Chronicles the history and evolution of one of Chicago's most unique neighborhoods, from its emergence after the Great Chicago Fire as a notorious crime and vice neighborhood, to its change by 1905 into housing the city's new booming printing industry, to its current desireable residential status.

A comprehensive historical reference on metropolitan Chicago encompasses more than 1,400 entries on such topics as neighborhoods, ethnic groups, cultural institutions, and business history, and furnishes interpretive essays on the literary images of Chicago, the built environment, and the city's sports culture.