The link between Italian-Americans and the Jane Adams Hull House shown above is detailed in several of the stories found in the Taylor Street Archives.

Preserving a neighborhood of memories
Italian-American submissions serve as remembrance of 'Little Italy'

By: Matt Piechalak:  UIC Chicago Flame

Posted: 9/25/06

Slicing through the heart of UIC's east campus is Taylor Street. Yet, few remaining residents still refer to this heart as the place once proudly called 'Little Italy.' Today, an effort is underway to preserve the memories of this once Italian-American neighborhood with the introduction of the Taylor Street Archives.

In the waves of change that came with the construction of the Eisenhower Expressway and the expansion of the Medical Center in the '40s and '50s, most Italian-Americans were forced from their homes and the area that they so passionately loved.

"It was a rich area with rich history," said Vincent Romano, founder of the Taylor Street Archives.

Designed as a historic scrapbook, the Taylor Street Archives were launched in December of 2004, with the mission to preserve the names and memories of those residents and their families who made Little Italy such a unique and beautiful neighborhood.

Embraced by current residents, business establishments, associations, historians, and novelists, these archives, through contributed stories, offer an insight into the daily tasks and experiences that were considered normal for an Italian-American growing up on Taylor Street in the midst of the 20th century.

"The memory of how we lived, the failures and successes, [is] in the stories," said Romano. "They are part of [our] history; these names are part of history."

The neighborhood was also referred to as the 'Hull House Neighborhood,' because of the strong connection between Italian-Americans on Taylor Street and the Jane Adams Hull House, located at the intersection of Halsted Street and Polk Street.

The Taylor Street Archives relives stories surrounding the symbiotic relationship between the daily life of Italian children at Hull House and in Little Italy; stories that have long since begun to dwindle away, along with the significant Italian culture that pervaded in the neighborhood.

Along with the importance of Hull House was the Hull House's Bowen Country Club (BCC) located in Waukegan, Illinois. The summer camp provided a change of environment for Italian-American youths that included grass, a pool, dancing and hiking. Because of the special significance these two sites had to the richness of Little Italy, they are highlighted in the archives with their own stories.

In 1963, UIC became the guardians of the Hull house museum and its websites. Until recently, the Hull House and BCC websites made no mention to the importance of the Italian heritage to the history of these famous sites. Yet, as detailed in the stories, these places were very distinctly a part of the Taylor Street culture.

With the help of newly appointed Hull House Director, Lisa Lee, the effort to restore the link between Hull House and Little Italy is finally becoming a reality.

"I have a very strong relationship with Lisa," said Romano. "She has been very cooperative with me and recognized the relationship between Hull House and the neighborhood."

The archives are available online at www.taylorstreetarchives.com. Along with the encouragement to former residents to submit family profiles, voluntary photographs and stories, the Taylor Street Archives gives away an annual $1,000 scholarship to the student who submits the best story on the topic, "Growing Up in Taylor Street's Little Italy."

With the growing number of contributions to the Taylor Street Archives, stories once lost can be preserved for the masses.

"I guess it had been in the back of my mind for a long time, the rich history of the legendary Taylor Street is evaporating," said Romano. "I originally felt I would do it as my memoirs of [my] experiences growing up on Taylor Street, The Hull House Neighborhood."

Once his motivation for the cause grew too strong to ignore, Romano released the idea to the public.  “Taylor Street and its memories lie in the minds and hearts of those who had lived the experience…not those who write its history to satisfy their personal agendas.” 

"I believe the Taylor Street Archives is equally important to both [former residents] and [the public] because there is no history unless someone is seeing and reading it."