Lake View Citizens' Council

Lake View Citizens' Council records, part 1, 1946-1973

Descriptive Inventory for the Manuscript Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center

By Mrs. William T. Cotter, 1968; rev. 2013

Please address questions to:

Chicago History Museum, Research Center

1601 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60614-6038

Web-site: http://www.chicagohistory.org/research

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Title: Lake View Citizens' Council records, part 1, 1946-1973

Main creator: Lake View Citizens' Council (Chicago, Ill.)

Inclusive dates: 1946-1973

Size:

45 linear feet (81 boxes)

Collection ID#: CHM-AM-66235

Access: This collection is open for research use. However, Part 1 is semi-organized, and box contents after #41 may change when processing is complete. Please specify part of the collection and the box number when requesting materials.

Provenance statement: Gift of the Lake View Citizens' Council (M1967.0645; M1976.0013; M1976.0020).

Terms governing use: Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.

Please cite this collection as: Lake View Citizens' Council records, part 1 (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

This descriptive inventory contains the following sections:

Biographical/historical note,

Summary description of the collection,

Description of some material related to the collection,

List of online catalog headings about the collection,

Arrangement of the collection,

Detailed description of archival series in the collection,

List of contents of the collection.

Biographical/historical note:

Lake View Citizens' Council (LVCC) was a non-profit civic organization founded in 1952. It served the Lake View area within the boundaries of Lake Michigan on the east, the north branch of the Chicago River on the west, Diversey Parkway on the south, and Irving Park Road on the north. LVCC included several neighborhood associations or branches.

The LVCC provided an opportunity for those who live, work, or are identified with the social or business interests of the area to work together for the common good of the community; to assemble, correlate, and disseminate information about conditions in the area and the means for eliminating unwholesome or blighting features; to plan, study, and test measures for the maintenance and improvement of the community; and to promote community discussion of these matters and to train community leadership.

In the beginning, the council was chiefly concerned with the physical upgrading of the community and the development of a conservation program in the area. It was primarily composed of businessmen and clergymen in the Lake View area. John M. Kahlert served as executive director of the council from 1956 through 1963; he was succeeded in February 1964 by Alan D. Kardoff.

Gradually the LVCC became involved in broader social service topics, such as prevention of juvenile delinquency, helping newcomers adjust to the community, promoting parades and festivals, encouraging services for children and seniors, and community planning.

Summary description of the collection:

Correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, financial records, clippings, and printed materials of the LVCC, a civic organization. Early files primarily relate to the conservation and improvement of homes, apartment buildings and businesses in the Lake View and Lincoln Park community areas of Chicago; later files include broader social service topics, such as parades and festivals, services for children and seniors, and community planning. Frequent topics throughout are building and zoning violations and home improvement contests sponsored by the council after 1956. Most of the correspondence is between the council's executive director and its various members and related neighborhood organizations. There also is some correspondence in part 1 with Mayor Richard J. Daley and with other city officials; and scattered correspondence (March 1957-April 1958) with Philip K. Wrigley and William Wrigley relative to their support of the activities of the council, particularly in relation to the area adjacent to Wrigley Field.

Beginning in 1959, the papers contain information on programs for young people and on juvenile delinquency, with special reference to problems faced by children of Southern whites who moved into Lake View. The collection also furnishes correspondence (1961-1962) and reports (Sept. and October 1961; Aug. 1962) relative to a study of Southern whites residing in the area; and records of interviews (July-Aug. 1961) with Puerto Rican families living in the community.

Related neighborhood organizations represented in the collection, especially from the 1970s-1990s, include the Belmont Harbor Neighbors, Concerned Allied Neighbors, East Lake View Neighbors, Hamlin Park Neighbors, Hawthorne Neighbors, North Central Lake View Neighbors, North Lake View Neighbors, Patterson Block Club, Roscoe Village Neighbors, Southeast Lake View Neighbors, Triangle Neighbors Association, and West Lake View Neighbors.

Collection written in English.

Description of some material related to the collection:

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include part 2 of the LVCC records; the Lake View Citizens' Council photograph collection (1980.0297), as well as publications of the Lake View Citizens' Council, cataloged separately.

List of online catalog headings about the collection:

The following index headings for this collection were entered in the online catalog.

Subjects:

Lake View Citizens' Council (Chicago, Ill.)--Archives.

Appalachians (People)--Illinois--Chicago.

Citizens' associations--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Community organization--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Housing--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Juvenile delinquency--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Migration, Internal--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Puerto Ricans--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Rural-urban migration--Southern States--20th century.

Urban development--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Zoning--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Chicago (Ill.)--Social conditions--20th century.

Lakeview (Chicago, Ill.)

Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill. : Community area)

Wrigley Field (Chicago, Ill.)

Form/genre:

Announcements.

