Rogers Park and West Ridge: A History of Neighbors in Service is on display at the Northtown branch from May 1 - December 31, 2025. Through fliers, brochures, newsletters, reports, and ephemera, the exhibit explores the varied ways that residents of Rogers Park and West Ridge have come together to build diverse and meaningful communities since the beginning of the twentieth century. A History of Neighbors in Service highlights the work of the Rogers Park Woman’s Club and North Town Woman’s Club, the efforts of local block clubs and community groups, the evolving ethnic diversity of the neighborhoods, and the unique histories of local parks.
The exhibit also celebrates the partnership between the Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society and the Chicago Public Library’s Northside Neighborhood History Collection. As part of their efforts to document the local community, the Society had long maintained collections of documents and photographs. From 2018-2022, they transferred the majority of their collection of paper archival documents to the Northside Neighborhood History Collection at Sulzer Regional Library. They retained ownership of their photographs.
The items in the exhibit are drawn from the Rogers Park/West Ridge Community Collection, the result of that donation. The collection is now open to researchers at the NNHC, including members of the public. It documents local families and individuals, businesses, organizations, religious institutions, schools, and many more aspects of life in Rogers Park and West Ridge. For more information or to make an appointment to look at the collection, please contact the Northside Neighborhood History Collection at northsidehistory@chipublib.org or 312-742-4455.