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The first Edgewater Hospital building ca 1930
1908 building on Clark at Balmoral having the brick facade replaced
Delivery wagons next to Gengler store on Summerdale at Clark, 1902
Facade of Trumbull School on Foster Avenue, 1908
2009 Kitchen Exhibit at the Museum
Firehouse at Balmoral & Ashland
Firetruck housed at the original firehouse
2011 Edgewater Grocery Stores Exhibit
Greenhouses in the 1930s
Andersonville school view looking south down Ashland 1880
2010 Home Tour (Edgewater North)
Parade on Clark Street, 1966
Maybelline building at Ridge and Clark, ca. 1930s
Postcard of original Edgewater Post Office on Broadway at Catalpa
Postcard of Senn High School prior to the additions, ca. 1920
Saddle & Cycle Club at Foster Ave. 1900
Saddle & Cycle Club at Foster Ave. 1900
Postcard of Edgewater Beach Hotel, pre-1923
Postcard of Edgewater Beach Hotel Yacht Club
2010 Memorial Day Parade

Exploring Broadway’s Architectural Treasures

Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
Edgewater Branch, Chicago Public Library
Betty A. Barclay Community Room
6000 N. Broadway, Chicago 60660

Broadway is one of Chicago’s most heavily trafficked thoroughfares. Though little noted, it is lined with a dazzling array of fine buildings, ranging from its early days as a residential street to its glory days in the 1920s as the North Side Motor Row. With proposed upzoning by the City of Chicago, might some of these treasures be at elevated risk of demolition? Join EHS board members Thom Greene and John Holden for a visual tour of one Chicago’s most underappreciated boulevards. Click here for a flyer.

The talk may reference the 2019 document “Broadway: Preserve, Revive, Develop.” Click here to open that document.

Chicago History Book Group

The next meeting of the Chicago History Book Club will be Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. in the Betty A. Barclay Community Room at the Edgewater Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 6000 N. Broadway.

The subject of the meeting is “Everybody Pays: Two Men, One Murder and the Price of Truth” by Maurice Possley and Rick Kogan. Click here for a flyer.

Chicago's Demographic Shifts Since Covid

Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 10:30 a.m.
Edgewater Branch, Chicago Public Library
Betty A. Barclay Community Room
6000 N. Broadway, Chicago 60660

Until Covid, most demographic groups were growing in Chicago. Did the pandemic change that? Famed Chicago observer Ed Zotti (aka Cecil Adams), editor of the Chicago Reader “The Straight Dope” column and the Chicago Sun Times “City at the Crossroads” series, will examine the demographic shifts in Edgewater – and Chicago – in a compelling presentation. Click here for a flyer.

Homegrown history: Honoring Edgewater's heritage trees (2023)

After a non-winter and very cold spring, summer finally seems to be coming to Chicago. So what better time for the Edgewater Historical Society (EHS) to launch its latest initiative – Honoring Edgewater’s Heritage Trees. The initiative is multi-faceted and features an exhibit at our museum, a series of tree-related lecture programs, and most importantly a survey of all of Edgewater’s “heritage trees” or those that are more than 50 years old.

This ambitious program grew out of an effort by the Edgewater Glen Association (EGA) block club, when residents became concerned after seeing a number of their majestic parkway trees cut down in recent years. Spearheaded by local resident Andrea Raila, a complete survey of EGA’s parkway trees – along Norwood, Glenlake, Hood and Granville – was conducted over the past year, and the findings and methodology of the survey are documented in the Heritage Tree Audit booklet and the Tree Survey instructions.

As Time Goes By in Edgewater - 1885 to the Present

“As Time Goes By” is the title of the newest exhibit at the Edgewater Historical Society Museum, 5358 N. Ashland, which opens the weekend of May 28-29, and will continue for many months.

The exhibit features 150 photos of the story of Edgewater from 1885 to the present. A special section tells the story of the Edgewater Beach Hotel. In the months to come there will be more features on the Schools and Churches in Edgewater.

The exhibit will be open during regular museum hours, but special tours may be arranged for a small donation.

New Exhibit: Indigenous Edgewater: Exploring Native History

EHS presents our newest exhibit, “Indigenous Edgewater - Exploring Native History.” The exhibit documents Indigenous culture from 10,000 years ago to the present day. The Indigenous Edgewater exhibit will be available on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. at 5358 N. Ashland Ave.

Natives have lived in the Edgewater area for over 10,000 years. Marsha Holland, exhibit co-curator, discusses Native history in the greater Edgewater area, focusing on the archeological findings of Bowmanville Village and beyond. To view, click here.

Without Natives, would we have Chicago as we know it? Marjorie Fritz-Birch, exhibit co-curator, explores Native contributions to the greater Edgewater area and beyond. To view, click here.

"Remembering Edgewater Beach Hotel" interviews

There have been two recent radio interviews with Kathy Gemperle and John Holden, the authors of “Remembering Edgewater Beach Hotel.” If you want to hear the interviews, they can be found at:

WGN Radio: After Hours with Rick Kogan on July 25, 2021

WCPT Radio: Where Are They Now with Art Andros on November 20, 2021

Virtual Museum exhibits

EHS MuseumWe invite you on a virtual curator’s tour of our recent exhibits:

Edgewater Beach Hotel: 100 Years Later

The Chicago Conspiracy Trial: One Juror’s Ordeal

High Water and Hell: Rising Lake Puts Chicago on Edge

Here is another past exhibit you may remember:

Greetings from Edgewater (2012): description and video

2024 Living Treasures of Edgewater (Past)

Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
Betty A. Barclay Community Room
Edgewater Branch Library, 6000 N. Broadway

The Edgewater Historical Society sponsors the Living Treasures of Edgewater awards to honor residents and former residents of Edgewater who have made a difference in the lives of their fellow residents. These deeds can be small or large, but all contributed to the betterment of our community.

We hope you can join us in the formal recognition of the 2024 Living Treasures of Edgewater. Click here for more information about the Edgewater Living Treasures program.

Chicago's Uptown (Past)

Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
Edgewater Branch, Chicago Public Library
Betty A. Barclay Community Room
6000 N. Broadway, Chicago 60660

Located just south of Edgewater, Uptown is one of Chicago’s most lively, colorful and architecturally distinct communities. Join author Jacob Lewis-Hall, who recently published a new pictorial tour of the community, looking back on both its glory days and long-time struggles. Click here for a flyer.

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