During the 1870s, the North Center neighborhood was only accessible by water via the Chicago River and by land via Lincoln Avenue, known at the time as Little Fork Road. In the later portion of the 1800s on through the early 1900s, roads were improved and the elevated train was extended making North Center easier to get to and subsequently more attractive to early settlers. Many European immigrants were drawn to the area and filled in the North Center neighborhood between two industrial districts, one to the east along Ravenswood Avenue and another on the west along the Chicago River, where most of the new residents worked.

Industry along the river proved especially important to the growth of Chicago. Clay was farmed from these banks in order to fulfill the high demand for brick buildings in the city after the Great Fire of 1871 inspired regulations against further wood frame construction. This boom in residential construction throughout Chicago carried over into North Center's history, resulting in a steady rise in population in the area. However, new residents began to protest the existence of the noisy and unattractive clay pits, which were eventually shut down and supplanted with landfills. Over time these landfills have all been replaced with thriving riverside businesses, housing, and the neighborhood's Revere Park.

Between 1940 and 1990 the neighborhood population dropped almost 40 percent, but the numbers are returning as area properties and businesses are restored and reestablished. Today, North Center is a vibrant family-based community where many generations have stayed through the years of fluctuation.