Oakland, Chicago

Last updated
Oakland
Community Area 36 - Oakland
US-IL-Chicago-CA36.svg
Location within the city of Chicago
Coordinates: 41°49.2′N87°36.0′W / 41.8200°N 87.6000°W / 41.8200; -87.6000 Coordinates: 41°49.2′N87°36.0′W / 41.8200°N 87.6000°W / 41.8200; -87.6000
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
County Cook
CityChicago
Neighborhoods
Area
  Total0.60 sq mi (1.55 km2)
Population
 (2020) [1]
  Total6,799
  Density11,000/sq mi (4,400/km2)
Demographics 2020 [1]
   White 4.4%
  Black86.7%
  Hispanic5.8%
  Asian1.6%
  Other1.5%
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
parts of 60653
Median household income 2020 [1] $36,838
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services

Oakland, located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, USA, is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas. Bordered by 35th and 43rd Streets, Cottage Grove Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, The Oakland area was constructed between 1872 and 1905. [2] Some of Chicago's great old homes may be seen on Drexel Boulevard. The late 19th-century Monument Baptist Church on Oakwood Blvd. is modeled after Boston's Trinity Church. Oakwood /41st Street Beach in Burnham Park is at 4100 S. Lake Shore Drive. With an area of only 0.6 sq mi Oakland is the smallest community area by area in Chicago.

Contents

History

Abraham Lincoln Centre, Oakland, c. 1913. Abraham Lincoln Centre Chicago 1913.jpg
Abraham Lincoln Centre, Oakland, c. 1913.

The Oakland neighborhood originally formed out of a settlement named "Cleaverville". In 1851, Charles Cleaver, an industrialist, purchased 22 acres near 38th Street and Lake Michigan. Real-estate developers subdivided the area and renamed it Oakland in 1871. Between 1872 and 1905, Cleaver constructed a soap factory and company town that included a commissary, church, town hall, and homes for the local factory workers. Camp Douglas, located nearby, attracted residents to the area. The adjoining stockyards and commercial district included popular saloons and attracted new citizens. [3]

Over a five-year span, Oakland became home to many of the city's elite. City transportation was greatly improved in the area when the Illinois Central Railroad terminal was constructed at 39th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in 1881. After the opening of the terminal, 39th and Cottage Grove Avenue became known as the “Five Crossings.” By the end of the century, the elite residents moved out and were replaced by working-class Irish residents. The Abraham Lincoln Center was founded by Jenkin Lloyd Jones. [4] [5] The center served as a meeting place for people of various races, religions, and nationalities in 1905. Located at 700 E. Oakwood Boulevard, [6] the historic landmark designed by Frank Lloyd Wright now serves as the home of Northeastern Illinois University's Center for Inner City Studies.

Population

During the first wave of The Great Migration between 1916 and 1920, Many African-Americans settled in Oakland. [7]

By the 1930s, The area experienced the greatest diversity, with a mixture of African-Americans, Germans, Jews, English, Irish, Canadians, and Japanese. Due to this, racial tensions escalated as the African American population increased due to southern families moving to Chicago. As tensions flared, White residents resorted to violence and restrictive covenants to prevent African-Americans from moving into the area. These efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. By 1950, The African-American population was around 77% in Oakland while other ethnic groups moved from the neighborhood. [8]

Oakland's population decreased by two-thirds over a 15–year period, from 1962 to 1977 which resulted in the neighborhood becoming nearly 100% African–American.[ citation needed ]

Housing

Aldine Square pictured shortly before its demolition, in 1935. Aldine Square.png
Aldine Square pictured shortly before its demolition, in 1935.
One of the six original Lakefront Properties. Named Victor Olander Homes in 1961, it was later renamed Lake Parc Place in 1991. CHA Lake Parc Place Apartments.jpg
One of the six original Lakefront Properties. Named Victor Olander Homes in 1961, it was later renamed Lake Parc Place in 1991.

