ILLINOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://archive.org/details/sevenmilesofideaOOscho QQ O Seven Miles of Ideal Living" By Edward T. Scholl Copyright, 1957 BY EDWARD T. SCHOLL No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, without permission in writing from the author. Published By NORMAN KING CO., INC. BERWYN, ILLINOIS Acknowledgements To write a book of this sort information is needed; the best, of course, is first hand information. Many of our older citizens like to recall happenings of bygone years, so I prompted them to help me with these stories. Much was contributed by Mr. and Mrs. Judd Pope, Mr. J. B. McCormick, Mr. Paul Christley, Mrs. Roland Madden, Mr. George Echkoff, Mr. William GifTert, and Mrs. Elizabeth Campbell and Miss Lillian Ebinger, both descendants of Christian Ebinger. These stories and pictures gave me the meat of the story, but I still needed more historical background. The Chicago Historical Society, Chicago and North Western Railroad, Chicago Public Library, City Hall Library, Illinois Bell Telephone Company, the Library of Chicago, Department of Public Works, Mayor Daley's Information Bureau and the Chicago daily newspapers gave that much needed information. Church history was gleaned from the Pastors of the local churches. Bob Miller helped me with recent photographs and Mr. Robert Burke aided from the production angle. Thanks also are due to Mr. Thomas Laid- law, Miss Mary C. Burke and Miss Marianne O'Donnell who respectively helped edit the book and designed the jacket. I wish also to express sincere appreciation to the sixty or more people who related stories and gave me pictures to use. Without the cooperation of these wonderful people this book would still be only in my mind. Edward T. Scholl Contents EDISON PARK I 1830-1880 Ebingcr family comes to Edison Park; cultivates friendly relations with Indians; Christian Ebinger ordained first minister Evangelical Association; 1853 begins Edison's residential history; first called Canfield; Badeau purchases sixty-five acres; named it Ridgelawn. II 1880-1930 Schwiesowville, a part of Ridgelawn; first set of twins; land syndicate purchases land for Methodist church; Butler and McCabe construct hotel; Edison Park named after the Great Wizard of Electricity; letter from Thomas Edison; water supplied by artesian wells; the famous Albrights; J. T. Pope's stencil factory; new school built on Northwest Highway; Edison up in flames; Norwegian Lutheran Children's Home opened; first telephone office; Can Day in Edison; Edison Parkers "up in air"; Edison Park's outstanding Illinois training corps; Roseneath Country Club; "Our Boys return home; monument dedication; Edison Park State Bank erected; Christian Ebinger School built; new addition to Edison Park Methodist Church; Edison Park movie theatre; Church purchased from Sears Roebuck; His Eminence Cardinal Mundelein and Reverend Thomas J. Hogan organize St. Juliana Roman Catholic Church. Ill 1930-1960 Depression hits Edison Park; Flivver Brigade rouse home owners; famous people living in Edison Park; Wild West Days of "Jesse James" in Edison Park; housing project erected on Touhy and Overhill Avenues; St. Juliana Parish $750,000 building program; Edison Park Lutheran Church $300,000 building program; Norwegian Lutheran Chil- dren's Home enhance value of their property; Today's business sections of Edison Park; Federick Stock School built; Edison Park's biggest and costliest fire; Brotherhood Week in Edison Park; Fourth of July program in Edison Park; Edison Park's juvenile record: Edison Park boosts outstanding Explorer Unit; Edison Park today. ■ ■ ■■ • . . Edward T. Scholl NORWOOD PARK IV 1830-1880 Mark Noble comes to Norwood Park; Phineas Sherman's family living costs; first joint meeting in town; James Monroe Pennoyer School built; George Dunlap purchases land; train depot built; John F. Eberhart obtains option on about eight hundred acres; Norwood Park Land and Building Association established; first doctor in Norwood Park; Eberhart purchases hotel; the name Norwood Park established; first township board meeting; Dutch Reform Church erected, Norwood Park organized; ten ordinances passed pertaining to Norwood Park; toll gate on Norwood Park Avenue (now Northwest High- way). V 1880-1930 Toll gate on Northwestern Plank road, (Now Milwaukee Avenue) ; windmill oper- ated well supplies town with water; new water tower built; Norwood Park School built; Methodist Episcopal Church organized; Norwood Park under water; Norwood Park first telephone toll stations; Passionist Fathers build retreat house; Catholic Church erected; free bread chokes Norwood Park; smoke chokes Norwood; Immaculate Con- ception School and Church built; burglars journey through Norwood Park; ancient land- mark ripped down; Norwood Park annexed; Lutheran Church established; $55,000 field house completed. VI 1930-1960 Feeder bus fight draws interest; James Moreland elected Alderman; letter sent to North Western Railway; United community spirit; depression drops land values; Nor- wood Park citizens claim they're living hill billy life ; Robbers invade Norwood Park Bank; depression hurts church building programs; A typical block; dedicate St. James Lutheran Church; The Reverend Richard, C.P. of Immaculate Conception appointed new pastor; a marriage on roller skates; ground breaking for the proposed Resurrection Hospital; Adrienne Falcon parade; Norwood's Florence Gallagher, Miss Chicago; first senior Girl Scout troop in City; Mrs. Walter Valters selected Volunteer of Year; Norwood Park's outstanding Drum and Bugle Corps; Scouting in Norwood; Norwood Park's future. Foreword Truly Chicago made Edison Park and Norwood Park. Just as truly Edison Park and Norwood Park helped make Chicago. But when this writer surveyed this sprawling bee hive and tried to tell what makes this so, he ran into a major problem. There's just too much to say. How can one make these small towns come alive in the written word? How help a reader see and hear and breathe and taste and feel this throbbing part of Chicago, Edison Park and Norwood Park? Let us use the eye as camera and start by looking back to the year 1830 and moving over the years to the present time. We will meet the first settlers, see Indians, and encounter many humorous and many tragic events in our trip over the more than one hundred years it has taken to make Edison Park and Norwood Park the communities we know now. Many people will remember some of these events and many people will hear of them for the first time. In any event the story of these two bustling communities should be of interest to all. By Edward Scholl EDISON PARK Chapter I Today we find in a large measure, all our finer characteristics, noblest qualities, and grandest institutions are monuments to the pioneers who came to this country in the early days, overcame innumerable and terrible hardships, and conquered seemingly unconquerable situations. Thus we think of the Puritans who came to this Land of Freedom primarily that they might worship God as their conscience dictated. So perhaps in a lesser degree let us dwell for a moment and go back to the 1830's, when the Ebingers, who at first lived in Michigan, came to Chicago where the Kinzie's store represented all its commercial activity, joined in the gayeties of the isolated garrison in Fort Dearborn; and when Mrs. Barbara Ebinger acted as hostess to the great Indian Chief Black Hawk, when the picturesque statesman of the forest called on her husband to smoke the pipe of peace. A remarkable old lady with a wonderful personality was Mrs. Ebinger. She never mastered the English tongue but talked in German through her daughter, now Mrs. Sarah Wetthers, who lived with her for many years. Mrs. Ebinger was born in Inderback, not far from the famous university town of Stuttgart in Germany. Her maiden name was Reuhle, and her old home was "Anoving Vineyards", the district around Inderback being noted for the manufacture of wine. The transition from the old world to the new is a familiar story. Barbara's parents, with six children came to this country in 1832. Barbara Ruehl was then eighteen years old. The family settled at Page 1 EDISON PARK Ann Arbor, Michigan, and its first notable experience was a bitter one, the loss of its father, just six weeks after he had reached his new home. Barbara lived with her mother, brothers, and sisters, for two years, when she and Christian Ebinger decided to get married. Christian's parents, who were also German immigrants, had heard of the fertile prairies near the headwaters off the North Branch of the Chicago River, and wanted to take advantage of the opportunities presented there. The young couple made up their minds to accompany them. The journey was begun early in March, 1834, and occupied three weeks. A one horse wagon served to transport the household goods, and the single seat was cheerfully surrendered to the old couple. Barbara's honeymoon consisted of trodding every foot of the way from Ann Arbor, camping at night around a log fire with great pine branches for a roof, with her husband and his father watching in turn for wolves or hostile Indians. It required no uncommon courage to make the journey over the prairies in those days. The story of the Fort Dearborn Massacre, which had occurred a little over twenty years previously, was still a tale of terror among the pioneers. Arriving in Chicago, which was a cluster of log houses, around the famous stockade at the river's mouth, the Ebingers decided to move on to a point near the present border line between Chicago and Niles, when Dobbin, the horse, stepped on a rattlesnake while sunning himself in the middle of the road. True to form, the rattler brought his caudal appendage into action and then his fangs. Dobbin "passed out" a few hours later, and the Ebingers found themselves stranded. The land seemed fertile enough, however, and as it belonged to no one as yet, they cleaned out a few dens of rattlers, built a log house, and were able to raise a single melon in 1838. William Clark and Thomas Jefferson were their neighbors. To the north a settlement of Germans gradually grew up about "Dutchman's Point". Now in the Village of Niles and to the south in what is now Jefferson Park, there were but a few settlers, and to the east where Norwood Park now stands were dense groves and jungles of underbrush. From the first the Ebingers cultivated friendly relations with the Indians, and the red men and their squaws were always treated hospitably as they called in their journeyings to and fro along the old trail. Only on one occasion was this hospitality abused, but it occurred before the strange friends had had time to become well acquainted. The surprise and indignation of old Mrs. Ebinger may well be imagined when she detected a skulking red man in the act of stealing her cherished prize, a melon. Page 2 EDISON PARK Immediately she gave battle to the brave, and the marauder retaliated. He did not tomahawk his assailant, but he came near ending her life in a manner somewhat similar. The old woman wore a huge, old fashioned hair comb, and the Indian dealt her a severe blow on the strange ornament. It required the united labor of several members of the family to extract the comb from her skull. It is a cherished family tradition, however, that