June 22, 2011

Political Representation

Who Represented Lake View?
(My Facebook Album)
This post mostly covers the governmental representation since the annexation of the City of Lake View in 1889. Prior to that date from 1857 to 1887 a township form of government was established and granted by the State of Illinois within the County of Cook. In 1887 the govening framework changed to a city for the next two years.
the political and administrative center 
of Township/City of Lake View

History of Cook County 
by Alfred Theodore Andreas

The Rules of the Road of the
Township of Lake View
Lake View's 'Old Town Hall' included 
police, postal, and council chambers of the 
township trustees and then city aldermen
The political and governmental administrative center of the township/city from 1872 to the annexation of 1889. The building was on the northwest corner of Addison and Halsted Streets. The  building lost its political status after the annexation. The building would hiouse the new 42nd police district until a much smaller and more modern building took its place in 1907. 
 in 1879
The word 'town' meant township
Very Particular
 about their Trees
History of Lake View 
by Theodore Andreas 
by 1884
"When a number of citizens principally residents of Andersonville and vicinity assembled at the school house which had lately been completed to make arrangements for holding the township election of Lake View; they had unconsciously perhaps commenced to make history for future. IS Shippy was moderator of that meeting John Mauritzen clerk. It was resolved that a election be held April 7 1857 and that $175 be raised for expenses. 
[The principals] bought [a town[ship] record book] June 16 1857 by Robert Edson Supervisor of Lake View Township [for the] price $2.50 and dedicated to the Township Clerk of Lake View Township. The entire ticket [local government] elected in April 1857 was as follows: Robert Edson Supervisor, Conrad Sulzer Assessor, Nicholas Kranz Collector, John Mauritzen Township Clerk, Isaac C Shippey Justice of the Peace, Lewis A Brown Jacob Wolf and Francis Baer Commissioners of Highways, John Rees Constable, John Bugner Overseer of the Poor. The Commissioners of Highways held a meeting and divided the town into two districts No 1 comprising all the territory from the city limits north to Albert Street (Graceland Avenue)[Irving Park Road] and No 2 everything between Graceland Avenue and the northern line of the township [Devon Avenue]. The next year James H Rees was elected Supervisor and continued to hold that position until after the town[ship] was incorporated. The township of Lake View was organized under its charter in February 1865. The act was approved by Governor Oglesby on the 16th of that month. (That year a host of candidates campaigned for the offices mentioned above under their new charter.)" 
While the township government was not incorporated until 1865, the organization of the township began in 1857. I will use the organizational date as the beginning date for the township. The township tenure was from 1857 to 1887. In mid 1887 the charter of Lake View changed to a city type government with 7 wards once former township districts. Apparently, the majority of the wards were located south of Graceland (Irving Park Road) Avenue. Most of the population of Lake View seems to be south of Belmont to Fullerton.
Maps of the Area 1887

