[1] After the expulsion of the Potawatomi as part of the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, the area that is now West Pullman was settled by westbound settlers.

Nicknamed "Bumtown", the commercial district around Kensington station was frequented by residents of neighboring Pullman, a dry town.

Further deindustrialization, combined with suburban development, led to a similar racial turnover in West Pullman as occurred in much of the South Side; the neighborhood was 99.8% white in 1960 and 94% black in 1980.

Located along several major railways and the Calumet Sag Channel, West Pullman was and remains a mostly blue collar community.

Much of the heavy industry the area relied on disappeared in the late 20th century, and it lags behind the rest of Chicago economically.

The 10 MW plant utilizes 32,800 SunPower solar panels, spans 39 acres (160,000 m2), and generates enough power to supply energy to approximately 1500 homes in the Midwest.

Major Taylor Trail[9] - 6 Miles Gano Park Morgan Field Park Cooper Park (Jack Leroy) Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Community Center Corps[10] Lion's Field Kroc Community Center According to the Pritzker School of Medicine, fourteen percent (14%) of the West Pullman population is uninsured, though ninety-two percent (92%) report having a consistent primary care provider.

[13] At the local level, West Pullman is located in Chicago's 9th and 34th wards represented by Democrats Anthony Beale and Carrie Austin respectively.

Main line Electric District trains stop at Kensington station, just across the community's northern boundary.