Mount Greenwood, Chicago received its name from George Waite, the recipient of a land grant in 1879. George planted trees on an elevated area, and named it Mount Greenwood.

Illinois Place Names (Illinois State Historical Society Occasional Publications Number 55, 1989) indicates that the area of Washington Heights historically was also known as Blue Island Ridge, Campbell’s Woods, Dummy Junction, and North Blue Island.

Beverly was originally occupied by Potawatomi Indians, who were transferred to the west of the Mississippi River after 1833. Beverly first underwent development in the late 19th century by Chicago business people and saw settlement growth by the completion in 1889 of the Rock Island Railroad suburban. Along with the Blue Island ridge, Beverly became a streetcar suburb, reflected in the large homes and lot sizes found in the area.

Auburn Gresham’s development as a community dates back to the early nineteenth century, when the area was defined primarily by small settlements. They were soon joined by workers laying down of railroads in the middle of the 19th century.

Ashburn, which got its name as the dumping site for the city’s ashes, was slow to experience growth at the beginning of the 20th century.

Englewood was originally swampland and forest, inhabited by the Mascouten Indians. European settlement began in the 1850s, as railroads were extended into what became known as Junction Grove.

Settlement of West Englewood started in the 1840s. After the railcars were built into the area, it became known as Chicago Junction, which soon changed to Junction Grove. Junction Grove became the unincorporated town of Lake, which was later renamed Englewood.

Chicago Lawn became a city in 1871 and was incorporated into Chicago in 1889, though it remained mostly rural until 1920, when settlement accelerated. The area is frequently referred to as Marquette Park, the large park near the southwest part of the neighborhood.

Clearing begins shrouded in mystery. An anomalous subdivision began showing up in maps as early as 1870. Local author and historian Robert Hill calls this the “Lost Village”.

Gage Park started in 1873 when the South Park Commissioner George W. Gage started work on a planned park for the area which the area is named for. The area was organized as the town of Lake in 1865, which became part of Chicago in 1889.

West Elsdon was first settled in the late 19th century, and remained rural until the 1930s when growth returned and brick homes were built in the area. West Elsdon is located atop of an ancient lake, and was just a marshland at time of settlement.

New City consists of distinct communities with varied patterns of settlement, was given its name in the 1920s by sociologists from the University of Chicago, who were assigned to delineate neighborhoods.

McKinley Park’s settlement began around 1836 when immigrants working on the Illinois & Michigan Canal took squatter’s rights to small tracts of land in the area. McKinley Park, as well as the park sharing its namesake, was being developed when President McKinley was assassinated.

There is dispute over the naming of Brighton Park, which was first settled in the 1830s during the construction of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. According to one source, it was named after Brighton livestock market in England. According to another, it got its name from Brighton neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, well-known for its cattle market.

The area of Arhcer Heights was originally inhabited by Native Americans. However, finding little need for swampy prairies, land speculators and manufacturers showed interest in the area. William B. Archer, an Illinois & Michigan Canal commissioner and land speculator, the namesake of the area, showed high interest.

Garfield Ridge received its name from President Garfield after 55th Street was named Garfield Boulevard after his assassination.