Gads Hill Center records
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Gads Hill Center records
- Dates
- 1898-1991,
- Predominant Dates
- bulk 1914-1919
- Creator
- Gads Hill Center (Chicago, Ill.)
- Creator
- Gads Hill Social Settlement (Chicago, Ill.)
- Size
- 23 linear ft. (53 boxes)
- Language
- Material is in English unless otherwise noted.
Scope and Content
Correspondence, minutes of meetings of the board of directors of the Gads Hill settlement house, various reports, financial and attendance records, newsclippings, articles, and other sundry papers. Topics include recreational, educational, and social programs and facilities of Gads Hill Center, and living conditions within the Lower West Side community of Chicago. Includes the nursery school; various clubs and groups of children, youths, and adults; the House Council; unemployment relief during 1914-1915 and the Great Depression of the 1930s; the Center's new building in 1916; and the neighborhood during World War I and World War II. Persons represented by correspondence include head residents, Ruth Austin and Meta K. Schwiebert.
Scope and Content
Includes papers collected by Brockie Dilworth, former director of Gads Hill Center, as well as speeches and letters of his predecessors (ca. 1920s-1991). Also present are correspondence, financial records, employee files, minutes, and other papers related to operations, and programs and projects conducted by the center (ca. 1916-1982).
Conditions for Access
In order to consult old card files in box 22-27, researchers must sign the Chicago History Museum's "Request for Research Access to Confidential Materials" form. Boxes 28-53 are unprocessed. This unprocessed portion of the collection has been assessed for access and can be requested except for noted restrictions. Researchers using this collection will need to sign the Access to Unprocessed Collections form.
Conditions Governing Use
Contact the archives for more information on licensing and permissions for use and reproduction.
Acquisition Information
Gads Hill Center, 1966. M1966.0630, GiftApprox. 11 linear ft. Gads Hill Center, 1980/01/12, 1980.0321, Gift. 2 document cases. Dilworth, Brockie, 1995/09, 1996.0044, Gift. 1 linear ft. (1 box) of materials collected by donor while he was director of Gads Hill, including materials on the Center's musical department and speeches and letters of his predecessors that comment on the history of Gads Hill and the social settlement house movement in Chicago. 1920s-1991. Gads Hill Center, 1987/11/17, 2010.0054, Gift. Approx. 11 linear ft. Includes correspondence, financial papers, employee files, minutes, research files, and papers related to various programs and projects conducted by the center. Ca. 1916-1982.Custodial History
Gift of Gads Hill Center (M1966.0630; 1980.0321; 2010.0054) and Brockie Dilworth (1996.0044).
Biography or History
Gads Hill Social Settlement was established in 1898 at 869 West 22nd Street, in a predominantly Polish American, German American, and Czech American area. It changed its name to Gads Hill Center in 1916 and moved to a new building at 1919 West 20th Street, later 1919 West Cullerton Street. Miss Ruth Austin served as head resident from 1914 to 1923 and from 1926 to 1946. Miss Meta K. Schwiebert was head resident during the 1950s and 1960s. Over the years, many Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and African Americans moved into the neighborhood.
Descriptive inventory available online for a portion of the collection.
Indexed Terms
- Austin, Ruth -- Correspondence
- Dilworth, Brockie -- Correspondence
- Martin, Leila Moss, -- 1873-1966
- Schwiebert, Meta K. -- Correspondence
- Gads Hill Center (Chicago, Ill.) -- Archives
- Gads Hill Social Settlement (Chicago, Ill.) -- Archives
- 1919 West Cullerton Street (Chicago, Ill.)
- Community centers -- Illinois -- Chicago
- Depressions -- 1929 -- Illinois -- Chicago
- Polish Americans -- Illinois -- Chicago
- Social settlements -- Illinois -- Chicago
- Women in charitable work -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 20th century
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Illinois -- Chicago
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Illinois -- Chicago
- Chicago (Ill.) -- Economic conditions -- 20th century
- Chicago (Ill.) -- Social conditions -- 20th century
- Lower West Side (Chicago, Ill.)
- Case files
- Correspondence
- Financial records
- Minutes
- Lists
- Reports