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7th ward, Chicago

{{Short description|Ward in Chicago}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = 7th Ward - Chicago

| official_name = Ward 7

| other_name =

| nickname =

| settlement_type = {{nowrap|Ward}}

| motto =

| image_skyline =

| imagesize =

| established_title = Established

| established_date = 1847

| image_caption =

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| mapsize =

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| map_caption1 =

| coordinates =

| pushpin_map =

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| government_footnotes =

| government_type = Ward

| governing_body = Chicago City Council

| leader_party = Democratic Party

| leader_title = Alderperson

| leader_name = Gregory Mitchell

| leader_title1 =

| leader_name1 =

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = United States

| subdivision_type1 = State

| subdivision_name1 = Illinois

| subdivision_type2 = County

| subdivision_name2 = Cook

| subdivision_type3 = City

| subdivision_name3 = Chicago

| parts_type = Communities

| parts_style =

| parts = list

| p1 =

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| website = [https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/about/wards/08.html]

}}

The 7th Ward is one of the 50 aldermanic wards with representation in the City Council of Chicago, Illinois.

History

{{expand section|date=November 2024}}

The ward was created on February 16, 1847, when the number of wards in the city increased from six to nine. Also created were the 8th and 9th wards.

Past alders

The current alderperson for the 7th ward is Gregory Mitchell, who has represented the ward since 2015.

=Before 1923=

Before 1923, wards were represented by two aldermen.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
scope="col" colspan="7"| Aldermen

! rowspan=2 scope=col|# Council

! scope="col" colspan="7"| Aldermen

scope="col" colspan="3"|Alderman

!scope="col"|Term in office

!scope="col"|Party

!scope="col"|Notes

!scope="col"|Cite

!scope="col" colspan="3"|Alderman

!scope="col"|Term in office

!scope="col"|Party

!scope="col"|Notes

!scope="col"|Cite

|

!scope="row"| Elihu Granger

| 1847–1848

|

| Redistricted from 4th ward

| {{Cite web |url=http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |title=Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office. |access-date=December 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904052355/http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |url-status=dead }}

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 11th

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Charles Sloan

| rowspan=2| 1847–1849

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Peter Turbot

| rowspan=2| 1848–1850

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 12th

rowspan=2 style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 13th

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

! rowspan=3 scope="row"| George Brady

| rowspan=3| 1849–1851

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3| Previously served in the 5th ward

| rowspan=3|

rowspan=4|

| rowspan=4|

! rowspan=4 scope="row"| Elihu Granger

| rowspan=4| 1850–1852

| rowspan=4|

| rowspan=4|

| rowspan=4| {{cite book |last1=Ahern |first1=M. L. |title=Political History of Chicago: (covering the Period from 1837 to 1887) Local Politics from the City's Birth; Chicago's Mayors, Aldermen and Other Officials; County and Federal Officers; the Fire and Police Departments; the Haymarket Horror; Miscellaneous |date=1886 |publisher=Donohue & Henneberry, printers and binders |pages=116–120 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qxkVAAAAYAAJ |language=en}}

style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 14th
style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 15th

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

! rowspan=3 scope="row"| Charles E. Moore

| rowspan=3| 1851–1853

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

rowspan=2 style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 16th
rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

! rowspan=3 scope="row"| Ezra Taylor

| rowspan=3| 1853–1854

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

rowspan=2 style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 17th

|

|

!scope="row"| Maurice Evans

| 1853

|

|

|

rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Michael O'Neil

| rowspan=2| 1853–1855

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Elihu Granger

| rowspan=2| 1854–1856

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 18th

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 19th

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| James J.H. Howe

| rowspan=2| 1855–1857

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2| Previously served in 6th ward

| rowspan=2|

rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| John Dempsey

| rowspan=2| 1856–1858

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2| {{cite book |last1=Andreas |first1=Alfred Theodore |title=History of Chicago Volume 1 |date=1884 |publisher=Arno Press |isbn=978-0-405-06845-4 |pages=184–185 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wP0TAAAAYAAJ |access-date=26 December 2020 |language=en}}

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 20th

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 21st

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| John Dunlap

| rowspan=2| 1957–1859

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Henry Wendt

| rowspan=2| 1958–1860

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 22nd

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 23rd

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| John Alston

| rowspan=2| 1859–1861

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2| 50px

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard

| rowspan=2| 1860– 1862

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 24th

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 25th

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Alonzo Harvey

| rowspan=2| 1861–1863

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|

!scope="row"| James Conlan

| 1862–1863

|

| Redistricted to 15th ward in 1863

|

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 26th

|

!scope="row"| James E. Abbott

| 1863–1864

|

|

|

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 27th

| rowspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | 

| rowspan=2| 50px

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| John Comiskey

| rowspan=2| 1863–1865

| rowspan=2| Democratic

| rowspan=2| Redistricted from 10th ward; later elected alderman again in 1867 in 8th ward

| rowspan=2|

rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Joseph Sherwin

| rowspan=2| 1864–1866

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 28th

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 29th

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Avery Moore

| rowspan=2| 1865–1867

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2| Later elected alderman again in 1872 in 13th ward

| rowspan=2|

rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Max Schuler

| rowspan=2| 1866–1868

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 30th

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 31st

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

! rowspan=3 scope="row"| John Macalister

| rowspan=3| 1867–1869

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3| {{cite book |last1=Andreas |first1=Alfred Theodore |title=History of Chicago: From 1857 until the fire of 1871 |date=1885 |publisher=Higginson Book Company |pages=49–50 |isbn=9780832857249 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iKE4AQAAMAAJ |accessdate=12 July 2020 |language=en}}

rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2| 50px

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| James H. Hildreth

| rowspan=2| 1868–1869

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2| Redistricted to 8th ward in 1869

