Map: 1906















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Part 1: Work, after 1940

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Work: After 1940 Waukegan factory output recovered during WWII and the post-war boom. In a profile published in the Chicago Tribune in 1951 that could have been written by the Waukegan Chamber of Commerce, Waukegan was praised as a “working man’s town-and how!”   “The difference between Waukegan and the Gold Coast suburbs, from Evanston to Lake Bluff is emphasized by the position of Waukegan’s principle industrial district. It is right down on the lake shore in the front yard of the city…. The panorama might not please the esthetic, but few Waukegan residents find it offensive. The smoking stacks, the barn-like buildings are symbols of jobs and payrolls—vital considerations in a working man’s town.” Indeed, some of the biggest problems for   the bustling town of 39,099 were a general housing shortage and a downtown parking shortage for the rapidly increasing automobile population. (1) For those using public transportation, there were a series of strike actions affecting ...
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Part 2: 13: Decline and Fall

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13: Decline and Fall From 1920 on, the character of the street slowly began to change, and after 1930, the shift toward industrial and commercial use of Market Street intensified. By the middle of the 20 th century, the decline for both residential and commercial us of Market Street was well under way. By century’s end, virtually all by two structures would be gone. A.    Condemned In 1926, the “Red Flats,” a two story frame structure on Market Street 150 feet south of Water Street was condemned by the city building department. Building Commissioner Walter H. Nibbelink gave notice to the building owner, H. H. Beach of Waukegan, that after repeated health and safety violations that had not been addressed over many years, the city would have the building torn down. Bulging walls from water damaged, decayed ceilings, a back porch on the verge of collapse, and “no toilets in the building” were listed as among the concerns. Under these conditions, “a number of colore...
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