The Near West Side

Originally cleared for farmland in the 1830s by Mark Noble, the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Noble Street would become a typical ethnic neighborhood indicative of Chicago's rapidly growing immigrant population. In 1906, the year this photograph was taken, this area was home to primarily Italian and Polish families, streetcars were providing convenient transportation, the White Sox had taken the World Series from the Cubs and more than 24' of snow fell on Chicago's streets. By 1911, Eckhart Park, designed by renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen, would be built at the northeast corner of this same intersection, replacing the square block of buildings seen on the right side of this photo. Though the streetcar rails are gone and St. Boniface Church in the photo's background (built in 1903) has since closed its doors, the 10-acres of Eckhart Park remain, as do many of the architectural gems reflective of the area's historical ethnicity. Collectively referred to as West Town, this northwest area of Chicago includes the Wicker Park, Bucktown and Ukrainian Village neighborhoods.