By 1884 the Ravenswood Historical Society presently called the Ravenswood-Lake View Historical Association was established and was to be located in a 30 x 40 two story brick building on the southwest corner of Commercial and Graceland (Hermitage & Irving Park Road). Apparently, the building included a ground floor library and reading room and the top floor a lecture hall and doubled as a concert hall. The present collection of photography, maps, and publications are currently located at the Sulzer Regional Library in Community of Lincoln Square called the Northside Collection.
The photo above include the following:
Ravenswood M.E. Church, H. L. Harmount & Co. Real Estate Office, Bennett Block, Library Hall,
and All Saint's Episcopalian Church - 1890
Built in 1872 in the Township of Lake View - unknown date
This photo must have been taken from the
original Wilson-Ravenswood rail platform
Dr. Frank Van Allen (and family), a graduate of Lake View High School & Yale University Medical School.
His father, Martin Van Allen,
was a leader of the Ravenswood Land Company
Ravenswood Station (Post ofc) Mail Carriers
in 1894
Geographic Claims
The Community of Lincoln Square lays claim to parts of the original Ravenswood township/city community. Several other City of Chicago communities lay claim such as the Lake View, Uptown, and North Central. When the 77 communities of Chicago were proclaimed the old community of Ravenswood lost its vintage title as a official community. I believe missed an oportunity and its heritage.



The Community
of Henrytown
Once located on the edge of RoseHill Cemetery as early as 1862. The only reference I have for now is from 'History of Cook County, Illinois: From the Earliest
Period to the Present Time, 1884' of a resident named Lawrence Baer.
The Community of
Pine Grove
The community of Pine Grove's 'claim to fame' is the first resort/hotel in the area that double as a real estate mecca for the community - called Lake View House established in 1854. The name Lake View was so popular the name would be re-used for the new Township of Lake View.
I have a separate post on Lake View House.
with Lake View House highlighted text below - LakeView Saga 1837- 1985
Lake View House (Hotel)
The Community of
The following information and maps are primarily
and History of Cook County by A.T. Andreas
Map - Edgewater Historical Society
In 1885, John Lewis Cochran (p. 769) purchased vacant land to build a subdivision called 'Edgewater'. East of Broadway and bounded by Bryn Mawr and Foster Avenues, this new community was the first planned development to have paved streets, electric lighting, drainage system, street cleaning and tree trimming. sstation house 1905 - Daily News Archives
As of 1895
by The Edgewater Historical Society
'In 1885, John Lewis Cochran, a tobacco salesman for the McDowell Tobacco Company of Philadelphia began to purchase land along the lakeshore from Foster Avenue (once called 59th Street in the Township of Lake View) to Bryn Mawr, a street he named. This land west of what is now Sheridan Road was his first purchase and he named it Edgewater. He had a vision of a suburb much like the suburbs of Philadelphia that extended out from that city along a railroad called the Main Line. The train line that ran through Edgewater was the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul line. Cochran persuaded the railroad to open a station at Bryn Mawr which he had built of wood and stone in the Eastern Architectural style called Shingle Style. At the same time he built a large recreation and business building he called the Guild Hall in the same style. He had engaged an architect, Joseph Lyman Silsbee to design this and some houses which were built on Kenmore and Winthrop.'
1894 Sanborn Fire Map
This community was known for its horse stables and 'horse and cycle clubs' such as the Edgewater Stables. 
Summerdale
Established 1875
1894 Sanborn Fire Map above
'Summerdale, named by the developers of 'Clybourn Addition' to community of Ravenswood, was located south of Foster and west of the RR tracks. The community's station was located just south of Farragut and originally on the west of the tracks' according to
Edgewater Historical Society. According to the same source, the origin of the name Summerdale is not known, but the son of one of the Edgewater developers thought it was chosen because it
"sounded pleasant".
Also, according to sources from the Edgewater Historical Society, "the community was described in 1904 as “…a sprawling area of 'truck gardens' (vegetables to market). The streets were all laid out and paved with macadam. There were even sidewalks, some of them concrete. But there was no gas, no electricity. From Rosehill Drive to Lawrence Avenue, there were no more than twenty buildings along Ashland Avenue.”
1900 photo - Ravenswood-Lake View Community Collection Kids of Summerdale
photo 1888 - Sulzer Regional Library
The Area of
Wrightwood
also was known as Wrights Grove
& Wright Woods
The Home of Camp Fry
Home of some
Illinois based Civil War regiments
photo via Stephen Osman
text below - Wikipedia
The Community of
Graceland Avenue = Irving Park Roadmap above - illustration from Lisa von Drehle via Buena Park Neighbors Community-Facebook In 1887 James B. Waller, a long-time resident of the Township of Lake View began to sell of his property by subdividing his 35 acres to land speculators and developers. The Buena House
The Waller home is now the site of St. Mary of the Lake Catholic church built and dedicated in 1917. Including in the 35 acres was a "pebbled crescent shaped beach" along the then existing lakefront per a Daily Tribune 1889 article.
Fry, Rowena, circa 1898-1990 - artist
artwork - Chicago History Museum
Buena Park and Robert Waller were amortized by Chicagoan poet Eugene Field in a 1894 ballet called
'The Delectable Ballad of the Waller Lot' ...
The poet's home was located in Waller's subdivided property near the intersection of Clarendon and Hutchinson Avenues near the historical Hutchinson Street District.
'Up yonder in Buena Park!
There is a famous spot,in legend and in history,
the Waller lot'
1887 Rascher's Atlas
of Waller Family home
zoomed view below
1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of once Marine Hospital
photo - Ebay
This federal administered hospital was built in 1875 located between Graceland (Irving Park Road) and Sulzer Road (Montrose Avenue).
I have a separate post on this hospital.
Sulzer (Montrose) Avenue Beach - 1887
The intersection of Evanston (Broadway) Sheridan Road and Montrose Avenue - Lake View District 1891
front and back of same photo
and someone's back yard in 1907
Buena Park by 1910's - from Ebay
Articles
of Interest
Lincoln Park, the park
moves north in 1904
Re-Birthin 1985
The Baby Carriage Race
of 1911
Strict Rulesphotos - Art Institute of Chicago
photo - Uptown UpdateRobert A. Waller (relation to James?) was a major landowner who influenced township/city community affairs for decadesThe Greenlee home along the lakefront
below - The Jenney Home
along the lakefront
A Llyod Wright designed home?
via Forgotten Chicago Discussion Group/Facebook
One of Many
Survivors of our Time
View more buildings of the neighborhood
by Yo Chicago
Other
Communities
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