Southwest Side
McKinley Park
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Prayer Points
- Praise the Lord for a number of recent Spanish-speaking ministries that are serving the growing Latino community in this neighborhood.
- Pray for a renewed evangelism focus on a number of Polish-speaking community residents.
- Pray for a deeper level of interaction between the different groups in this community.
- As the neighborhood population continues to grow, pray for matching economic growth to provide opportunities for community residents.
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About West Lawn
The population in West Lawn grew with the establishment of a street railway from West Lawn to Clearing. In 1930 single-family houses were built and the population was primarily composed of German, Irish, Czech, Polish, and Italian immigrants.
The population grew rapidly in the decades following World War II. Much of the growth was due to an ethnic white movement out of neighborhoods experiencing racial change. In 1965 the Ford City Shopping Center opened on the site of a previous Ford auto factory. Other big manufacturing businesses, such as Tootsie Roll, were established near Ford City.
Local retail centers and public spaces were also developed. In 1986 the West Lawn branch of Chicago Public Library opened, becoming one the busiest branches in Chicago. Renewed activity at Midway Airport and the opening of the CTA station in the neighborhood have increased property values, bringing interest into the area from parts of Chicago.
information courtesy of Moody Publishers
“Chicago Neighborhood Prayer Guide” by Dr. John Fuder with Elizabeth Koenig