WBEZ | Washington Park

Death in the evening

Fri, 25 May 2012 07:00:00 -0500

The intersection of State and 63^rd looks pretty much the same today as it did on May 25, 1950. This view is probably the last thing that Paul Manning saw.

Manning was a 42-year-old CTA streetcar motorman. At 6:30 p.m. on this spring evening he was piloting his southbound car down the tracks in the center of State Street. There were no expressways yet and the "L" didn’t go past 69^th Street, so Manning’s car was crowded with rush hour commuters.

A heavy shower had passed through the area. Just ahead, the Pennsylvania Railroad viaduct was flooded. Since electric streetcars could not operate through standing water, a CTA supervisor was on duty. He was diverting southbound cars into an emergency terminal on the east side of State.

Manning approached the intersection at full speed. He must not have known that the viaduct was impassable. Nor did he see the supervisor running toward him, frantically waving his arms. The car hit the open switch. Instead of continuing south on State, it lurched violently to the left, across the oncoming lanes of traffic.

Mel Wilson was driving a tanker truck northbound on State. The truck was loaded with 7,000 gallons of gasoline from a refinery in Whiting. Wilson had just cleared 63^rd Street when turning streetcar slammed into him.

There was a moment of awful silence, then the truck exploded. Flames shot through the streetcar and rolled down State Street, igniting everything in their path. Trees, cars, buildings–in thirty seconds the block had become a vision of hell.

At the rear of the burning streetcar, the conductor forced open the back window and about a dozen people escaped, many of them on fire. They were the lucky ones. The exit doors had jammed. The rest of the passengers were roasted to death.

Fire alarms jangled in all the South Side stations. The department rushed 33 pieces of equipment to the scene. The sound of the explosion and the black smoke rising through the air attracted hundreds of spectators. Squads of police were called out to hold back the crowds.

Firemen worked through the night, extinguishing the stray flames and searching for survivors. The next morning, with the odor of burnt flesh still in the air, city crews went to work dynamiting the shells of seven buildings. Over 150 residents had lost their homes. Thirty-three people were dead, among them motorman Paul Manning and truck driver Mel Wilson.

As a result of the accident, the CTA refitted the rear exit doors on its vehicles, so they could be manually pushed open. The policy of replacing streetcars with busses was accelerated. By 1958 the last trolley was gone from Chicago’s streets.

The story of Jesse Binga, an early black entrepreneur with social motives

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:15:00 -0600

Listen to John Schmidt discuss Jesse Binga on Eight Forty-Eight

Today the street where Jesse Binga lived is named for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. That's appropriate. When the street was called South Park Avenue and Binga lived at number 5922, the house became a symbol of the civil rights struggle.

Jesse Binga was a go-getter. Born in Detroit in 1865, he started out to be a barber like his father. He moved through a number of jobs before settling in Chicago at the time of the 1893 World's Fair. A few years later he entered the real estate business.

Chicago's African-American population was small at the turn of the 20th Century, but that was about to change. Here Binga saw his opportunity.

During the first decades of the new century, Southern blacks began moving north. Chicago's neighborhoods were segregated, like most northern cities. The newcomers settled into a narrow section of the South Side. but as more people arrived, they began to burst the boundaries of the "Black Belt."

Jesse Binga became the main agent of racial succession. He bought property from whites who wanted to move out, fixed it up, then resold to blacks who needed a place to live. He helped his people--and he got rich.

From real estate he moved into banking. He took over a failed bank at State and 36th and reopened it as the Binga Bank, the city's first black-owned financial institution. In 1910 he ran for the County Board as a Republican, but lost. After that he steered clear of politics.

Binga moved to South Park Avenue in 1917. The Washington Park neighborhood was then all-white. He received death threats and the house was repeatedly bombed. He had to hire 24-hour security guards.

Binga defiantly refused to move. He was an American citizen and could live where he pleased. Years passed before the violence finally stopped.

The Binga business empire reached its peak during the 1920s. He rechartered the bank as the Binga State Bank and erected a new building at the northwest corner of State and 35th. Next to it he constructed a five-story office building called the Binga Arcade. He announced plans to open another, federally-chartered bank.

