Douglas (Bronzeville) in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Bishop Louis Henry Ford

1914-1995

— Bronzeville Walk of Fame —

Bishop Louis Henry Ford Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 13, 2026

1. Bishop Louis Henry Ford Marker

Inscription. Presiding prelate Churches of God International

Erected 1996.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Bronzeville Walk of Fame series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.

Location. 41° 50.052′ N, 87° 37.055′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Douglas (Bronzeville). It is on South Dr. Martin Luther King Drive south of 33rd Boulevard, on the right. The marker is embedded into the sidewalk on the west side of King Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chicago IL 60616, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker:

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Oscar DePriest (within shouting distance of this marker); Mahalia Jackson (within shouting distance of this marker); William L. Dawson (within shouting distance of this marker); Claude Albert Barnett / Etta Moten Barnett (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Theodore K. Lawless (about 400 feet away); Ernest Griffin (about 500 feet away); Robert W. Roloson Houses (about 600 feet away); John Lee Williamson (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

Other markers no longer nearby. Camp Douglas (was about 400 feet away but has been confirmed missing); Douglas Plaza (was about 400 feet away but has been permanently removed).

Regarding Bishop Louis Henry Ford. Louis Ford was born in Mississippi and moved to Chicago in the 1930s, becoming a prominent preacher in the Church of God in Christ and civil rights advocate. In 1955, he gave the eulogy for Emmett Till. In 1990, he became the church's presiding bishop, a role he held until his death in 1995.

Bishop Ford remains a well-known name for Chicagoans, if only because he is the namesake of the Bishop Ford Freeway, the stretch of

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 13, 2026

2. Bishop Louis Henry Ford Marker

Interstate 94 that was formerly known as the Calumet Expressway. That stretch of I-94, between I-57 and 170th Street, was renamed in 1996.

Also see . . . Chicago Crusader: Bishop Ford’s former mansion traveled by flatbed on King Drive 45 years ago. Bishop Ford's home was the Clarke House, which still stands today as Chicago's oldest surviving structure. Originally located on the near south side of the city, it was moved a few miles south after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and stayed there until Ford had it moved close to its original location. The home today is a museum. (Submitted on May 22, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 21 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.