Coast Guard Station Chicago History

Coast Guard Station Chicago is located on the southern end of Chicago's lake front in Calumet Park and was originally placed into service in 1933 as Station South Chicago. Before that, the previous station bearing the same name, commissioned in 1915, was located on the north bank of the Calumet River, just inside the river's mouth. In a continued state of growth, the station has undergone two renovations: the addition of floating boat docks and three mobile homes.

Early on in it's history, Station Chicago serviced only the southern portion of Chicago and northwest Indiana. Staffing consisted of a Chief Petty Officer and a crew of seven, with a life boat, pulling surfboat, and a dinghy.

Over the past 73 years, Chicago's area of responsibility has grown on four separate occasions. When Station Jackson Park first closed in 1964, when Station Chicago closed in 1969, and n 1986 when Station Wilmette became a sub-unit, which later regained its independent status in 2003. The most recent change was post-September 11 when Station Chicago picked up the remaining 120 miles of the Illinois river system extending south, nearly to Peoria, IL.