the thieving red man decamped without taking the melon with him. In the cabin, a year later (1834) was born a son to the Ebingers — the first white child to be born in Edison Park. Soon a thriving settlement sprang up about the Ebingers. A brother-in-law named John Plank, opened a tavern close by (now Milwaukee Avenue), and his place soon became popular with the wayfaring Indians. Mrs. Ebinger once saw an Indian woman buying whiskey and bread at the Plank Road Tavern and burying it in a little mound on her husband's farm. The squaw and her companion chanted a weird chant around the mound which, it was afterwards learned, was the grave of the woman's child. John Plank sometime later gave up the tavern and entered the ministry. He became presiding elder of the Methodist Church, and his name was honored in religious circles all over the state. Christian F. Ebinger, ordained in Illinois in 1840, became the first minister of the Evangelical Association. He held services for many years, and made frequent trips to other churches of the denomination throughout the state. A great cyclone struck the neighborhood in 1845. It shattered every window in the Ebinger home. Christian, Sr., who was a man of regular habits, started for Chicago to buy glass to replenish broken windows. When settlers from other neighborhoods arrived at the Kinzie store, they discovered that Mr. Ebinger had cleaned out the glass supply of the establishment. At that time storekeeper Kinzie never carried more than glass sufficient to supply one house and it needn't be a very large house, either. Mr. Ebinger was always regarded as a friend by the Indians. He was particularly well acquainted with Black Hawk and had many meetings with the famous chief. Black Hawk, in those days, was said to be a man of fine appearance. He spoke English fluently, and dressed in store clothes. In the year 1841, Frederick Ebinger, brother of Christian Ebinger, Sr., received from the United States Government, a grant of land which included the corner of Newark and Hayes Avenues in Norwood Park. Mr. Ebinger immediately dedicated one acre of this land as a cemetery. Shortly thereafter, a small group of folks met to organize. The result of this meeting was the formation of the Niles Evangelical Cemetery Association. It was no uncommon sight to see Indians about in those early days Page 3 EDISON PARK and many times they would stop and rest on this beautiful knoll. Black Hawk, that picturesque forest statesman, was well acquainted with some of the early settlers and it is on good authority we learn that a descendant of the great chief was buried in this plot of ground unnamed. The chief carried a red blanket, while the members of his tribe wore white' blankets. On one occasion a member of Black Hawk's band left his rifle at the Ebinger home, having evidently forgotten it. Three weeks later the band returned, and finding the rifle undisturbed, their joy was unbounded. They fired several salvos in the air and danced in joy around the house. From that time on the Ebinger homestead was said to be sacred to all the passing tribesmen. Barbara Ebinger's sister-in-law, the wife of Frederick Ebinger, was a resident of Fort Dearborn. She came from Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the companion of Mrs. Wilcox, spouse of the commandant of the fort. Mrs. Ebinger is said to have frequently visited her relatives at the garrison, and frequently participated in such social functions as were associated principally with the lighter life of the military post. Her life on the farm was quiet and placid. She paid frequent visits to Chicago and watched its daily growth. At this time there were signs on the streets reading "No Bottom Here", and she marvels at the transformation which has changed swamps and marshes into rolling boulevards, lovely parks, and miles of stately residences. It is certainly a wonderful vision of Chicago that is bounded in time by Fort Dearborn and the World's Fair. In 1850, John Ebinger, father of Frederick, died and was buried in the cemetery founded by his son. There were previous burials but records are not available for detailed information. Once a year the members of the Cemetery Association held a business meeting, always on the cemetery grounds. Travel in those days being much slower than our present day affords, their get togethers lasted the entire day, each member bringing his noon lunch. The road in front of the cemetery, now Harlem Avenue, in keeping with the era, was an old-fashioned dirt road, usable only in dry weather. On nu- merous occasions when a burial had to be made on a rainy day, the funeral processions would stop some distance from the entrance and continue on foot. It was a custom of the early days for neighbors and friends to dig the grave for their departed loved ones and to assist in every phase of the burial. This they did, not for monetary remuneration, but entirely out of love and respect. Adjoining the cemetery was a farm owned by the Jacob Wagner family, and still standing today is a section of the Old Homestead. Page 4 Dealt a severe blow in 1834, Mrs Barbara Ebinger with her nephews. years later rests comfortably Pas^e 5 EDISON PARK Space in the original plot of ground became more and more scarce, con- fronting the officials of the Association with a serious course to be considered, expansion. It was the unanimous feeling of the officials to approach Jacob Wagner, ascertain if he would sell a part of his farm, and if so, determine the all important question of price. Agreement was reached between both parties and the transaction completed. This procedure was repeated several times until ultimately the Cemetery Association had acquired the entire part of the Wagner farm lying west of Newark Avenue. Edison Park began its residential history when a real estate syndicate called the Illinois and Wisconsin Land Company in 1853 purchased three hundred acres of land, intending to subdivide the town of Maine Township and develop a paper town to be called "Canfield". Paying $21.00 an acre for the tract, the land company went so far as to lay out these three hundred acres into blocks, lots, and streets in anticipation of a boom following the opening of a railroad through the region by the Illinois and Wisconsin Railway. Even when conditions improved, the Panic of 1857, the distance of Canfield from the city, and the failure of the railway project, whose tracks later became the property of the Chicago and North Western Railroad, caused the subdivision to be abandoned. Nor was any progress made during the Civil War period. Then came the terrible Chicago Fire of 1871, leaving Canfield an abortive town. After that catastrophe, Chicagoans wanted to buy land outside the city and establish suburban homes in the country. Taking advantage of this situation in 1873 a Chicago real estate man, A. C. Badeau, purchased sixty-five acres of land at $600.00 per acre. The Illinois Wisconsin Land Company paid $21.00 per acre for this land, A. C. Badeau after a standstill of twenty years paid six hundred an acre and named his interest Ridgelawn on account of the suburb lying on the dividing ridge between the Des Plaines River and the North Branch; the name was considered appropriate by many. At the time of the Mr. A. C. Badeau's purchase, it was his intention, as well as that of George H. Pierce, to build a number of homes, and thus attract residents, but nothing was done. One of these homes Mr. Badeau built for himself to attract many visitors, stands on the corner of Overhill and Ibsen, and is being occupied now by Mrs. Roland Madden's family. Being within easy walking distance of Norwood Park and Park Ridge, Ridgelawn was regarded as a sort of suburb of these two communities. Paee S $$ ~3 P CD Chapter II 1880-1930 Atiemendous shock came to the village of Ridgelawn and neighboring towns in 1879 when Christian Ebinger Sr. died. His funeral was made a historical event both bv his neighbors and by members of the Evan- gelical Association. Bishop Esher presided, and most of those present had received important sacraments at the hands of Reverend Ebinger. Some he had baptized, others he had married, and a few he had both baptized and married. He was buried in the little cemetery off of Harlem and Pratt Avenues, then dirt roads. Barbara, after the death of her husband, was still a beautiful, well pre- served woman eighty years young, with few, if any of the marked character- istics which age is supposed to bring at 84. She moved along with ease, never thinking of the past but only of the present. This could be well understood when she exercised control oxer the extensive farm and took her share of the household duties. Schwiesowville, a part of Ridgelawn, acquired its name as Mr. Theodore Schwiesow purchased 1500 acres for homes and land for members of the family. These homes are still standing on the 6900 block on Overhill. In 1886 'Ridgelawn' became a prominent little village with possibilities for realization. It was greatly helped by the Wisconsin Division of the Chi- cago and North Western Railroad which ran through it. A farmhouse was used as the depot. Page 9 %.J-,.p, ; I IMNHS99MHHHHH^HBHHRHHH9HHHBr This is Schwiesowville. This picture was taken from Touhy and Overhill Avenues looking south. At this time many shoppers went to the intersection of Milwaukee and Lawrence Avenues, the most north-westerly transfer corner in the city, which developed a thriving local business and shopping center with a magnificent bank building, diversified shops, and an open market place. The first set of twins of Edison Park were born to the proud parents, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Schwiesow, on July 12, 1889. They named the twins Walter and Lillian; the latter was married and her name changed to Mrs. Earl Gore of 6945 Overhill Avenue. Though a small hamlet in 1890, Edison Park was an important stop on the Chicago and North Western Railway, as it was a telegraph station. In 1890 a free wheeled promotion of real estate subdividers under the name of McLean and Bierback purchased in close proximity to the farm house used as a depot, and Edison Park found its place on the map. Soon homes were scattered here and there and a new railroad depot was built and stores on Olmsted Avenue were erected. In the autumn of 1891, the Reverend S. C. Leavill, of Mayfair, Illinois, called upon Mr. William Zuetell (then local Chicago and North Western Railroad agent), to determine the prospect of organizing a Methodist Church in Edison Park. Their conference resulted in meetings being held every Sunday after- noon in the depot under the leadership of Reverend Leavill. At a social gath- ering, held November 25, 1891, at the home of Mrs. Leroy Krum, the sub- ject of organizing a church was considered. After a short informal discussion, a unanimous agreement was reached. The following were elected, December 8, 1891, as the first trustees of the church: Charles A. Weldon, John Ettinger, Charles Stade, Captain W.P. Black of Park Ridge, and Mr. Kletzing of Nor- Page 10 E D I S O N PARK wood Park. The land on which the church and parsonage formerly stood, Pratt and Oliphant Avenues, was donated by the land syndicate together with $500.00 in cash. The corner stone was laid in the spring of 1892 and the church was dedicated September 