Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society

11/19/2024

When in West Ridge, why not have a little musical history with your coffee🎙

At Urban Morning Cozy Café in West Ridge, owner Ricky Burns made a big dream come true in the tiny space. Joe Donlon reports in this edition of Eye on Chicago.

11/17/2024

Are you interested in learning about the government's $7 Billion national investment in developing Hydrogen research? Join us on Wednesday, November 11th to hear Dave Rue from GTI Energy present an overview of how the research efforts will help to address Climate Change and reduce GHG Emissions.

Rogers Park Library, 6907 North Clark Street, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

The event is free. Pre-registration is recommended: https://rpwrhs.org/program/addressing-eco-anxiety-a-4-part-series/

11/11/2024

We want to honor all who served this Veteran’s Day 🇺🇸 🌺

November's Noted and Notorious tells the story of one of the many Rogers Park and West Ridge residents who have come forward to take on the challenges facing our country in times of crisis.

Follow the link to learn more about World War I veteran, Edward Newell Ware.

Edward Newell Ware (1892-1919): A Unique Life of Selfless Service In 1930, the first Gold Star pilgrimage took place. Hundreds of American mothers and widows of fallen soldiers were offered the opportunity to visit the graves of their family members. The trip was meant to show appreciation and allow...

10/22/2024

Don't Miss Tomorrow's Important Eco-Anxiety Program!

Former Executive Director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District returns to give his take on Chicago's local water challenges.

Where: Rogers Park Library, 6709 North Clark Street
When: Wednesday, October 23, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

This event is free. No pre-registration is necessary.

10/05/2024

"Noted and Notorious" reminds us is that no one is totally perfect or totally flawed. This idea applies to the lawyer, businessman, and "front man" for the Capone gang, Edward "Easy Eddie" O'Hare. Learn about his cushy secret hideout in Rogers Park where he thought he could quietly disappear from sight as he feared retaliation for helping the IRS to convict Capone in 1931.

Eddie O'Hare was known as a "front man" for Al Capone who kept a secret hideaway apartment in Rogers Park to hide from his enemies. After his murder in 1939, his son "Butch" O'Hare became a war hero whose name lives on in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. -

09/22/2024

Join us for a respectful and educational walking tour of St. Henry’s, Chicago’s only surviving churchyard cemetery and the final resting place for many of the original Ridgeville settlers. It's an interesting way to discover the dramatic life stories of these urban pioneers.

Date: Saturday, September 28
Time: 1pm to 3pm
Cost: $20 or $15 with RPWRHS member discount.
Spots are limited, learn more and purchase tickets here: https://rpwrhs.org/program/the-popular-tour-of-st-henrys-cemetery-is-back/

09/19/2024

The Loyola Phoenix featured a behind-the-scenes look at our beloved Historic House Walk and even spilled the beans on how we picked this year's neighborhood!👀 Thank you

Just north of the Howard Red Line station, hidden among the trees, lies Juneway Terrace — an easily overlooked block of Chicago.

09/17/2024

Learn about the local, mild-mannered courtroom artist who stared down John Wayne Gacy in this month's Noted and Notorious feature.

Courtroom Artist John Michael Downs was a witness to some of the most significant legal cases in Chicago history the Chicago Daily News and Chicago Sun-Times.

09/15/2024

From ping pong in the front room to park-like gardens in the backyard, the 38th Annual Historic Houswalk really showcased Chicago’s northernmost street - Juneway Terrace😍

Special thanks to our homeowner tour guides, we couldn't have this event without you❤️🙏

See everyone next year! 🏡

09/14/2024

Take a video tour of the award-winning garden featured on the Historic HouseWalk last Sunday! Feels like we're in heaven every time we watch it.

09/06/2024

The forecast is in - the weather is supposed to be perfect for the Historic House Walk this Sunday!

Online ticket sales close Saturday at 4PM
Walk-ins are welcome the day of the event, but that is CASH ONLY; no credit cards will be accepted.

Learn more and purchase tickets: https://rpwrhs.org/program/38th-annual-historic-housewalk-the-spacious-homes-and-serene-gardens-of-juneway-terrace/

09/04/2024

Not exactly West Ridge, but Superdawg removing their beloved 'Maurie' and 'Flaurie' statues is close enough to be interesting....
The iconic statues atop the shop on Milwaukee Avenue are headed to a ‘spa’ for some much-needed R&R — as in repairs and repainting of course!

08/25/2024

The weather cooperated for the afternoon picnic and historical presentation at the Saint Scholastica Monastery / Benedictine Sisters of Chicago on August 11th. The event went off without a hitch and a good time was had by all that attended.

08/18/2024

If you think West Rogers Park is the sleepy side of the neighborhood, you'll reconsider this opinion after reading about Joe Aiello, Chicago's answer to Tony Soprano💣

The Notorious Joseph Aiello (1890-1930 By Hanna Houser and Dona Vitale You already know about Al Capone. You may recognize names like Dean O’Banion or Bugs Moran. But do you know anything about Capone’s fiercest rival, Joe Aiello, who made his home in the peaceful Rogers Park Manor development i...

08/17/2024

The Chicago Bungalow Association invited bungalow owners all across Chicago to enter a Garden contest by submitting photos of their gardens and some of the best bungalow gardens in the city can be found right here in the Rogers Park / West Ridge area. Congrats to Mary & Mike Connolly of Rogers Park for winning the "Best Backyard Oasis" and to Ashley Schilling of West Ridge as runner-up for "Best Bungalow Window Box"🌹🥳🎉

© 2024 Chicago Bungalow Association Chicago Bungalow Association is an Illinois nonprofit corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3)

08/11/2024

Join us for our annual Historic House Walk tradition!

This year we will tour The Spacious Homes and Serene Gardens of Juneway Terrace. Most of these beautiful homes were built more than 100 years ago and have seen the neighborhood through many changes, including its current return to a culturally rich and economically prosperous neighborhood.

Join us on Sunday, September 8, 2024, from 12 noon to 4 pm to walk through the 1400-1500 block of Juneway Terrace.

To register or learn more visit: https://rpwrhs.org/program/38th-annual-historic-housewalk-the-spacious-homes-and-serene-gardens-of-juneway-terrace/

07/24/2024

Help us make the 38th Annual Historic House Walk the biggest in Rogers Park / West Ridge history! This year we are visiting the Spacious Homes and Serene Gardens
of Juneway Terrace. Registration opens on August 1st.

Stay tuned for more info!

07/18/2024

Amazingly, Bob Newhart did NOT make his way through Rogers Park or West Ridge coming home from downtown🤣 But he did graduate from our own Loyola University🎓

We think the entire North Side will miss ya, Bob.

This story ran in DNAinfo in 2016. Bob Newhart addressed his nonsensical CTA commute on the "Conan" show. We're republishing it in honor of his Edgewater