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.
Brighton Park is closely tied to transportation. In the early days, horse-drawn streetcars and later electric railways attracted factories and their workers to the Southwest Side neighborhood.It became a center for livestock trade in the 1850s, and, with the construction of railroads and arrival of industries, the number of settlers increased.
The neighborhood was incorporated into Chicago in 1889. As the railways expanded, so did the neighborhood, which provided convenient and affordable housing in the early part of the 20th century.
The Stevenson Expressway, Interstate 55, passes through the area as well as the CTA’s Orange Line to Midway International Airport.