The town hall was located 
in the neighborhood of Pine Grove 
*middle of map*
David Rumsey Map Historical Map Collection
*need to zoom in to located this section of the map*
Another View
Charles Rascher Atlas Map 1887
zoomed in below
zoomed and edit below
by 1894 the building remained 
but as a Chicago Police Station
photo - probably the final days of the building
another view of the backside of the photo
By 1923 the building was replaced 
for the new police station in 1907
What If 
the Old TownHall
 Remained?
What if the building survived? The building would look similar to Placer County Government Center located in California 
just north of their State capital, Sacramento 
currently a historical musuem open to the general public
The Placer County Historic Courthouse, also known as the Auburn Courthouse, was built in 1898 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This grand, three-story Classic Revival structure is topped by a bracketed cornice and simple Renaissance Revival-inspired dome. Over the years, the County made improvements, adding water fountains, fire escapes, and an elevator, which was installed in 1948. In 1990, the building underwent an extensive restoration effort. Since 2010 Placer County has implemented an energy efficiency retrofit to the Courthouse to reduce energy costs and improve occupant comfort. - Better Building US Energy Dept
Lake View's 42nd District
 Police Station
currently called the
1920's - Calumet 412
 1962 photo - Chicago Public Library
This two-story classical revival-style structure according to the Chicago Landmark Commission is characterized by a symmetrical facade, limestone base, and distinctive copper cornice. The architect is unknown according to Chicago Landmark Commission
In 2013 Landmark Designation was approved by the city council.
We Will Keep our 
Police Station, thank you!! 
According to a  publication called Hidden History of Ravenswood & Lake View by Patrick Butler there were several attempts to eliminate the police station in 1975, 1983, 1987, and 1992. The neighborhood associations within Lake View battled the City of Chicago administration the station on the corner of Addison and Halsted Streets. After several decades of political battles with the City Council the police presence in Lake View remained with the construction of a modern facility in 2010 adjanct to the original township building and the police building.
photos - Wikipedia
basement work station via DNAinfo
A Testimonial of the 
Old Town Hall Station 
by Marilyn Ross – contributor 
of Forgotten Chicago on Facebook - 2014
“The set of two windows to the right of the side door on the first floor was the youth office for many years. .. I was a youth officer and spent many hours there handling kids. It was later moved upstairs that with the window open I could hear the roost of the crowd from Wrigley. I knew when something exciting was going on there. When it was a good year for them (Cubs) the window looked directly at the Goodyear blimp hovering over the ballpark. Jail was on north-side of bldg. That was a garage. Some roll calls were held there and the windows belonged to an office where the sergeants sat.”
photo - Lake View Patch
photo - Doors of Chicago/Facebook
The station was original the 42nd precinct in 1907
In 1966, police Superintendent O.W. Wilson said that a station as old as the Town Hall couldn't "provide the space and modern equipment necessary for today's police needs.“
[The Lake View Citizen Action group and other civic associations such as the Lake View Citizens Council prevailed and the building and the police force within it remained until the new building was built in 2010.]
"The mere fact that it has remained a police station for so long has flabbergasted me," said retired officer and Chicago police historian Dave McFarlan. - Chicago Tribune 2010
The New 19th Police District Building
in 2010
the main entrance now is on Addison just south of the former 42th/19th Police Station now the part of Town Hall Apartments
photos below - Public Building Commission
The Community Room
used by police and the local neighborhood associations
and just northeast of this building ...
in 2014

"The Town Hall Apartments is the adaptive re-use of an historic police station and a new six-story addition for use as affordable residences for LGBT seniors 55 plus earning between 50-80 percent of Area Median Income. The bright modern apartments, most with city views, consist of 30 studios and 49 one-bedrooms and have floor-to-ceiling windows, dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave and blinds. Common amenities include a fitness room, computer lab, family dining room for small gatherings, laundry facilities on each floor, a landscaped rooftop terrace and secure bike parking. Residents benefit from on-site management and service providers who arrange meal service, social outings, access to medical and mental healthcare, support groups, art programs, educational workshops and fitness activities. Lake Michigan beaches and parks are nearby as are medical, retail and religious facilities."

Town Hall Apartments achieved a LEED-NC Silver rating for its eco-friendly elements, which include green roofs, geothermal heat pump system, high-value insulating walls with internal shades, low-energy fluorescent and LED lighting and solar hot water system.

Town Hall is sponsored by Heartland Housing and the Center on Halsted, the Midwest’s largest community center dedicated to building and strengthening the LGBT community. National Equity Fund® invested $15 million of LIHTC equity in Town Hall. - National Equity Fund with a YouTube video belowan interior view of the renovated Old Town Hall section of the Old Town Apartments - now a revocational area

  • Chicago Wards 
  • of Old Lake View:
  • the map enlarged
  • The former City of Lake View would be represented with wards, 25th & 26th
  • The Evolution of Growth vs
  •  Representation:
  • The City Growth 
  • by 1890
  • * The growth of the city population generally 
  • means the shift in ward boundaries every ten years

only 35 wards that year
2 alderman per ward
Most of the City of Lake View became the 25th & 26th wards of the City of Chicago after the annexation of 1889. 
Two alderman represented each ward in Chicago
between 1889-1900
(list maybe incomplete)
Chapman, F.M.                 Alderman               25th   1889-1890 

