Citizens' Association of Chicago records, 1874-1964.

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  • Creator Names Citizens' Association of Chicago.
  • Title Citizens' Association of Chicago records [manuscript], 1874-1964.
  • Physical description
    • 13 linear ft.
    • 1 oversize folder.
  • Collection summary Correspondence, minutes, account and membership books, aldermanic reports, ward maps, investigation reports, etc. of the Citizens' Association of Chicago (CAC: 1876-1964, 46 vols. and other items); plus news clippings, correspondence, minutes, membership and financial accounting ledgers, and reports of the Municipal Voters' League (1896-1939, 16 vols. and other items). The association dealt with such diverse matters as drainage, water supply and sanitation problems; election and civil service frauds; gambling and other criminal activities; fire protection; and revision of the Chicago City Charter; and advocacy for an Illinois Constitutional Convention (1913-1922). Includes diaries of Shelby M. Singleton, executive secretary of CAC for 35 years (1903-1914, 7 vols.).
  • Biographical or Historical Note The Citizen' Association of Chicago (CAC), the nation's oldest civic reform organization, was formed in 1874 (shortly after the major Chicago fire of that year) by a group of business and professional men, to institute reforms demanded by insurance underwriters for increased fire protection in Chicago. CAC soon expanded its scope to other civic needs. In 1939 it absorbed the Municipal Voters' League, which was founded in 1896 to oppose corruption, report on aldermanic candidates, and support honest City Council members. CAC studied ward-redistricting in the early 1940s, culminating in the 1947 redistricting ordinance. In 1939, CAC joined six other better government groups to form the Joint Civic Committee on Elections to provide poll watchers in wards with a history of election frauds. In 1949 CAC created the Citizens' Community Conference, an umbrella group of neighborhood organizations that was absorbed into the CAC's regular work in 1955.
  • Acquisition information Gift of the Citizens' Association of Chicago (M1966.0572+), plus ca. 75 items which were received from the University of Chicago Library in 1957.
  • Finding Aids Note Descriptive inventory available online
  • Location of Other Archival Materials Note Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include publications cataloged separately and a collection of 114 scrapbooks of news clippings, 1855-1909, compiled by J.C. Ambler for the Citizens' Association and cataloged separately. These volumes are fragile and have been withdrawn from use until they can be microfilmed. Poll watchers' reports (1940-1964) are cataloged with the Joint Civic Committee on Elections records.
  • Names
    • Citizens' Association of Chicago Archives.
    • Municipal Voters' League (Chicago, Ill.) Archives.
    • Citizens' Community Conference (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Committee of One Hundred (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Singleton, Shelby M. Diaries.
    • Chicago (Ill.). City Council.
    • Joint Civic Committee on Elections (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Kenna, Michael, 1858-1946.
    • Crane, Richard Teller, 1832-1912.
    • Singleton, Shelby M.
    • Citizens' Community Conference (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Committee of One Hundred (Chicago, Ill.)
    • Municipal Voters' League (Chicago, Ill.)
  • Subjects
    • Citizens' associations Illinois Chicago.
    • Civic improvement Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Civic improvement Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Election districts Illinois Chicago 1st Ward.
    • Election districts Illinois Chicago Maps.
    • Election monitoring Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Municipal government Illinois Chicago.
    • Political corruption Illinois Chicago.
  • Geographic coverage
    • Chicago (Ill.) Politics and government 19th century.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Politics and government 20th century.
  • Genre
    • Account books. aat
    • Correspondence. aat
    • Diaries. aat
    • Maps. aat
    • Membership lists. aat
    • Minutes. 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-C/CitizensAssn-inv.htm