The 4th Ward is one of the 50 aldermanic wards with representation in the City Council of Chicago, Illinois. It is divided into 28 election precincts. Lake Michigan is the ward's eastern boundary for much of its area. Its northwesternmost point, as of 2022, was located at the intersection of West Jackson Boulevard and South Clark Street and its southeasternmost point at the intersection of East 53rd Street and Lake Park Avenue.
History
The 4th Ward was one of six created upon Chicago's incorporation as a city in 1837. At the time its boundaries were the city limits at North Avenue and Wood Street to its respective north and west, Randolph Street to its south, and the Chicago River to its east. In 1847 it was moved to the Loop and Near South Side, being bounded by the Chicago River to its north and west, 22nd Street (modern-day Cermak) to its south, and Wells Street to its east. In 1857 the southern boundary was extended to 31st street and in 1863 the ward was significantly moved eastward, bounded by 16th street, Lake Michigan, 31st street, and Clark Street. In 1869 its southern boundary was retracted to 26th street.
In 1876 it was moved southward, between 26th Street and Egan Street (modern-day Pershing) and Lake Michigan and Clark Street. In 1887 it was moved south yet again, to the area bounded by the Lake, 33rd and 39th streets, and Stewart Avenue. In 1901 it was extended west to once again touch the River, which it would do until 1923. In 1923, coincident with the City being divided into its modern 50 wards, it covered Kenwood and northern Washington Park.
David K. Fremon wrote in 1988 that "No other ward has wealth and poverty in such proximity." Today the 4th Ward boasts 93,975 residents, with a racially diverse population that is plurality Black (46.0%), followed by White (30.2%), Asian (13.3%), Hispanic or Latino (6.4%), Multiracial (3.5%), Native (0.2%), and Other (0.5%). Between 2010 and 2018, the 4th Ward saw the second-largest population growth in the city after the 42nd Ward, driven primarily by the population influx in the South Loop.
List of alderpersons 1837 – 1923 Before 1923, wards were represented by two aldermen.
Aldermen# Council AldermenAldermanTerm in officePartyNotesCiteAldermanTerm in officePartyNotesCite John S.C. Hogan 1837–1838 Redistricted to the 2nd ward in 1838 1st Asahel Pierce 1837–1840 Francis C. Taylor 1838–1839 2nd John Murphy Jr. 1839–1840 3rd Seth Johnson 1840–1841 4th William Otis Snell 1840–1842 G.W. Rogers 1841–1842 5th Eben C. Chalonder 1842–1843 6th Daniel Elston 1842–1843 Later elected alderman again in 1851 in the 6th ward John Murphy Jr. 1843–1845 7th William S. Warner 1843–1844 8th James Poussard 1844 Asahel Pierce 1844–1846 Thomas McDonough 1845–1846 9th Henry Magee 1846–1847 10th Joseph Wilson 1846–1847 Robert H. Foss 1847–1852 Republican Later represented ward again (1854-55) 11th Charles McDonnell 1847–1849 Previously served in same ward 12th 13th Amos G. Throop 1849–1853 Later elected alderman again in 1976 in 11th ward Rogues, Rebels, And Rubber Stamps: The Politics Of The Chicago City Council, 1863 To The Present by Dick Simpson, Routledge, Mar 8, 2018 (page 30) 14th 15th Charles McDonnell 1852–1854 16th 17th William Kennedy 1853–1855 Robert H. Foss 1854–January 1855 Republican previously represented same ward (1847–1852); resigned in order to serve as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives; later elected alderman again in 1860 in the 5th ward 18th 19th William Colby 1855–1857 Later elected alderman again in 1860 in 1st ward Samuel Myers 1856–1862 20th 21st J.M. Kennedy 1857–1861 22nd 23rd 24th 25th William Baragwanath 1861–1863 Andrew Schall 1862–1863 Redistricted in 1863 to 1st ward 26th John T. Edwards 1863–1864 Redistricted from 1st ward 27th Benjamin E. Gallup 1863–1865 Samuel McRoy 1864–1866 28th 29th H.M. Willmarth 1865–1867 Alan C. Calkins 1866–1870 30th 31st Samuel McRoy 1867–1869 32nd 33rd John H. McAvoy 1869–1873 34th Harvey M. Thompson 1870–1872 35th 36th George H. Sidwell 1872–1874 37th 38th Jesse Spaulding 1873–1876 Republican Rensselaer Stone 1874–1876 39th John Wesley Stewart 1876–1878 Republican 40th James H. Gilbert 1876–1879 41st Herbert E. Mallory 1878–1880 42nd 43rd Amos Grannis 1879–1881 Republican William W. Watson 1880–1882 Republican 44th 45th Oscar D. Wetherell 1881–1888 Republican Previously served in 3rd ward S.D. Foss 1882–1884 46th 47th Thomas C. Clarke 1884–1888 Republican Previously served in the 5th ward 48th 49th 50th 51st John W. Hepburn 1888–1896 Republican 52nd Harry D. Hammer 1888–1889 53rd Martin B. Madden 1889–1897 Republican 54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th William S. Jackson 1896–1901 Republican Redistricted to the 3rd ward in 1901 60th 61st Abraham A. Ballenberg 1897–1899 Democratic 62nd 63rd Milton J. Foreman 1899–1901 Republican Redistricted to the 3rd ward in 1901 64th William E. Kent 1901–1902 Redistricted from 5th ward; died in office 65th Frank Doubek 1901–1903 Henry Stuckart 1902–1904 previously represented the 6th ward 66th 67th James M. Dailey 1903–1907 John A. Richert 1904–1923 Democratic 68th 69th 70th 71st John W. McNeal 1907–1909 72nd 73rd James M. Dailey 1909–1911 74th 75th Joseph F. Ryan 1911–1915 76th 77th 78th 79th David R. Hickey 1915–December 8, 1918 Democratic Died in office 80th 81st 82nd 83rd Timothy A. Hogan 1919–1923 Continued as alderman after 1923, but redistricted to the 11th ward 84th 85th 86th
1923 – present
Since 1923, wards have been represented by a single alderman. Elections have also been nonpartisan, though officeholders often still publicly affiliate with parties.
In 2021, the state government enacted legislation to change the designation for members of the city council from "aldermen" to "alderpersons".
+List of Chicago alderpersons from the 4th Ward since 1923ImageAlderpersonPartyTerm startTerm endNotesRef.Ulysses S. SchwartzDemocratic 19231925Previously represented the 3rd ward (1916–1923)Berthold A. CronsonRepublican1925December 23, 1937 (died in office)Abraham H. Cohen19391955Claude HolmanDemocratic1955June 1, 1973 died in officeTimothy C. EvansNovember 27, 19731991Toni PreckwinkleApril 2, 1991December 6, 2010Resigned in order to become president of the Cook County Board of CommissionersShirley Newsome20102011Appointed by Mayor Richard M. DaleyWilliam D. BurnsDemocraticMay 2011April 2016 ResignedSophia KingApril 13, 2016May 15, 2023 Lamont Robinson May 15, 2023 incumbent
See also 50th Ward in Chicago
References