Keck, Michael                   Alderman               25th   1889-1890 

Brookman, Frank E            Alderman               25th   1890-1893

 Sexton, Austin O               Alderman                  25th   1890-1894   

Portman, August F            Alderman               25th   1896-1898 

Hirsch, James H                Alderman               25th   1897-1899 

Griffith, Robert                 Alderman               25th   1898-1900 

between 1900-1910

Williston, Alfred D            Alderman               25th   1900-1908 

Dunn, Winfield P              Alderman               25th   1901-1911

 Powers, John                     Alderman               25th   1905-1923 

 Thomson, Charles M         Alderman               25th   1908-1913 

One of the first alderman of Chicago from 
newly formed District of Lake View
between 1889-1900
(list maybe incomplete)

Weber, Bernard F              Alderman               26th   1889-1892 

Hayes, Patrick F                Alderman               26th   1889-1890

                                                                          &        1891-1893 

Goodale, Marlow M          Alderman               26th   1890-1891 

Lutter, Henry J                  Alderman                26th   1892-1894 

Finkler, William                 Alderman               26th   1893-1897 

Schlake, William E            Alderman               26th   1894-1900 

Cannon, John C                   Alderman               26th   1897-1899 

between 1900-1910

Kuester, William C           Alderman                 26th   1900-1904

    Reinberg, Peter                   Alderman              26th   1904-1912   

Lipps, William F               Alderman               26th   1905-1921

Points of Interest in the 
District of Lake View 
by 1900
in accordance to city wards
and the Chicago Daily Tribune
*follow the solid black line*
The District of Lake View
Polling Stations 
in 1902
Due to the annexation of three townships and the City of Lake View every citizen needed to re-register to vote
(pre 1909 addresses)
(internet archive)
Nov. 30, 1906-March 1, 1907
an attempt to change how the city is governed
The Proposed Wards 
for the Next Decade in 1907
The former City of Lake View would be in the 
28th, 29th, 27th, & 26th wards of Chicago
Campaigning in 1908
 text - Rogues, Rebels, and Rubber Stamps by Dick Simpson 
Charles M. Thompson, candidate for alderman 
of the 25th ward on the campaign trail in 1908
(not related to Mayor Big Bill Thompson)
photos - Chicago Daily News Archives
The City Growth Map 
of 1910

The former City of Lake View is now represented
 by 24th, 25th, & 26 wards of Chicago
Lake View would now be represented 
by additional wards - the 24th & 23rd along with the 25th & 26th
zoomed map below
from Howard Street to Fullerton Avenue
old City of Lake View borders
Devon to Fullerton
between 1910-1920
(list maybe incomplete)

Caspers, Thomas R           Alderman               26th   1920-1923 

Mendel, Joseph A             Alderman               26th   1923-1927

between 1910-1920
(list maybe incomplete)

Frankhauser, E.I.               Alderman               25th   1921-1923

Alderman of the 23th Ward

between 1910-1920

(list maybe incomplete)

no listed

Alderman of the 24th Ward

between 1910-1920

(list maybe incomplete)

