Portage Park

      Prayer Points

• Pray for the development of ministries and organizations that focus on building up families. There are many young parents who reside in Portage Park. There is a need to train these young couples in parental skills and youth development.

• Although the neighborhood population has been increasing, there are many homes that have been foreclosed in previous years creating overcrowding in multi-family homes. Pray for peace as the neighborhood continues to populate.

• Pray for economic stability and growth in Portage Park. Many storefront businesses have closed down, resulting in a state of decline for those remaining.

• Although Portage Park is a very diverse neighborhood, there is little violence and tension due to ethnic differences. Praise God for the relative peace that the residents experience.

      Ethnic Breakdown

• Asian (5.2%)
• Black or African American (1.5%)
• Hispanic or Latino (34.5%)
• White (56.4%)

Neighborhood Background

In 1912 residents in the area formed the Portage Park District; in the following year, forty acres of land were established for the purpose of a park construction. The park officially opened in 1916 with events organized by the Portage Park Citizen’s Celebration Association.

The park became a hubbub of recreational activities and included a swimming lagoon, tennis courts, and baseball fields. As transportation improved throughout the city, the park neighborhood became a popular place to move to such that, by 1940, the population of Portage Park rose to 66,357.

Community activities continue to center on the park over the years. By 1990 the population decreased to 56,513 and was composed mostly of Polish, Irish, Italians, and Germans. To this day many social activities and athletic events are centered at the Park.