4th of that year. The Reverend W. W. Aylesworth was the pastor when the church was dedicated but left the next year when the Reverend W. C. Gage took over as pastor. The promoters of the village, McLean and Bierback Company whose office was at 97 Washington Street, capitalized on handbills that read as follows: "Chicago's Electric Suburb, the most healthful suburb in or about Chicago with conveniences surpassing all. For a home or investment it has no equal anywhere. Monthly payments on house less than you pay for rent. Buy now before prices advance. Title perfect. Abstract free. Broad plank sidewalks, graded streets and avenues and other general improvements. Pure air — no malaria - — no consumption — no rheumatism — always high and dry." In 1893 a big real estate firm by the name of Butler and McCabe bought up land near the depot and constructed a hotel composing eight apartments on the corner of Oliphant and Olmsted Avenues; also laid gravel road down Olmsted Avenue. This was to accommodate visitors coming to Chi- cago for the Exposition of 1893, but they were disappointed though because business did not flourish. Through the years dances and parties were held, there also. In 1903, Samuel Christley purchased the huge hotel on Olmstead Avenue from Butler and McCabe and opened it as an alcoholic sanitarium, but within the next two years it was rented out for family apartments. A number of houses were built, but many were abandoned during the panic of 1894. The community's growth of population was slow. During this time Samons, Blooms, Ebingers, and Schwiesow families owned most of the land. Finally the street lights came; the first were gas and the Village Marshall Hersher could be seen pushing a red cart at night lighting the gas lamps with a torch. These in time were replaced by electric lights and, as "Canfield" was the first village on the northwest side to be electrically lighted, it was given its present name in honor of the great wizard of electricity, Thomas Edison. The depot agent at the time was William Zuetell, whose first child was the first in the Village of Edison Park. He was a boy and they named him Edison after the town. Page 11 EDISON PARK METHODIST CHURCH 1. Mrs. Carl D. Gage, representing the Junioi League. 2. Mr. C. A. Wheldon, representing the Board of Trustees. 3. Mh. G. B. Campbell, representing the Woman's Society. 4. Mr. W. A. Grunau, representing the Build- ing Committee, with the contractor. Mr. John A. Johnson, to the left. 5. Our oldest member, Mr. Christian Ebinger. representing nearly a century of Christian life in Edison Park. 6. Mr L. O. Hagerup, representing the choir. 7. Mr. E. E. Keener, representing the Sunday School. K ' WAV Page 12 Page 13 OPEN LETTER The following is the reply received from the world's famous electrician THOMAS EDISON, to McLean Bierbach and Company: "Orange, N. J., May 2, 1893 Messrs. McLean, Bierback and Company 97 Washington Street Chicago, Illinois Dear Sirs: On my return to the laboratory, after an absence of several weeks, I find your esteemed favor under date April 2, together with several other communications from you, accompanied by newspaper clippings, all in relation to Edison Park. These have been persued by me with much pleasure. I appreciate very highly your action in dedicating your property to me, and sincerely hope that all your expectations in regard to "EDISON PARK" will be fully realized. From your description of the property I judge it to be a very desirable and favorable so as to render certain its future success. In conclusion let me thank you for the kind expression regard- ing myself contained in your letter under reply, and best wishes for "EDISON PARK", of whose progress I will be pleased to hear from time to time. Believe me, Yours very truly, THOMAS A. EDISON" Page 14 EDISON PARK Early home-owners at this time not mentioned as of yet, were the Blume, Hueback, Pope, Giffet, Wingert, Wagner and NefT families. Edison Park in 1893, belonged to the Park Ridge School District. As the community grew it became necessary to procure some building in the vicinity to be used for school purposes. During this year the Maine Township School Board and the trustees of the Methodist Church came to an agreement. So in January the church furnished the room to be used and the school board furnished the coal. This agreement lasted only a year and a half for the school board felt sure that the trustees were too extravagant with the coal. Mrs. Kingsbury was the teacher for this first school. The second building to be used was a large home on the southeast corner of Edison Park Avenue (now Northwest Highway) and Oshkosh Avenue. Two rooms were used for the first four grades and the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades went to the Central School in Park Ridge. The Central School stood across from the depot. Miss Etta Ward and Miss Marion Tri- man (later Mrs. Fred Gillick), and her sister Helen, became the teachers. The Village of Edison Park at this time was looked upon by many Chicagoans as the gateway to the big residential section of the future. Development within the last two years had been at a rate that tended to verify this; but, because of a lack of adequate transportation it tended to retard this section. Gradually, as desirable home sites near transportation became scarce and expensive, and lack of carline extension prevented opening of new territory, people were compelled to build farther away from rapid transportation, and section of the far northwest side that were idle for years suddenly blossomed forth. It was to the northwest that the majority of Chicagoans in moderate circumstances looked for their future homes, some of Chicago's largest sub- dividers declared. To the north and west, they pointed out, were old estab- lished thickly settled suburbs, where land values were comparatively high. To the south the development was destined to be largely industrial, inter- spersed with residential zones for workers who must live near the investment of money and labor in a generous measure. They regarded Edison Park at this time as the most pleasant suburb of city, where property was vastly increasing in value, and the handsome resi- dences brought out a steady appreciation in the value of property. Back of Wolf's grocery store on the corner of Oliphant and Olmsted Avenues, where Burman Cleaner's now stands, was a huge 125 foot artesian well tower which supplied part of the town with water, and a firehouse also with a fire bell hanging on the outside stood next to it. Yes, Edison Park had a volunteer fire department, of which some of the men are still living. They too pushed a two wheel fire hose cart. More than once some boy rang the Page 15 bell to sec how fast the local volunteer firemen could move. The fire sta- tion was the first used for as Village Board meet- all town meetings such ingSj a young men's or- ganization and American Legion meetings Edison Park Water Tower The men of the village could also play pool inside the station. Next to the hotel stood a water tank and wind- mill which supplied the hotel and other neighboring homes with water. The famous Albrights who have jointly shared one of the most varied, odd, and mysterious careers in the Art World, lived in a log cabin in 1897 on the corner of Washington Boulevard and Orchard Avenue (now Overhill and Lunt). Adam Albright, father of twin sons Ivan DeLorraine and Malvin Marr, was a noted painter of children, and President of the Chicago Society of Artists. His favorite models were the twins but the Schwiesow twins, Lil- lian and Walter, and Judd Pope, also "got in the picture". Adam paid them ten cents an hour to pose. So unlike is the twins work to their father's that he once commented, "if I like something they've done, they painted it out." Malvin was a sculptor and so was his neighbor who lived next door on Washington Street, the famous Creneul who is said to have made a statue of Lincoln. Greneul house is now occupied by Mrs. Lillian Haxton. Hundreds of visitors from all over the country flocked into the Albright house and studio to see their masterpieces. The twins in 1918 enlisted in the A.E.F. and at the request of a surgeon officer, the brothers painted probably the only known series of portraits of "wounds." In 1928 their father moved from Edison Park and bought an abandoned Methodist Church in Warrenville, Illinois. All of their paintings have a history of creation. Ivan's $125,000 canvas of the funeral wreath on the door entitled "That Which I Should Have Done, I Did Not Do," for which he received First Medal at the Metropolitan Mu- seum of Art, has been termed "one of the most unusual and distinguished paintings ever produced in the United States." It took ten years to complete and was so large that Ivan was forced to cut a hole in the ceiling of his studio and raise the canvas on pullies in order to paint the bottom portions. The one human hand which appears in the painting necessitated a model posing every Page 16 Albright Log Cabin Sunday for two years. On the other hand, Ivan's twin brother was known as Malvin Marr Al- bright, the sculptor, until 1932 when, in reviewing the Corcoran Biennial Ex- hibition, a critic commented "and there are charming canvasses by an artist who signs himself 'Zsissly'." The painting occasioning this comment was "After the Meal", which next appeared at the Century of Progress Exhibition in 1933 and at the National Academy of Design the following year. Zsissly's works are as gay and light of palette and mood as some of Ivan's are dark and profound. Both brothers collaborated on a Hollywood movie lot, in the painting of the portraits for the film, "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Ivan's many awards include the Metropolitan Museum of Art's first medal; the Harris Silver Medal and the Harris Bronze Medal from the Chi- cago Art Institute; the Temple Gold Medal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Altman Prize of the National Academy of Design, Brower Prize, and the John C. Shaffer Prize. Zsissly's paintings have gained for him the Chicago Art Institute's Brower Prize, the W. A. Clarke Prize, Altam Prize from the National Academy of Design, and the Corcoran Silver Medal, among a score of other important awards. The Village Board comprising about ten men organized in the year 1897 and had authority from the municipal government to make laws for the town. William Miller was the President and Ed Huntington, the Secretary. Their meetings were held in the fire station. Also during this same year, Judd T. Pope, a resident of Edison Park for a few years, built a stencil factory on the corner of Orchard and Michigan Avenues (now Ozark and Lunt). The School Board in 1905 built a school on Edison Park Avenue (North- west Highway), now the Edison Park Library. Even with a building that size only two rooms were used for five lower grades, leaving the children in sixth, Page 17 Page 18 IT $mm *?. I 1 if r . rr wLiJlt seventh, and eighth grades to go to Central School in Park Ridge. Remodeling began at the Edison Park Methodist Church in 1906. An extension on the south end provided for a choir loft and two additional Sun- day School Rooms. Reverend Walter Airheart was the pastor. Three years later when Reverend Robert Sliphenson took over as new pastor, he erected