Arvey, Jacob M                Alderman                24th   1923-1937

Competitive Republicans in 1916

enters the 
Political Scene
and resident of Lake View 

Mayor of Chicago, 1915-1923, 1927-1931

page - part of my collection
In a Nutshell
text - Big Bill of Chicago by Lloyd Wendt 
& Herman Kogan
Mayor Big Bill Thompson in 1915 primaries
photo - Chicago Daily News 
A resident of the then 25th and then the 23rd wards was elected mayor for three terms. This photo is of him and his wife voting at their local polling station - an unknown location
The Family Residence 
text - 1914 Chicago Blue book & selected names
The Lochby Court Apartments
once located on the northwest corner of Belmont 
& inner LSD/former Sheridan Road
built in 1912
1923 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
"Our William for Mayor"
 button in German
below photos - Ebay
His First Race for Mayor
in 1915
Was a Delegate for the 
 National Republican Convention
in 1916
(4th to the right)
In 1919
Mayor Thomposn promoted himself 
as the 'big builder'
An Opinion in 1931
from a magazine catered to the upper class
photo below - Chicago Museum via Daily News Archives
He thought of himself as a
sailor & cowboy
His View on the War 
in Europe
He is Anti-WWI 
in 1918
and in 1919 ...
Drops out of his re-election bid
in 1923 but returns 4 years later
“Thompson declined to run for reelection in 1923 and he was succeeded by William Emmett Dever. Thompson left office as Mayor on April 16, 1923. While out of office, Thompson was appointed chairman of the Illinois Waterways Commission. He used his position to remain relevant in the media, involving himself in civic suits and campaigning for the Lakes-to-Gulf waterway project: to build a waterway from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. Promoting both the project and himself, Thompson set off on a "scientific" expedition (to be extensively covered by the media), which he set off to the South Seas in order to find a tree-climbing fish on July 5, 1924. Attracting more attention, Thompson placed a $25,000 bet on his success, but no one participated.” - Wikiwand
this full page is part of my collection
reverside side of front page
Receiving Good News 
in 1920
as the re-elected mayor of Chicago
newspaper - part of my collection
photo below - Ebay
In 1927
'Big Bill' would regained his position 
as mayor that year
Thompson lost to Dever 4 years earlier
The 'American First' Slogan
used after by Donald Trump
An Oppostion 
Advertisement

"America First" and allegations levied by Thompson of a British conspiracy

Thompson accused [his mayoral opponent] [Mayor] Dever of treason [foreign agent]. Using the slogan "America First", he alleged that Superintendent of Chicago Public Schools William McAndrew was a British agent sent by King George (of Great Britian) as part of a grand conspiracy to manipulate the minds of American children and set the groundwork for the United Kingdom to repossess the United States; he accused the "left-handed Irishman" [Mayor] Dever of being part of the plot. Thompson based these claims on McAndrew being critical of such artworks as Archibald Willard's The Spirit of '76 and allowing the use in schools of textbooks which Thompson alleged were unpatriotic and full of, "treason tainted histories". This came amid a 1920's wave of Anglophobic criticisms in the United States of textbooks being "pro-British" and "un-American". Thompson's attacks on McAndrew were a significant factor in his successful campaign of 1927. - Wikipedia

Mayor Dever
Called Thompson Mentally Unstable
An Editoral 
in 1927
Demanding
The Fall of Big Bill
in 1931
And Then

17 years later 
(to read the entire article)
Back to the 
1910's News
Fixed Permenant 50 Wards
in 1919 but
without any regard to population shifts
zoomed below
The City Growth Map 
of 1920
Ward Map 1920
The former City of Lake View is now represented
 by 23rd, 24th, 25th, & 26 wards of Chicago

The growth in Chicago and the north-side continued as the original wards of the District of Lake View separated into four wards - 26th, 25th, 24th, and the 23th. As a general rule as the city population grew so did the number of wards.
A New Ward Plan in 1920
The current Community of Lake View as we now it is
in wards southern portion of 26th 
and in new wards of the 23th & 24th

also the number of alderman elected per ward 
was reduced from two to one but only for 2 years
Lake View's 
25th Ward in 1920
the Republican Ward of the former City of Lake View
having the must populace of any given ward
Population Inequalities 
per Ward in 1928
The City Growth Map 
of 1930
  
The annexation of territory continued with the add of the new areas such as Mt. Greenwood, Beverly, and Morgan Park
 on the southwest side by 1927. The Community of Edgewater seceded from Uptown in 1980. By 1980 there are 77 official communities in Chicago.
The Big Change in
City Wards vs
 Official Communities:
The Community of Lake View was represented by the 44th, 45th, 46th, & 47th wards of the City of Chicago but each ward border would change due to every ten year census
46th Ward Alderman 
of the 1930's
(this may be a incomplete list)

