{{Original research|date=June 2008}}
Rogers Park is the northernmost of Chicago community areas in the far North Side of Chicago,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
, and is also the name of the
Chicago neighborhoodChicago contains some of the most culturally rich communities in the United States. Each neighborhood maintains a strong identity and because of this, two different neighborhoods could seem like different parts of the world...
that constitutes most of the community area. It is bounded by the
city of EvanstonEvanston, Illinois is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois directly north of the City of Chicago, east of Skokie, and south of Wilmette, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan. Evanston is concurrently a city...
along Juneway Terrace and
Howard StreetHoward Street, alternately known as Sibley Avenue in Park Ridge, is a major east-west thoroughfare in the Chicago metropolitan area. At Paulina Street, it houses the Howard CTA Station, the northern terminus of the Red Line, and, between Paulina Street and Kedzie Avenue, serves as the border...
to the north, Ridge Boulevard to the west,
Devon AvenueDevon Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare in the Chicago metropolitan area. It begins at Chicago's Sheridan Road, which borders Lake Michigan, and it runs west until merging with Higgins Road near O'Hare International Airport. Devon continues on the opposite side of the airport and runs...
and the
EdgewaterEdgewater is a Chicago community area in the far North Side of the City of Chicago, Illinois seven miles north of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Rogers Park to the north, Uptown to the south, Lincoln Square to the west and south and West Ridge to the west and north...
neighborhood to the south, and
Lake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. The second largest of the Great Lakes by volume The third largest of the Great Lakes by surface area , it is bounded, from west to east, by the U.S. states of Wisconsin,...
to the east. The neighborhood just to the west,
West RidgeWest Ridge is one of 77 well-defined Chicago community areas. It is a middle class neighborhood located on the far North Side of the City of Chicago. It is located in the 50th Ward...
, was part of Rogers Park until the 1890s. Some Chicagoans use the phrase "East Rogers Park" to refer to any area east of Ridge, but usually East Rogers Park refers only to the portion of Rogers Park east of Clark Street.
Native American roots
The Rogers Park area was developed on what once was the convergence of two
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
trails, now known as Rogers Avenue and Ridge Boulevard, predating modern metropolitan Chicago. The Pottawatomi and various other regional tribes often settled in Rogers Park from season to season. The name of Indian Boundary Park in Rogers Park reflects this history as does Pottawattomie Park near Clark Street and Rogers Avenue.
Rogers Park was named after a pioneer settler and developer,
Phillip RogersPhillip Rogers was a settler of Irish origin who migrated to the Chicago area from Watertown, New York in 1836. He built a cabin on Ridge Avenue and bought a tract of land in the unincorporated area now bounded by Touhy Ave., Western Ave., Ridge Ave., and Morse Ave. from the government for $1.25...
. Rogers often traded and worked with the local tribes. Envisioning a future settlement, Rogers eventually purchased the land from the tribes for later development.
Becoming part of Chicago
From 1830 to 1850, waves of immigrants from
LuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a small, landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany...
and
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
came to Rogers Park, where farming was the main industry. The average price of land at the time was $1.25 an acre ($309/km²), and the dominant crops were
hayHay is a generic term for grass or legumes that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal feed, particularly for grazing animals like cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
,
cucumberThe cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon.- Botany :...
s for
picklesA pickled cucumber, most often simply called a pickle in the United States and Canada, is a cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar, or other solutions and left to ferment for a period of time...
, and onions{{Citation needed|date=May 2007}}. On April 29, 1878, Rogers Park was incorporated as a village of Illinois governed by six trustees. In 1893, the village was annexed to Chicago. Successive generations brought about vast cultural changes to the former village. Elite Chicagoans began to move to new planned communities in the suburbs by the 1930s, which ushered in the migration of German, English, Irish, and Jewish families to Rogers Park. With the settlement of these migrants, their cultural traditions flourished{{Citation needed|date=May 2007}}. With the devastation in Europe following
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, many additional immigrants found their way to Chicago and Rogers Park. Also, a growing and vibrant Hispanic community has grown along Clark Street.
Most of the neighborhood has for decades been within the 49th Ward of the city of Chicago, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but, because of
gerrymanderingGerrymandering is a form of boundary delimitation in which electoral district or constituency boundaries are deliberately modified for electoral purposes, thereby producing a contorted or unusual shape...
, parts of Rogers Park are now within the 48th and 40th wards as well.
Culture and cultural diversity
Rogers Park continued to see demographic changes into the 21st century. The 2000 census data, like those of 1980 and 1990, showed it to be one of the most diverse communities, if not the most diverse, in the entire country. A robust mix of ethnic backgrounds with over 80 assorted languages flavor the neighborhood. However, this diversity has been affected by gentrification of the community. Much of the rental housing that has been converted to condominiums since 2000 formerly housed racial- and ethnic-minority households. More than 90% of the new homeowners are white households, according to the Woodstock Institute, a nonprofit advocacy and research organization.{{Citation needed|date=June 2008}}. However, the financial crisis of 2007-2009 hit the area hard and at present many of the condominiums are unsold or foreclosed. The dominant institution in Rogers Park is
Loyola University ChicagoLoyola University Chicago is a Jesuit private university located in Chicago, Illinois. The university was founded in 1870 as St. Ignatius College, and is the largest Jesuit, Catholic University in the United States....