Due to the increase of Irish immigrants in the area, numerous single-family houses and apartments were constructed to accommodate them. Part of the Oakland area was annexed to Chicago in 1863; the rest in 1889. Between 1939 and 1941, the then–newly formed Chicago Housing Authority constructed the Ida B. Wells Homes housing project. Bordered by 37th-39th Streets and Cottage Grove Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive (then South Park Avenue), It was the site of Aldine Square town homes, which by 1935 were old and dilapidated. [9] The housing project increased the African–American population in the area and Oakland became a part of the Bronzeville neighborhood. Due to the rapid population growth in the area, The housing authority constructed more public housing. The sites were the Clarence Darrow Homes in 1961, located at the north end of Oakland and Lake Michigan High-Rises, which consisted of six-buildings bordered between 39th and 43rd Streets and Oakenwald and Lake Park Avenues during 1962 and 1963. The last public housing high-rises to be built in the area were the Madden Park Homes in 1970. [10]

Harsh Apartments, a senior housing complex in Oakland. CHA Harsh Apartments.jpg
Harsh Apartments, a senior housing complex in Oakland.

Economic decline

Oakland experienced a drastic declining economic base between 1961 and 1965 due to the poverty that fell upon the area. The housing projects in the area became crime-infested and controlled by street gangs. Street gangs such as the Disciples, Vice Lords and Black P. Stones were rampant and controlled the area by 1968. The notorious Black P. Stone Nation (later renamed El Rukn) had the largest presence in the area. The Oakland Theatre, which operated from 1907 until 1973, located at 3947 South Drexel Avenue, [11] in the heart of Oakland became the Black P. Stone street gangs' headquarters in 1976. The headquarters, which was named "The Fort" and "Grand El Rukn Temple" was a constant target for police raids, until eventually being taken after a raid by the FBI in 1990. The building was demolished a few years later. By 1979, the city of Chicago had demolished dilapidated buildings, in return leaving vacant lots scattered throughout the area. The Oakland neighborhoods' average income fell below the poverty level as middle-class residents moved from the area, it was one of the poorest neighborhoods in Chicago by 1990. [12]

Gentrification

Three of the four Lake Michigan High-Rises hours prior to demolition, c. 1998. Lakefront High-rises.jpg
Three of the four Lake Michigan High-Rises hours prior to demolition, c. 1998.

During the 1990s, under the leadership of Robert Lucas, the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) rehabilitated several buildings in the community and successfully pressured the city to invest in Oakland. Beginning in 1994, the North Kenwood–Oakland Conservation Community Council, led by Shirley Newsome, cosponsored the Kenwood-Oakland Parade of Homes, which helped the further development of single-family houses, townhouses, and rehabbed buildings. The housing projects in the area were demolished over an eleven-year span, beginning with the Darrow Homes in 1996. [13] The four of the original six Lake Michigan High-Rises were vacated in late 1985 [14] [15] [16] and sat vacant for 13 years until being imploded by the housing authority in December 1998. [17] [18] The other two buildings were renovated and renamed Lake Parc Place in 1991. Sullivan Station, named after a railway station that existed in the area is a complex that is made up of mid-rise and high-rise buildings in the area; constructed on the former high-rise site. [19]

On March 25, 1992, the Chicago City Council declared a portion of Oakland to be a Chicago Landmark. [20]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1930 14,962
1940 14,500−3.1%
1950 24,46468.7%
1960 24,378−0.4%
1970 18,291−25.0%
1980 16,748−8.4%
1990 8,197−51.1%
2000 6,110−25.5%
2010 5,918−3.1%
2020 6,79914.9%
[1] [21]

Politics

The Oakland community area has supported the Democratic Party in the past two presidential elections by overwhelming margins. In the 2016 presidential election, Oakland cast 2,270 votes for Hillary Clinton and cast 40 votes for Donald Trump (96.68% to 1.70%). [22] In the 2012 presidential election, Oakland cast 2,111 votes for Barack Obama and cast 25 votes for Mitt Romney (98.64% to 1.17%). [23]