Nelson, Oscar F                Alderman               46th   1923-1935  

Young, James F                Alderman               46th   1936-1937 

44th Ward Alderman 
of the 1930's
(this may be a incomplete list)

Loescher, Albert               Alderman          44th   1925-1933

Grealis, John J.                Alderman        44th      1933 – 1947

of the 1930's
Schulz, Albert F               Alderman      47th   1933-1937

Hilburn, Frank O.              Alderman         47th      1939 – 1947

45th Ward Alderman 
of the 1930's
Meyer, Edwin F.               Alderman      45      1933 – 1943


Waiting on the 
Official Census to 
Re-Draw Ward Maps
Need for Further Review 
of Ward Representation 
vs Population Growth
A Call for a Four Year 
Aldermanic Term 
in 1931
A City Council Tally Sheet
1929-1931
William Hale Thompson - mayor
Lake View area aldermen:
O.F. Nelson - 46th ward
Albert E. Losescher - 44th ward
William H. Feighenbutz - 45th ward
John Hoellen - 47th ward
part of my collection
zoomed views below
Chicago's
 by the 1930's
The original number of 'Communities' were set by the Chicago City Council at 75. By the 1980's there were 77 when Edgewater succeded from Uptown
zoomed map below
The Communites of Lake View, Uptown, Edgewater as well as the north portion of Lincoln Park (Fullerton Avenue) were once part the the former township/city of Lake View. 
Since the dawn of offical neighborhoods there was been a delicate balance between the population needs/wants 
of the ward vs the nieghborhood
The Official Community 
of Lake View
image below - Etsy
The City Growth Map 
of 1940
Growth slows during the turbulent years 
of the Great Depression changing the fabric of all communities in Chicago for decades.
Ward Map 1940
no material change in borders that year
Wards stayed relatively the same in thies1930 ward map
 
*NO 1950 Individual WARD MAP*
Aldermanic List 
for the 1950's
(this list may be incomplete)

  • Burmeister, John C., Jr.     Alderman      44      1947 – 1959
  • Rosenberg, Thomas           Alderman      44      1959 - 1968 
  • Fleck, Charles J.               Alderman      45      1951 - 1953 
  •     Weber, Charles H.             Alderman      45      1955 - 1960 

Time to Adjust the Wards 
to Population Shifts in 1953
A Ward Boss of This Era:
Alderman & Ward Committeeman
Charlie Weber
He owned a local newspaper, business(es) 
long with his Democratic ward committeeman boss status
grandstanding at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church
"Charlie’s 'duchy' took in much of the old German neighborhood along Lincoln Avenue. His headquarters was a 'bierstube' next to St. Alphonsus Church. He had a mania for keeping the ward clean.  Besides the regular city crews, Charlie hired his own fleet of street sweepers. He also had a snow plow and a leaf-burner hauled around by a vintage Rolls Royce. But that was grown-up stuff. What impressed me most–and impressed every kid within fifty miles–was that Charlie owned a piece of the Riverview Amusement Park. Each summer there’d be a “Charlie Weber Kids Day” where we were given the run of the place. Charlie himself used to walk through the crowds and pass out silver dollars." - see link above for more of this story. 
photo above - 75th Lake View Anniversary Magazine
Just off an alley near the corner of Barry and Leavitt, the sign above still appears, rusting away on a garage. It is curious for both the alderman and the ward it refers to. This sign references the 45th ward even though it currently sits in the 32nd Ward.
- Forgotten Chicago
Weber's Financials by 1930
1948 article
and a park named after him but 
was not an official park
 *just something he self-proclaimed* 
a 1950's advertisement below
A Typical Day 1956
 
 
 