Then the stock market crashed. The Depression followed, the Binga State Bank failed and thousands of African-American depositors were wiped out.

Binga was wiped out, too. He served a prison sentence for embezzlement, though many thought the charges were trumped up and he was later pardoned by the governor. He spent his last years working as a janitor at St. Anselm Church, for $15 a week.

Jesse Binga died in 1950. His home is a registered Chicago Landmark, and is privately owned.

South Side Aldermanic Races

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:31:00 -0600

Updated At: 11:35 Among the Election Day highlights on the city's South Side: Ald. Freddrenna Lyle will face challenger Roderick Sawyer in an April runoff in Chicago's 6th Ward, while Grammy-award winning rapper Che "Rhymefest" Smith has made it into a runoff race for a Chicago City Council seat. With all precincts reporting, the rapper had 20 percent of the vote, trailing incumbent Alderman Willie Cochran, who had 46 percent. There will also be runoffs in the 15th and 16th wards.

Alderman Ward 2

55 of 56 precincts - 98 percent

Bob Fioretti, (i) 7,836 - 55 percent

Genita Robinson, 4,442 - 31 percent

Enrique Perez, 640 - 4 percent

Melissa Callahan, 634 - 4 percent

Federico Sciammarella, 616 - 4 percent

James Bosco, 157 - 1 percent

Alderman Ward 3

47 of 50 precincts - 94 percent

Pat Dowell, (i) 5,758 - 68 percent

Ebony Tillman, 2,756 - 32 percent

Alderman Ward 4

46 of 52 precincts - 88 percent

Will Burns, 7,456 - 65 percent

Lori Yokoyama, 1,104 - 10 percent

Norman Bolden, 1,077 - 9 percent

Brian Scott, 803 - 7 percent

George Rumsey, 576 - 5 percent

Adam Miguest, 348 - 3 percent

James Williams, 161 - 1 percent

Alderman Ward 5

55 of 55 precincts - 100 percent

Leslie Hairston, (i) 7,217 - 62 percent

Anne Marie Miles, 2,489 - 21 percent

Glenn Ross, 826 - 7 percent

Carol Hightower Chalmers, 701 - 6 percent

Michele Tankersley, 451 - 4 percent

Alderman Ward 6

63 of 64 precincts - 98 percent

Freddrenna Lyle, (i) 6,573 - 45 percent

Roderick Sawyer, 3,689 - 25 percent

Richard Wooten, 2,893 - 20 percent

Cassandra Goodrum-Burton, 940 - 6 percent

Sekum Walker, 337 - 2 percent

Brian Sleet, 303 - 2 percent

Alderman Ward 7

61 of 61 precincts - 100 percent

Sandi Jackson, (i) 6,506 - 53 percent

Darcel Beavers, 3,223 - 26 percent

Gregory Mitchell, 1,542 - 13 percent

Lionell Martin, 467 - 4 percent

Deborah Washington, 334 - 3 percent

Sidney Brooks, 179 - 1 percent

Alderman Ward 8

66 of 70 precincts - 94 percent

Michelle Harris, (i) 9,789 - 68 percent

Faheem Shabazz, 2,082 - 15 percent

James Daniels, 1,752 - 12 percent

Bertha Starks, 682 - 5 percent

Alderman Ward 9

52 of 53 precincts - 98 percent

Anthony Beale, (i) 6,201 - 58 percent

Harold Ward, 1,946 - 18 percent

Sandra Walters, 1,751 - 16 percent

Eddie Reed, 780 - 7 percent

Alderman Ward 10

48 of 48 precincts - 100 percent

John Pope, (i) 6,298 - 59 percent

Richard Martinez, 3,801 - 36 percent

Joseph Nasella, 421 - 4 percent

Jose Leon, 110 - 1 percent

Alderman Ward 11

50 of 50 precincts - 100 percent

James Balcer, (i) 6,712 - 61 percent

John Kozlar, 2,449 - 22 percent

Carl Segvich, 1,787 - 16 percent

Alderman Ward 12

24 of 24 precincts - 100 percent

George Cardenas, (i) 2,680 - 55 percent

Jose Guereca, 911 - 19 percent

Jesse Iniguez, 796 - 16 percent

Alberto Bocanegra, 321 - 7 percent

Maria Ortiz, 137 - 3 percent

Alderman Ward 15

52 of 52 precincts - 100 percent

Toni Foulkes, (i) 3,088 - 44 percent

