Hawthorne Works facts for kids
The Hawthorne Works was a huge factory in Cicero, Illinois. It belonged to a company called Western Electric. The factory was named after the small town of Hawthorne, where it was built. It opened in 1905 and closed in 1983. At its busiest, about 45,000 people worked there! They made lots of telephone equipment. They also made many other products that people used every day.
This factory is famous because of some important studies done there in the 1920s. These studies led to something called the Hawthorne effect. This effect is named after the factory.
History of the Factory
The Hawthorne Works factory was built where Cicero Avenue and Cermak Road meet. It opened its doors in 1905. The factory was named after Hawthorne, Illinois, which was a small town that later became part of Cicero.
The factory had many buildings. It even had its own private railroad, called the Manufacturers' Junction Railway. This railroad helped move products around the plant and to the main Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad tracks nearby. In its first few years, the factory grew much bigger.
The Hawthorne Works made a huge amount of telephone equipment. But Western Electric also made many other things. These included different products for homes and electrical equipment, like refrigerators. At its busiest time, the factory had up to 45,000 workers. Workers often used bicycles to get around inside the huge plant!
The Hawthorne Works stayed open until 1983. It closed because of big changes happening with the company AT&T and the breakup of the Bell System. In the mid-1980s, a man named Donald L. Shoemaker bought the land. A shopping center was built there instead. One of the factory's original towers still stands at the corner of 22nd Street and Cicero Avenue.
Because it was so important for manufacturing in the United States, the Hawthorne Works was chosen for famous studies about how people work. The Hawthorne effect is named after this factory. Many important people in the field of "Quality" (making sure products are good) were connected to the Hawthorne Works.
On July 24, 1915, 220 workers from the Hawthorne Works died in a sad accident. They were on a company trip and were getting ready to leave on a boat called the SS Eastland in Chicago. The boat tipped over. Many of these workers were immigrants from the Czech Republic.
What is the Hawthorne Effect?
The "Hawthorne effect" is a term that describes how people might change their behavior. This happens when they know they are being watched or studied. For example, if you know a teacher is watching you, you might try harder.
This effect was first noticed from information gathered at the Hawthorne Works. A psychologist named Elton Mayo collected the information. Later, another person named Henry A. Landsberger looked at the information again. He was the one who came up with the name "Hawthorne effect."
Hawthorne Works Museum
The Hawthorne Works Museum is run by Morton College. This museum tells the story of the Hawthorne Works factory. It shows the products they made and talks about the people who worked there.
The museum has exhibits about Western Electric products, like old telephones. It also shows communications and electronics equipment. You can learn about inventions from Bell Laboratories. The museum also shares stories about the local immigrant workers and the history of the area.
