Garfield Ridge is the 56th of Chicago's 77 community areas. Located from the Loop, it is on the city's far southwest side. , the area had 36,396 inhabitants. Named for Garfield Boulevard and a nearby glacial ridge, the area suffered from land of poor quality and was historically used as a transportation corridor rather than a place of residence. Annexed to Chicago piecemeal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the area's population surged during the 1920s after Midway International Airport was constructed. The decline in the use of Midway in favor of O'Hare International Airport led to a corresponding decline in population, which transitioned from being predominately Eastern European to having a substantial amount of Hispanic people. , Hispanics comprised almost half of the area's residents. In addition to Midway Airport, the area is home to other transportation. History Etymology The area is named for Garfield Boulevard and a ridge in the area from the glacial retreat of Lake Michigan. The area was formerly known as Archer Limits. 19th century The area was primarily used as a thoroughfare rather than a place of residence by both indigenous people and white settlers. Transportation through the area was done through Archer Road, the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and the Chicago and Alton Railroad. William B. Archer (for whom Archer Avenue is named) purchased of land in the area in 1835, followed by John Wentworth in 1853. Other speculators purchased land in the area, as did farmers, but few maintained a permanent presence. The area's land was soggy and received limited agricultural development throughout the century. Some of the earliest settlers were Dutch farmers; by 1899 the Archer Avenue Reformed Church had moved from nearby Summit and comprised 275 parishioners. Chicago first annexed parts of the area in 1889. 20th century Industry started nearby around 1900 and would soon enter the area, prompting residential development. Early residential areas were concentrated in the northeastern part of the area, known at the time as "Sleepy Hollow". Chicago annexed more of the modern area in 1915 and 1921. Garfield Ridge was one of the 75 community areas defined by the University of Chicago during the 1920s. The population first had a major expansion in the 1920s, surging . This was fueled by immigration of Eastern Europeans, especially Poles; by 1930 29.5 percent of the population was foreign-born and another 55.1 percent had at least