The Chatham neighborhood was first settled by farmers in the 1860s. Industrialization began in the 1860s, following the establishment of the Cornell Watch Factory. The subdivision of a portion of the neighborhood in the 1880s was the beginning of population growth.
In 1889, Chatham was incorporated into Chicago.
The population increased further during the first decades of the 20th century.
One area significant to the neighborhood’s history is the West Chatham Historic Bungalow Districtis, which includes 347 buildings, most of them constructed between 1914 and 1930.
Both the Metra and CTA’s Red Line service the area.
