Neighborhood News – Wrigleyville, from Celery Capital to Friendly Confines
This (Lake View Resort) is a delightful spot, and one to which our citizens have flocked in large numbers since its first opening,”
Chicago Daily Tribune, 1854, via Townsquare Publications
This fancy resort gave Lakeview its name, but not a means of survival.
According to a Wirtz Residential blog, Lakeview was a town situated north of the city, mostly known for its agricultural significance. The area, believe it or not, was famous for growing celery and was sometimes referred to as “America’s celery capital.”
In 1853, one of the first permanent structures was built by James Rees and Elisha Hundley on the corner where present-day West Byron Street (or West Sheridan Road) meets North Lake Shore Drive.
The area was officially incorporated as Lake View Township in 1857 and as a city in 1887. However, town officials decided that Lakeview couldn’t survive on its own without incorporation. After a democratic vote, the northern farming town became an official Chicago neighborhood in 1889, according to the Encyclopedia of Chicago.
From then on, the area rapidly became urbanized. Lakeview grew as an industrialized area, with factories lining Diversey Avenue, according to Townsquare, Lakeview grew into a prosperous industrial neighborhood, with factories on Diversey Parkway and along the railroad that ran down Lakewood Avenue (you can still see traces of tracks). A few old businesses survive. Monastery Hill Bindery, founded by a German immigrant before the Fire, along with Dinkel’s Bakery, are some of the reminders of Lakeview’s German community.
The neighborhood’s sudden prosperity and ample jobs led many from Chicago’s center up north, growing the northside’s general population. According to the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, over forty percent of the neighborhood’s present-day buildings were constructed during that time.
As Lakeview’s economic opportunities grew, according to Wirtz Residential’s blog, entertainment moguls began scouting the area for recreational opportunities. This economic boom informed the migration of the Chicago Cubs and the eventual creation of Wrigley Field.
Wrigley Field Entertains Wrigleyville Residents
On the site of a former monastery at Clark and Addison Streets, baseball executive Charles Weeghman hired his architect Zachary Taylor Davis to design the park, which was ready for baseball by the home opener on April 23, 1914 for the Chicago Whales of the Federal League, which folded after the 1915 baseball season, according to Wikipedia sources.
Weeghman formed a syndicate including the chewing gum manufacturer William Wrigley Jr. to buy the Chicago Cubs from Charles P. Taft for about $500,000. Weeghman immediately moved the Cubs from the dilapidated West Side Grounds to his two-year-old park. The Cubs played their first home game at the park on April 20, 1916, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 7–6 in 11 innings.
Chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. of the Wrigley Company acquired the Cubs in 1921. It was named Cubs Park from 1920 to 1926, before being renamed Wrigley Field in 1927. One of the first neighborhood staples to open was Ernie’s Bleachers, which was a hot dog stand located at the intersection of Waveland and Sheffield Avenues. The hotdog stand would go through many name changes and renovations before officaly becoming Murphy’s Bleachers in 1980, according to a time capsule history of Wrigleyville.
Wrigleyville Neighborhood
Officially, Wrigleyville’s borders run from north to south, Grace Street to Cornelia Avenue and from east to west, Wilton Avenue to Racine Avenue. The area around Wrigley Field became home to an array of low-brick buildings and residential homes, and throughout the Depression and World War II, the working-class neighborhood around Wrigley were entertained by the Chicago Cubs, who went to the World Series in 1945.
However, after the war, suburbanization began in earnest, and the area lost its industry, laying fallow a once-bustling area. The time capsule indicated that the area became crime-ridden in the 1950’s-‘70’s, though the area around Wrigley Field remained a safe haven for die-hard fans during games.
In the 1970s, Lakeview boasted an unusual and shifting population. Old families of German and Swedish stock were joined by American Indians, Southerners, Hispanics, gays, hippies and Japanese Americans. Restaurants like Zum Deutschen Eck co-existed with hillbilly joints, folk bars, taquerias and drag queens.
Somehow it all worked, despite the danger.
Changing Culture and Today
However, in the late 1980s the culture in the neighborhood began to change as a lot of young people began moving to the area, drawn by inexpensive rents and proximity to the lakefront.
As Wirtz Residential notes, Wrigleyville is packed with venues, nightlife, and outdoor spaces, making it a beautiful place for all types of residents.
Over the years, many Wrigleyville bars and restaurants (particularly on North Clark Street) have grown, many featuring sports-oriented themes. Bars such as Sluggers, Murphy’s Bleachers, Merkle’s, Sports Corner and The Cubby Bear host the Cubs crowds near the Wrigley Field intersection of North Clark Street and West Addison Street.
And finally, as Wirtz Residential says, Lakeview and Wrigleyville are two of the most prominent Chicago neighborhoods for their infinite amenities. With booming bars, beautiful architecture, and an iconic sports team, Wrigleyville is constantly inundated with new residents and eager tourists. If you haven’t visited the area yet, take time this summer to grab a hot dog, catch a game, and enjoy all the sights this northside community has to offer!
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
