Bridgeport

      Prayer Points

• As a growing ethnic community, Bridgeport is moving from a predominantly Irish and Italian community to a Chinese and Hispanic community. There is also a small pocket of Lithuanians living in the neighborhood. Pray for the emerging immigrant population and for their equal representation in the government.

• Bridgeport continues to be the home of many of the city’s workers and political leaders. Pray for wisdom and godly leadership in the government.

• There are a number of Catholic churches as well as a Buddhist Temple. Pray for the grace and truth of the Gospel to penetrate the neighborhood and reach those who come from a different religious background.

      Ethnic Breakdown

• Asian (32.4%)
• Black or African American (0.8%)
• Hispanic or Latino (27.0%)
• White (38.5%)

Neighborhood Background

It was the Illinois & Michigan Canal in 1836 that awakened the first activity in the area of Chicago named Bridgeport. Lumber yards, manufacturing plants, and packing houses opened along the river and canal as Bridgeport residents primarily worked in local industries. Residents began to see some change after the Civil War through municipal government employment.

The neighborhood has also been home to five mayors, including Richard J. and Richard M. Daley. Also a part of Bridgeport’s history is racial and ethnic strife: clashes between Germans and the Irish in 1856, pro-Confederate rallies during the Civil War, and Polish and Lithuanian gangs in the twentieth century have all had their strife.

Bridgeport remains a largely working-class community, and the number of Mexican and Chinese residents has grown. Because of its convenient geography, in direct line to the Loop, Bridgeport maintains a high possibility for future investment and development. In addition, the rise of the artist community has started to have its stake in this growing neighborhood, changing the cultural climate of the area.