a parsonage. The town went up in flames in 1906 as one of the biggest fires in Edison Park started on the corner of Oliphant and Olmsted in George Wolf's grocery store (where Burman's Cleaner is now located). Flames and sparks carried across Oliphant to the alcoholic sanitarium. The Christley boys threw buckets of water on the roof where flames began to rise. *>- ■ \ ; : ■ £&$ H - Paee 19 E 1) I SON PA R K The all wooden water tower supported by four wooden legs caught on fire hut the Edison Park fire squad of Gilbertson, Wolf, Etredge, Snowd, and others caught the fire before real damage was incurred. In 1896 the Norwegian Lutheran Children's Home began in a humble way by a few Christian friends called "Little Shepherd's Society" wanting to do something for the orphaned and neglected child. A modest sum of five cents was the first donation. The Home had its beginning on Irving Park Road. Saturday after Christmas, 1907, shortly after noon, the Children's Home on Irving Park Boulevard was in flames. No one was hurt during the fire and the children and personnel found shelter at the Dunning Infirmary for two weeks. While the children were at Dunning and realized where they were, they refused to eat or drink the food prepared there. It was necessary to bake bread at the Home and bring to them as they begged fir Heme bread an 1 food. Now while the Board members were remodeling the Home after the fire, it became evident that the Children's Heme must be moved out to the new place. The Board of Directors began to secure funds and finally they gathered among themselves $10,000. At first the plans were to build for $40,000.00 but that was thought to be too big a debt to contract, so it was decided to build for a smaller number of children and to follow the cottage plan. Then cottages could be built as the work grew and prospered. Three cottages were built. The corner stone of the new building near Edison Park was laid on Sunday, October 18, 1909, at 3 p.m. The weather was dark, cold and cloudy, but a large number of friends gathered out there in the country, coming over muddy roads by automobile or on foot. Ladies served lunch to the great crowd present from the small tool shed erected near the road, where the coffee was made. Late in the summer of 1910 the new Home was ready, and the children, about seventy, moved into it. When the group of children, with Matron and workers, approached the new building they were received by the janitor, who had preceded them. They walked up to the main building and looked in but did not go in as one would expect of a group of children. The sight of the new building with the newly varnished floors was a wonderful sight to them and without being told what to do, they politely took off their shoes before entering the building. A short time later, the dedication services were held. This was certainly a big day as the road leading from Edison Park to the Home, was a mass of people coming along the unpaved road, and a muddy one at that. The North Western Railroad had a busy day as there was no other means of transportation from the city and at the time they stated they had transported Page 20 3 , If Page 21 EDISON PARK 3,000 people to Edison Park and back. Sometime in 1903 or 1904, or shortly after the Chicago Telephone Com- pany started the exchange in Norwood Park. McGinnis and Wheeler opened a telephone office in a delicatessen store on Edison Park Boulevard and Oli- phant Avenue. The board consisted of a one-position magneto board and had about fifteen subscribers when put into service with one toll line to Niles and the other to Des Plaines. McGinnis and Wheeler operated this exchange for about a year after which they sold the northwest corner of Olmsted out to Des Plaine Telephone Company of which Wheeler became manager. The Des Plaines Company, an independent company, took the lines over and operated them until the IBT bought the lines and equipment and connected them to the Norwood Park board when the town of Edison Park was annexed to the city. The toll line running to Niles was a classical bit of engineering, as two miles of the circuit consisted of the top strand of a barbed-wire fence. Need- less to say, on rainy days the transmission was not quite up to present day standards. The passing of the old magneto board with the 1924 cutover also ended the long and faithful service of some 1,150 local battery instruments, equipped with hand generators and dry cells making it necessary for the subscriber to turn a crank to call the operator. This type of instrument was replaced by the standard desk set. However, since it was necessary to leave the old instru- ment in service to work with the old switchboard up to the instant of the cutover a change was made in the circuit of each of the old phones so that these telephones would function temporarily with the new switchboard with- out the use of the crank. In March of 1924 following the cutover the latest type of instruments were installed. Within a few years, people began to move into the community again in small numbers. Approximately 112 homes were erected. Edison Park was only beginning to develop, it was not until after the First World War that this neighborhood experienced its biggest land boom. So rapid was its growth during this period, new tracts were annexed to Edison Park and a flourishing business and shopping district emerged on Edison Park Avenue in the vicinity of the North Western Railroad station. Before this time many meetings were held to discuss the advantages of annexing to Chicago. It brought within the city limits an area bounded by Park Ridge Boulevard (Touhy Avenue), Harlem Avenue, Ozanam Avenue, and Devon Avenue, except for a small plot in the southeastern corner which, as part of the Village of Norwood Park, had already been annexed to Chicago in 1893. Across the street from the depot, Mr. Earl Gore who married Lillian Page 22 EDISON PARK Schwiesow, had a real estate office which was moved to make room for the new Edison Park Bank building. The real estate building is now the Be- Square produce store. Also in back of Gore's office was Bill's barber shop on Oshkosh Avenue Bill was said to have many times walked out in the middle of a shave or haircut, to get a cup of coffee or talk to a neighbor walking down the dirt road. In later years the library stored bocks there until the Edison Park Library was established. The building was later moved to 6863 Overhill Avenue, when Samuel Christley built his apartments on Oshkosh and Northwest Highway. Christley also had a real estate office and George Wolf a grocery store in this area. George's building is still standing and is now being occupied by a pet shop on Olmsted Avenue. The settlers, now being predominantly first and second generation Ger- mans and Swedes, had built their one and two story frame residences in a scattered fashion over the community, although there was a tendency to concentrate in the few blocks north of the railroad tracks. After the annexation to Chicago in 1910, the City School System took over the Edison Park Library and added three rooms by building a second floor. In June of 1912 the first class graduated from the Edison Park School. As many as eight portable rooms also stood on the school grounds (Ebinger School) before the present school was erected. Dirt roads during these days were bad. After there was a heavy rain or when snow was melting, the roads in this area were not only muddy, but bottomless. The entire Village of Edison Park united April 19, 1911, to collect the tomato can, milk can, lobster can or kerosene can that was found decorating thoroughfares and alleys in town. All citizens were to provide themselves with fly proof receptacles for cans and other rubbish. A crusade was made against wet or damp places which bred mosquitoes and against throwing out of any waste that would encourage the presence of flies. All litter must be kept from the streets and gutters. Also to help carry out this general plan every Saturday for a month the women of the village promised all the boys of the community lunch and lemonade if they would work under their direction in gathering up all trash and helping in the work of beautification. Signs were placed around the town asking people to place the aforesaid junk in boxes or barrels so that work could be done thoroughly and quickly. On that day the Edison Park Improvement Association went down Page 23 EDISON PARK alleys and streets with wagons to pick up the cans and also other refuse that was making the community unsightly. Edison Park's Board of Election Commissioners canvassed the votes for the creation of a Park District and found forty-four for a District, and twenty- four against. These five Commissioners were selected: Thomas W. Barrett, Alexander Sauter, Theodore H. Lunde, S. J. Christley and H. J. Fixmer. A cleanup code was formulated by Edison Park in 1911 as a result of the successful celebration by that Can Day. It was decided to make the "Can Day" celebration the beginning of a series of events to make the com- munity not only canless, but also weedless, litterless, rubbishless, and peerless. All trimmings from trees, all brush and trash were to be burned. Edison Parkers were "up in the air" May 3, 1914, when it was discovered that the legal requirements to complete its absorption had not been observed. Morgan Park had been divided against itself ever since the election in April of 1914 but the discovery involved the Village of Edison Park, whose six hundred or more inhabitants have believed themselves Chicagoans since the November election, when the anti-annexationists, polled twenty-three votes to the 102 of those who wanted to swell Chicago's population. When William Carroll, City Electrician, asked Corporation Counsel Sexton whether to proceed with lighting Edison Park streets, W. K. Otis, an assistant corporation counsel, advised him that the village officer, Samuel Christley had forgotten to file in the County Court a certificate of the returns of the election on the annexation proposition. Christley went down to the County Court and filed a certificate of the returns of the last election and William Carroll, City Electrician, was given the O. K. sign to begin work. Also streets were laid and did they have fun laying both rectangular and zig zag streets in Edison Park. Around this time the Illinois National Guard was called into active service in World War One. "The Illinois training corps was organized, better known as the Home Guard for the protection of life, property and semi- police duties and not as strike breakers as some uniformed persons and radical persons would have the public believe", said First Lieutenant J. B. McCormick. The citizens of Edison Park responded at once. More than one hundred men of every vocation and merchants gave their time and money. The officers were men of military experience, Captain Hardcastle who was with the Mis- souri National Guard, First Lieutenant J. B. McCormick with nine years with the Second Infantry National Guard, and Robert Wilson, Illinois University instructor. After hard and extensive training, Edison Park became the out- standing unit in the State of Illinois. Fifty-four men enlisted and went overseas to the foreign fronts to fight Page 24 EDISON PARK Edi Park unit of the Illinois National