Humboldt Park Community Collection

Dates: 1879-1941
Size: 5 linear feet in 4 boxes and 1 oversize folder, including 47 photographs
Repository: Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, 400 S. State St., Chicago, IL 60605
Collection Number: spe-nhrc-hum
Immediate Source of Acquisition: Transferred from Chicago Public Library’s Legler Branch Library in the 1980s as part of a Dr. Scholl Foundation grant. Supplement 1 consists of two 1937 maps of the Humboldt Park community and 31 issues of the newspaper Northwesttown Booster from 1937-1940.
Conditions Governing Access: Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use: Please consult staff to determine ability to reuse materials from collection.
Preferred Citation: When quoting material from this collection the preferred citation is: Humboldt Park Community Collection [Box #, Folder #], Special Collections, Chicago Public Library.
Finding Aid Author: Original author unknown, 1985. Updated and ingested into ArchivesSpace by Michelle McCoy, 2021

Abstract

The collection contains some historical sketches, photographs and documents about the neighborhood and its schools as well as issues of The Northwestown Booster newspaper from 1937-1940 and early photographs of Humboldt Park itself.

Biographical/Historical

The Humboldt Park neighborhood is 5 miles from the Loop on Chicago’s Northwest Side. The dominant feature of the neighborhood is a 207-acre park, named for naturalist Alexander von Humboldt. The area was annexed into the city of Chicago in 1869. Humboldt Park is number 23 of the 77 official communities that make up Chicago.

Scope and Contents

The collection contains some historical sketches, photographs and documents about the Humboldt Park Community and its schools, especially Lowell School, as well as issues of The Northwestown Booster newspaper from 1937-1940 and early photographs of Humboldt Park itself.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into three Series: Series 1: Documents, 1892-1958, undated; Series 2: Newspapers, 1937-1940 and Series 3: Photographs, 1870-1956, undated.

Subject Headings

  • Humboldt Park (Chicago, Ill.) -- History -- Sources
  • Humboldt Park (Chicago, Ill. : Park) -- History - Sources
  • Lowell School (Chicago, Ill.) -- Pictorial works
  • Northwesttown Booster -- Archives

Related Collections

  • Chicago Department of Urban Renewal Collection
  • Chicago Park District Records: Drawings
  • Chicago Park District Records: Photographs
  • West Side Newspaper Collection
  • West Town Community Collection

Collection Inventory

Series 1: Documents, 1892-1958, undated

Scope and Contents

Series 1 contains various documents with information on neighborhood biographies, clubs and organizations, parks, religious institutions and schools along with historical sketches of the area.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into alphabetically by topic and then alphabetically within topic. Items without a box or folder number are referrals to publications and sources outside of this collection.

