In 1889, Jane and her friend Ellen Gates Starr moved into a run-down mansion in one of Chicago’s most neglected immigrant neighborhoods [2, 10]. They called it [4].
Born in 1860 to a wealthy Illinois family, Jane seemed destined for a life of quiet Victorian leisure [4]. However, a "Grand Tour" of Europe changed everything. In East London, she witnessed the crushing poverty of the Industrial Revolution [6]. While others turned away, Jane was captivated by , a "settlement house" where university students lived alongside the poor to share knowledge and resources [1].
It wasn't just a shelter. It was a community hub that offered: