Streets of the Near West Side tells the tales of the individuals and events for which the thoroughfares of one of the most interesting neighborhoods in one of the most fascinating cities in the world are named. Presidents, priests, politicians, pharmacists, physicians, soldiers, businessmen, real estate developers, financiers, philanthropists, Revolutionary and Civil War battles, Indian chiefs, Southern plantations, immigrants, playwrights, poets, and tavern owners all are part of Chicago's history--and their stories can be found in Streets of the Near West Side. Streets of the Near West Side also recounts events that happened in the area, from long-ago tales of the Chicago Cubs playing on Polk Street, to news pertinent to today's breaking headlines.