Hermosa, Chicago

Hermosa
Community area
Community Area 20 - Hermosa
This Hermosa church is where Walt Disney was baptized.
Location within the city of Chicago
Coordinates: 41°55.2′N 87°43.8′W / 41.9200°N 87.7300°W / 41.9200; -87.7300Coordinates: 41°55.2′N 87°43.8′W / 41.9200°N 87.7300°W / 41.9200; -87.7300
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Cook
City	Chicago
Neighborhoods	List Hermosa Kelvyn Park
Area
• Total	1.17 sq mi (3.03 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	25,010
• Density	21,000/sq mi (8,300/km2)
Demographics 2014
• White	7.3%
• Black	1.5%
• Hispanic	89.2%
• Asian	0.8%
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP Codes	parts of 60639, 60641, 60647
Median household income	$41,103
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services; 2012 American Community Survey, five-year estimates.

Hermosa is one of 77 designated Chicago community areas and is located on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois. The Hermosa community area contains the Kelvyn Park and Hermosa neighborhoods. The area includes the birthplace of Walt Disney and is the former headquarters of the Schwinn Bicycle Company. While being one of the smaller community areas Hermosa is one of the city’s most densely populated neighborhoods.

Today, Hermosa is a predominantly Hispanic blue collar community, with a sizable manufacturing base. Many of the people who reside in Hermosa have done so because of its convenient location to work, its relative proximity to downtown, and because of its healthy public transportation options. The Consulate-General of Honduras in Chicago is located in Hermosa at 4439 West Fullerton Avenue.

The Hermosa area originated as one of the many suburban crabgrass communities of Jefferson Township. The first verifiable proof of European settlement in the area occurred in the early 1880s after railroads where constructed through the area. In 1872, an extension of the Chicago and Pacific Rail Road was extended, passing through Hermosa from east to west. One of the first settlers was named Mr. Lathman, who built his house in the spring of 1882. In the same year, James F. Keeney, who owned much of the land that now comprises Hermosa, started building a number of houses within his subdivision. In 1884, the first large scale successful industrial enterprise, the Laminated Wood Company, was founded. In 1886 several other factories were also established such as the Expanded Metal Company, the Eclipse Furnace Company, and a warehouse belonging to the Washburn and Moen Manufacturing Company. The Keeney Company actively promoted the growth of Hermosa and ultimately helped convince the railroad to build a station in the area, which Mr. Kenney constructed at his own expense. By 1884, there were 30 houses and 150 people living in Hermosa, most of these original settlers were Scotch, German and Swedish immigrants. The first schools and churches were established in the area in the late 1880s and 1890s.

The first name for Hermosa was likely “Pacific,” but there is no verifiable record to prove this. The first official name for the area was Garfield, in honor of the late president. In 1885 the name of the town was changed to Hermosa for the reason of establishing a post office at Kenney’s rail station—there already was a post office named Garfield and the name could not be duplicated. A Mr. Peebles, secretary to the superintendent of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Rail Road, is credited with suggesting the name Hermosa, which means beautiful in Spanish.