Mulberry Street in New York City. Taylor Street in Chicago. Both streets were colorful and well-known and played an essential role in the
early days of hundreds of immigrants. For many, these two thoroughfares were as
close to their homes back in Italy as they would ever come again.
Undoubtedly, they were not the most significant or
wealthiest Italian neighborhoods when first established and were probably
considered the poorest. As a result, Mulberry Street and Taylor Street became known as the
"Little Italy" within their cities' confines. The residents
tended to stay insulated from the rest of the city through language, customs,
financial and cultural institutions.
New York City was a major port of entry to the United States. To be exact, Castle Garden in the 19th century, followed by Ellis
Island from its opening in 1892 until its closure in 1954. Once the newly arrived emigrants passed
through the gates of the immigration receiving center, many found their way to
Mulberry Street…
Mulberry
Street…
 |
| Mulberry Street - New York City - circa 1900 1 |
Mulberry
Street is historically associated with Italian-American culture and history. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were the heart of Manhattan's Little
Italy. Countless immigrants, including many of my ancestors, began their lives in the United States on this
street.
New York City's Little Italy on Mulberry Street used to
extend as far south as Worth Street, as far north as Houston Street, as far
west as Lafayette Street, and as far east as Bowery. Mulberry Street is now only three
blocks long. My great-grandfather, grandfather, and great-uncles came to reside in a tenement at 118 Mulberry Street. The building is no longer there. Ironically, a place where so many immigrants
temporarily 'parked' while they settled into their new lives would be
transformed into what appears in more recent photos as a parking lot. By 2019, the lot that once housed a tenement and subsequent parking lot transformed for a third time into a multi-purpose building, including luxury apartments.
New York's Little Italy originated as Mulberry Bend. Jacob
Riis described Mulberry Bend as "the foul core of New York's slums."
During this time, "Immigrants of the late 19th century usually settled in
ethnic neighborhoods." Therefore, the "mass immigration from Italy
during the 1880s" led to the large settlement of Italian immigrants in
lower Manhattan. Such migration resulted in an "influx of
Italian immigrants," which "led to the commercial gathering of their
dwelling and business."
As more time went on and the community grew, particularly
after World War II, many residents began moving to Brooklyn, Staten
Island, and New Jersey. The dominance of Italians in the area was "relatively
short-lived." Due mainly to the quick financial prosperity many Italians
achieved, which allowed them to leave the cramped neighborhood for Brooklyn and
Queens. Immigration restrictions were lifted in 1965, and Manhattan's Chinatown
began to expand into what was once Little Italy. The area is currently referred
to as Little Italy more out of nostalgia than a reflection of an actual
ethnic population.
In 2010, Little Italy and Chinatown were listed as historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places.
Taylor
Street…
 |
| Around Taylor & Maxwell Streets - Chicago - circa 1901 2 |
While several Italian-American communities thrive
within the Chicago metropolitan area, Taylor Street seemed to be the port of call for Chicago's Italian American immigrants. It inherited the title
of Chicago's "Little Italy."
Taylor Street's Little Italy is part of a larger community — Chicago's Near West Side. Dominant among the immigrant communities that
comprised the Near West Side during the mass migration of Europeans around the
start of the 20th century were Italians, Greeks, and Jews. Other ethnic groups
vacated the neighborhood in the early 1900s, and only the
Italian-American enclave remained a vibrant community.
Other ethnicities have always been present in the area known
as "Little Italy," however, the strong influence of Italians and
Italian culture on the community throughout the 19th and 20th centuries
dominated. The Italian population peaked during the 1950s and '60s. It began
declining after the decision to build the University of Illinois in the area
was finalized in 1963. However, several Italian restaurants and businesses
remain in the formerly prominent Taylor Street corridor.
Italians began arriving in Chicago in the 1850s in small
numbers. By 1880, there were 1,357 Italians in the city. By the 1920s, Italian
cookery had become one of the most popular ethnic cuisines in America. Many
successful bakeries and restaurants—some of which prospered for generations
continue to influence the Chicago dining scene. By 1927, Italians owned 500
grocery stores, 257 restaurants, 240 pastry shops, and various other
food-related businesses concentrated in Italian neighborhoods.
The immigration of Italians accelerated throughout the late
19th century and into the early 20th century. Chicago's foreign-born Italian
population was 16,008 in 1900 and peaked at 73,960 in 1930. The largest area of
settlement was the Taylor Street area.
How do I answer the question, "What's in a street name?"
Technically I did not grow up on Taylor Street or any nearby
streets that make up the Tri-Taylor, University Village/Maxwell Street, or
Little Italy area of the city. However, my grandparents, parents, assorted aunts,
uncles, and a few cousins did, so I claim that privilege by
association. From the stories that I
grew up hearing, times were tough. There was the Spanish Influenza, the
Depression, few jobs, many mouths to feed, and two World Wars, not to mention Korea
and Viet Nam. But, there were also many good times shared. A closeness amongst
family and friends. Love and pride in the community and one's heritage still exist today in the recollections often repeated by those there. Not a bad thing.
RESOURCES:
¹Wikimedia Commons contributors, "File: Mulberry Street, New York
City (LOC det.4a08193).jpg," Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mulberry_Street,_New_York_City_(LOC_det.4a08193).jpg&oldid=410554170
(accessed August 3, 2020).
²Wikipedia contributors, "Little Italy, Chicago," Wikipedia,
The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Little_Italy,_Chicago&oldid=965385614
(accessed August 3, 2020).