    Biographical - Anderson, Martha N., see Chicago Daily News, 1938 September 13
Box 1 Folder 1 Biographical - Berland, Joseph, news clipping, 1935
Box 1 Folder 1 Biographical - Bindel, Robert, news clipping, 1934
Box 1 Folder 1 Biographical - Blustein, Hyman, news clipping, 1935
    Biographical - Blustein, Ira, see Garfieldian, 1940 January 30
Box 1 Folder 1 Biographical - Cotton, So, news clipping, 1935
Box 1 Folder 1 Biographical - Dettelbach, Meyer, news clipping, 1935
Box 1 Folder 1 Biographical - Gallis, Ed, news clipping, 1934
Box 1 Folder 1 Biographical - Greenburg, Max, news clipping, 1934
Box 1 Folder 1 Biographical - Kells, George, news clipping, 1938
    Clubs and Organizations - Club Sionilli, see Chicago Tribune, 1940 September 8
    Clubs and Organizations - Humboldt Park Boys Club, see Chicago Daily News, 1940 May 18
Box 1 Folder 2 Historical Sketches - Anonymous, “Historical Sketch of Ward 31,” 1935
Box 1 Folder 3 Historical Sketches - Bender, William C., “History of Humboldt Park,” 1940
Box 1 Folder 4 Historical Sketches - Langan, Alfred J., “A Little About the North West Side,” 1940
Box 1 Folder 6 Parks - Humboldt Park, Alexander von Humboldt Monument, dedication program, 1892
Box 1 Folder 5 Parks - Humboldt Park, photographs and postcards, 1897, undated
    Religious Institutions - Ridgeway Presbyterian [Church], see Chicago Daily News, 1941 April 26, and Garfieldian, 1941 April 22
Box 1 Folder 7 Schools - Cameron School, history by Herbert Merrill, 1894-1928
Box 1 Folder 8 Schools - Cameron School, historical sketch, news clipping, newsletters, 1939-1941, undated
Box 1 Folder 9 Schools - Lowell School, program, 1940
Box 1 Folder 10 Schools - Morse School, class list, newsletter, program, 1937-1941
Box 1 Folder 11 Schools - Orr School, programs, 1939
    Schools - Our Lady of Angels, see Chicago-American, 1958 December 5; Chicago Daily News, 1958 December 2, 3, 5; Chicago Sun-Times, 1958 December 2; and Chicago Tribune, 1958 December 2, 4; Garfieldian, 1958 December 10
    Streets - Augusta Boulevard, see Austin Community Collection
Box 1 Folder 12 Streets - Humboldt Park, map of public recreation facilities and social agencies, 1937
Box 1 Folder 13 Streets - Humboldt Park, map of public recreation and education to zoned areas, 1937
    Streets - Kostner Avenue, see Garfieldian, 1939 December 28

Series 2: Newspapers, 1937-1940

Scope and Contents

Series 2 contains 31 issues of the newspaper Northwesttown Booster from 1937-1940. The paper’s offices were located at 3749 W. North Avenue.

Arrangement

Series 2 is arranged chronologically.

Box 2 Folder 1 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 33, 1937 August 18
Box 2 Folder 2 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 36, 1937 September 8
Box 2 Folder 3 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 37, 1937 September 15
Box 2 Folder 4 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 38, 1937 September 22
Box 2 Folder 5 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 41, 1937 October13
Box 2 Folder 6 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 42, 1937 October 20
Box 2 Folder 7 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 43, 1937 October 27
Box 2 Folder 8 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 44, 1937 November 3
Box 2 Folder 9 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 45, 1937 November 10
Box 2 Folder 10 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 46, 1937 November 17
Box 2 Folder 11 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 48, 1937 December 1
Box 2 Folder 12 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 49, 1937 December 8
Box 2 Folder 13 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 50, 1937 December 15
Box 2 Folder 14 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 51, 1937 December 22
Box 2 Folder 15 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 4, no. 52, 1937 December 29
Box 2 Folder 16 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 5, no. 1, 1938 January 5
Box 2 Folder 17 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 5, no. 2, 1938 January 12
Box 2 Folder 18 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 5, no. 3, 1938 January 19
Box 2 Folder 19 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 5, no. 4, 1938 January 26
Box 2 Folder 20 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 5, no. 5, 1938 February 2
Box 2 Folder 21 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 5, no. 7, 1938 February 16
Box 2 Folder 22 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 7, no. 14, 1940 April 3
Box 2 Folder 23 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 7, no. 15, 1940 April 10
Box 2 Folder 24 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 7, no. [16], 1940 April 17
Box 2 Folder 25 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 7, no. 17, 1940 April 24
Box 2 Folder 26 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 7, no. 18, 1940 May 1
Box 2 Folder 27 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 7, no. 19, 1940 May 8
Box 2 Folder 28 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 7, no. 20, 1940 May 15
Box 2 Folder 29 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 7, no. 21, 1940 May 22
Box 2 Folder 30 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 7, no. 23, 1940 June 5
Box 2 Folder 31 Northwesttown Booster, vol. 7, no. 25, 1940 June 19

Series 3: Photographs, 1879-1956, undated

Scope and Contents

Series 3 contains various images of persons, clubs and organizations, parks, residences and schools in the Humboldt Park area.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into alphabetically by topic and then alphabetically within topic.