Correspondence.

Financial records.

Minutes.

Newspaper clippings.

Reports.

Added entries:

Daley, Richard J. 1902-1976.

Douglas, Paul H. (Paul Howard), 1892-1976.

Kahlert, John.

Kardoff, Alan D.

Sheil, Bernard J. (Bernard James), 1888-1969.

Wrigley, Philip K. (Philip Knight), 1894-1977.

Wrigley, William, 1933-1999.

United States--Illinois--Cook County--Chicago.

Arrangement of the collection, part 1:

The collection is arranged in these series:

Series 1. Board of directors meeting minutes & reports (part 1, box 1-4)

Series 2. Correspondence (part 1, box 5-8)

Series 3. Routine operating files (part 1, box 9-23)

Series 4. Topical files, 1961-1964 (part 1, box 24-38)

Series 5. Topical files, 1965-1966 (part 1, box 39-59)

Unprocessed from box 42 to 81.

Series 6. Topical files, 1966-1969 (part 1, box 51-59)

Series 7. Topical files, 1970-1971 (part 1, box 60-63)

Series 8. Topical files, 1971-1972 (part 1, box 64-72)

Series 9. Topical files, 1972-1973 (part 1, box 73-81)

List of contents of the collection:

Series 1. Board of directors meeting minutes & reports (box 1-4)

box 1

folders:

1 Information

volumes:

2-5 Minutes & reports, May 1 1956-May 1962 (4 vols.)

box 2

volumes:

1-5 Minutes & reports, Apr 1962-Dec 31 1965 (5 vols.)

box 3

volumes:

1-3 Minutes & reports, Sept 1965-Apr 2 1970 (3 vols.)

box 4

volumes:

1-5 Minutes & reports, duplicates (5 vols.)

Series 2. Copies of outgoing correspondence, 1959-1966 (box 5-8)

Filed alphabetically within the year.

box 5

volumes:

1-2 Correspondence, May 5 1959-Apr 28 1961 (2 vols.)

box 6

volumes:

1-3 Correspondence, May 1 1961-Apr 30 1964 (3 vols.)

box 7

volumes:

1-3 Correspondence, May 1 1964-Sept 30 1965 (3 vols.)

box 8

volumes:

1-3 Correspondence, Oct 1 1965-Aug 30 1966 (3 vols.)

Filed alphabetically within the year:

lacking?:

1966-1969

1970-1971

1971-1972

Series 3. Routine operating files (box 9-23)

box 9

folders:

1-7 Routine operating files, 1946-1954

box 10

folders:

1-8 Routine operating files, Jan 1955-Mar 1956

box 11

folders:

1-7 Routine operating files, Apr-Dec 1956

box 12

folders:

1-7 Routine operating files, 1956 undated items-1957 Apr.

box 13

folders:

1-9 Routine operating files, May-Oct 1957

box 14

folders:

1-8 Routine operating files, Nov 1957-Mar 1958

box 15

folders:

1-8 Routine operating files, Apr-Oct 1958

box 16

folders:

1-8 Routine operating files, Nov 195Apr 1959

box 17

folders:

1-7 Routine operating files, May-Nov 1959

box 18

folders:

1-8 Routine operating files, Dec 1959-May 18 1960

box 19

folders:

1-9 Routine operating files, May 19-Dec 31 1960

box 20

folders:

1-2 Routine operating files, 1960 undated items

3-7 Routine operating files, Jan-May 1961

box 21

folders:

1-10 Routine operating files, June-Dec 1961

box 22

folders:

1-7 Routine operating files, 1962

box 23

folders:

1-7 Routine operating files, 1963

8 Routine operating files, 1963 undated items

9 Routine operating files, 1964

10 Routine operating files, Undated items

Series 4. Topical files, 1961-1964 (box 24-38)

box 24

folders:

1 Action

2 Adult education

3 Air pollution

4 American Friends Service Committee

5 American Indian

6 American Institute of Architects

7 Annual report, 1962-1963

8 Association of Community Councils

9 Association for Family Living

box 25

folders:

1 Back of the Yards Council

2 Belmont Harbor Neighbors

3 Bethlehem Community Center

4 Board member biographies

5 Bond issues

6 Boy Scouts of America

7 Branch organization

8 Building Department of the City of Chicago

9 Central Lake View Branch

10 Chicago Boys Clubs

box 26

folders:

1 Chicago Plan Commission

2 Chicago Property Owners Association

3 Chicago Dwellings Association

4 Chicago Public Library

5 Chicago Housing Authority

6 Chicago Transit Authority

7 Child labor laws

8 Churches and synagogues

9 Circus: correspondence

10-11 Circus: promotion

12 Citizens of Greater Chicago

13 City Council of Chicago

14 City planning, 1964-1965

15 Clean up campaign

box 27

folders:

