Hyde Park Historical Society

Hyde Park Historical Society The Society's objective is to record, preserve, promote and teach Hyde Park, Chicago history. The Hyde Park cable car line ran along 55th Street.

Welcome to The Hyde Park Historical Society
This little building was constructed in 1893 or 1894 by the Chicago City Street Railway. It is believed to be the only building surviving in Chicago that was part of the cable car system. At one time the railway was one of the most extensive cable car systems in the country. The line had moving underground cables, like the San Francisco system, and conn

ected Hyde Park with the downtown area at Roosevelt Road. It, together with the Illinois Central Railroad, the Jackson Park Elevated line and lake steamers, was one of the major modes of transportation between downtown Chicago and the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Jackson Park. The cars turned south at what is now Harper Avenue to a half block past 56th street, then east to Lake Park Avenue and then north to 55th Street. The cars then turned west on 55th Street to Cottage Grove Avenue. The main powerhouse was located on the north east corner of Cottage Grove Avenue and 55th Street. The Hyde Park turnaround, which ran on a separate cable was called Cable Court. The loop was in existence for several years before the building was built. While the exact date of the station’s construction is not known, strong evidence indicates it was erected in 1893 or 1894. It is known that the right-of-way was elevated from ground level in 1893, to eliminate grade crossings and facilitate traffic flow for the fair. Construction of the building, which is rubble stone and not brick in the sections that abut the bank of the Illinois Central tracks, indicates it was built at the time of the embankment’s construction or after it, but not before. The building was in place by 1895 because it appears on a map of the area carrying that date. It is not entirely clear whether the building was originally used as a waiting room for passengers or as a rest area for employees. Whatever its intended use, within a few years the cable car system was abandoned. For a time the building served as a terminal and rest stop for the trolley system which replaced the cable cars. However, even that use was short lived and the surface rail lines and trolleys had been completely abandoned by 1906. Beginning about 1898, through 1952, the building was operated as a short order restaurant by members of the Keller family, particularly Turney Keller. Later, it was the home of “Steve’s Lunch.” operated by a Steve Megales, a Greek Immigrant. According to Clyde Watkins, a founder of the Hyde Park Historical Society, the breakfast special featured two eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast and coffee and cost $.42. By 1974 the lunch room had closed and the building was being used as a storage shed for the two-wheeled carts used for delivering newspapers. The building was clearly headed for ruin. At this point, the history of the building and the formation of The Hyde Park Historical Society converge. The idea of a historical society was initially explored by Clyde Watkins and Tom Jensen who called a public forum in the spring of 1975. Dev Bowley, Jean Block and Vicky Ranney were also among the first organizers. The society was officially chartered in January 28, 1977. At first, the Society did not have a home, but Clyde Watkins already had his eye on the building he had been fond of for many years. The Society soon purchased the building for approximately $4,000 and leased the land from the Illinois Central Railroad. Dev Bowley became the chairman of the restoration committee and brought in John Vinci to be the architect for the restoration.

Thanks to all who attended "Hyde Park to Manzanar: The Life of the Harding Museum Curator & Hyde Park Business Owner Kiy...
12/13/2024

Thanks to all who attended "Hyde Park to Manzanar: The Life of the Harding Museum Curator & Hyde Park Business Owner Kiyotsugu Tsuchiya" last Saturday! If you missed it, check out the recording of the event:

On December 7, 2024, the Hyde Park Historical Society was hosted "Hyde Park to Manzanar: The Life of the Harding Museum Curator & Hyde Park Business Owner K...

Don't forget to attend this great event this Saturday, December 7th from 10am-12pm at the Hyde Park Historical Society H...
12/03/2024

Don't forget to attend this great event this Saturday, December 7th from 10am-12pm at the Hyde Park Historical Society Headquarters or register to attend via zoom at: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqf-ihrz8rHdUZSm71TAgjiAn6WrXDx6Qd #/registration

Lourdes Nicholls, granddaughter of Kiyotugu Tsuchiya will share how her grandfather and family went to living at the Harding Museum and owning a Japanese restaurant on Cornell, to living in one of America's Japanese Internment Camps... Manzanar. Join the Hyde Park Historical Society for this event

Mark your calendar and register today for this special event! Lourdes Nicholls granddaughter of Kiyotsugu Tsuchiya will ...
11/22/2024

Mark your calendar and register today for this special event!

Lourdes Nicholls granddaughter of Kiyotsugu Tsuchiya will share how her grandfather and family went from living at the Harding Museum and owning a Japanese restaurant on Cornell to living in one of America’s Japanese Incarceration Camps... Manzanar. Jonathan Tavares, the Amy and Paul Carbone Curator of Applied Arts at the Art Institute of Chicago, will speak on the museum’s collection originally from the Harding Museum.