According to a publication called 'Hidden History of Ravenswood & Lake View' by newspaper columnist Patrick Butler
"Charles Weber was a colorful person and self made politician-ward boss of the then 45th ward (then part of Community of Lake View). He owned real estate, insurance agencies, ice cream parlors, and one of the first local newspapers in the area called the Lake View Independent. He was the first alderman to support owner responsibility for picking up dog droppings on public property. He was alleged to have a secret beer distributorship at 1414 Roscoe Street during the Prohibition."
He owned a row of business on Oakdale & Southport next to St. Alphonsus Church. These 1960 photos by Lance Grey below show his business before the Bavarian facade was installed for the restaurant Zum Deutschen Eck.
below an advertisement in a 1958 
Lake View High School yearbook
 He & his Wife Found Dead in 1960
Hundreds Attend
 
 
 
 
Weber's 45th Ward
in 1930 & 1940 the 45th ward was located on the at the 
edge of western Lake View and the Chicago River
the entire 45th ward and a zoomed view of the 
Lake View portion of the ward in 1930
The City Growth Map 
of 1960
*NO 1960 WARD MAP*
           
  The History of
Wards & their Alderman
by Wards
After the establishment of Chicago Communities the Community of Lake View was represented by mostly the 46th ward. At the end of the 20th century the 46th ward lost majority of its dominance to the 44th ward. I will devoted this segment of this post to the 
44th, 46th, 47th & 32nd that represent Community of Lake View
Lake View's 
44th Ward 
*a large portion of the Community of Lake View 
is centered in the 44th*
of the 44th Ward 
1889-1937
*overlapping lists*
same list 
with links and tenures
Tom Tunney
2002 - present day
Bernie Hansen
1983-2002
John Merlo
1981-1983
Bruce Young
1979-1981
Dick Simpson
1971-1979
William Singer
1969-1971
*also served the 43rd*
Thomas Rosenberg
1959-1968
Leo C. Bermeister, Jr.
1947-1959
John J. Grealis
1933-1937
Albert Loescher
1925-1933
Thomas O. Wallace
1924-1925

*Wallace also served in the old 23th 1915-1924*

Articles 
& Issues of
 the 44th Ward:

Anyone but Mayor Thompson's Buddy
The Big Fish Club was a speakeasy in Belmont Harbor 
that Mayor Thompson pardonized
Anti-Noice Alderman,
John J. Grealis
 Alderman not Happy.
Leo C. Bermeister, Jr. 

A Republican Contender
in 1963
Votes with Mayor Daley,
Thomas Rosenberg
An Independent 
vs The Machine,
 William Singer
after the population census Alderman Singer 
becames the alderman of th 43th ward 
The Ward Assembly Concept,
Dick Simpson
Dick Simpson was regarded an independent alderman who believed all power belonged with the people 
and he was their voice & advocate
Political Independence 
is Important in 1979
Chicago Politics by Ward by Ward 
 by David Freman published in 1988
Enter 
Bernie Hansen
Bernie Hansen was elected alderman in 1983 - 2002.  After a close race with a gay activist, Alderman Hansen adopted a gay-friendly approach to local ward affairs and championed the Civil Rights ordinance in the city council. After is resignation in 2002 another openly gay candidate,Tom Tunney, was appointed by the then Mayor Daley II.
Chicago's First Gay Alderman,
Tom Tunney
A Lively Campaign 
in 2003
The 2015 
Aldermanic Race
The 2019 
Aldermanic Race
the candidates of the 44th
image - Chicago Reporter
The current 44th ward alderman, Tom Tunney has battled the owners of the Chicago Cubs/Wrigley Field ever since the renovation of the baseball park began four years ago in 2014. Apparently, the ballpark owners, the Ricketts Family, wanted his removal in 2019. 
held at the Center on Halsted theater
Tunney wins 
another term  in 2019
He would become the chairperson of the Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards Committee under Mayor Lightfoot
Lake View's
46th Ward 
*most of the Community of Lake View would be represented by the alderman of the 46th in the mid 29th century*
from 1937-2020
1923-2020
  