. Historic places of interest include
Madonna Della Strada ChapelMadonna della Strada is the namesake of the chapel motherchurch of the Jesuit Province of Chicago and sits on the campus of Loyola University Chicago in the neighborhood of Rogers Park. It was built on the lakefront with the waters of Lake Michigan directly at its front doorstep...
, the mother church of the Jesuit Province of Chicago (one of the largest Jesuit provinces). The neighborhood continues to be home to many
JesuitThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic religious order of clerks regular whose members are called Jesuits.Jesuits are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church, with 18,815 members—13,305 priests, 2,295 scholastic students, 1,758 brothers and 827 novices—as of January 2008, although the...
religious-orderA religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
institutions. However, modern Rogers Park contains many houses of prayer of different religions and denominations. An example of the neighborhoods' diversity is the historic Rogers Park Baptist Church. Founded in 1891, this church has services in three languages every Sunday and is made up of immigrants from 21 countries representing 5 continents.
The presence of so many students and academics from Loyola,
Mundelein CollegeMundelein College was the last private, independent, Roman Catholic women's college in Illinois. Located on the edge of the Rogers Park and Edgewater neighborhoods on the far north side of Chicago, Illinois, Mundelein College was founded and administered by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed...
(now part of Loyola), and
Northwestern University{{Infobox university|name = Northwestern University|image_name = NU seal.png|motto = Quaecumque sunt vera |mottoeng =Whatsoever things are true |established = 1851|type = Private|calendar = Quarter...
, just a few miles to the north, has historically lent Rogers Park a high degree of liberalism and tolerance. The community also has a high
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
presence. In 2007, the Web site
outside.in named Rogers Park one of the country's "
blogA blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order...
giest neighborhoods."
Beaches
Rogers Park is unique in that it is one of the few Chicago neighborhoods that has direct public access to Lake Michigan. Unlike other Chicago lakefront neighborhoods, nearly every east-west street in Rogers Park has a beach.
In addition, many buildings along Lake Michigan have their own private beaches.
Schools
- Chicago Math and Science Academy
Chicago Math and Science Academy is a charter middle school and high school located in Chicago, Illinois in the Rogers Park neighborhood.-Campus:...
- Chicago Waldorf School
- Field Elementary School
- Gale School
- Jordan Community Elementary School
- Hayt Elementary School
- Kilmer Elementary School
- Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a Jesuit private university located in Chicago, Illinois. The university was founded in 1870 as St. Ignatius College, and is the largest Jesuit, Catholic University in the United States....
/Lake Shore Campus
- North Shore School
- PACTT Learning Center
- Philip Rogers Elementary School
- St. Margaret Mary School
- St. Scholastica Academy
St. Scholastica Academy is a private, Roman Catholic, Benedictine all-girls high school in Chicago, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago....
- Sullivan High School
- Swift Elementary Specialty School
Transportation
Rogers Park has four elevated ("L")
Red LineThe Red Line is a heavy rail line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the Chicago 'L' system. It is CTA's busiest rail line, serving an average of 214,116 passengers each weekday as of April 2009...
stations:
HowardHoward is a station on the Chicago 'L' system, located at 1649 West Howard Street in Chicago, Illinois...
,
JarvisJarvis is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, on the Red Line at 1523 W. Jarvis Avenue in Chicago, Illinois...
,
MorseMorse is an 'L' station on the CTA's Red Line. It is located at 1358 West Morse Avenue in Chicago, Illinois . The station was formerly known as Rogers Park or Morse-Rogers Park. There is an automated entry/exit from the north end of the platform onto Lunt Avenue...
, and
LoyolaLoyola is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, served by the Red Line. It is located at 1200 West Loyola Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The station sees heavy use by students from its nearby namesake, the Lakeshore Campus of Loyola University...
. The Howard Street "L" station, the northernmost
Chicago Transit AuthorityChicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of the suburbs. It is the second largest transit system in the United States and fourth largest in North America...
rail stop in the city proper, has experienced major renovation during 2008 and is a major transportation hub for the northern Chicago region. Both the
Skokie SwiftThe Yellow Line , is part of the Chicago Transit Authority's Chicago 'L' heavy rail rapid transit system in Chicago, Illinois...
and the
Purple LineThe Purple Line of the Chicago Transit Authority is a branch line on the northernmost section of the Chicago 'L' rapid transit network. Normally, it extends south from the Wilmette terminal at Linden Avenue, passing through Evanston to Howard Street, on Chicago's northern city limits.The Purple...
