History in West Garfield Park

George Halas founded the Chicago Bears.  'Nuff said.  He coached the team for 40 years and was general manager a decade thereafter.  He lived at 4356 West Washington Boulevard when he founded the team in 1922, the same year the American Professional Football Association became the NFL.  Under Halas, the Bears won six world championships and finished two seasons undefeated.

Before founding the bears, Halas worked for Western Electric Company and was scheduled to be on board the S.S. Eastland before it capsized in the Chicago River on July 24, 1915, but he arrived late. 

The Golden Pumpkin called itself "the world's largest chinese cafe."  It opened in 1928 and was a performance venue for the likes of Gene Krupa and Bud Freeman.  The Golden Pumpkin was located in the Madison District at 3829 West Madison Street, which was a major musical theater district.  Thelma Terry, a famous jazz bandleader, and her "orchestra of smartly uniformed playboys" were The Golden Pumpkin's house band.  Terry was billed as "the beautiful blonde siren of syncopation," "the jazz princess" and "he female Paul Whiteman."