Garfield Ridge received its name from President Garfield after 55th Street was named Garfield Boulevard after his assassination.
The neighborhood contained Mud Lake, a swamp connecting the Des Plaines and Chicago and Rivers, where a canal was dug in the 1830s to facilitate transportation between the rivers. The lake and the routes that connected Lake Michigan to the Illinois River were essential in developing Chicago as a transportation hub.
A small settlement had developed in the area by the 1840s, and the population was boosted by land speculators in the decades following. Most of the land was purchased by Col. William Archer, after whom Archer Avenue is named. Development of the canal and railcars brought further development into the area.
Nowadays, the area encompasses the northern portion of Midway International Airport.
The City of Chicago annexed the area in 1915 and brought city services and transportation into the area, furthering interest and development.
