Hegewisch

      Prayer Points

• There is a strong presence of gang members in Hegewisch. Pray that no more gang members would move into this area and that gang members who already live there would find freedom from that lifestyle.

• Struggles with depression and hopelessness have resulted in a great deal of drug and alcohol abuse. Pray for the body of Christ to minister hope and reach out in caring ways.

• The younger and middle-aged residents have become disillusioned with religion and are ripe for the gospel. Pray that they would discover a true relationship with Jesus Christ.

• The neighborhood is in close proximity to a number of casinos. Pray that residents would not fall prey to the bondage of gambling.

      Ethnic Breakdown

• Asian (0.1%)
• Black or African American (7.1%)
• Hispanic or Latino (43.3%)
• White (48.9%)

Neighborhood Background

Steel Mills formed the backbone of Hegewisch’s economic development since its annexation to Chicago in 1889. During the heart of the Industrial Revolution, there were many attempts to organize employees to improve the poor conditions in the steel mills, resulting in a number of strikes, some resulting in violence.

The most famous of these outbreaks is now known as the Memorial Day Massacre when off-duty police officers hired by Republic Steel opened fire on the nonviolent demonstrators, killing ten and injuring hundreds more. After World War II, steel manufacturing took a major decline across the U.S., causing many to move out of Hegewisch.

However, the residents came up with creative ways to counteract the loss of one industry by focusing their efforts on renewal projects. They lobbied for a Metra stop, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, and a large block grant for infrastructure repairs. Currently, the residents of Hegewisch are employed by various industries, including DMC, a major Midwest distributor of Ford automobiles, and nearby Indiana casinos.