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 32nd

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 33rd
rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| William Batterman

| rowspan=2| 1869–1871

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 34th

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

! rowspan=3 scope="row"| P.J. Hickey

| rowspan=3| 1869–1872

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 35th
rowspan=4 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | 

| rowspan=4| 50px

! rowspan=4 scope="row"| Edward Cullerton

| rowspan=4| 1871–1876

| rowspan=4| Democratic

| rowspan=4| Redistricted to 6th ward in 1876

| rowspan=4| {{cite book |last1=Schmidt |first1=John R. |title=On This Day in Chicago History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XfJ2CQAAQBAJ |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |accessdate=21 June 2020 |language=en |date=28 January 2014|isbn=9781625847317 }}

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 36th

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 37th

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

! rowspan=3 scope="row"| Patrick McClory

| rowspan=3| 1872–1876

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 38th
style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 39th
rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2| 50px

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| James H. Hildreth

| rowspan=2| 1876–1877

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2| Redistricted from 8th ward

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 40th

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Henry Keber

| rowspan=2| 1876–1878

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 41st
rowspan=7 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | 

| rowspan=7|

! rowspan=7 scope="row"| John Riordan

| rowspan=7| 1878–1885

| rowspan=7| Democratic

| rowspan=7|

| rowspan=7| {{cite book |last1=Andreas |first1=Alfred Theodore |title=History of Chicago: From the fire of 1871 until 1885 |date=1886 |publisher=A. T. Andreas |pages=101–102; 865–870 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pw1FAQAAMAAJ |language=en}}

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 42nd

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| John McNally

| rowspan=2| 1878–1880

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 43rd
style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 44th

| rowspan=8 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | 

| rowspan=8| 50px

! rowspan=8 scope="row"| James H. Hildreth

| rowspan=8| 1880–1888

| rowspan=8| Democratic

| rowspan=8|

| rowspan=8| {{Cite web |date=7 April 1886 |title=Roll of the New Council, Including Holding-Over Aldermen and Those Elected Yesterday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=36889934 |access-date=20 July 2020 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}}

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 45th
style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 46th
style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 47th
style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 48th
rowspan=3 bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | 

| rowspan=3| 50px

! rowspan=3 scope="row"| Joseph M. Weber

| rowspan=3| 1885–1888

| rowspan=3| Republican

| rowspan=3| Redistricted to 8th ward in 1888

| rowspan=3|

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 49th

style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 50th
style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 51st
rowspan=5|

| rowspan=5|

! rowspan=5 scope="row"| William J. Murphy

| rowspan=5| 1888–1893

| rowspan=5|

| rowspan=5|

| rowspan=5|

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 52nd

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| William Love

| rowspan=2| 1888–1890

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 53rd
style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 54th

| rowspan=6 bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | 

| rowspan=6|

! rowspan=6 scope="row"| John A. Cooke

| rowspan=6| 1890–1896

| rowspan=6| Republican

| rowspan=6|

| rowspan=6| {{Cite web |date=27 Jan 1896 |title=All Fond of the Council |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/668107697 |url-access=subscription |access-date=1 July 2021 |publisher=The Chicago Chronicle |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}}

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 55th
style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 56th
rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| William J. O'Neill

| rowspan=2| 1893–1895

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 57th

style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 58th
rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Edward Haas

| rowspan=2| 1895–1897

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 59th

style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 60th

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Nathan T. Brenner

| rowspan=2| 1896–1898

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| William J. Murphy

| rowspan=2| 1897–1899

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 61st

style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 62nd

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3|

! rowspan=3 scope="row"| Henry F. Fick

| rowspan=3| 1898–1901

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3| Redistricted to 9th ward in 1901

| rowspan=3|

rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Nathan T. Brenner

| rowspan=2| 1899–1901

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2| Redistricted to 9th ward in 1901

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 63rd

style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 64th
rowspan=8 bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | 

| rowspan=8| 50px

! rowspan=8 scope="row"| Frank I. Bennett

| rowspan=8| 1901–1909

| rowspan=8| Republican

| rowspan=8| Redistricted from 34th ward; died in office

| rowspan=8| {{cite web |title=Board of Aldermen in Chicago Played a Role in Iroquois Theater Fire |url=https://www.iroquoistheater.com/chicago-aldermen-at-time-of-iroquois-theater-fire.php |website=www.iroquoistheater.com |access-date=30 November 2024 |language=en}}

