club data; 1915
4 Constitution; 1916
5 Dance; 1930 Feb 26

6 Delegates and membership; 1914-1919
7 Delegates and membership; 1920-1926
8 Delegates and membership; 1927-1928
9 Delegates and membership; 1929-1930
10 Delegates and membership; 1931-1933, 1936

11 Delegates and membership; 1939-1946
12 Delegates and membership; 1947-1949, n.d.
13 Delegates and membership—Card file (incomplete)
14 Finances
15 General correspondence and notes; 1914-1954

16 Home Talent Entertainments; 1933 Jan 27, Feb 3, Mar 10
17 Installation dinner; 1940
18 Installation dinner dance; 1941
19 Installation dinner dance; 1942
20 Installation of officers; 1948

21 Jackson, Edwin D., Northwest Federation of Improvement Clubs: A History, 1914-47
22 Addenda #1 and Addenda #2; 1947-54
23 Member lists
24 Minutes; 1914-1915
25 Minutes; 1919-1920
26 Minutes; 1929

BOX 2 1 Minutes; 1938
2 Minutes; 1944
3 Minutes; 1951-1953
4 Minutes; 1954
5 Officers

Series 2: Committees

6 Committees list; n.d.
7 Athletic Committee (baseball league, bowling league); 1930
8 Citizenship Committee
9 Executive Committee; 1930-1938
10 Executive Committee; 1943, 1946-1950
11 Gas and Electricity Committee; 1916, 1920, 1929-1944
12 Home Industries Committee (Made in America Club); 1931-1935
13 Horticulture Committee; 1915

14 Legislative Committee—Correspondence; 1916, 1929-1947
15 Legislative Committee—Reports; 1933, 1939
16 Legislative Committee—Resolutions, Bills, Misc.
17 Parks and Forest Preserves Committee; 1916-1917, 1928-1946
18 Police and Fire Committee; 1916, 1928-1946

BOX 3

1 Public Health Committee; 1929-1933, 1939-1942
2 Schools and Playgrounds Committee; 1916, 1928-1945
3 Streets and Alleys Committee; 1915-1934
4 Streets and Alleys Committee; 1935-1945

5 Taxation Committee; 1915-1916
6 Taxation Committee; 1929-1930
7 Taxation Committee; 1931-1934
8 Taxation Committee; 1937-1942

9 Taxation Committee; 1945-1947
10 Taxation Committee—Association of Real Estate Taxpayers of Illinois
11 Taxation Committee—Automobile Tax Reduction League
12 Taxation Committee—Civic Federation and Bureau of Public Efficiency

13 Taxation Committee--Miscellaneous
14 Taxation Committee—Tax bills before Illinois legislature
15 Taxation Committee—Tax rate charts
16 Taxation Committee—"Tax Relief Program" (NWF brochure); n.d.

BOX 4

1 Traffic and Safety Committee; 1915-1917, 1926-1934
2 Traffic and Safety Committee; 1935-1936
3 Traffic and Safety Committee; 1937-1940
4 Traffic and Safety Committee; 1941-1945

5 Transportation Committee; 1915-1919
6 Transportation Committee; 1928-1930
7 Transportation Committee; 1931-1934
8 Transportation Committee; 1935-1936

9 Transportation Committee; 1937-1939
10 Transportation Committee; 1940-1942
11 Transportation Committee; 1943-1945
12 Transportation Committee; 1948-1949
13 Transportation Committee—Bryn Mawr Avenue—attempt to open between Pulaski Road and Elston Avenue; 1940-1945

BOX 5

1 Transportation Committee—Feeder bus controversy (Illinois Commerce Commission); 1928-1930, 1935
2 Transportation Committee—Foster-Kimball bus service; 1934-1941

Series 3: Topical Files

3 Armory—Attempt to have one built on northwest side; 1934-1935
4 Avondale Civic Council
5 Berteau Avenue Sewer; 1928-1929
6 Century of Progress Exposition; 1933-1934
7 Chicago Association of Commerce—"Air Express" shipping; 1941

8 Chicago Recovery Administration; 1933-1934
9 Chicago State Hospital for the Insane (Dunning); 1924-1930
10 Citizens’ North Side (North of Lawrence Avenue) Transportation League; 1931
11 Civic organizations—List
12 Community newspapers—List
13 Dog shelter; 1928
14 Drama of Chicago on Parade; 1934
15 Equipment—Addressograph
16 40th Ward public improvements; 1943

17 Home Owners’ Loan Corporation; 1933-1934
18 Housing

19 Juvenile delinquency—Correspondence; 1943-1946
20 Kedzie Modernizing Club—Citizen’s Day Celebration; 1938
21 Lawndale-Crawford Community Council

22 Let’s Go Chicago! Week; 1933
23 Newsclips
24 Northwest Civic Convention; 1930
25 Resurrection Hospital (7432 W. Talcott Road); 1948
26 Sauganash Memorial

27 Unemployment and charity
28 Victory gardens

OVERSIZE MATERIAL

Oversize 1 Civic Review of Chicago’s Northwest Side (v.1, n.1); 1930 Dec