(formerly known as the Evanston Express) begin in Rogers Park. In addition to the above, there are also several bus routes traveling to the Loop and the suburbs. They consist of the #22 (Clark to Polk), #97 (Old Orchard Shopping Mall/Cook County Courthouse), #147 (Outer Drive/Congress/Michigan Avenue), #151 (Sheridan Road) and #N201 (Central/Sherman in Evanston). The
MetraMetra is a regional rail system that serves the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States and surrounding suburbs...
commuter railroad
Rogers ParkRogers Park is a Metra commuter railroad station in the Rogers Park neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. It is located at 7000 N. Ravenswood Avenue, between W. Greenleaf Avenue and W. Lunt Avenue. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Rogers Park is in zone B...
station, at the intersection of Lunt and Ravenswood avenues, is centrally located in the Rogers Park neighborhood.
Community policing
In 1993, Rogers Park was selected as one of only five Chicago neighborhoods to implement a new concept for Chicago law enforcement: community policing, or CAPS. A merger of police and community efforts was implemented, which resulted in a noticeable effect on crime statistics. Weekly beat meetings (planning and strategy sessions) were held across the 24th Police District (Rogers Park). Within three years, after the success of CAPS in Rogers Park, all of Chicago's police districts had put CAPS into practice. "CAPS is the most ambitious and comprehensive community policing program in the country," said Susan M. Hartnett, project director and research associate at
Northwestern University{{Infobox university|name = Northwestern University|image_name = NU seal.png|motto = Quaecumque sunt vera |mottoeng =Whatsoever things are true |established = 1851|type = Private|calendar = Quarter...
's Institute for Policy Research. "The success of the CAPS program in comparison to efforts in other big cities is attributable to Chicago's commitment to the program and the resources allocated to it. A unique CAPS feature that is also vital to the success of the program is the improved delivery of city services throughout the city.".
Aldermanic Members of the Chicago City Council
Rogers Park lies mainly within the 49th Ward. There are small areas that are within the 40th Ward.
| Name | Elected | Political Party | Position |
|---|
| Joe Moore Joseph Moore is the alderman representing the 49th Ward of the City of Chicago. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was first elected to the City Council in 1991 and re-elected in 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007....
|
1991 |
Democrat The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
|
Alderman/49th Ward |
| Patrick O'Connor Patrick J. O'Connor has been an alderman in Chicago's City Council representing the 40th Ward on the North Side of the city since elected in 1983 at age 28...
|
1983 |
Democrat The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
|
Alderman/40th Ward |
Notable Residents
- Edward Gorey
Edward St. John Gorey was an American writer and artist noted for his macabre illustrated books.-Early life:...
(childhood)
- Phil Foglio
Philip "Phil" Foglio is a cartoonist and comic book artist best known for his humorous science fiction and fantasy work.-Early life and career:...
, science-fiction graphic artist
- Shecky Greene
Shecky Greene is a comedian known for his nightclub performances in Las Vegas, where he has been a headliner for more than 30 years...
(former Sullivan High School student)
- Elizabeth Bloomer, better-known as former first lady Betty Ford
Elizabeth Anne "Betty" Bloomer Ford is the widow of former United States President Gerald R. Ford and served as the First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977. As first lady, Betty Ford was active in social policy and shattered precedents as a politically active presidential wife...
- Lara Flynn Boyle
Lara Flynn Boyle is an American film and television actress best known for her performances as Laura Palmer's best friend Donna Hayward in Twin Peaks and Assistant District Attorney Helen Gamble in The Practice...
(childhood)
- Dan Savage
Daniel Keenan Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage is known for penning the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social...
(childhood)
- Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. She has received seven Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Writers Guild of America Awards...
(Early to mid 90's)
External links
{{Chicago}}
{{Chicago neighborhoods}}
{{Geographic Location
| Center = Rogers Park, Chicago
| North =
Evanston, IllinoisEvanston, Illinois is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois directly north of the City of Chicago, east of Skokie, and south of Wilmette, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan. Evanston is concurrently a city...
| East =
Lake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. The second largest of the Great Lakes by volume The third largest of the Great Lakes by surface area , it is bounded, from west to east, by the U.S. states of Wisconsin,...
| South =
Edgewater, ChicagoEdgewater is a Chicago community area in the far North Side of the City of Chicago, Illinois seven miles north of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Rogers Park to the north, Uptown to the south, Lincoln Square to the west and south and West Ridge to the west and north...
| Southwest =
Lincoln Square, ChicagoLincoln Square, located on the North Side of the city of Chicago, Illinois, is one of 77 well-defined Chicago community areas. Greater Lincoln Square encompasses the smaller neighborhoods of Ravenswood Gardens, Ravenswood, Bowmanville, Budlong Woods and Lincoln Square...
| West =
West Ridge, ChicagoWest Ridge is one of 77 well-defined Chicago community areas. It is a middle class neighborhood located on the far North Side of the City of Chicago. It is located in the 50th Ward...
}}