Dunning is one of 77 officially designated community areas of the city of Chicago, Illinois. In 1851, the small, rural settlement that would later become Dunning, was chosen by the Cook County Board of Commissioners to be the site of Chicago's new Poorhouse and Insane Asylum. Often referred to as the County Poor Farm, the institution lat…Dunning is one of 77 officially designated community areas of the city of Chicago, Illinois. In 1851, the small, rural settlement that would later become Dunning, was chosen by the Cook County Board of Commissioners to be the site of Chicago's new Poorhouse and Insane Asylum. Often referred to as the County Poor Farm, the institution later expanded to include a separate insane asylum, potters field, tuberculosis hospital, schoolhouse and many support buildings. In 1865, the Dunning family bought 120 acres of land south of the Poor Farm. By 1882, the County Commissioners had built a train depot on the hospital grounds and arranged for a daily train to deliver supplies directly to the Poor Farm. The depot was named "Dunning" in honor of the nearby, property owners. The settlement surrounding the depot also began to be referred to as Dunning. In the early 20th century, Dunning attracted many new immigrants, including people of Swedish, German, and Polish descent.
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