Many Hungarians found a home on the South Side as decades of turbulence in their own country forced them out. They established churches and spoke little to no English, and as other immigrants entered the mix South Side became a miniature representation of the great American melting pot. [youtube ReXw9DgaCgI]
Race car driver, fighter pilot, and airline president Eddie Rickenbacker was a South Side native. Like many others in his neighborhood, he learned to work hard at a young age, sweeping floors as a child to help make ends meet. [youtube 084yNK0_gN8]
As the industrial age picked up momentum, South Side became home to some large manufacturing companies. Cheap, undeveloped land was plentiful and attracted businesses like Buckeye Steel and Federal Glass. The work was hard and sometimes dangerous, but there was certainly opportunity on the South Side.
Formerly farmland, Driving Park was home to many races through the year. Horses, cars, and even biplanes dashed to the finish for spectators’ enjoyment.
In 1924, the Children’s Hospital moved to Livingston Avenue from its former location near Franklin Park.