Oscar F. Nelson was alderman from 1923-1936
James F Young
1936-1963
reverse - Ebay
Joseph R. Kerwin
1963-1971
*No information found*
Joseph B. Cohen
1971-1977
Ralph Axelrod
1978-1983
Jerome M. Orbach
1983-1987
Helen Shiller
1987-2011
James Cappleman
2011- 2022
Issues  
of the 46th Ward
The Democratic Boss 
of the 46th
Gill Park on Broadway/Sheridan Road is named after him
More on the Boss 
of the 46th in 1960
Cleaning it up in 1965
The Battle Against the 4+1's
in 1969
an issue for the entire northside
Enters Cohen in 1970
The Poor need a Voice
in 1975
Enter Helen Schiller 
in 1979
Election Disputed in 1980
The Democratic Machine is losing its Grip
Election Disputed in 1983
The Election 
of 1987
War on Poverty in 1987
1987 photo - Outlet Historical Images
Helen Shiller would serve six terms 
from 1987 to 2011
Still a Battling
the Democratic Machine 
in 1991
Exposé on Helen Schiller
in 1996
James Cappleman 
beat Alderman Shiller in 2011
He ran against Alderman Shiller 4 years earlier and lost
Below are the ward candidates for the 2015 ward election
one note - Graceland West is part of the 44th not 46th ward
The 2019 Race: the candidates
text below - Chicago Reporter

Cappleman wins 
another term in 2019
A former teacher, social worker, and health care non-profit leader,  In 1987, he co-founded Chicago’s first homeless shelter dedicated to providing care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Formerly a licensed clinical social worker, he served three years as chair of the
Illinois’ National Association of Social Workers’ HIV Task Force. 
Lake View's
47th Ward
Includes the neighborhoods of West Graceland 
and Southeast Ravenswood within Lake View
The Alderman of the 47th ward 
since 1923
Articles about
the 47th Ward
An Independence Against City Hall
in 1944
A  Local Ward Council
in 1947
The State of the 47th Ward
in 1950
Committee Chairpersons have importance 
to a Ward 1990
The Election Battle
 in 2003 
Re-Cyling Popular 
ion 2005

Upset Election
in 2011
Below are the ward candidates 
for the 2015 ward election
The 2019 Race: the candidates
This year the incumbent is not on the ballot
image below - Chicago Reporter
A New 47th Ward Alderman in 2019
Matt Martin
Matt is a lifelong progressive and civil rights attorney at the Illinois Attorney General's Office, where he focuses on issues including police reform, workers' rights, healthcare, LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights, and immigration. Through his work, he helped draft the consent decree to hold the city accountable in reforming our police department, and has been on the front lines fighting back against President Trump’s immigration policies. 
- according to his website
Lake View's
 32nd Ward
The 32nd includes a respectful chunk 
osouthwestern Lake View
basically the Community of Lake View in the 32nd resembles a box  from Racine to Ravenswood East Avenue 
and then Belmont to Diversey Parkway
Below are the ward candidates 
for the 2015 ward election
He is also a founding member of the Chicago City Council's Progressive Reform Coalition, and has served as chair of the Progressive Reform Caucus since 2015. Waguespack is also a member of Local Progress, a network of hundreds of local elected officials from around the country committed to a strong economy, equal justice, livable cities, and effective government. Waguespack is also the current Democratic Committeeman for the 32nd ward.
 - per Wikipedia
Scott Waguespack did not have a challenger in the 2019 race so he won that April.
The City 
at Large:
A Council Sea Change??
in 2019
or 'same old same old'
video - WTTW
‘With a new mayor coming in, the entire power dynamic that the city has become accustomed to for nearly 30 years could come to an end. With Mayors Daley and Emanuel, the votes were rarely, if ever, contested. The mayors largely set policy & were able to corral a majority of City Council members behind them, with opposition blocs that were not nearly large enough to derail most efforts. But with a new mayor & potentially new City Council, the dynamic could revert back to the days of the Council Wars and see separate coalitions fight to be heard.’ Since the airing of this video Alderman Burke was under investigation from the FBI and resign from his powerful committee chairs. A possible new era has emerged with multiply aldermanic challenges.