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 65th

| colspan=7 {{N/A}}

style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 66th

| rowspan=10 bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | 

| rowspan=10|

! rowspan=10 scope="row"| Bernard W. Snow

| rowspan=10| 1902–1912

| rowspan=10| Republican

| rowspan=10|

| rowspan=10| {{cite web |title=Board of Aldermen in Chicago Played a Role in Iroquois Theater Fire |url=https://www.iroquoistheater.com/chicago-aldermen-at-time-of-iroquois-theater-fire.php |website=www.iroquoistheater.com |access-date=30 November 2024 |language=en}}

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 67th
style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 68th
style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 69th
style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 70th
style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 71st
style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 72nd
rowspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | 

| rowspan=2| 50px

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| Charles E. Merriam

| rowspan=2| 1909–1911

| rowspan=2| Republican

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 73rd

style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 74th
|

!scope="row"| Willis O. Nance

| 1911–1912

|

| Redistricted to 6th ward in 1912

|

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 75th

colspan=7 {{N/A}}

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 76th

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

! rowspan=2 scope="row"| John H. Helwig

| rowspan=2| 1912–1914

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

| rowspan=2|

rowspan=4 bgcolor="{{party color|Independent}}" | 

| rowspan=4| 50px

! rowspan=4 scope="row"| Charles E. Merriam

| rowspan=4| 1913–1917

| rowspan=4| Independent

| rowspan=4| Previously represented same ward

| rowspan=4| Ruble, Second Metropolis: Pragmatic Pluralism in Gilded Age Chicago, Silver Age Moscow, and Meiji Osaka, 2001, p. 239.

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 77th

style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 78th

| rowspan=4|

| rowspan=4|

! rowspan=4 scope="row"| John N. Kimball

| rowspan=4| 1914–1918

| rowspan=4|

| rowspan=4|

| rowspan=4|

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 79th
style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 80th
rowspan=3 bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | 

| rowspan=3|

! rowspan=3 scope="row"| William R. Fetzer

| rowspan=3| 1917–1920??

| rowspan=3| Republican

| rowspan=3|

| rowspan=3| {{cite web |title=The Common Council Full List of Aldermen Composing the Governing Body of the City of Chicago |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/668145924 |date=1919-03-01 |publisher=Chicago Eagle |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 December 2024 |language=en}}

|style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 81st

style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 82nd

| rowspan=5 bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | 

| rowspan=5|

! rowspan=5 scope="row"| Guy Guernsey

| rowspan=5| 1918–1923

| rowspan=5| Republican

| rowspan=5| Continued as alderman after 1923, but redistricted to 6th ward

| rowspan=5|

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 83rd
rowspan=3 colspan=7 {{N/A}}

|style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 84th

style= "background-color:#C0C0C0"| 85th
style= "background-color:#FFFFFF"| 86th

=Since 1923=

{{see also|List of Chicago alderpersons since 1923}}

Since 1923, wards have been represented by a single alderman. Elections have also been nonpartisan, though officeholders often still publicly affiliate with parties.

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
scope="col" colspan="2"|Alderperson

!scope="col"|Term in office

!scope="col" colspan="2" |Party

!scope="col"|Notes

!scope="col"|Cite

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"| Ross A. Woodhull

| 1923–1928

|

|

| redistricted from 8th ward; resigned from office

|

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"| Clement A. Nance

| 1929–1931

|

|

|

|

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"| Barnet Hodes

| 1931–1933

|

|

|

|

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"| Thomas J. Daley

| 1933–1937

| bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | 

| Democratic

|

|{{cite news |title=The New City Council |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/355103714/ |url-access=subscription |accessdate=April 4, 2019 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=April 5, 1933 |via=Newspapers.com}}

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"|

|

|

|

|

|

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"| Nicholas J. Bohling

| 1943–1971

| bgcolor="{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" | 

| Republican

| Resigned in order to accept an appointed judgeship

|

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"| Robert S. Wilinski

| 1972–1973

|

|

| Did not seek re-election after being redistricted outside of the ward's boundaries

|

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"| Gerald E. Jones

| 1973–1975

|

|

|

|

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"| Robert S. Wilinski

| 1975–1979

|

|

| Previously represented the same ward

|

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"| Joseph G. Bertand

| 1979–1983

|

|

|

|

!scope="row"| William Beavers

| 1983–2006

| bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | 

| Democratic

| Resigned in order to take office as a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners

|

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"| Darcel Beavers

| 2006–2007

| bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | 

| Democratic

| Appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley

|

style="height:2em;"

| 75px

!scope="row"| Sandi Jackson

| 2007–2013

| bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | 

| Democratic

| Resigned while under criminal indictment

|

style="height:2em;"

| 75px

!scope="row"| Natashia Holmes

| 2013–15

| bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | 

| Democratic

| Appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel

|

style="height:2em;"

|

!scope="row"| Gregory Mitchell

| 2015–present

| bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" | 

| Democratic

|

|

style="height:2em;"

Demographics

{{empty section|date=December 2024}}

Electoral history

{{empty section|date=December 2024}}

References

{{reflist}}{{More categories|date=December 2024}}

07

Category:1847 establishments in Illinois

Category:Constituencies established in 1847