Raymond Lopez, 1,042 - 15 percent

Harold Bailey, 765 - 11 percent

Sammy Pack, 730 - 10 percent

Felicia Simmons-Stovall, 573 - 8 percent

Syron Smith, 415 - 6 percent

Sandra Mallory, 368 - 5 percent

Alderman Ward 16

44 of 44 precincts - 100 percent

JoAnn Thompson, (i) 2,626 - 43 percent

Hal Baskin, 1,367 - 23 percent

Eric Hermosillo, 957 - 16 percent

Javier Diaz, 269 - 4 percent

Eddie Johnson, 211 - 3 percent

Tameka Gavin, 204 - 3 percent

Ronald Mitchell, 196 - 3 percent

Jonathan Stamps, 128 - 2 percent

Jeffrey Lewis, 93 - 2 percent

Alderman Ward 17

57 of 64 precincts - 89 percent

Latasha Thomas, (i) 4,380 - 49 percent

David Moore, 1,696 - 19 percent

Antoine Members, 1,002 - 11 percent

Ronald Carter, 518 - 6 percent

Michael Daniels, 442 - 5 percent

Twaundella Taylor, 349 - 4 percent

Paulette Coleman, 273 - 3 percent

Virgil Means, 219 - 2 percent

Alderman Ward 18

62 of 62 precincts - 100 percent

Lona Lane, (i) 7,774 - 51 percent

Chuks Onyezia, 2,450 - 16 percent

Joseph Ziegler, 2,255 - 15 percent

Michael Davis, 2,163 - 14 percent

Manny Roman, 711 - 5 percent

Alderman Ward 19

63 of 63 precincts - 100 percent

Matthew O'Shea, 14,426 - 61 percent

Anne Schaible, 6,526 - 28 percent

Phillip Sherlock, 1,315 - 6 percent

George Newell, 725 - 3 percent

Ray Coronado, 592 - 3 percent

Alderman Ward 20

50 of 50 precincts - 100 percent

Willie Cochran, (i) 3,403 - 46 percent

Che Smith, 1,469 - 20 percent

George Davis, 1,201 - 16 percent

Andre Smith, 1,079 - 15 percent

Sid Shelton, 241 - 3 percent

Alderman Ward 21

70 of 74 precincts - 95 percent

Howard Brookins, (i) 8,004 - 56 percent

Sheldon Sherman, 2,797 - 19 percent

Patricia Foster, 1,706 - 12 percent

Sylvia Jones, 1,537 - 11 percent

Jerome Maddox, 309 - 2 percent

Alderman Ward 23

54 of 54 precincts - 100 percent

Michael Zalewski, (i) 8,581 - 53 percent

Anna Goral, 5,511 - 34 percent

Chuck Maida, 2,231 - 14 percent

Alderman Ward 34

61 of 61 precincts - 100 percent

Carrie Austin, (i) 9,170 - 65 percent

Henry Moses, 2,123 - 15 percent

Shirley White, 1,533 - 11 percent

Burl McQueen, 659 - 5 percent

Michael Mayden, 618 - 4 percent

Updated At: 9:35 p.m. Grammy-winning hip-hopper Che “Rhymefest” Smith appears to have forced a runoff in the 20th Ward. Incumbent Ald. Willie Cochran has a substantial lead, but he has so far drawn less than 50 percent of the vote. Here's the latest look at numbers from South Side aldermanic races:

Updated At 8:30 p.m. A runoff appears likely in Chicago's 6th Ward. Here are the numbers in that race, with 91 percent of precincts reporting:

Here's a look at some of the races WBEZ is focusing on:

3rd Ward
Ald. Pat Dowell was elected in 2007, replacing longtime Ald. Dorothy Tillman. Tillman’s daughter Ebony tried is trying to best Dowell. Many in the ward saw the contest between Dowell and the younger Tillman as a revenge race. In 2007 Dowell, who is a former urban planner, had the support of many young professionals in the ward who are eager for development in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood. But the economy plummeted during Dowell’s term and development stalled. In this election season, she landed endorsements from The Service Employees International Union, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and For A Better Chicago PAC. Ebony Tillman did not return phone calls from WBEZ about her candidacy. Her website said she wants to bring big box retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, etc. to the ward.

