“First president, you say?” The very name Bedford Park often sparks curiosity. What’s the story behind it? Well, let me tell you. This village, a stone’s throw from Chicago’s bustling heart, has a past deeply intertwined with industry and ambition. It all started with the Clearing Industrial District. Picture a time when this area was just open land, ripe for opportunity. In 1888, Alpheus B. Stickney, a railroad man with vision, saw the potential. He bought land, envisioning a massive railroad switching yard. Fast forward a few years, and Henry H. Porter enters the scene. He establishes the Chicago Transfer and Clearing Company, acquiring Stickney’s operation. Bedford Park was truly becoming an industrial hub. But every good story needs another character, and in this case, it’s Edward T. Bedford, the first president of the Corn Products Refining Company. In 1906, his company, which would later become the well-known Ingredion, purchased a sizable chunk of land right here. By 1915, the air was thick with the aroma of corn milling, a testament to the bustling industry that provided hundreds of jobs. But what about the workers? Bedford had a plan for that too. He envisioned a place for his employees to live, close to their work. This vision led to the creation of Bedford Park’s first residential district in 1919 – a true company town! It was the seed from which the Village of Bedford Park blossomed in 1940. So, the next time you hear the name Bedford Park, remember the railroad dreams, the scent of corn milling in the air, and the legacy of Edward T. Bedford, the man who gave this village its name.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to