Robert W. Blythe <Bob_Blythe@nps.gov> Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997
Dear Mr. Broski:
As an architectural historian, an alumnus of the UIC M.A. program in the History of Architecture, and a long-time blues lover, I am writing to urge you to find some way to preserve what remains of the Maxwell Street neighborhood in your redevelopment plans.
From my first arrival in Chicago in 1968, I heard the lore of Maxwell Street: the music that could be heard there, the food, and the fabulous bargains. Maxwell Street is a unique part of the history of American immigration, both external and internal. It also was one of the birthplaces of the electric version of the Delta blues, an incredibly rich and influential musical tradition that is known worldwide.
Surely there is a way for the university to expand without destroying this priceless heritage.
Sincerely,
Robert W. Blythe, Historian
M.A., 1992
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