• Creator Names Gads Hill Center (Chicago, Ill.)
  • Title Gads Hill Center records [manuscript], 1898-1991, bulk 1914-1919.
  • Physical description 23 linear ft. (53 boxes)
  • Access and usage restrictions
    • 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.
  • Collection summary
    • 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.
    • 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).
  • Biographical or Historical Note 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.
  • Finding Aids Note Descriptive inventory available online for a portion of the collection.
  • Acquisition information Gift of Gads Hill Center (M1966.0630; 1980.0321; 2010.0054) and Brockie Dilworth (1996.0044).
  • Location of Other Archival Materials Note Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Gads Hill Center photograph collection (1980.0164) and a few publications.
  • Names
    • Gads Hill Center (Chicago, Ill.) Archives.
    • Gads Hill Social Settlement (Chicago, Ill.) Archives.
    • 1919 West Cullerton Street (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Austin, Ruth Correspondence.
    • Dilworth, Brockie Correspondence.
    • Martin, Leila Moss, 1873-1966.
    • Schwiebert, Meta K. Correspondence.
    • Austin, Ruth.
    • Dilworth, Brockie.
    • Schwiebert, Meta K.
    • Gads Hill Social Settlement (Chicago, Ill.)
  • Subjects
    • 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.
  • Geographic coverage
    • Chicago (Ill.) Economic conditions 20th century.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Social conditions 20th century.
    • Lower West Side (Chicago, Ill.)
  • Genre
    • Case files. aat
    • Correspondence. aat
    • Financial records. aat
    • Minutes. aat
    • Lists. aat
    • Reports. aat
  • Geographic name United States Illinois Cook County Chicago.
  • Finding aid URL Finding aid available online http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/M-G/GadsHill-inv.htm