In the United States House of Representatives the Oakland community area is located in Illinois's 1st congressional district and Illinois's 7th congressional district represented by Congressman Bobby Rush and Congressman Danny K. Davis respectively. [24] In the Illinois General Assembly, the Oakland community area is represented by Senator Robert Peters (D-13th) in the Illinois Senate and Representative Kam Buckner (D-26th) in the Illinois House of Representatives. [25]

Notable residents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Loop</span> Community area in Chicago

The Loop, one of Chicago's 77 designated community areas, is the central business district of the city and is the main section of Downtown Chicago. Home to Chicago's commercial core, it is the second largest commercial business district in North America and contains the headquarters and regional offices of several global and national businesses, retail establishments, restaurants, hotels, and theaters, as well as many of Chicago's most famous attractions. It is home to Chicago's City Hall, the seat of Cook County, and numerous offices of other levels of government and consulates of foreign nations. The intersection of State Street and Madison Street, located in the area, is the origin of the address system of Chicago's street grid. Most of Grant Park's 319 acres (1.29 km2) are in the eastern section of the community area. The Loop community area is bounded on the north and west by the Chicago River, on the east by Lake Michigan, and on the south by Roosevelt Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyde Park, Chicago</span> Community area of Chicago

Hyde Park is the 41st of the 77 community areas of Chicago. It is located on the South Side, near the shore of Lake Michigan 7 miles (11 km) south of the Loop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pullman, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Pullman, one of Chicago's 77 defined community areas, is a neighborhood located on the city's South Side. Twelve miles from the Chicago Loop, Pullman is situated adjacent to Lake Calumet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodlawn, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Woodlawn, on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, is one of Chicago's 77 community areas. It is bounded by Lake Michigan to the east, 60th Street to the north, Martin Luther King Drive to the west, and 67th Street to the south. Both Hyde Park Career Academy and the all-boys Catholic Mount Carmel High School are in this neighborhood; much of its eastern portion is occupied by Jackson Park. The Woodlawn section of the park includes the site of the planned Obama Presidential Center, an estimated $500 million investment. The northern edge of Woodlawn contains a portion of the campus of the University of Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgewater, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Edgewater is a lakefront community area on the North Side of the city of Chicago, Illinois six miles north of the Loop. The last of the city's 77 official community areas, Edgewater is bounded by Foster Avenue on the south, Devon Avenue on the north, Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and Lake Michigan on the east. Edgewater contains several beaches that residents enjoy during the late spring, summer, and early autumn. Chicago's largest park, Lincoln Park, stretches south from Edgewater for seven miles along the waterfront, almost to downtown. Historically, Edgewater was the northeastern corner of Lake View Township, an independent suburb annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889. Today, the Uptown community is to Edgewater's south, Lincoln Square to its west, West Ridge to its northwest and Rogers Park to its north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armour Square, Chicago</span> Community area in Illinois, United States

Armour Square is a Chicago neighborhood on the city's South Side, as well as a larger, officially defined community area, which also includes Chinatown and the CHA Wentworth Gardens housing project. Armour Square is bordered by Bridgeport to the west, Pilsen to the northwest, Douglas and Grand Boulevard to the east and southeast, and with the Near South Side bordering the area to the north, and Fuller Park bordering its southernmost boundary, along Pershing Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Near South Side, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

The Near South Side is a community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States, just south of the downtown central business district, the Loop. The Near South Side's boundaries are as follows: North—Roosevelt Road ; South—26th Street; West—Chicago River between Roosevelt and 18th Street, Clark Street between 18th Street and Cermak Road, Federal between Cermak Road and the Stevenson Expressway just south of 25th Street, and Clark Street again between the Stevenson and 26th Street; and East—Lake Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Near West Side, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

