What was ethnicity like in the 1950's in Chicago?

Answer 1

Chicago had always been an ethnic town. It was an industrial town and there were jobs to be had. The south side from Rosevelt Road on south was mostly black n then 1950s and as far west as Pulaski street. This is due largely to the "great migration" of blacks from the south by the Illinois Central Railroad which stopped at the 26th street station. That is where live in Chicago began for black immigrants.

North Avenue was Italian from Wells St. to Harlem Ave and the entire near north side. It had excellent restaurants, markets, and merchants of all kind and manor ot things Italian. The Italians "got" the Streets and Sanitation Department of the Chicago city government and also state of Illinois Highway Department. That was theirs for patronage.

Italian Americans were heavily represented in River Forest, Schiller Park, Franklin Park, Rosemont and later DuPage County places like Bensenville, Wheaton, Elmhurst, etc.

Maxwell Street always was Jewish. It had incredible competition and you could buy almost anything you wanted for an excellent prive. It was not a place where you'd hang out for any other reason (no great restaurants or personal activities or theater). It was only shops (many tailors).

Rogers Park was also Jewish from Devon Ave to Howard Street and from the Lake Shore to McCormick Blvd. Skokie was also Jewish and so was Lincolnwood. Jewish ethnicity was also well represent in Golf, Park Ridge, Hyde Park, parts of the western suburbs (like Oak Park). There were some decent Jewish deli's in Skokie including "Mr. Rickies" on Gross Point Rd. near Skokie Blvd. Old Orchard shopping center opened in 1953 and was kind of Jewish.

The Czech community was along Cermak Road (22nd Street) through Cicero and Berwyn. There was a Lituanian community (called "Lugans" beyond that .. toward Mannheim Road.

Polish Americans were most concentrated near "six corners" where Milwaukee Avenue crossed Cicero Avenue. There was a large Sears store there and a lot of "Polish jokes" centered around the Sears Store, Cicro Avenue and the Olson Rug Co. had a carpet factory which had a cigar store Indian and a Waterfall -- they called it the "Polish Niagra Falls."

There were also a number of jokes about a Polish preference for pink flamencos made of wook and inserted into the front lawn. There was no end to the humor about the flamencos.

Polish American neighborhoods extended from The Polish National Alliance area (Milwaukee and Division street) well into Niles and later on out Milwuakee AVenue as far as Half Day. There wer ea LOT of Poles in Chicago.

Various white ethnics lived in Blue Island and Stoeny Island and the big joke around Chicago was to say "I spent the weekend in the islands .. Stony Island and Blue Island" (laugh).

There was a small German neighborhood on Lincoln near Belmont and Ashland. There were some German bakeries and taverns. But Germans were distributed athroughout Chicago and there were many fine German restaurants, bakeries, and taverns.

Greeks concentrated on Halsteed Street going south from Randolph Street. They had many Greek restaurants with authentic Greek dancing and dishes. There was also and "Athens on Rush." Greeks owned many restaurants in Chicago including Elliott's Pine Log, Vosnos. The served excellent cuisine.

There was a substantial Appalachina concentrations in "uptown" centered around Broadway and Wilson during the late 50's and 60's. That later changed. It also had a high concentration of single adults and college students.

There were a lot of Irish in Chicago and apparently the Irish neighborhoods were on the south side near the "Back of Yards" area. I was not tha fmailiar with those areas. Mayor Daley was from that area (everybody liked Mayor Daley he seemed to epitomize Chicagoans.)

Well that's it. Someone else can take it from here. I left Chicago in the late 60's and was in other areas of the country.

Answer 2

they were pioneer days.not very good,but they still enjoyed it.its was also very poor there.small buildings houses etc.