Chatham and Greater Grand Crossing are two South Side community areas that are linked by a busy African American business district, spanning from 75th Street in Greater Grand Crossing to 79th Street in Chatham.
According to local business initiative Chatham Center Chicago, Chatham’s swampy land was settled by Irish, Italian, Swedish, and Hungarian immigrants in the mid-19th century and was known as “Mud Lake” or “Hogs Swamp.” By the 20th century, Chatha
m and its bungalows were home to middle-class African American families. Similarly, Greater Grand Crossing, also saw more African Americans moving into the community in the 1950s, according to Encyclopedia of Chicago.