1 Clergy Coordinating Committee

2 Code enforcement

3 Commerce, U. S. Dept. of

4-5 Community Conservation Committee

6 Community/neighborhood organ

7-8 Community organizations

9 Community renewal program

10-13 Complaints

box 28

folders:

1 Complaints (continued)

2 Conservation

3 Copyright laws

4 Correspondence, board of directors

5 Delegate meeting

6 Diversey Parkway Association

7 East Humboldt Park Planning and Conservation Commission

8 East Lake View Neighbors

9 Edgewater Community Council

10 Englewood Committee for Community Action

11 Family court

12 F.H.A. financing

13 Federally non-assisted projects

14 Field work student

15 Finance Committee

16 First Federal Saving and Home

box 29

folders:

1 Forestry, Dept. of

2-5 Fundraising

6-7 Gardens

8 General Neighborhood Renewal Plan

9 Greater Lawndale Conservation Commission

10 Hawthorne Neighbors

box 30

folders:

1-2 Health

3 Home improvement

4-7 Housing

8 Hull House

9 Human relations

box 31

folders:

1-2 Human relations (continued)

3 Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference

4 Illinois Education Association

5 Illinois State Employment Service

6 Information materials

7 Jewish Family and Community Service

8 Junior Chamber of Commerce

9 Juvenile delinquency

10 Knights of St. John

11 Labor unions

12 Lake View Citizens' Council: annual meeting

13 Lake View Citizens' Council: coloring book

14 Lake View Citizens' Council: historical society

15 Lake View Citizens' Council: legal papers

box 32

folders:

1 Lake View Citizens' Council: Mardi Gras

2 Lake View Citizens' Council: news column

3 Lake View Citizens' Council: newsletter

4 Lake View Citizens' Council: Schools Committee

5 Lake View Citizens' Council: 75th anniversary

6 Lake View Citizens' Council: Triangle

7 Lake View Citizens' Council: workshop questionnaire

8 Lake View Citizens' Council: zoning policy

9 Land clearance project

10 Law Enforcement Committee

11 Leadership training

12 Lincoln Park Conservation Association

box 33

folders:

1 Lincoln-Turners Association

2 Local option

3 Maremont Foundation

4 Maps

5 Mayor's Office of Inquiry and Information

6-7 Membership

8 Metropolitan Center for Neighborhood Renewal

9 Metropolitan Housing and Planning Council

10 Miscellaneous

11 National Association of Social Workers

12 National Conference of Christians and Jews

13 National Planning Association

14 Near North News

15 Neighborhood group

16 Neighborhood meetings

17 Neighborhood party resources

18 Neighborhood Redevelopment Corporation

box 34

folders:

1 Nettlehorst trees

2 Newcomer report

3 Nominating Committee

4 Northcenter Neighbors

5 Northcenter News

6 Northeastern Illinois Metropolitan Area Planning

7 North Lake View Branch

8 North River Commission

9 North Side Cooperative Ministry

10 Office of the Mayor

11 Open occupancy

12 Parade material

13 Personnel policy

14 Planned Parenthood Association

box 35

folders:

1 Planning

2 Police department

3 Political officials

4 Population

5-6 Programs and program reports

7 Public housing

8 Public relations

9 Puerto Ricans

10 Rat control

11 Ravenswood Conservation Commission

12 Recreation

13 Red Cross

14 Redevelopment

box 36

folders:

1 Relocation

2 Rogers Park community Council

3 Roseland Area Planning Association

4 Safety

5 School drop-out program

6 Schools: Parent Teachers Association (PTA)

7 Schools: parochial

8 Schools: 1964-1965

9 Senior centers

10 Shopping center improvements

11 Slides

12 Slums

13 Social service exchange

14 Social Welfare, Dept. of

15 South East Chicago Commission

16 South East Community organization

box 37

folders:

1 South East Lake View Neighbors

2 South Lake View Neighbors

3 Southern white migrants

4 Speaking assignments

5 Streets and alleys

6 Tour

7 Traffic and parking

8 Trees

9 Tuberculosis Institute

10 United Charities of Chicago

box 38

folders:

1 Uptown Chicago Commission

2 Urban renewal

3 Water and sewers

4 Welfare Council of Metropolitan Chicago

5 Wieboldt Foundation

6 Wrigley Field

7 Zoning

Series 5. Topical files, 1965-1966 (box 39-51)

box 39

folders:

1 Abandoned automobiles

2 Abandoned buildings

3 Action housing

4 Advisory council of M.U.P.C.

5 American Cancer Society

6 American Indian Center

7 Better Business Bureau

8-12 Board of directors

13 Bond issues

14 Boy scouts

15-16 Buildings (& miscellaneous materials at the back of the box)

box 40

folders:

