Riverdale | |
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| Community Area 54 - Riverdale | |
 Altgeld Gardens Homes is located in Chicago with a Chicago zip code. | |
 Location within the city of Chicago | |
| Coordinates:41°39.6′N87°36.6′W / 41.6600°N 87.6100°W /41.6600; -87.6100 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Cook |
| Townships | City of Chicago Calumet |
| City | Chicago |
| Neighborhoods | |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.36 sq mi (8.70 km2) |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 10,515[1] |
| • Density | 3,130/sq mi (1,210/km2) |
| Demographics 2018[1] | |
| • White | 1.8% |
| • Black | 95.3% |
| • Hispanic | 2.6% |
| • Asian | 0.3% |
| • Other | 0.0% |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | parts of 60628, 60633, 60827 |
| Median income | $13,518[1] |
| Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services | |
Riverdale is one of the 77official community areas ofChicago, Illinois and is locatedon the city's far south side.
As originally designated by the Social Science Research Committee at theUniversity of Chicago and officially adopted by the City of Chicago, the Riverdale community area extends from 115th Street south to the city boundary at 138th Street and from theIllinois Central Railroad tracks east to theBishop Ford Freeway.
The first non-native settler in the area was David Perriam who, in 1837, claimed land north of the horseshoe bend in theCalumet River in an area referred to as Wildwood. This land was later acquired by Colonel James H. Bowen who was instrumental in construction of theCal-Sag canal connecting the Calumet River to theIllinois River. After he lost his home in theChicago Fire, Bowen moved to Wildwood and made this a palatial summer home where Chicago's elite gathered in the 1870s.[2] Another early resident, George Dolton, settled near the Calumet River by the Chicago-Thornton Road (today's Indiana Avenue). He operated a chain ferry across the river. Levi Osterhoudt operated a tavern/road house at 133rd and Thornton Road from 1840 and the area became known as the Riverdale Crossing. In 1842, Dolton and Osterhoudt replaced the ferry with a toll bridge and called it the "Dolton Bridge.[3]
In 1849, the Dolton family leased 50 acres of farmland on the north bank of the Calumet River toJohn Ton, aDutch immigrant who was one of the founding fathers of the new settlement ofRoseland to the north. Ton was anabolitionist who operated a station on theUnderground Railroad from this site until theCivil War.[4]
The north end of Riverdale is more closely aligned with Roseland both historically and culturally. In 1852, theIllinois Central Railroad opened a station at115th Street where theMichigan Central Railroad joined the ICRR tracks calling it the Calumet Station, later renamed, "Kensington" after the palace and gardens in London.
In 1880,George Pullman began constructing his model city just north of 115th Street. AtKensington, a small settlement of stores, boarding houses and saloons sprang up to serve the construction crews and immigrant tradesmen who came to work at thePullman shops. The notorious saloons prompted the modest Dutchmen of nearby Roseland to nickname Kensington, "Bumtown." Riverdale was annexed into Chicago in 1889.
In the aftermath of thePullman Strike in 1894, hiring practices in the area opened up bringing many new industries to the area.Italian Americans flourished working not only at Pullman but Illinois Terra Cotta and other nearby industries.[5] The Pullman Land Association operated the Pullman Farm on the west bank of Lake Calumet. The farm was fertilized by sewage waste from the town of Pullman. The Calumet Paint Company started operations in an abandoned church between Pullman and the lake. It was later acquired by theSherwin-Williams Company and grew to one of the largest paint factories in America. Other employers in the area included the Swift andKnickerbocker ice plants, Chicago Drop Forge, Acme Steel, Riverdale Distillery and construction material companies providing bricks and lumber to the area.
By the 1940s, more people worked in Riverdale than lived there but that was about to change. In 1945, theChicago Housing Authority began the massive effort to build low cost housing for veterans returning from the War.Altgeld Gardens, the Philip Murray Homes and the Pacesetter section west of the Calumet River provided low rent andSection 8 housing. Riverdale's population grew to over 15,000 by 1970.[6] Services were overtaxed or completely lacking, with city water and sewer service finally connected in 1980.Carver High School at 131st and Doty Road transitioned into a military school, and efforts to shift the school population to nearby Roseland have led to sporadic gang violence.[7]
In 1953, Illinois established theChicago Regional Port District to coordinate with the opening of theSaint Lawrence Seaway to deep water ships. ThePort of Chicago was moved fromNavy Pier to Lake Calumet.[8] The lake was converted to a deep waterturning basin linked to huge grain elevators, petroleum storage tanks, and public and rail terminals. The port opened to great fanfare in 1958 but never fully realized its expected potential.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the area's industries began to close and the population became predominantly African American. The Pullman-Standard plant, once the employment center of the area, produced its last railcar in 1981. Acme Steel, which employed almost 1,200 workers in 1929, has been shuttered several times. The Sherwin Williams paint factory closed in 1980 and was torn down. In Kensington, Saint Salomea Church, a vestige of European immigrants, now houses theSalem Baptist Church. In 1998, several precincts in Kensington voted to ban the sale of alcohol making the once famous "Bumtown" dry.
