Edison Park, Chicago

Edison Park (formerly Canfield) is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, on the North Side, Chicago, Illinois.

It is made up entirely of the Edison Park neighborhood, and is named after Thomas Edison,[1] who gave his blessing to this community namesake in 1890.

According to the 2000 Census, its population is 11,259. Edison Park has one of the highest concentrations of Irish ancestry in Chicago, where they make up over three-fourths of the neighborhood's population.

Edison Park is located between the Des Plaines River and the Chicago River. Early travelers would use the land in the area to carry their canoes from one river to the other.

History

Edison Park was originally settled in 1834 by the Ebinger family, consisting of John and Katherine Ebinger, their 21-year-old son, Christian Ebinger, and Christian's new wife Barbara Ebinger (née Ruehle). The Ebingers originally came from Stuttgart, Germany. From there they went to Ann Arbor, Michigan before leaving for Chicago in search of farmland, but left after finding the land too swampy.[2]

References

  1. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 114.
  2. Dorothy Tyse, The Village of Niles, Illinois: 1899-1974 (Village of Niles, 1974), p. 7