Box 3 Photograph 2.3 Biographical - Keeney, Mrs. John M., portrait, circa 1900
Box 3 Photograph 1.1 Business - Keeney Grocery Market, circa 1896
Box 3 Photograph 1.2 Business - John Rapp Grain and Fuel Supply, horse and wagon, 1905
Box 3 Photograph 2.1 Business - P.H. Rice Malting Company, 1899
Box 3 Photograph 1.3 Business - Schnieder's Barbershop, North Avenue near Keeler, interior, 1898
Box 3 Photograph 1.4 Clubs and Organizations - Lions Club, 4310 W. North Avenue, undated
Box 3 Photograph 1.5 Parks - Humboldt Park, pavilion exterior, from the north, circa 1896
Box 3 Photograph 1.6 Parks - Humboldt Park, pavilion exterior, from the south, 1896
Box 3 Photograph 1.7 Parks - Humboldt Park, boat house, undated
Box 3 Photograph 1.7a Parks - Humboldt Park, boat house, [color], 1909
Box 3 Photograph 1.8 Parks - Humboldt Park, ski jump, undated
Box 3 Photograph 1.9 Parks - Humboldt Park, wading pool, undated
Box 3 Photograph 1.10 Parks - Humboldt Park greenhouse, interior, circa 1903
Box 3 Photograph 2.2 Parks - Humboldt Park, conservatory, 1897
Box 3 Photograph 1.11 Residences - Larson home, Lawndale Avenue and LeMoyne Street, 1879
Box 3 Photograph 1.12 Residences - Hjerstedt home, 1929 N. Tripp Avenue, cow in back yard, 1898
Box 3 Photograph 1.13 Schools - Cameron School, class picture, 1941 June
Oversize Folder 1 Photograph 2.7 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1940 January
Box 4 Photograph 1.14 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1941 January
Box 4 Photograph 1.15 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1942 January
Box 4 Photograph 1.16 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1942 June
Box 4 Photograph 1.17 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1943 June
Box 4 Photograph 1.18 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1944 January
Box 4 Photograph 1.19 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1944 June
Box 4 Photograph 1.20 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1945 June
Box 4 Photograph 1.21 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1947 January
Box 4 Photograph 1.22 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1947 June
Box 4 Photograph 1.23 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1949 January
Box 4 Photograph 1.24 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1949 June
Box 4 Photograph 1.25 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1950 January
Box 4 Photograph 1.26 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1950 June
Box 3 Photograph 1.27 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1951 January
Box 4 Photograph 1.28 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1951 June
Box 4 Photograph 1.29 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1953 January
Box 4 Photograph 1.30 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1953 June
Box 3 Photograph 1.31 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1954 January
Box 4 Photograph 1.32 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1954 June
Box 4 Photograph 1.33 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1955 June
Box 4 Photograph 1.34 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1956 January
Box 4 Photograph 1.35 Schools - Lowell School, class picture, 1956 June
Box 4 Photograph 1.36 Schools - Morse School, class picture, 1937 June
Box 4 Photograph 2.4 Schools - Morse School, class picture, 1941 January
Box 3 Photograph 1.37 Schools - Orr School, class picture, 1940
Box 4 Photograph 2.5 Schools - Ryerson School, class picture, 1932 February
Oversize Folder 1 Photograph 2.6 Schools - Ryerson School, class picture, 1931 June
Box 3 Photograph 1.38 Streets - North and Crawford Avenues [now Pulaski Road], 1907
Box 3 Photograph 1.39 Tripp Avenue Railroad Depot (Chicago, Minnesota & St. Paul Railroad), circa 1903
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