| Dates: | 1856-1975 |
| Size: | 3 linear feet in 4 boxes, (including 13 photographs), plus 2 oversize folders |
| Repository: | Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, 400 S. State St., Chicago, IL 60605 |
| Collection Number: | spe.sub |
| Immediate Source of Acquisition: | The material comes from many sources. Some items were found in the collection. Items were donated in 1987 and in 1992 by the Kenilworth Historical Society. Some items were donated in 1996 by Alexander Walter. |
| Custodial History Note: | Those items donated by the Kenilworth Historical Society were collected by one of its founders, author Colleen Browne Kilner. |
| 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: Suburbia Collection [Box #, Folder #], Special Collections, Chicago Public Library. |
| Finding Aid Author: | Original author unknown. Processed, July 1990. Updated and ingested into ArchivesSpace by Johanna Russ, 2021. |
Abstract
The collection consists of ephemera, pamphlets and photographs about Chicago suburbs.
Biographical/Historical
The City of Chicago has grown over time by annexing smaller, surrounding communities. Those communities that remained independent form a vast network of suburbs. The greater metropolitan Chicagoland area spans at least six counties and three states.
Scope and Contents
This collection covers several Chicago suburbs but by no means comprehensively documents any community. Oak Park, a town that borders Chicago to the west, is most heavily represented in the collection.
Arrangement
Material is arranged in two series:
- Series 1: Documents, 1856-1975
- Series 2: Photographs, 1868-1941
Subjects
- Chicago Metropolitan Area (Ill.)
Collection Inventory
Series 1: Documents, 1856-1975
Scope and Contents
Largely ephemeral, the contents of this series provide piecemeal information on a hodgepodge of Chicago suburbs. Documents include correspondence, news clippings, flyers, booklets, biographical information and programs.
Arrangement
Material is arranged alphabetically by the town which it concerns, and alphabetically within by title or subject.
| Box 1 | Folder 1 | Aurora - Mayor—Travis Phillips, printed letter to Mayor of Freeport, IL re electric lighting, 1882 February 11 |
| Box 1 | Folder 1a | Aurora - Public exercises. Aurora Public Schools. 1856 December 19 |
| Box 2 | Folder 9 | Berwyn and Cicero - “Guiding Change in Berwyn-Cicero: An Advisory Report on Berwyn and Cicero, Illinois,” by Build America Better Committee and National Association of Real Estate Boards, 1965 |
| Box 1 | Folder 2 | Brookfield - Brookfield Woman’s Club—Annual announcements; 1915-1922 |
| Box 1 | Folder 3 | Brookfield - Ye Olde English Faire—Booklet; 1969 |
| Box 1 | Folder 3a | Chicago Heights - "A Look to the Past, Chicago Heights & Her Neighbor, [1961] |
| Box 1 | Folder 3a | Chicago Heights - News clippings (1973-1975) |
| Box 2 | Folder 10 | Cicero - “The Business of Business,” A talk by Paul A. Gorman, President, Western Electric Company, before the Cicero Manufacturers Association, Cicero, Illinois, 1967 February 10 |
| Box 1 | Folder 4 | Deerfield - "History of Deerfield, IL" by Marie Ward Reichelt; 1928 |
| Box 1 | Folder 5 | Elgin - Electric Light Company—Correspondence (8 pieces); 1885 |
| Box 1 | Folder 6 | Elgin - Elgin Tubular Iron Tower Company—Printed form; undated |
| Box 1 | Folder 7 | Evanston - Cook County tax receipt to Mrs. L. W. Bragdon; 1871 January 1 |
| Box 1 | Folder 8 | Evanston - St. Mark’s Episcopal Church—History; 1929 |
| Box 1 | Folder 8a | Evanston - Orrington Hotel—Flyer, with map of Evanston; undated |
| Oversize 1 | Harlem - The Harlem Witness (v. 2 n. 14); 1896 April 4 | |
| Box 1 | Folder 9 | Highland Park - "Highland Park Highlands Price List"—Real estate; [1930s?] |
| Box 1 | Folder 10 | Illinois (general) - Illinois State Historical Society—Directory of Local Historical Societies; 1952 |
| Box 1 | Folder 11 | Illinois (general) - Illinois State Parks & Memorials—Booklet (2 copies); 1935 |
| Box 1 | Folder 12 | Illinois (general) - Illinois State Parks & Memorials—Booklet; [1940-1941] |
| Box 1 | Folder 13 | Illinois (general) - Illinois State Parks & Memorials—Booklet; [circa 1950] |
