Telecom Editor wrote:
> criteria, and in fact have ignored it for quite a while. As a result,
> there is one area in the city, Englewood (a very poor economically,
> black, inner city area) which is *so* overloaded with offenders, that
> the neighbors there have started complaining a lot also. PAT]
I wonder how many offenders came from Englewood in the first place.
But it is sad to hear your description. At one time Englewood housed
a key railroad Union Station that served a number of lines coming into
Chicago. In the prior days, passengers of the famed Broadway Limited
and Twentieth Century Limited got to be on a race between the two
trains in that area.
AFAIK nothing is left of that station.
Also, Chicago is home to a very early planned community (condo like),
the Pullman community built for workers of the Pullman manufacturing
plant. Pullman built all sorts of services into the community to
protect the workers from bad influences (though they could be found in
the next town over). Sadly, a bitter strike ruined it.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Answering your questions/comments sort
of in reverse order: Pullman, Illinois was a suburb of Chicago, and a
'company town' a lot like Gary, Indiana over a hundred years
ago. George F. Pullman was considered a very 'enlightened' individual
in his ideas of providing housing, food, entertainment and a total
social environment for his employees. Eventually, the Supreme Court
disgreed with his assessment and forced the Pullman Town Corporation
to divest its assets to the employees of Pullman Sleeping Car Company
who lived there. At some point, Pullman, Illinois was annexed into the
City of Chicago and became the Chicago southside neighborhood known
today as Pullman. The telephones there are 773-785 which metamorphed
to that from 312-785 and before that from Pullman-5 and before that
it was 'PULlman'. Other than a stop on the Illinois Central Railroad
Electric Train called (what else?) 'Pullman', there is not a lot left
there that is not a typical inner city neighborhood. There is the
clock tower and the Pullman United Methodist Church, a very grandiose
establishment (bought and paid for by George F.Pullman and largely
surviving on his largesse even to this day, a century later), and not
much else.
'Englewood' is best remembered for its train station as you mentioned,
and also for its late shopping district, at 63rd Street and Englewood
Avenue, where there was among other things a very large Sears, Roebuck
store on that corner, and several other prominent business establishments
making it second only to downtown Chicago (the 'loop' area) in terms
of elegance and importance to the business community. The telephones
there are 773-364 which eventually traced back to ENGlewood long ago.
Sears closed up shop there, drugs and crime took over the neighborhood,
and the one establishment everyone assumed would be around until hell
froze over, Englewood Hospital, went bankrupt and closed its doors a
couple years ago. It appears people could not pay the doctor either.
Now the business places there are mostly currency exchanges (I am
not sure if any banks are in the area any longer or not), gasoline
stations, combination fast food/discount liquor stores and the ever-
present Illinois State Lottery Agents. I guess that's because, in
their wisdom, the authorities know it is important to provide ex-
offenders a wholesome, positive environment for living arrangements.
I do know that in their wisdom, the brave, courageous officers of
the Chicago Police (who serve as the intake agents for the Corrections
Industry) realize the importance of maintaining a steady flow of
repeat business to the Corrections Industry which is why they keep
moving offenders (both ex- and current) into the area. No, Lisa, the
old train station no longer is around, and the year isn't 1950 either.
Neither are the white people, except for the occassional white ex-
offender who gets placed there. Even the one McDonalds Restaurant
which *ever* went bankrupt and closed down is no longer there. The
tour busses which take people around town stay over close to the
McCormick Place area. PAT]
hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com