Burnside

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Did you know that Burnside is Chicago’s smallest community area? It is squeezed between railroad tracks on all sides and can only be reached by train. This small, triangular neighborhood is bound by the Illinois Central on the West, the Rock Island on the South, and the Nickel Plate Railroad (which is now called Norfolk-Southern) on the East. Burnside is named after Ambrose Burnside, a Civil War general who also served as an official of the Illinois Central Railroad. The first train station in the area was built in 1862 and named after him. Burnside was originally considered part of Roseland and Chatham. It was only later that the University of Chicago distinguished it as one of its 77 community areas. It was mostly undeveloped swamp land until after the American Civil War. Today, Burnside is a primarily residential area with a modest population. You can find brick bungalows, churches, and a few businesses. You can see the history of the neighborhood in the mix of ethnicities that once lived there. In the 19th century, Burnside welcomed immigrants from Hungary, Poland, Italy, and Ukraine. After World War II, the population changed as African-Americans moved in and many of the original residents moved out. The area has been shaped by the history of nearby industries such as the Pullman Company and steel mills. But while the area has lost its factory jobs, it remains a quiet and close-knit community defined by the railroads that brought it into being.

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