These two Chicago families’ histories help tell the story of a city

Family photos from the Atkinsons and the Bernsteins, two South Side families who have lived in Chicago continuously for over a century. (Michele Madison, Aryeh Bernstein, Newberry Library)

You might be familiar with Chicago’s most famous families — the likes of the Palmers, the Fields, the McCormicks — whose wealth and influence made a lasting mark on the city.

But there also are less well-known families who have lived in Chicago for generation after generation and who have helped shape — and were shaped by — this city. Like the Atkinsons and the Bernsteins, two families who have lived on the South Side since the 19th century.