West Elsdon, Chicago

West Elsdon, one of the 77 official community areas, is locatedon the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois. It is noted as a twin neighborhood of West Lawn. It is a mix of Polish-Americans and Mexican-Americans. It has its own association, West Elsdon Civic Association, which privately organizes the neighborhood. St. Turibius, a Roman Catholic elementary school, is located at 57th and Karlov in the neighborhood. A notable native of West Elsdon is Jenny McCarthy.

History

Before the early twentieth century, the area now designated West Elsdon was a marshy remnant of an ancient lake. The early settlers were German-Americans and Irish-Americans. During the 1930s, houses were built, and Polish-Americans and other Eastern-Europeans settled the area. The land remained rural until World War II, when growth resumed and brick houses were built. Mexican-Americans settled in the eastern part of the community. Soon public schools were registering more Hispanic-Americans, and the CTA Orange Line was built to connect Midway Airport to Downtown.

External links

* [http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_ATTACH/Community_Areas_WEST_ELSDON.pdf Official City of Chicago West Elsdon Community Map]

Geographic Location 2
Center = West Elsdon, Chicago
North = Archer Heights, Chicago
Northeast = Brighton Park, Chicago
East = Gage Park, Chicago
Southeast = Chicago Lawn, Chicago
South = West Lawn, Chicago
Southwest = Clearing, Chicago
WNW = Garfield Ridge, Chicago