The Near West Side, one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, is on the West Side, west of the Chicago River and adjacent to the Loop. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 started on the Near West Side. Waves of immigration shaped the history of the Near West Side of Chicago, including the founding of Hull House, a prominent settlement house. In the 19th century railroads became prominent features. In the mid-20th century, the area saw the development of freeways centered in the Jane Byrne Interchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas, Chicago</span> Community area in Illinois, United States

Douglas, on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, is one of Chicago's 77 community areas. The neighborhood is named for Stephen A. Douglas, Illinois politician and Abraham Lincoln's political foe, whose estate included a tract of land given to the federal government. This tract later was developed for use as the Civil War Union training and prison camp, Camp Douglas, located in what is now the eastern portion of the Douglas neighborhood. Douglas gave that part of his estate at Cottage Grove and 35th to the Old University of Chicago. The Chicago 2016 Olympic bid planned for the Olympic Village to be constructed on a 37-acre (15 ha) truck parking lot, south of McCormick Place, that is mostly in the Douglas community area and partly in the Near South Side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Garfield Park, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

East Garfield Park is on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, west of the Loop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Boulevard, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Grand Boulevard on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, is one of the city's Community Areas. The boulevard from which it takes its name is now Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The area is bounded by 39th to the north, 51st Street to the south, Cottage Grove Avenue to the east, and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad tracks to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenwood, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Kenwood, one of Chicago's 77 community areas, is on the shore of Lake Michigan on the South Side of the city. Its boundaries are 43rd Street, 51st Street, Cottage Grove Avenue, and the lake. Kenwood was originally part of Hyde Park Township, which was annexed to the city of Chicago in 1889. Kenwood was once one of Chicago's most affluent neighborhoods, and it still has some of the largest single-family homes in the city. It contains two Chicago Landmark districts, Kenwood and North Kenwood. A large part of the southern half of the community area is in the Hyde Park-Kenwood Historic District. In recent years, Kenwood has received national attention as the home of former U.S. President Barack Obama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Deering, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

South Deering, located on Chicago's far South Side, is the largest of the 77 official community areas of that city. Primarily an industrial area, a small residential neighborhood exists in the northeast corner and Lake Calumet takes up a large portion of the area. 80% of the community area is zoned as industrial, natural wetlands, or parks. The remaining 20% is zoned for residential and small-scale commercial uses. It is part of the 10th Ward, once under the control of former Richard J. Daley ally Alderman Edward Vrdolyak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Side, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

East Side is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois. It is on the far south side of the city, between the Calumet River and the Illinois-Indiana state line, 13 miles (21 km) south of downtown Chicago. The neighborhood has a park on Lake Michigan, Calumet Park, and a forest, Eggers Grove Forest Preserve. The forest preserve has hiking/walking trails, picnic grounds and birdwatching. It is served by U.S. Highway 12, U.S. Highway 20, and U.S. Highway 41.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverdale, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Riverdale is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois and is located on the city's far south side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clearing, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Clearing, one of the 77 semi-official community areas, is located on the southwest side of the city of Chicago, Illinois. The southern portion of Chicago Midway International Airport is located within this community area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Side, Chicago</span> Area of the City of Chicago, Illinois, USA

The South Side is one of the three major sections of the city of Chicago, Illinois. Geographically, it is the largest of the three sections of the city, with the other two being the North Side and the West Side. It radiates and lies south of the city's downtown area, the Chicago Loop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Horner Homes</span> Public housing development in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Henry Horner Homes was a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) public housing project located in the Near West Side community area on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The original section of Henry Horner Homes was bordered by Oakley Boulevard to the west, Washington Boulevard to the south, Hermitage Avenue to the east, and Lake Street to the north near the United Center. A discontiguous section named Horner Annex was bordered by Honore Street to the west, Adams Street to the south, Wood Street to the east, and Monroe Street to the north. Constructed between 1957 and 1963, The housing project was named in honor of former Illinois governor Henry Horner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ida B. Wells Homes</span> Former public housing development in Chicago, Illinois, United States