| Box 1 | Folder 13a | Irving Park - Presbyterian-Reformed Church—THE CHURCH BELL; 1910 |
| Box 1 | Folder 14 | Kane County - Kane County Celebrates Illinois Sesquicentennial; 1968 |
| Box 1 | Folder 15 | Kane County - Proceedings of the Kane County Bar relative to the Circuit Judge—Pamphlet; [1862] |
| Box 1 | Folder 15a | Lake Forest - Lake Forest Academy—The First Hundred Years 1857-1957 |
| Box 1 | Folder 16 | Maywood - Festival of Progress—Catalog; 1938 September |
| Box 1 | Folder 17 | Morton Grove - Illinois Svithiod Day Outing (St. Paul Park)—Program; 1938 June 26 |
| Box 1 | Folder 18 | Oak Park - Biographical sketches—Barton, William E., undated |
| Box 1 | Folder 19 | Oak Park - Biographical sketches—Donaldson, Orren M. ( -1933), undated |
| Box 1 | Folder 20 | Oak Park - Biographical sketches—Hemingway, Allen (1808- ), undated |
| Box 1 | Folder 21 | Oak Park - Biographical sketches—Kettlestrings, Walter Newton (1849- 1939), undated |
| Box 1 | Folder 22 | Oak Park - Biographical sketches—Sayre, Harriet Lovett, undated |
| Box 1 | Folder 23 | Oak Park - Borrowed Time Club—History; 1927 |
| Box 1 | Folder 24 | Oak Park - Chicago & West Towns Railways, Inc.—Flyer; 1938 |
| Box 1 | Folder 25 | Oak Park - Illinois Woman’s Home Missionary Union—15th annual meeting program; 1900 May 23 |
| Box 1 | Folder 26 | Oak Park - Oak Park Local History, Part 3, by J. C. Miller, 1818-1890 |
| Box 1 | Folder 27 | Oak Park - Oak Park Public Library: A Survey; 1952 |
| Oversize 2 | Oak Park - The Oak Park Record (v. 1 n. 1); 1874 July | |
| Box 2 | Folder 1 | Park Forest – News clippings (1972-1974) |
| Box 2 | Folder 2 | River Forest - River Forest Optimist—Centennial Souvenir Number (v.4, n.33) 1936 May 29 |
| Box 2 | Folder 3 | Riverside - Paper by John M. Cameron to Riverside Historical Society; 1938 May 13 |
| Box 2 | Folder 4 | Riverside - "Perfection, your name is Riverside," undated |
| Box 2 | Folder 5 | Somonauk - Marie Louise Olmstead Memorial Museum—Catalog; [1924?] |
| Box 2 | Folder 6 | Tinley Park - Centennial Booklet (1845-1945) |
| Box 2 | Folder 6 | Tinley Park – News clippings (1976) |
| Box 2 | Folder 7 | West Chicago - Reed, Chauncey William (1890-1956)—Memorial addresses; 1956 |
| Box 2 | Folder 8 | Willow Springs - Fifteenth Ward Republican Citizens Committee—Dinner dance program (Everett Dirksen, speaker); 1967 November 6 |
Series 2: Photographs, 1868-1941
Scope and Contents
The photographs depict residences, citizens, transportation, businesses and religious institutions in some of Chicago’s suburbs.
Arrangement
Material is arranged alphabetically by the town which it concerns, and alphabetically within by title or subject.
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.1 | Fullersburg - Residences—Ogden Avenue cottage; 1937 |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.2 | Lombard - Residences—Claflin home, North Main Street; circa 1868 |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.3 | Niles - Residences—7800 Milwaukee Avenue; 1938 |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.4 | Northfield - Transportation—Chicago & Northwestern Railroad station; [1880s] |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.5 | Oak Park - Business—Supreme Garage (31 Madison Street); circa 1925 |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.6 | Oak Park - Religious Institutions—Unity Church, Lake Street and Kenilworth; 1930s |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.7 | Oak Park - Portraits—Mulholland, Mary Jane Cameron; 1941 |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.8 | Oak Park - Residences—Pleasant Avenue (Furbeck home); [1880s?] |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.9 | Oak Park - Residences—906 Lake Street (Gale home); 1937 |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.10 | Oak Park - Transportation—Chicago Great Western Railroad station, Garfield Ave. near Maple; 1931 |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.11 | Oak Park - Variant view of 1.10 |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.12 | Oak Park - Variant view of 1.10 |
| NHRC Shared Photo Box 6 | Photograph 1.13 | Oak Park - Transportation—Chicago, Harlem & Batavia Railroad station; [circa 1880?] |
