Customer Reviews

Rogers Park (IL) (Images of America)

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Amidst the overlapping content of countless volumes on Chicago history, the same stories are told time and again (Miss O'Leary's cow, etc.). The more tangible and more personal history of Chicago is often lost in the shuffle. In many ways, this mostly pictorial history of Rogers Park captures the essence of Chicago better than these books; the narrative zooms in on both exceptional and ordinary people- including descriptions of two Olympians, as well as a before and after photo of a corner shopkeeper over fifty years. In other ways, this book portrays a neighborhood distinct from any other- the "vibrant sense of community, rare among urban neighborhoods"; I'm convinced that "for those who see wealth in diversity, Rogers Park remains the richest neighborhood in Chicago."

Despite the restrictive narrative format of the Arcadia Publishing series, the authors show a bit of literary flair (alluding to Bukowski's love of women's legs beneath a photo of a miss America pageant) and social consciousness (highlighting the loss of affordable housing as the neighborhood gentrifies), while telling key stories that reflect the history of America (the Loyola basketball team's defiance of race quotas, leading to a championship).

Not sure where the credit goes between Archer, Santoro, and the Rogers Park Historical Society, but such a deep collection of local stories and photos is not easy to come by. My hope is that Arcadia Publishing reaches more Chicago neighborhoods before their stories are lost forever.

I purchased copies of "Rogers Park" for my husband and his brother. Having grown up in Rogers Park they could not put their books down. My husband remembered many of the buildings depicted in the book. He had so many stories to tell, many of which he had long forgotten. I saw him reliving his childhood! The book seems to be right on! They really enjoyed reading it and are showing it to anyone who seems interested. I would highly recommend as a gift to someone from that area of the country.

i was born and raised in Rogers park along the beeches and gardens of a fascinating part of Chicago.

i loved this book and its history of an extremely important part of Chicago History.