Currently, the area has the highest "hardship index" of any Chicago community area.[9]
South of Kensington and north of 130th Street is the massive Calumet Water Reclamation Plant operated by theMetropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. It treats wastewater from areas of Chicago and the south suburbs totalling approximately 300 square miles and is the oldest of seven such facilities in the region.[10] Over half of Riverdale's area is made up of the water reclamation plant, rail yards, land fills and industrial sites.[11] In addition to these industrial usages, the community area houses a number of residential neighborhoods.
Named for theAltgeld Gardens Homes, a CHA public housing project. A 1978 survey of Chicago residents performed by the Department of Planning gives the neighborhood boundaries for the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood as 130th Street in the north to the Calumet River in the south, and from approximately Langley Ave. in the west to the railroad tracks west of Doty Ave. in the east.[12][13]
Named for the housing development of the same name, the Eden Green neighborhood extends from 130th Street in the north to the Calumet River in the south, and from the Canadian National railroad tracks in the west to the Union Pacific tracks in east.[12][13] The housing development, constructed in 1968, was one of the first black-owned and -operated developments. It eventually included over 1000 townhouse and apartment units for low- to moderate-income families.[14]
Named for Golden Gate Park, a park on S. Eberhart Ave. operated by theChicago Park District, the Golden Gate neighborhood extends from 130th Street in the north to the Calumet River in the south, and from the Union Pacific railroad tracks in the west to approximately Langley Ave. in the east.[12][13]
The Riverdale neighborhood extends from the Calumet River in the north to 138th Street in the south, and from Indiana Ave. in the west to the Union Pacific railroad tracks in the east.[12][13]
The neighborhood is the site of the formerSt. Mary of the Assumption church, the childhood parish and school ofPope Leo XIV.
According to a 2018 analysis by theChicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, there were 7,262 people and 2,560 households in Riverdale. The racial makeup of the area was 1.8%White, 95.3%African American, 0.3%Asian, 0% fromother races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.6% of the population.[15] In 1990, an approximated 63% of households in Riverdale lived in poverty.[14]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 1,486 | — | |
| 1940 | 1,509 | 1.5% | |
| 1950 | 9,790 | 548.8% | |
| 1960 | 11,448 | 16.9% | |
| 1970 | 15,018 | 31.2% | |
| 1980 | 13,539 | −9.8% | |
| 1990 | 10,821 | −20.1% | |
| 2000 | 9,809 | −9.4% | |
| 2010 | 5,269 | −46.3% | |
| 2020 | 7,262 | 37.8% | |
| [1][16] | |||
The Riverdale community area is a stronghold for theDemocratic Party. In the2016 presidential election, Riverdale cast 2,140 votes forHillary Clinton and cast 9 votesDonald Trump (98.85% to 0.42%). It was Clinton's best showing in the City of Chicago, which she won with 83.63% of the citywide vote.[17] In the2012 presidential election, Riverdale cast 2,537 votes forBarack Obama and cast 7 votes forMitt Romney (99.69% to 0.28%). It was Obama's best showing in the City of Chicago, which he won with 84.01% of the citywide vote.[18]
The Riverdale community area is located inIllinois's 2nd congressional district and is represented by CongresswomanRobin Kelly (D-Matteson).
At the state-level, the majority of the Riverdale community area is located in the 15th Legislative District and 29th House District represented by SenatorEmil Jones III (D-Chicago) and RepresentativeThaddeus Jones (D-Calumet City).[19] The far eastern portion of Riverdale is in the 17th Legislative District and 34th House District represented by SenatorElgie Sims (D-Chicago) and RepresentativeNicholas Smith (D-Chicago).[20]
At the local level, Riverdale is located in the 9th Ward and is represented on theChicago City Council by AldermanAnthony Beale who is also the 9th Ward'sDemocratic Committeeperson.[21][22] As of September 2019, the 9th Ward does not have an elected or appointedRepublican Committeeperson.[22]
TheChicago Transit Authority provides bus service via the #34 South Michigan bus travels along 131st Street, Ellis Avenue, 133rd Street, and Langley Avenue.PACE Suburban Bus #353 has a stop near the neighborhood at Indiana Avenue and 130th Street. However, as PACE is a suburban service, it runs express through the City of Chicago to theCTA Red Line Station at 95th Street. Residents report using these busses to access this station as a link to theChicago Loop. The nearestMetra station is theRiverdale station located in the neighboring suburb ofRiverdale, Illinois at 137th Street and Illinois Street.[23] The area was served by the Wildwood station, located near 130th Street and Indiana Avenue, until the early 1960s.[24] As part of theRed Line extension, the proposed 130th Street terminal would be near theAltgeld Gardens Homes.[25]
Notable parks and open space within the Riverdale community area include Golden Gate Park (CPD), Kensington Marsh (MWRD), Little Calumet Marsh (private), and Beaubien Woods (FPDCC).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Places adjacent to Riverdale, Chicago | |
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