4th Ward
The 4th Ward includes the neighborhood of Hyde Park– a progressive, politically independent part of the city. The ward had been led by Toni Preckwinkle, who relinquished her seat after winning the presidency of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Illinois State Rep. Will Burns was the likely heir apparent to Preckwinkle’s former seat, and he scored her endorsement early in the race. The SEIU, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and For A Better Chicago PAC also endorsed Burns. Burns has an extensive public policy background that resonated with residents in the ward. He campaigned on bringing more retail shopping options to the area.

6th Ward
Roderick Sawyer ran against incumbent Freddrenna Lyle. Sawyer is the son of the late Eugene Sawyer, former 6th Ward alderman and mayor of Chicago. Sawyer argued the ward was neglected with blight. He benefitted from deep community connections and name recognition. The SEIU-backed Lyle struck a chord with seniors. The 6th ward covers Chatham and Park Manor – black middle-class neighborhoods that tend to be politically mobilized. Chatham has seen an uptick in crime, which has made residents nervous.

7th Ward
The race for 7th Ward alderman featured two women with deep political ties. Ald. Sandi Jackson is the wife of U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., whose father is the Rev. Jesse Jackson. She took this South Side ward four years ago by beating Darcel Beavers, who was appointed to finish the term of her father, William Beavers. He left the office in 2006, after serving as alderman for 23 years.

Sandi Jackson ran on a platform of economic revitalization. Specifics included development of a large retail and housing complex on the site of the former USX steel plant.

10th Ward

The 10th ward comprises portions of several Southeast Side neighborhoods: South Chicago, South Deering, the East Side and Hegewisch. The area was once an industrial powerhouse but as manufacturers left, the ward’s struggled with crime, unemployment and the question of how to make use of large tracts of former factory space.

The two front runners differed in how they approached economic development. The incumbent, John Pope, ran on a platform that included attracting clean industrial jobs. Richard Martinez campaigned on moving the ward away from reliance on heavy industry.

Two other candidates, Joseph NaSella and Jose Leon, made little impact during the aldermanic contest.

19th Ward

The aldermanic race in this Southwest side ward began when Ald. Ginger Rugai, announced she would retire. The five candidates that vied for her seat included Rugai’s longtime aid and ward committeeman Matt O’Shea. His opponents included Ray Coronado, George Newell, Anne Schaible, Phil Sherlock and Diane Phillips. O’Shea and Schaible dominated the race during the campaign.

The ward includes portions of the Morgan Park and Beverly neighborhoods. Top campaign issues include how best to revitalize retail strips along 95th Street and Western Avenue.

20th Ward
Grammy-winning hip-hopper Che “Rhymefest” Smith challenged first-term Ald. Willie Cochran. Smith enlisted help from fellow hip-hoppers and intellectuals, including Cornel West. Smith brought energy and youthfulness - and of course, celebrity – to the race. Cochran is regarded relatively well in the ward for bringing some affordable housing and commercial development. Since the last aldermanic election the ward’s taken a hit from foreclosures and stalled economic options. The ward includes the Washington Park and Woodlawn neighborhoods.

Natalie Moore and Michael Puente contributed to this story.

Are mayoral candidates ignoring racial issues?

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:34:00 -0600

Earlier this week, Eight Forty-Eight discussed the current state of race relations in Chicago and what the next mayor should do to address prejudice and segregation. This week’s cover story in the Chicago Reader argues that the candidates are spending little to no time on the persistent racial divides in our city.

Political editor Steve Bogira took an in-depth look at race and class differences across neighborhoods, from Chicago's far South to far North side. He especially zoned in on two neighborhoods—Edison Park and Washington Park. Bogira joined host Alison Cuddy in studio to share more about what he learned in his reporting.

Music Button: Liftoff, "The Collector", from the CD Dubbed Out In DC, (ESL)