Garfield Ridge History
"Long John" Wentworth
The first prominent resident of the Garfield Ridge area was former mayor "Long" John Wentworth who was buying up most of the land of the current neighborhood in the 1850's-1860's as well as much of the land in nearby Clearing and Summit. He owned about 4700 acres in all. He built a large country estate at 5441 S Harlem in 1868. In about 1857 he opened a farm he called “The Summit Farm”, where he bred fine cattle, horses, and other livestock. Long John would ride the train out to his farm nearly every day from Chicago and then return to the city at night. The farm was his escape from busy city life.
After Wentworth retired from politics in 1868, he erected an estate house in the center of the block bounded by present-day Harlem, Archer, Neva and 54th streets and moved out to his farm permanently. At that time the entire area approximately from the I& M canal to present day Central on the East and extending South to 63rd Street was considered Summit
After Wentworth retired from politics in 1868, he erected an estate house in the center of the block bounded by present-day Harlem, Archer, Neva and 54th streets and moved out to his farm permanently. At that time the entire area approximately from the I& M canal to present day Central on the East and extending South to 63rd Street was considered Summit
Wentworth Farmhouse, 5441 S. Harlem, 1936
Map of Wentworth Land Holdings
After Wentworth died in 1888 his estate was controlled by his nephew Moses Wentworth and the farmhouse was sold to a former worker on the farm, Cyrus Parlin. The Parlin family continued to live in the farmhouse until it was demolished in 1968.