Gerrymandering 

'In 2021 a coalition of civic groups is launching an independent citizens commission in an uphill effort to produce a new ward map “for Chicagoans created by Chicagoans” instead of a few powerful aldermen. Under the coalition’s vision, a volunteer committee of “independent community members” will select 13 Chicago residents to sit on the commission to create a map of the city’s 50 wards. Organizers hope the citizen-backed map will get enough City Council support to set up a referendum vote in spring 2022 to allow Chicago voters to choose between the map and another version expected to be created by aldermen and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.'
- Block Club Chicago
Re-Drawing Maps is
Still Behind Closed Doors
November 2021
Map from a Chicago Magazine article
Heading Toward a
Referendum?
January 2022
Corruption
Still Continues 
in 2022
but not as bad as the good old days
the past remains its present
as of 2022
The New Ward Maps 
for the 2020's??:
and
are joining forces with the Coalition Map to advance a ward map that gives every Chicagoan a voice and incorporates many key elements of The People’s Map. Our next step is to put power in the hands of the people of Chicago by pursuing a referendum, which will allow voters to cast a ballot for the ward map they want to represent them for the next decadeHere is what we did together to bring Chicago this opportunity: 

Created a commission of 13 residents who were tasked with redrawing Chicago’s ward map after collecting 430 applications that were reviewed by an independent selection committee of diverse community leaders

Hosted 41 trainings, mapping meetings, and open and transparent public hearings across Chicago

Collected testimony from more than 525 residents of Chicago that shaped the values, priorities, and aspects of The People’s Map, the first-ever ward map drawn by the people, for the people of Chicago

Engaged in conversations to collaborate and compromise with council members, taking the main values of The People’s Map to the negotiation table

Joined forces with The Coalition Map, a ward map that will give the people of Chicago a stronger voice

Resignations 2021
for 2023
not a neighbohood map
an interactive map
entire 46th ward
Lake View's 46th ward
northern Lake View
entire 44th ward
where most Lake View is located
entire 47th ward
Lake View's 47th ward
northwestern Lake View
entire 32nd ward
Lake View's 32nd ward
southwestern Lake View
The 46th Ward Race
the only competitive election in 2023
The Mayor's Race

Nine candidates are running for mayor of Chicago, Illinois, in the February 28, 2023, general election. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will take place on April 4, 2023. The filing deadline for this election was November 28, 2022.

Incumbent Lori Lightfoot, Jesus Garcia, Brandon Johnson, and Paul Vallas have performed the best in polling and received the most media attention. The other candidates are Kambium Buckner, Ja'Mal Green, Sophia King, Roderick Sawyer, and Willie Wilson.

A Runoff in the 46th Ward



The Winner of the 46th Ward


My Opinon First
In this article the author mentions lack of awareness with some good points. 
In opinion though if the election was held in presidenial years and not in off-year times the turn-out would have been a lot better. I agree that old time machine apparatus have some influence and that off-year elections were meant to control voter turn out for the old machine incumbents in decades past. Another related influencer are the number of aldermanic challengers on the ballot - why voter at all for anyone else on ballot such as mayor or city treasurer if my local alderman won before the election even takes place - no incentive.
The article lightly touches on the subject of civics education in schools. This is a national problem. Civics as separate course that exclusively on government education is not taught as it once was; nor is geography and should be in every elementary school.
46th Ward Race
a run-off of the top two
Results

1/5 of the Council
The Citizen's Statesman
headline should have read & Lake View
Farewells
44th Ward
46th Ward
Ward Councils 
Created
July 2023
Your Representative 
Police Beats

The primary purpose of the beat community meeting is to allow beat residents, other community stakeholders and police to discuss chronic problems on the beat and to engage in problem solving using the CAPS five-step problem-solving process. Beat community meetings provide an opportunity for police and community residents to exchange information about conditions in the neighborhood, to identify crime and disorder problems, and to develop strategies to combat those problems. The meeting also provides an opportunity for police and community to get to know one another.

Post Notes:

Alder-Persons & their Roles



The Role of Ward Committeeperson 
in 2024


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Important Note:
These posts are exclusively used for educational purposes. I do not wish to gain monetary profit from this blog nor should anyone else without permission for the original source - thanks!

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