The Chicago community area known as Douglas, is named after Stephen A. Douglas, politician and land speculator known for the Lincoln-Douglas debates. The neighborhood was the site of Camp Douglas at the beginning of the Civil War, which served as a training facility for members of the Illinois regiment, and later as a prisoner camp for Confederate soldiers.
After the war, there was heavy migration, who moved from the Loop to Douglas.
The planned Chicago Olympic 2016 bid would have built Olympic Village south of McCormick Place along with the Near South Side.
There are several notable neighborhoods in the area, including Bronzeville, Prairie Shores and Groveland Park.
Bronzeville, during the early 20th century was known as the Black Metropolis. The population of the area increased dramatically when thousands of African Americans escaped the oppression of the South and emigrated to Chicago in search of industrial jobs. 47th street still is a hub for businesses and recently has been undergoing transformations to regain its glory.
Prairie Shores was historically a 1677 unit public housing project built in 1962 by Michael Reese Hospital. Along with the adjacent Lake Meadows development, this was part of the city’s largest urban renewal project at the time of its inception in 1946. The total project included construction of the Illinois Institute of Technology and Mercy Hospital. Several buildings on the Illinois Institute of Technology main campus have been designated as Chicago Landmarks and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Douglas is bordered by the I-90 on the west and Lake Shore Drive to the east. The CTA’s Red Line and Green Line pass through the neighborhood as well.
