Lake View Citizens' Council records

Lake View Citizens' Council (Chicago, Ill.) records, part 2, 1970-2000, bulk 1973-1993.

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

By Jane Connelly, 2013

Please address questions to:

Chicago History Museum, Research Center

1601 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60614-6038

Website: http://www.chicagohistory.org/research

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Title: Lake View Citizens' Council (Chicago, Ill.) records, part 2, 1970-2000, bulk 1973-1993.

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

Inclusive dates: 1970-2000, bulk 1973-1993

Size:

12 linear ft.

Collection ID#: CHM-AM-66235

Access: This collection is open for research use. Please specify part of the collection and the box number when requesting materials.

Provenance statement: Gift of the Lake View Citizens' Council (accession# 2010.0017).

Terms governing use: The donor deeded copyright owned by the donor to accession 2010.0017 to the Chicago Historical Society. However, 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 2 (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:

Meeting minutes, fund raising materials, correspondence, financial materials, newsletters, press releases, newspaper clippings, and other materials of the Lake View Citizens' Council, a non-profit civic organization on the North Side of Chicago (Ill.) primarily serving the Lake View and Lincoln Park community areas of Chicago.

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 1 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.

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.

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

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

Social service--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:

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

Arrangement of the collection for LVCC, part 2:

The collection is arranged in eight series:

Series 1. Administrative files, 1973-1997 (part 2, box 1-4)

Series 2. Membership files, 1986-1999 (part 2, box 4-5)

Series 3. Communications files, 1970-2000 (part 2, box 5-8)

Series 4. Issues files, 1977-2000 (part 2, box 8-9)

Series 5. Branches files, 1986-1996 (part 2, box 9-10)

Series 6. Committees files, 1973-1999 (part 2, box 10-14, 24)

Series 7. Financial files, 1978-1995 (part 2, box 15-16)

Series 8. Fundraising files, 1984-2000 (part 2, box 16-23)

Detailed description of archival series in the collection:

Series 1. Administrative files, 1973-1997 (part 2, box 1-4)

Series 1 consists of Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, contracts to establish a Lake View recycling program, and other topics.

Series 2. Membership files, 1986-1999 (part 2, box 4-5)

Series 2 contains membership lists, including the Century Club, and reports on membership meetings.

Series 3. Communications files, 1970-2000 (part 2, box 5-8)

Series 3 contains LVCC annual reports, The Citizen newsletter, and news clippings.

Series 4. Issues files, 1977-2000 (part 2, box 8-9)

Series 4 includes materials documenting how LVCC approached issues of community interest. Some other topics include education, libraries, taxes, transportation, utilities, public safety, and the post office.

Series 5. Branches files, 1986-1996 (part 2, box 9-10)

Series 5 contains information on the workings of some LVCC branch organizations, specifically 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.

Series 6. Committees files, 1973-1999, (part 2, box 10-14, box 24)

Series 6 describes the activities of LVCC committees that supported the organization's efforts in public safety, community development, restaurant and bar licensing, education, housing, recreation, seniors, youth, and other areas. It includes materials relating to issues stemming from Wrigley Field night baseball games, including oversize posters for the "No Lights" campaign.

Series 7. Financial files, 1978-1995 (part 2, box 15-16)

Series 7 contains audits, budgets, and financial reports as well as LVCC charter documents.

Series 8. Fundraising files, 1984-2000 (part 2, box 16-23)

Series 8 contains the files of LVCC fundraising, chiefly annual spring auctions beginning in 1984. Files contain lists of contributors, volunteers, and auction items and correspondence. Other charity events included Operation Mitten and the Thanksgiving Food Drive. The Lake View Run and benefits for Mayer School and Resurrection Pre-School are also in this series.

List of contents of the collection:

LVCC records, part 2:

part 2, box 1-4 Administrative files, 1973-1997

part 2, box 4-5 Membership files, 1986-1999

part 2, box 5-8 Communications files, 1970-2000

part 2, box 8-9 Issues files, 1977-2000

part 2, box 9-10 Branches files, 1986-1996

part 2, box 10-14 Committees files, 1973-1999

part 2, box 15-16 Financial files, 1977-1995

part 2, box 16-23 Fundraising files, 1984-2000

part 2, box 24 Committees files, 1988