Suburbia Collection

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?]
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