Guard on Parade in 1915. in the war. The first cas- ualty was Arthur Love who enlisted June 5, 1918 during the flu crisis along in the Navy, passed away the Pacific Coast. His folks asked the corps to take charge of the re- mains. A military funeral was arranged. A firing squad from Great Lakes came to Edison Park where the body lay in state in the Edison Park Methodist Church with Honor Guard. Two days later after hundreds of people paid their last respects, the Honor Guard carried him from the church and lining the sidewalks were the children from the Edison Park School, who paid their last respects to the first of five men from Edison Park who crossed the Great Divide, having given their lives on the altar of sacrifice in the great cause for the sake of our coun- try and humanity. A building was erected around this time on Northwest Highway (next to the Edison Park Hardware) and was named the "Roseneath Country Club House," where many town meetings, dances and parties were held. One of the largest crowds ever to turn out for a meeting was held at this club house to voice their sentiment on the subject,"Pacifist, Keep Out," a few months after the club was organized. Edison Parkers were aroused over the action of "People's Council" representatives in trying to organize a meeting there several days before, a plan that was quickly discouraged when citizens of Edison Park learned its imports. Anthony Czarnecki, a member of the school board, voiced his opinion when he stated, "At such a time in this country's history every man is either with or against the Nation — there can be no middle ground. Any person who goes about spreading the sort of propaganda for which these Pacifists are responsible is like a man who would jerk a surgeon's arm while he was operating to save a patient's life. We must either fight Germany in Europe or fight her on our own territory. These persons who are going about stupidly endeavoring to create a sentiment for 'peace at any price' are guilty of the sort of treason that, Page 25 EDISON PARK were they successful in their teaching, would surely as fate bring war to American soil". Two resolutions were adopted. One, presented by Dr. F. D. Wood, condemned the effort of the Pacifists to organize the Edison Park meeting, accused them of spreading "Prussian propaganda," and pledged the coopera- tion of the citizens of the suburb town of Edison Park in the stand taken by Governor Lowden. He and the Governors of Minnesota and Wisconsin, were praised for refusing to permit the holding of the meeting in their states. After the War, Edison Park became highly regarded; now they were well protected with Bill Madden the one man police force, and boasted a good school, churches, well kept streets and many attractive homes. From 1914 to 1919, seventy-eight homes were built. They now had fire protection and city water was in many homes. Yes, the annexation to the City of Chicago proved to be very beneficial, not only to large land owners, but to the community as a whole. During the year 1919, the whole town welcomed home those of "Our Boys" who had already returned and greeted them with glad hearts and con- gratulated them on their safe return. The town took jealous pride in their achievements, and justly so because Edison Park, by their heroic deeds was raised to an enviable position among the neighboring towns. One day while calling on the Love family, Al Caulfield, Ed Huntington and J. B. McCormick, passed a large boulder and the idea was formed to have it used as a memorial. But it could not be used, as it was found to be cracked, so the corps started a fund which became a public subscription with Hedge Gilbertson as chairman. Active interest was immediately manifested in the project and the Citizens Committee proceeded earnestly to make possible the beautiful ceremony. On July 4, 1919, the beautiful monument was dedicated in the park across from the depot, a tribute in memory and honor of "Our Boys" who served during the World's Great War. Members of the Edison Park School sang the Star Spangled Banner to begin the ceremony. H. A. Gilbertson was the master of ceremonies. The Right Reverend Samuel Fallows gave the dedicatory address and Ed Huntington unveiled the monument. Roll call was called by H. A. Gilbertson. Many came home with just not one medal but two, three and four. Edison Park is proud of the results achieved by its sons whose names are listed in the Appendix. During all these years, many changes took place in the community, old residents leaving and many new faces appearing. However, the last few years have revealed a truly marvelous transformation. Edison Park experienced a rapid home and business building program. Pa£e 26 mm/ . , \*/' Roseneath Country Club Page 27 EDISON PARK The town grew from a population of five hundred in 1911 to two thousand in 1924. A new church was organized in 1924, this one being the Edison Park Evangelical Reform. This congregation rented a home on the corner of Oketo and North Shore (the home is still standing) and in 1929, Reverend Herbert Bloesch became pastor and had erected a new church building on the same corner. Its business center occupied only a block along the north side of Olmsted Avenue facing the railroad station. Work was under way on a building for the Edison Park State Bank at the corner of Olmsted and Oshkosh Avenue. The structure cost about $100,000 and contained besides the bank, three small apartments. The bank was organized by W. C. Gordon, O. A. Christensen, E. J. Zuehls, and George P. Wolf. The building was completed in the fall, and on June 15, 1926 the bank was dedicated. Akerman Bowler and Frank Wilson, County Commissioner, were the principal speakers. Music by Schurz High School Band and a community parade, in which principal civic and business organizations of the community participated high-lighted the day. Within a span of thirty-four years from 1885 to 1920 when 268 homes were erected and ten years from 1920 to 1930' when 1030 homes were built, the rate of homes built had quadrupled. Yes, the years from 1920 to 1930 were important ones for Edison Park. Annexation of segments of the township of Maine in 1922, (the area bounded by Howard Street, Harlem, Touhy and Ottawa Avenues) and in 1924 (small areas in the southwestern and northwestern corners) brought the boundaries of the community to their present status. Transportation was still very poor up in this northwest sector of the city. With no streetcar transportation available, the community was dependent upon the automobile and a suburban branch of the Chicago and North Western Railroad for ac- cess to the business district of the city where most of its residents worked. Despite this handicap, the population of Edison Park increased 465 percent from 950 people in 1920 to 5,370 in 1930, an average of three persons per home. The new residents came from all parts of Chicago, but mostly from the native whites of German and Scandinavian descent. They were middle class persons who were not deterred by the lack of cheap transpDrtation, since there was virtually no industrial activity which would induce large numbers of workers to settle in the community. The erecting of many homes of the twenties not only built up blocks near the railroad, but extended construction within the whole area bounded by Touhy, Harlem, Ozanam Avenues and the railroad. Close to the railroad and business section now beginning to go up along Northwest Highway, the Page 28 EDISON PARK two story frame houses of the older residents were now scattered among new- brick bungalows, two story homes, and small apartment buildings. The whole community, except along Northwest Highway, which cuts across the southern sector along Harlem Avenue, was zoned for single family dwellings, and that was the predominant type of residential structure. "We had a very nice Christmas in 1924," were the words taken from the Christmas issue of the Norwegian Lutheran Children's home newspaper. "The Home Echo". The reason was that they finally got city water. What a delight it must have been to just open the faucet and there it came and plenty of it. The home can be very grateful to Dr. Mikelson who spent a lot of his time interviewing different men to interest them in the home's most needed problem. Mr. C. G. Carlson also made many trips both to the Home and to the City Hall before the final arrangements were made. Also as a Christmas gift, Mr. Carlson donated two hundred dollars toward the new porches which were completed just before Christmas. A need for an Edison Park School Parent-Teachers Association was felt and through the efforts of a few parents one was organized ai a meeting held at the Methodist Church, October of 1924. Fifty six persons were present and Mrs. LaMarche was elected the first president. At this time the Edison Park School was a branch of the Norwood Park School with Mr. Smyser, principal of both. Mr. Smyser and his teachers pledged their support to the Parent-Teachers Association, which proved to be a great source of help. At first meetings were in the evening, but before long the meeting day was changed to the third Wednesday of each month. The first project of the P.T.A. was to have basketball backboards put up. A school library was necessary and for the benefit of it a house canvas was made and $125.00 was realized. At the end of the first year the P.T.A. membership was eighty-four. The first graduating class had six members. The P.T.A. entertained them at a theatre party. Pressure was used and demands made for a new school in Edison Park. On November 25, 1925, a special P.T.A. meeting was called. The Board of Education, had suggested the name of "Farwell" for the new school to be built, but later this name was rejected and the name of Christian Ebinger, Sr. was unanimously chosen. On May 17, 1926, ground was broken for the new Christian Ebinger, Sr. School. The building was completed in 1927 and February 27, 1927., the children and faculty marched from the school on the Highway to the new school, a day never to be forgotten. However, as the Assembly Hall was not completed, formal dedication of the school was not made until November, 1927, which public officials and Page 29 EDISON PARK civic leaders attended. At this dedication, the Ebinger family dedicated an oil painting "Two Boys with Arrow" by Albright. The picture is valued at fifteen hundred dollars. This was given in apprecia- tion for the honor conferred upon the Ebinger name, first pioneer of Edison Park. The famous painter, in calling the school after Christian Ebinger, Sr., the Albright, also attended this dedication and lauded the progress of Edison Park since the days of his Youth when he lived in a log cabin at what is now Overhill and Lunt Avenues. Although the new school was now in use, a few of the lower grades con- tinued in school on the Northwest Highway for the young children who lived in that vicinity. As early as 1926, the need was felt for a new high school. Students had to go either by train to the Grayland (Addison) station or pay two fares to get to Schurz. Many families couldn't afford the fare for one bus and one street car five times a week .Resolutions for a new high school for Edison Park were endorsed by the P.T.A. and other community organizations in 1926. In 1929 the site for the new high