In this section of the website I have posted a sampling of some of my findings for various places related to my family tree lines. I have always found it interesting to visit the places where our ancestors and family members lived and worked. This has taken me to some exciting places and has often led me to learn and read more about the historical development and evolution of a town, city, neighborhood or just a plot of land. As mentioned on this website’s Home Page, our Italian family surnames originated from different villages in Italy - in the Region of Calabria, and the Province of Cosenza. (You can view a map of this area on the Marano Principato page.) In addition to Marano Principato and Rende, I will soon post information concerning the towns of Piane Crati and Celico. Upon immigrating to the United States, many family members made their first home (or apartment / flat, in most cases) in and around the Taylor Street area, know as “Little Italy.” Taylor Street is the main street that runs through this area. This area is considered the “near west side of Chicago” as it is about 5-7 miles west of downtown Chicago. It is now the home of many of the academic departments for the University of Illinois at Chicago campus where many homes once stood at the turn of the century through the1950s. By the 1980s, some areas where large buildings and broken-down brownstones and three-story dwellings once stood, became empty lots. By the late 1980s and 1990s, townhouses and condominium buildings were being developed to house university personnel and students. During the late 1990s, the urban renewal that began in the late 1970s in the south “Loop” area of downtown Chicago, began to push west and finally effected the near west side. This meant a greater demand for housing and rehabilitation of the remaining homes from the turn of the 20th century (some of which were over 100 years old) for families interested in urban living. This is also affecting the areas in the areas south and north of downtown Chicago, while the downtown area is seeing the resurgence of upscale living in high-rises. Most recently, family members whose childhood and early years in the “old neighborhood” “snicker” at the rehab of the building and development of neighboring property located at 811 S. Lytle Street, formerly known as Mother Cabrini Hospital. After Mother Cabrini was canonized on July 7, 1946, the first United States citizen ever elevated to sainthood, the hospital name changed to St. Francis X. Cabrini Hospital and then officially closed in 1995. The rehab of the hospital included condominiums and lofts, as well as a penthouse. The adjacent lot, once occupied with apartment buildings that were razed in the 1970s to make room for a hospital parking lot, has now been developed with townhouses with under-home garages. In December 2003, the final stage of the Workforce Housing Project of 1937 called the Jane Addams Projects, were razed to make room for new housing development. These three-story apartment buildings, located along Taylor, Racine, Lytle and Cabrini, were home to many family members during the 1940s and the early 1950s. According to family members, these apartments were the best they had experienced, up to that point in their life. For some, it was their first apartment after becoming married and starting a family. Finally, some immigrants traveled from Chicago to Kenosha, Wisconsin – about 60 miles north of Chicago – to find work and settle with other family members or “paesani.” Descendants of these immigrants still make their home in Kenosha and surrounding suburbs today. Visit the Resources and Links page of this website to find further information concerning the special places in our family's history. Finally, the cemeteries page includes maps of many of the cemeteries where our family's deceased members are buried or entombed. Click on one of the buttons above or below to view each place. Check back often, as new information is posted.
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Copyright 2004 Robert M. Tenuta
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