1 Chicago Boys Clubs

2 Chicago Dwelling Association

3 Chicago Fire Department

4 Chicago Plan Commission

5 Chicago Small Business Opportunity Corporation

6 Chicago Transit Authority

7 Churches and synagogues

8 Citizens of Greater Chicago

9 City planning

10 Code enforcement

11 Commission on Human Relations

12 Community development sub-committees

13-14 Community organizations

15 Community renewal programs

16-19 Complaints

20 Compliance board notices

21 Crossing guards

22 Directories

23 Disabled Adults Residential Enterprises

24 Edgewater Community Council

25-26 Finance

box 41

folders:

1 Finance (continued)

2 Fund raising

3-4 Health

5 Home improvement

6 Housing

7-8 Hull House

9 Human relations

10 Illinois Education Association

11 Informational materials

12 Independent Voters of Illinois

13 Industrial

14 Ivanhoe Restaurant Theater

15 Japanese-American Service Committee

16 Kiwanis Chicago Boys Club

17 Knights of St. John

18-19 Lake View Citizens' Council: annual meeting

20 Lake View Citizens' Council: annual report

21 Lake View Citizens' Council: Clean up parade

22 Lake View Citizens' Council: delegates

UNPROCESSED MATERIALS:

box 42 Operating files of the LVCC and some routine financial papers

box 43 Correspondence with other related organizations; general files of some LVCC committees

box 44 Files on housing legislation; files of LVCC committees

box 45 Correspondence with other community organizations

box 46 Some board of directors minutes; correspondence with other community organizations

box 47 Correspondence with other community organizations and the mayor's office; press releases to local newspapers

box 48 Correspondence with other community organizations and the mayor's office; operating files of LVCC

box 49 Correspondence with other community organizations; materials concerning special projects

box 50 Correspondence with Hispanic and other community organizations; materials concerning special projects.

box 51 Materials on youth and zoning, 1965-1966

Series 6. Topical files, 1966-1969 (box 51-59)

box 51 continued

Letters to membership; correspondence with other organizations, and by-laws

box 52 Board of directors' materials; materials on the LVCC by-laws; correspondence with other community organizations

box 53 Correspondence with other community organizations; materials on education

box 54 Operating files of LVCC; correspondence with other community organizations

box 55 Correspondence with other community organizations; legal files of LVCC & miscellaneous

box 56 Correspondence with other community organizations; files on LVCC membership

box 57 Correspondence with other community organizations; news materials of LVCC

box 58 Materials on municipal services and offices; paid invoices; correspondence with other community organizations

box 59 Internal files of LVCC; materials on youth, zoning, and Southern whites

Series 7. Topical files, 1970-1971 (box 60-63)

box 60 Correspondence with other community organizations; operating files of LVCC; Executive board papers

box 61 Operating files of LVCC

box 62 Operating files of LVCC

box 63 Financial materials of LVCC

Series 8. Topical files, 1971-1972 (box 64-72)

box 64 Operating files of LVCC

box 65 Operating files of LVCC; correspondence with other community organizations

box 66 Operating files of LVCC; correspondence with other community organizations

box 67 Operating files of LVCC

box 68 Materials on LVCC membership; correspondence with other community organizations

box 69 Operating files of LVCC

box 70 Operating files of LVCC

box 71 Operating files of LVCC

box 72 Materials on zoning

on shelf: booklet: Lake View Park and Cultural Center

Series 9. Topical files, 1972-1973 (box 73-81), arranged alphabetically

box 73 Operating files of LVCC: A-B

box 74 Operating files of LVCC: CABLE TV, CTA,-CENTRO LATINO (an organization)

box 75 Materials on LVCC committees and finance: CHICAGO-FINANCE

box 76 Materials on ward politics and miscellaneous: 43rd WARD-HIGH RISE

box 77 Materials on other community organizations: HIRSCH-LE MOYNE

box 78 Materials on other community organizations; operating files of LVCC: LOGAN SQUARE-NORTH LAKE VIEW

box 79 Operating files of LVCC: NORTH RIVER COMMISSION-SECRETARY

box 80 Operating files of LVCC: SENIOR CITIZENS-TREASURER

box 81 Operating files of LVCC; materials on zoning: TREASURER-ZONING

Old card catalog headings for this collection:

Lake View Citizens' Council. (Main entry)

1. Chicago. Communities. Lake View.

2. Housing. Chicago.

3. Puerto Ricans in Chicago.

4. Southern Whites in Chicago

Author entries:

1. Daley, Richard J. 1902-

2. Douglas, Paul Howard, 1892-

3. Kahlert, John M.

4. Kardoff, Alan D.

5. Sheil, Bernard James, 1888-

6. Wrigley, Philip Knight, 1894-

7. Wrigley, William, 1933-