school was purchased at Bryn Mawr and Natoma Avenues and eight years later ground was broken. In September of 1939 first classes were held in the William Howard Taft High School. % Ebinger School Page 30 EDISON PARK Edison Park experienced a rapid and sustained home and business build- ing program. In the faee of this challenge the Edison Park Methodist Church, like both St. Juliana and Edison Park Lutheran Churches, had grown beyond their facilities to efficiently cope with the situation. In August, 1925, the first step was taken, that is, the parsonage was moved to the rear of the lot and was made part of the new structure "The Community Hall", on Pratt Avenue. However, it was surfaced to match the new section. An interesting ceremony was planned in connection with ground break- ing of the new addition to the church. Christian Ebinger, ninety-two years old, a pioneer who had a large farm and orchard on Harlem and Coyle Ave- nues, lifted the first dirt, and he was followed by a tiny boy, Master Charles Grumau, age six. Work on the new church plant, an adaption of English Gothic style architecture, was finally started June 30, 1926. Reverend D. Gage was pastor then. The corner stone was laid Sunday, September 12, 1926. The new building would now provide for all phases of the modern church and church school program, particular attention being given to the latter. The Sunday School rooms are light, airy and attractive and so arranged as to permit of the proper conduct of a well organized church school. Plans for an unusual two thousand seat motion picture place to be erected at the southeast corner of Oshkosh Avenue and Northwest Highway were proposed by the Edison Park Theatre Building Corporation in 1926. Fred D. Jacobs was to be the architect and the United Studios had the contract for the complete building, designing and furnishing of the $750,000 structure. Mrs. L. Bennett, the real estate operator of Edison Park, negotiated purchase of the site for the theatre and Ringer, Wilhartz and Hirch were attorneys. For the exterior, huge square blocks of concrete were to be molded to resemble an ancient Egyptian Temple. Egyptian symbols and hieroglyphics were also to be carved over the entrance and huge pillars were another out- standing feature. The ceiling of the auditorium was to represent the sky at night with stars to twinkle in the dark blue depths, while gray clouds roll- over it. Walls, seats, organ console and rugs were to carry out the Egyptian motif depicting the charm of Oriental beauty. Construction was to begin that summer but not enough money could be secured by residents to erect this amusement house. Something worth donating to rather than a movie theatre, was the Nor- wegian Children's Home; in 1926 Mr. and Mrs. Andrew E. Seaver noticed the great need of a new building, not a building in which the children eat and Page 31 EDISON PARK sleep, but a building in which they might receive both edification and rec- reation. So a meeting of the Board of Directors was held, July, 1926, in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Seaver, at which time the Seavers offered to have erected a Seaver Memorial Building to contain a much needed chapel with a seating capacity of 300, Sunday School class rooms, a kindergarten room, industrial room for girls, domestic science and serving kitchen, and a regulation size gymnasium. The building was offered to the Home, with the understanding that a suitable central heating plant would be erected, adequate to heat all buildings. Feburay 5, 1927, ground breaking exercises for the Seaver building were held and Bertrand Dyer Langtry, grandson of Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Seaver, turned the first spade for this building. The motive of this building was well expressed in the message received from the benefactor to the Home: "May this building be fair to look upon and far reaching in its influence for the happiness and spiritual welfare of the children at the home. Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Seaver." The building was completed and officially dedicated on December 26, 1927. The program began with an organ recital by Mr. Stanley Martin. After the service, the audience of about five hundred persons were invited by Mr. and Mrs. Seaver to be their guests at a festival turkey dinner which was served in the new gymnasium. The building is of the English colonial type and has proved to be very practical and useful for not only the children of the Home, but for many Lutheran children of Edison Park and Norwood Park. During the rainy and colder weather the gymnasium is in constant use. It is fully equipped with basketball fixtures, climbing ropes and poles, swing- ing rings, bucks and turning poles. The building is also very convenient for meetings of clubs, ladies' aids, luncheons and festivals. The building is a blessing to many and the children delight in treading their way to the House of the Lord. Mr. Seaver was a business man and he knew something about upkeep. So he very thoughtfully and generously left the sum of $25,000, the interest on which is to be used to maintain the building as to repairs and painting. Another memorial addition to the Norwegian Children's Home was made possible when Mr. Ole L. Uthus bequeathed $50,000 for a boys' dormitory in July, 1926. The cornerstone was laid in September, 1928, and the official dedication was held a year later. The building accommodates sixty boys. The rooms are furnished by various Home clubs and societies. The Reverend A. M. Hinderlie, then pastor of St. Timothy Lutheran Church on Kildare and Dickens, was appointed by the Synodical Head- Page 32 EDISON PARK quarters of the Evangelical Lutheran Church to test this neighborhood as a possible locality in which to start a new congregation. The Ladies' Aid held their first meeting at the home of Mrs. Arthur B. Olson, 6953 N. Oleander Avenue with three women present. However, after this first meeting work really began in forming this new church. During the next twelve months services were held in a vacant store on Oshkosh Avenue. A Sunday School was started with Rudolph Schoeneman and Marjorie Meyer and Miss Mathilda Johnson, their teacher. Mr. Thomas Peterson of 6547 N. Oxford was appointed as the Sunday School Superintendent, a position he has filled ever since. Much of the foundation work was done with the additional help of Reverend W. A. Turnquist, Halvor Urness, a student, and Carsten Ron- ning, secretary of the Home Mission Board. In March, 1926, Reverend K. G. Nilsen was appointed pastor of the congregation-to-be, by the Home Mission Board. During the next three months two lots were purchased where the present church stands, and the Reverend Roy A. Harrisville of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, was called to be the first minister of the church. During the last months of 1926 services were held Sunday evenings at the old Legion Dug-out on Oliphant Avenue. In February of 1927, an historical organizational meeting was held, and money was provided by the Home Mission Board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church for a portable church purchased from Sears, Roebuck and Company for the sum of $2,000.00. The late Mr. O. E. Hustad supervised the con- struction assisted by the men of the church and this mail order church was dedicated on March 20, 1927 with 52 charter members, only three weeks after the organization meeting. In two years the congregation and Sunday School had grown beyond the little portable. The Congregation with the promised help of the Home Mission Board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church voted early in June, 1929, to built a permanent church. Ground was broken in June and the cornerstone was laid in August and the building was completed and dedicated on December 22, 1929, with Reverend J. M. Greene officiating. Perhaps in no other area has the phenominal growth been so apparent as in the Church of St. Juliana where not only the spiritual needs but also educational needs have taxed facilities and brought expansion far beyond the dreams of that first pastor, Father Thomas J. Hogan, and the little group of people who formed the charter members of the parish. Before 1927 there had been only a handful of Catholics living in Edison and those few attended St. James in Niles, Immaculate Conception and St. Paul of the Cross. St. Juliana parish was organized in June of 1927, by His Eminence Car- dinal Mundelein, and the Reverend Thomas J. Hogan was appointed Pastor. A temporary church and school were planned and completion was to be some- time in August but until completion the first masses had to be held at the Page 33 EDISON PARK Ebinger School. Father Hogan occupied a room at the home of Pat Doyle, who lived on Ibsen Street. After completion of the temporary building the church began to grow and a few months later a new church and school were erected. Sister Constanstia and Sister Evangelista, Franciscan Sisters, were obtained to teach in the new school and also an assistant to Father Hogan, Reverend Francis Coyle, was assigned to this parish. The Sisters lived in the Marshall Home at 6887 Ottawa Avenue and later, when a bigger staff had to be secured for the rising enrollment, the Sisters moved above the school. Thirteen years later after Father Hogan who had established the church of St. Juliana and who was known throughout the community for his goodwill, justice, general sportmanship, and kindness to all, passed away. Plans had practically been completed for the third annual Parish Card Party and Dance when Father passed away. The Reverend Francis C. Young poet-priest, lecturer, and pioneer in Christmas radio broadcasts over national hookups, was assigned to the pastor- ate of St. Juliana's Church two months later. Born in Chicago, Father Young was educated at St. George parochial school, De La Salle Institute, and St. Francis Seminary, St. Francis, Wiscon- sin. He was ordained in Holy Name Cathedral May 21, 1921 by the late Cardinal Mundelein and celebrated his First Mass in the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle. He served successively as assistant in the following par- ishes: Our Lady of Victory, St. Raphael's, St. Matthew's Holy Ghost, St. Therese of the Child Jesus and St. Philomena's. In 1939, Father Young received a radiogram of benediction from His Holiness, Pope Pius XII, following his twelfth annual Christmas broadcast, a feature the Chicago priest originated in 1923. He is the author of "My Sta- tion of the Cross" and the "World's Greatest Religion Festival," a work based on the International Eucharistic Congress held in Chicago in 1926. His poem, "Our Nation's Prayer," has furnished inspiration for a greater feeling of patriotism and tolerance among all ages and all classes of people. Baby Juliana Lanning became a famous personage in St. Juliana parish on her baptismal day during the summer of 1942. Shortly before Juliana's birth, Father Young blessed the Patrick J. Walsh Memorial Baptismal font. At the ceremony he prayed that since no children in the Parish bore the name Juliana, the first child christened at the new fountain would bear the Saint's name. At that time new residents from Springfield, Illinois, included Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lanning. Mrs. Lanning, formerly