The following history is taken directly from the book "North Mayfair, USA Volume II".  New NMIA members are entitled to a copy as a membership benefit. Non-members can purchase a copy for $8.00 by contacting Jim Macdonald. The history book is also available in local libraries.

Early History

Illinois became a state on April 13, 1818.  On January 15, 1831, the counties were redistricted and ours was named after David P. Cook.  As part of Cook County, Jefferson Township came into existence, and what today we call Mayfair was the Village of Montrose.

In 1849, the Northwest Plank Road was built.  It is now Milwaukee Avenue.  Our Elston Avenue was a plank road, and it was built about the same time.  Elston Road had tollgates at Division Street, one south of Lawrence and one at the intersection with Milwaukee Avenue.  Both the Milwaukee and Elston toll roads were owned by Amos J. Snell.

Chicago was chartered as a city on March 4, 1837.  In June 1889, Jefferson Township with our Village of Montrose was annexed to Chicago.  Back then, our area was mostly small farms.   Most of the buildings we see here today were built between the turn of the century and Depression era.

Early Families

Some of the early families included the Spikings, the Hardings, and the Ericksons.  William Harding of England sailed to America in the early 1800's and came to Chicago.  By 1836, he acquired a land grant northwest of Chicago.  Harding Avenue is named after him. 

Cornelia Harding, daughter of William Harding, married Richard Young Spikings.  The Spikings family was involved in the building of the Bohemian National Cemetery.  Many of the houses in North Mayfair and Albany Park were built by the Spikings.

William Spikings, father of Richard Young, was married to Minnie Spikings.  Minnie Spikings started a Sunday School for children of Bohemian cemetery workers, that was the start of the Mayfair Presbyterian Church on Kostner and Ainslie.

The Peter Erickson farmhouse was just north of Palmer School on Kostner Avenue.  The Ericksons were immigrants from Vastmanland, Sweden, who crossed the Atlantic on the sailing boat "The Charlotte", out of Stockholm in the spring of 1846.  By 1850, the Ericksons bought ten acres of land in what is now North Mayfair.  Mr. Peter Erickson bought acreage adjacent to the ten acres, and used it for pasture.  This land is now the north section of Gompers Park.  At the time of his death, he owned 65 acres in Jefferson Township.  His sons later bought 45 more acres in what is now Forest Glen.  At one time, the Ericksons built and owned eleven bungalows in what is now North Mayfair.  Most of the octagon bungalows in the beautiful 5100 block of Kostner were built by the Ericksons.  The Ericksons are buried in Rosehill Cemetery.

Other families included the Kreneks, immigrants from Bohemia in the late 1800's.  Frank Krenek and his wife bought property at Ainslie and Keystone.  They raised five children and most of them continued to live in North Mayfair after they were married.  Frank was very happy to be in America.  This is probably the first flag pole in North Mayfair - - dating back to 1911.  This house is still standing.

North Mayfair Improvement Association

In 1929, Gustav Reich and 23 of his neighbors started our Association. 

The North Mayfair Improver

In April of 1936, the first issue of the Improver, our neighborhood newsletter, was published.  Hans and Dale Bolling put together the Improver for over 13 years.  According to Dale, "The North Mayfair Improver is an important record of community life in the city of Chicago.  The Chicago Historical Society has recognized the value of the Improver and past and current issues are part of the permanent record of the City of Chicago." 

Public Schools

For many years, the building called The Little Red School House stood at the southeast corner of Kostner and Lawrence.  Miss Jennie Erickson of the pioneer farm family taught there for 30 years.  Another early school was on the northeast corner of Lawrence and Pulaski.  In 1925, Palmer School was built.  It was opened in September 1926, and named for John M. Palmer, a Civil War hero and 13th governor of Illinois.

Gompers Park

North Gompers Park dates from the 1920's.  South Gompers was built as a WPA Project in 1938.  The lagoon was excavated from a natural pond that was to the east of where the lagoon is now.  Longtime residents of North Mayfair remember skating there in the 1920's.  People have strong memories of days in the park:  4th of July community picnics, learning to dance with a portable Victrola and memories of the World War 1 cannon that was melted for scrap metal in World War II.

North River Commission

The North Mayfair Improvement Association is a member of the Commission that was started in 1962 by the Swedish Covenant Hospital, North Park University, Al Bank and the Hollywood Park Improvement Association.  The Commission has grown to more than 100 civic, business, institution, school and religious organizations all concerned with keeping this area as a good place to live and work.