Wives of the Cronies: The names of the ladies in this group consist of: Lois Collins, Eythe Ellis, Jessmona Brandon, Helen Turner, Ione Bell, Tillie Clark, Irma Stevens, Willa Turner, June Pelkey, Jane Evans, Bernice Robinson, Corrine Suttles.

Over the years, it has been difficult to define Woodlawn. At different periods of time, even the map makers disagree as to its boundaries. From the turn of the 20th Century to about 1950, most folk living in the area were keenly aware of two Woodlawns, one predominately Negro and one all white. Around 1900, Negroes began to move into the area south of 63rd Street, west of Cottage Grove, east of South Park and as far south as 69th Street. Not to be confused with the larger white Woodlawn, these first settlers referred to the neighborhood as West Woodlawn, WW.

Historically, WW was an island of mixed white ethnic groups, Germans, Irish, Italians, Jews and Swedes. This area was part of the larger Woodlawn, but as Negroes moved in, most whites fled into the surrounding areas, embraced the concept of restrictive covenants to make sure Negroes would not invade those neighborhoods.

WW was a community of single family houses, two and three story buildings, and was considered the most stable Negro neighborhood in the City of Chicago. It is most interesting to note this community is most often overlooked by sociologist, historians and others who write about Chicago’s black Community.

In the study, “West Woodlawn – A Community Inventory”, it states, “Our neighborhood, consisting of 240 acres, is primarily residential in land use…The people who settled there were looking for good quality housing, suitably located in an area conducive to the rearing of families…” By no stretch of the imagination was this community homogenous. There was great diversity within this community. Diversity in shades and hues of color, income, professions, and a whole array of social, economic and political differences. Given those early years, the Great Depression and up to World War II, it can be said that most people in WW started with little and accomplished alot. This was due in part to shared values emanating from the church participation and many nurturing social institutions developed by its residents.

The Cronies: The names of the gents in this group consist of: Travers Bell, David Pelkey, Thomas Ellis, Vernon Barksdale, Sammy Rayner, Bobby Robinson, Charles Collins, Tommy Clark, Lawrence Turner, Clarence Stevens, Charles Gordon, Lawrence Brandon, Wardell Newman, Evans Walker, Bobby Dill, Elmer Stewart

WW began to break up and families started moving out following the World War II and the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling against restrictive covenants. At that point, Negroes began moving south into Park Manor, east into Woodlawn (across Cottage Grove), and north into the Washington Park area and beyond.

One writer summarizes growing up in WW this way, “During the intervening years, we have lived our lives experiencing happiness, accomplishment, and disappointment and sorrow as have others. However, through it all we had and still have magical uniqueness of a very special place called West Woodlawn”.