a Julian, was spending spare moments wondering what to call her baby to synchronize it with her own maiden name and the first name of the baby's godfather. So Father Young Page 34 8 EDISON PARK said, "I baptize thee Juliana" the first time he administered the Sacrament of baptism at the new fountain. During the years many visitors came from all around to see the Christmas Midnight Eve pageant enacted by children. The pageant which solemnly opened with Cross Bearer, Acolytes, Boy Choristers and Little Altar Boys; also depicts Angels, Shepherds and Adorers. The roles of St. Joseph and Our Blessed Mother are elected by classmates of the school. The first graders sing carols at the Noon Mass, and Father Young presents a beautiful little crib to each pupil; these little ones then tell in their own way, the Story of the Birth of the Infant Jesus. Also on Easter Sunday he presents these children a gaily colored Easter basket and gives them his special blessing. Page 36 Chapter III 1930-1960 BY 1930, Edison Park had achieved residential maturity, even though the section north of Touhy Avenue remained virtually unsettled and there were many open spaces in the community, undeveloped land and "ma- rooned" lots. Since a new zoning ordinance required that dwellings be built on at least thirty foot lots, some of the twenty-five foot lots left over from earlier subdivisions were marooned between two dwellings and could not be used for residential purposes. The only industrial property was a small print- ing press, south of the railroad tracks on the 6800 block on Oriole Avenue, and strenuous efforts were made by the residents to keep out other industrial establishments. Last year J. D. Pope's stencil factory located on the 6900 block on Ozark Avenue, had been ripped down to make room for new residents. The old business center along Olmsted Avenue suffered a relapse as the area north of Northwest Highway was built up. Store buildings went up on both the north and south sides of Highway near Oliphant. First up came Stasek's buildings, Edison Ridge Paint Store is now there, around 1922; second Samuel Christley's, Curry's is now located on third Pantis block where George Zarob's drug store stands. As yet, there were few business establish- ments on Devon and Harlem Avenue. From Oliphant to Palatine, bordering the Chicago and North Western Railroad tracks, was the communitv's sole manufacturing area. Henry R. Levy of Studebaker Sales Company purchased the old city Page 37 EDISON PARK hall of Edison Park at Oliphant and Northwest Highway, where National Tea Company is now located, and tore it down to make way for a new one story building containing five stores. He paid $15,500 for the property and spent an additional $30,000 on the new structure. The median length of time during which families in Edison Park had occupied their present quarters was found to be six years and six months. Families owning their homes showed a median length of occupancy of eleven years and seven months as contrasted with two years and five months, the median shown for tenant families. Over seven hundred homes were built from 1925 to 1934. Almost twenty-nine percent of all the tenant families in Edison Park had moved within the last year, and almost one-third of the owner families had been in their present homes for less than five years. There was a nominal gain in population in 1930. The native white popu- lation in Edison Park comprised 87.7 percent of the total; this increased to 92.5 percent in 1934. The predominant family nationality group other than native white was German, representing, however, only 5.5 percent of all families in 1930. There were seven persons of a race other than white in the area in 1934. Children under fifteen years of age accounted for 26.8 percent of the total population in 1934. The age group from fifteen to sixty- five years of age comprised 66.2 percent in the same year. The median age of persons in the community rose from 27.77 to 29.01 during the period 1930 to 1934. The juvenile delinquency rate per one hundred males from the age between ten to sixteen was 0.6 percent through the period 1927 to 1933, as compared with 4.24 for the city as a whole during the same period. The exterior material of 62 percent of all structures was brick. Over 32 percent had wood exteriors, and about 5 percent were of stucco. Of these structures 18 percent were built prior to 1920 and 1930, and 9 percent were built in the period from 1930 to the time of enumeration in 1939. A flivver brigade roused home owners of Edison Park against high tax bills under the reassessment, May 26, 1930. The brigade was formed by Theodore H. Lunde of Edison Park who resolved with a few neighbors to crytalize feeling against the high bills into united action. They toured the community, calling on home owners to meet in a hall near the suburban railroad depot. Taxpayers of Edison Park left their radios to voice complaints. The hall was thronged with a good natured but deter- mined crowd. The meeting was not conducted in a strict parliamentary fashion. The chairman announced that the gathering was a neighborhood affair and asked members of the gathering to state their complaints. Taxpayers shouted from Page 38 EDISON PARK all corners of the hall their bills had been raised from two hundred to eight hundred precent. "We know all about the raises," a man shouted. "That's what countr with me, and my pocketbook. Let's do something." "Clean out the County Building", a woman replied. "With bare fists," a man added, rolling up his sleeves. Similar suggestions came from other tax-payers. An attorney arose to announce that he would receive twenty percent of reduction won. He was hooted down with the cry, "We've been robbed by politicians and want justice, not law". From the storm of suggestions a resolution was drafted described by Mr. Lunde as: A new declaration of independence promulgated by the taxpayers of Edison Park under the yoke of increased tax bills, increases ranging from fifty to five hundred percent, with residents offering as suggestions lowering of the tax rate and cleaning out the County Building. We are determined to starve out the city hall, county building, and sanitary district". The meeting disbanded with the request that the taxpayer consider means of securing reductions. One taxpayer recommended that all the resi- dents march on the city hall in a protest parade, declaring that their ranks would be swelled as they passed through the west side. This protest started other districts in the city home owners discussing bills with their neighbors and talking of organizations of a similar nature. Their indignation mounted in view of the impending higher bills in 1929, when the special session of the legislature increased tax rates of local government in the financial relief program. Also a city ordinance this same year ordered the North Western Railroad to elevate its tracks through Edison Park and Norwood Park. In return the railroad was given permission to install a third set of tracks for express trains. The third track was installed and it is on this track that most of the accidents have occurred. But nothing was done toward elevating the tracks. Beside painters Ivan and Malvin Albright and Crenual, the sculptor, Edison Park has also had other famous people living in this community. Dur- ing the thirties a former manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Fred Clark, lived north of the North Western tracks; others included Ken Henry, Olympic ice skating champ; Chick Frazer, Chicago Cub player; Florence King, noted woman lawyer and Bruce Kamman, 6631 Ottawa, who was known as Pro- fessor Kaltenmeyer, of Kaltenmeyer's Kindergarten and probably the best loved and well known man of the United States. Bruce Kamman, known to millions of radio listeners from coast to coast as Professor Kaltenmeyer, has had a long career as a musician, radio director, and actor. Born in Cincinnati in 1899, Bruce's boyhood friend here was neither Page 39 Jl Ken Henry a fireman nor a wild west cowboy, but Herbert L. (Mark, the cornetist of John Phillip Sousa's Band. Bruce took up the cornet when he was bare- ly able to walk, and played it in his high school and later in the John Wanamaker Boy's Band in New York. After that Bruce and his cornet wandered over the country, playing in Nicklelodeons, circuses, stock company houses, and other less seemly places. He remembers one tent show that toured the south playing "Uncle Tom's Cabin", in which his part was the orchestra, ticket seller, stake driver, and under study for Uncle Tom, not to mention the baying of the blood hounds. During the war, Bruce was in France and when it was over he emerged as an assistant bandmaster. For a time he was with Roxy's Gang, and then he heard that there was a future in radio for earnest musicians, so he joined the staff of Station W.H.B. in Kansas City. In 1924, he came to station WENR in Chicago as musician, actor, production man, and general studio handy man. In 1930 he became a production director for the National Broad- casting Company, producing such well known programs as "The Carnation Hour," "Fibber McGee and Molly," and many others. In 1932, Kamman launched the Kaltenmeyer's Kindergarten, a school- room program that gained immediate favor with the listeners. Except for chinwhiskers, Bruce looks the part of the kindly old German school teacher he portrays on the air. His hobby was raising rose bushes, and his yard in Edison Park was lined with many rare varieties. The Wild West Days of "JESSE JAMES" were recalled in 1932 when two bandits boarded a coach of a North Western Railway train, terrorized fifty passengers, and seized a pouch containing four thousand dollars in cur- rency and checks from Miss Marcella Bergmann, messenger, then nineteen, of the Edison Park State Bank. She was returning from a downtown bank. Also the fall of the same year bandits robbed the bank on Olmsted and Oshkosh for a sum of fourteen hundred dollars. With a depression going on, taxpayers shouting, and the Wild W^est days of 'Jesse James' in Edison Park, people here still took in many good stage shows held at the Pickwick Theatre. The one that drew the most interest during 1933 was the appearance of A. Trace and his K.Y.W. orchestra on Page 40 EDISON PARK April 2, with a stage revue of vaudeville acts that came direct from the Loop theatres. Mr. Thomas W. Barrett, who in 1933 had been a resident of Edison Park for the last twenty-four years, vice president of the Edison Park State Bank and for seven years president of the Edison Park Improvement Club, became the first resident of Edison Park to be a candidate for township office in the last twenty-five years. The last member of this community running for Township office was Samuel Christley who was a candidate for Justice of the Peace in 1908. Mr. Barrett ran for the office of Clerk of Maine Town- ship, running on the Non Partisan Party ticket. To help the North Western Railroad and United Motor Coach give better transportation to and from Edison Park, the Chicago Surface Lines on April 21, 1935, started running 'feeder busses' on the Northwest Highway. A few years after a second survey had been made of traffic at the corner of Oliphant Avenue intersection, it was found that to insure safety for