Those of you who had ancestors who came to Chicago upon their immigration from other parts of the world, or those whose ancestors migrated from other parts of the country and settled -- even if only for a brief time -- in the Maxwell Street neighborhood of Chicago, can contribute your ancestral information to a new project aimed at the preservation of Maxwell Street's history for a future museum.
Maxwell Street -- known for the world-renowned Maxwell Street Market -- had been a melting pot of ethnic diversity, an entrepreneurial springboard, and a base for the roots of our nations' blues music for most of the 20th century. However, its historic significance dates back to before the 1871 Chicago Fire when it extended directly from the shores of the south branch of the Chicago River and became a growing settlement in the mid-19th century when early railroad lines leading into the city were laid along the river's route. The area that composed Maxwell Street and its neighborhood was within the geographic limits of the City of Chicago when incorporated in 1837.
The Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition, which produced the book entitled, "Chicago's Maxwell Street" (Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series, co-authored by Coalition board members Lori Grove and Laura Kamedulski), is gathering family histories of those who settled or developed businesses in the Maxwell Street area. Detailed information including names of family members or family businesses with corresponding street addresses and dates is desired. Documentation and images of families, homes, businesses, and the market are welcomed; donations of photographs and memorabilia are also being collected and archived by the Coalition, which operates as a registered nonprofit organization in the state of Illinois.
In order to assist this project, please send your family history information to the Coalition via email at info@maxwellstreet.org (please use MAXWELL STREET MUSEUM PROJECT as your subject line), or via the U.S. mail to Norman Schwartz, Maxwell Street Museum Advisory Board Collections Committee, 777 N. Michigan Ave., #3000, Chicago, IL 60611. The Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition website can be found at www.maxwellstreet.org.
It is the intention of the Coalition to make all information that is submitted available to researchers, including the general public, which may include posting it on the Coalition's web site and submitting it to other archives, including searchable databases. By submitting information to this project, you are granting permission for its use and release.
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Contact Us
TO REACH US VIA EMAIL:
info@maxwellstreet.orgTO REACH US VIA THE USPS:
Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition
P.O. Box 6435
Evanston, IL 60204