The Ida B. Wells Homes, which also comprised the Clarence Darrow Homes and Madden Park Homes, was a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) public housing project located in the heart of the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It was bordered by 35th Street to the north, Pershing Road to the south, Cottage Grove Avenue to the east, and Martin Luther King Drive to the west. The Ida B. Wells Homes consisted of rowhouses, mid-rises, and high-rise apartment buildings, first constructed 1939 to 1941 to house African American tenants. They were closed and demolished beginning in 2002 and ending in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Michigan High-Rises</span> Public housing development in Chicago, Illinois, United States

The Lake Michigan High-Rises, also known as Lakefront Homes, was a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) public housing project in the North Kenwood–Oakland neighborhood located in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Constructed in 1962 and completed in 1963, The Lake Michigan High-Rises originally consisted of four 16–story buildings; totaling 457 units. The Lake Michigan High-Rises was located west of Lake Shore Drive and was included as a part of the CHA Lakefront Properties. Today, only two buildings of the Lakefront Properties exist; they were officially renamed from Victor Olander Homes to Lake Parc Place in 1991. The other four high–rises were demolished by implosion in December 1998, it was the first and only to date in Chicago Housing Authority history.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Community Data Snapshot - Oakland" (PDF). cmap.illinois.gov. MetroPulse. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
  2. - Oakland - The Chicago Neighborhoods
  3. Chicago Tribune - COMMUNITY PROFILE: CHICAGO Oakland: A neighborhood in waiting - November 25, 2011
  4. JENKIN LLOYD JONES AND THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN CENTER
  5. The Abraham Lincoln Center - 700 E. Oakwood Boulevard - Chicago built 1905
  6. Report - Abraham Lincoln Centre
  7. The Newberry - Chicago and the Great Migration, 1915–1950 - Hana Layson with Kenneth Warren
  8. NBC Chicago - Chicago's Most Depopulated Neighborhoods, nbcchicago.com. May 3, 2013.
  9. Chicago Gang History - Oakland, Chicago
  10. Madden Wells Homes, Frank's Masonry.
  11. Chicago Tribune - El Rukn Arsenal Raided Antitank Rocket, Grenades Seized From Gang - August 6, 1986
  12. Chicago Reader - A Block in Oakland Is An Oasis , And A Tale of Segregation - June 1, 2014
  13. Clarence Darrow Homes, ChicagoGangHistory.com. Accessed May 14, 2023.
  14. The Gang Way: Sociologist Suhir Venkatesh spent four years in the Robert Taylor Homes learning..., Chicagoreader.com. August 7, 1997.
  15. CHA Urged To Consider Razing 4 High–Rises, Chicago Tribune, December 14, 1987.
  16. Washington Park: The Dying Hope, wethepeoplemedia.org. Accessed May 14, 2023.
  17. Controlled Demolition, Inc. – Lakefront Homes (Chicago), December 12, 1998.
  18. "Fall Of High-rises Lifts Hopes Of Area: The Planned Implosion Of Four 16-story Cha Buildings Is Seen By Some As The Symbolic Funeral Of An Outdated Policy", Chicago Tribune, December 11, 1998.
  19. Back on the grid - Listening to the community at Sullivan Station, voa.com. Accessed May 14, 2023.
  20. McLenahan, William (March 25, 1992). "Designation of Oakland Multiple Resource District as Chicago Landmark" (PDF). Chicago City Council Journal of Proceedings. pp. 14077–14084. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  21. Paral, Rob. "Chicago Community Areas Historical Data". Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  22. Ali, Tanveer (November 9, 2016). "How Every Chicago Neighborhood Voted In The 2016 Presidential Election". DNAInfo . Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  23. Ali, Tanveer (November 9, 2012). "How Every Chicago Neighborhood Voted In The 2012 Presidential Election". DNAInfo . Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  24. "Illinois's 1st Congressional District" (PDF). Illinois Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 26, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  25. "State Legislative District Reference Map: State House District 26 (Illinois)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. August 14, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  26. Kenwood, explorechicago.org. Accessed May 14, 2023.