*This will be a hybrid event. Attend either in person or via zoom*

Lourdes Nicholls, granddaughter of Kiyotugu Tsuchiya will share how her grandfather and family went to living at the Harding Museum and owning a Japanese restaurant on Cornell, to living in one of America's Japanese Internment Camps... Manzanar. Join the Hyde Park Historical Society for this event

09/13/2024
Thank you to the UChicago Medical Center Marketing Team for volunteering today! They clean the inside of the building an...
07/19/2024

Thank you to the UChicago Medical Center Marketing Team for volunteering today! They clean the inside of the building and up and down Lake Park! We are sitting grateful for their help and dedication.

Come out to the HPHS from now till 4pm!
06/23/2024

Come out to the HPHS from now till 4pm!

The Hyde Park Historical Society invites you to view a new short documentary about the Confederate Mound at Oak Woods Ce...
05/27/2024

The Hyde Park Historical Society invites you to view a new short documentary about the Confederate Mound at Oak Woods Cemetery.

The Hyde Park Historical Society served as a community partner over the winter and spring of 2024, to a group of UChicago students as they created this documentary on Oak Woods Cemetery's Confederate Mound for their Public History Seminar. The HPHS hopes this can evoke continued conversations by communities throughout the South Side about the history of the cemetery and the presence of the mound.

The Hyde Park Historical Society served as a community partner over the winter and spring of 2024, to a group of UChicago students as they created this docum...

Don’t forget to stop by the historical society today!
04/21/2024

Don’t forget to stop by the historical society today!

Address

5529 S Lake Park Avenue
Chicago, IL
60637

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Our Story

Welcome to The Hyde Park Historical Society This little building was constructed in 1893 or 1894 by the Chicago City Street Railway. It is believed to be the only building surviving in Chicago that was part of the cable car system. At one time the railway was one of the most extensive cable car systems in the country. The line had moving underground cables, like the San Francisco system, and connected Hyde Park with the downtown area at Roosevelt Road. It, together with the Illinois Central Railroad, the Jackson Park Elevated line and lake steamers, was one of the major modes of transportation between downtown Chicago and the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Jackson Park. The Hyde Park cable car line ran along 55th Street. The cars turned south at what is now Harper Avenue to a half block past 56th street, then east to Lake Park Avenue and then north to 55th Street. The cars then turned west on 55th Street to Cottage Grove Avenue. The main powerhouse was located on the north east corner of Cottage Grove Avenue and 55th Street. The Hyde Park turnaround, which ran on a separate cable was called Cable Court. The loop was in existence for several years before the building was built. While the exact date of the station’s construction is not known, strong evidence indicates it was erected in 1893 or 1894. It is known that the right-of-way was elevated from ground level in 1893, to eliminate grade crossings and facilitate traffic flow for the fair. Construction of the building, which is rubble stone and not brick in the sections that abut the bank of the Illinois Central tracks, indicates it was built at the time of the embankment’s construction or after it, but not before. The building was in place by 1895 because it appears on a map of the area carrying that date. It is not entirely clear whether the building was originally used as a waiting room for passengers or as a rest area for employees. Whatever its intended use, within a few years the cable car system was abandoned. For a time the building served as a terminal and rest stop for the trolley system which replaced the cable cars. However, even that use was short lived and the surface rail lines and trolleys had been completely abandoned by 1906. Beginning about 1898, through 1952, the building was operated as a short order restaurant by members of the Keller family, particularly Turney Keller. Later, it was the home of “Steve’s Lunch.” operated by a Steve Megales, a Greek Immigrant. According to Clyde Watkins, a founder of the Hyde Park Historical Society, the breakfast special featured two eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast and coffee and cost $.42. By 1974 the lunch room had closed and the building was being used as a storage shed for the two-wheeled carts used for delivering newspapers. The building was clearly headed for ruin. At this point, the history of the building and the formation of The Hyde Park Historical Society converge. The idea of a historical society was initially explored by Clyde Watkins and Tom Jensen who called a public forum in the spring of 1975. Dev Bowley, Jean Block and Vicky Ranney were also among the first organizers. The society was officially chartered in January 28, 1977. At first, the Society did not have a home, but Clyde Watkins already had his eye on the building he had been fond of for many years. The Society soon purchased the building for approximately $4,000 and leased the land from the Illinois Central Railroad. Dev Bowley became the chairman of the restoration committee and brought in John Vinci to be the architect for the restoration.