Greenhouses of West Ridge

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, West Ridge was primarily farmland where farmers, making a modest living, grew vegetables for markets in Chicago. These Luxembourgers and Germans switched from veggies to flowers when they found that selling flowers was much more lucrative than growing and selling vegetables. Given the proximity to Calvary and St. Henry's Cemeteries, mourners could simply stop somewhere along the way and purchase their flowers. And unlike vegetables, flowers could even be grown all year long in a steam-heated greenhouse! This led to the rapid growth of greenhouses in West Ridge. Join us for an evening as Dona Vitale tells the story of the growth and decline of greenhouse farming in West Ridge. This event is sponsored by the Rogers Park / West Ridge Historical Society. Accessibility Need sign language interpretation or other accessibility assistance for this event? Please call (312) 747-8184 or email access@chipublib.org to request accommodations. Requests must be made at least 14 business days before the event.

  Visit website