ped- estrians, traffic lights should be installed. Now with the rapid growth of Edison Park around 1937 Edison Park's Lutheran Church became a self supporting church no longer being helped financially by the Home Mission Board. In September 1938, Reverend A. Gordon Nasby who was serving at Bethel Lutheran Church, Madison, Wis- consin, was called to succeed Reverend Harrisville, who was moving to Moor- head, Minnesota. A parsonage was purchased at 6630 N. Oshkosh in 1938 and sold in 1948, when a new eight room parsonage containing a pastor's study was built at 6644 N. Oshkosh. An additional property of the church is the assistant's home next to that on Oshkosh Avenue. The church has been responsible for beginning two Home Mission ven- tures. In 1945, under its auspices it inaugurated work at Mount Prospect and a thriving congregation, St. Mark's Lutheran, was the result. A second mission project was begun in 1951 at Park Lane solely under the work of this church. Members from the Edison Park Lutheran Church served as lay preachers at Sunday morning services and also taught in the Sunday School. This church is now called Messiah Lutheran and is located near Maine Town- ship High School. The Edison Lutheran Church has two complete Sunday School sessions each Sunday morning. The congregation has broadcast services on station WOPA for more than five years. For eighteen consecutive years the church has brought outstanding programs to the community with its Sunday Friend- ship Hours. Since 1940, the population has increased about thirty-one percent from 5,999 in 1940 to 7,843 in 1950. Residential construction has taken place chiefly in the area north of the railroad. For the first time active subdivision and Page 41 EDISON PARK building is going on in the area north of Touhy Avenue to Howard Street. While across Touhy on Overhill Avenue nearby Edison Park property owners, after a neighborhood meeting, sued in Circuit Court to keep the Chicago Housing Authority from erecting portable homes on the aforementioned streets for veterans and their families. J. Milton Guy, attorney represented the prop- erty owners in the community. Attorney J. Milton Guy who filed suit on behalf of the twelve property owners adjacent to the emergency housing project said among other things, the Chicago Housing Authority planned to ignore deed restrictions against "non Caucasians" in the zone. The suit charged the eighty-four to one-hundred-thirty portables brought from Evansville, Indiana, where they had housed defense workers and their families are "unsightly and fire hazardous; not fit for human habitation." It said the C.H.A. would be erecting another "slum" in the city. Other objections were that the portables did not meet with deed restrictions calling for one-family dwelling units valued at least at five thousand dollars. Typical of the reaction of veterans' groups to the opposition which de- veloped against the Edison Park project was the protest sent to Mayor Ed- ward J. Kelly and William H. Cowhey, alderman of the 41st ward, and also by the ClO-United Electrical Workers Veterans' committee. The protest said: "We protest any and all actions tending to discriminate against our ex- service men." "We stand united in our common desire for decent places to live and will fight to limit anyone who opposes the sites selected for our homes." On Saturday afternoon March 5, of the same year Judge Philip F. Fin- negan of Circuit Court denied the motion of the Edison Park group and gave, "go ahead" signal for immediate erection of an emergency temporary housing project for veterans in Edison Park. J. Milton Guy, attorney for the group of project owners, who contended that the project at Touhy and Overhill Avenues would depreciate property values, and violate zoning laws and deed restrictions, announced that he would seek an appeal from the ruling. But the appeal didn't bother the Chicago Housing Authority, as imme- diately after the ruling they instructed the Sherry Richards Company, con- tractors for the project, to begin work. The contractors began erecting shanties and staking out the location for the dwellings five days later. Three weeks later 102 dwelling units were finished and a while later they were ready for occupancy. Across Touhy Avenue and one block east from the housing project, ac- quisition of the present St. Juliana convent and the rectory at 7142 Osceola Page 42 EDISON PARK Avenue now provide facilities for the priests and sisters. The old church which had served for years as a parish hall was converted into two classrooms because of the vast growth in Edison Park. Addition of four classrooms was completed in 1952. St. Juliana was divided in 1953 by the formation of St. John Brebeuf Parish in Niles. 1954 and 1955 saw the beginning of a $750,000 building program with the razing of the old church and the erection of the $425,000 addition to the school which provided many urgently needed facil- ities. During the construction period six classrooms were housed in two store buildings just two blocks east of the church on Touhy Avenue. Ten masses are said each Sunday to accommodate the hundreds of parish- ioners. Father Young and his three curates the Reverend Andrew Coneglio, Reverend Raynor Richter and the Reverend George B. Roth. Today the school is staffed with sixteen sisters and eight lay teachers and has over eleven hundred pupils although both St. Mary's of the Woods and St. John Brebeuf parish schools have removed several hundred from their rolls in the past few years. Eighteen girls from St. Juliana have entered Religion during Father Young's pastorate. What lies in the future for St. Juliana? A new church to accommodate the overflow attendance at Mass and a new convent for the teaching staff and the conversion of the present church into an auditorium and gymnasium will come. The convent would cost approximately $275,000 or more, but until the debt is discharged at least in such an amount that prudence will sanction, the convent must wait. Also during these years the Edison Park Lutheran Church carried on two building programs, at a cost of more than $300,000.00. The church prop- erties presently are valued at approximately $475,000.00. A building com- mittee has just been selected to carry out a new expansion program for the Church and Sunday School. This action follows a unanimous decision of the congregation in January, 1956. The new building plans are expected to be completed by the fall of 1957. One of the sons of the congregation, William Kane, is at present a mis- sionary in Pakistan; Don Hamilton is a pastor in Dallas, Texas; Harold Pearson, a pastor at New Hampton, Iowa; Richard Torgerson is traveling in South America following a pastorate in Ames, Iowa; Gerald Moe is studying in Europe following work as a chaplain; Allan Waters is now a chaplain in the Navy; and Harold Lindgerg will graduate this year from the church's seminary at St. Paul, Minnesota, where another, David Johnson from the church is preparing for the ministry. The pastor of the church, Reverend A. Gordon Nasby, is serving his eighth term as President of the Tri-State Conference of the Evangelical Luth- Page 43 A The Reverend Francis C. Young, pastor of St. Juliana Roman Catholic Church removes cross from first church before the 40 year old structure was torn down to build a new addition to school. Page 44 Edison Park Lutheran Church Page 45 EDISON PARK eran Church, a ministerial organization comprised of the ministers from Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. In 1954 he was President of the Lutheran Ministerium of Chicago. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lutheran Deaconess Hospital and a member of the National Television com- mittee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Reverend Nasby has published two books, "Sunrise in the West" and "The Treasury of the Christian World," both having been chosen for distribution by Book Clubs. He is currently in his eighteenth year as pastor of the church. During these years the con- gregation has grown from five hundred seventy to two thousand two hun- dred members. The Norwegian Lutheran Children's home also through the years has enhanced the value of their property by modern bathrooms, new beds and bedding, sewing rooms, steel lockers for the children's personal belongings, a machine shed, hog house, chicken house, a terrazzo floor in the kitchen and hallways, a tunnel from the main building to the heating plant, play ground equipment and, of course, the constant need for painting, roof repairs and general maintainence. The present plant facilities are six buildings located on approximately twenty-six acres of land. The home has a present capacity for serving one- hundred-ten boys and girls ranging in ages from six to eighteen or through high school. The sources of referrals are the Family Court of Cook County, social agencies and private arrangement. Children come to the Home primarily from Chicago and its area. All the children attend the public schools of Chi- cago. Pre-admission physical examinations are required, including laboratory tests. A physician visits weekly and is on call. Dental examinations are given semi-annually and correction work provided. Eye examinations are given and necessary glasses are prescribed by an oculist. Their support comes from societies. (The first such society was "Borne- vennen" meaning "Children's Friend", organized March 1, 1899), churches, service clubs, and individual friends. Other sources of income are bequests and donations in kind and charitable activities such as Sample Fair, Spring Luncheons, June Picnic, Pancake Day, Tag Day, and their Bazaar. Board money for the children in their care comes through the Family Court, social agencies, and parents upon their ability to pay. Notable in the growth of Edison Park is the number of foreign born from five hundred in 1940 to six-hundred and sixty-seven, or 20.4 percent in a period of city wide and national decline of foreign born population. They have come from Germany, Norway, England, Canada, Wales and Sweden. There were four negroes in Edison Park in 1930, but none from 1940 to 1950. As to other races there were two in 1940 but ten years later only one. To go along with the rapid housing project north of Touhy a business Page 46 ; Li ° m o EDISON PARK section opened on Touhy and Harlem Avenues expanding Edison Park business stores to about eighty in 1956. Now people have their choice of going to twenty-one food stores, nine eating and drinking places, four apparel, three furniture and appliance stores, eight gas stations, eight hardware and lumber stores, four drug stores and others not classified. Edison Park has three com- munity newspapers: outstanding is the Edison Norwood Review. Clubs include the Garden Club, Daughters of Isabella, Edison Park Community Council. Edison Park Women's Club plus the Lions, American Legion, Kiwanis and Chamber of Commerce. These organizations have all lent a big hand in im- proving this town of Edison. With more families moving into homes north of Touhy Avenue, St. Juliana and Ebinger school's enrollment increased and a need for another public school was seen in the future. In 1955 erection of a new primary branch school to accomodate two hundred children began to go up. In October of 1956 the doors opened and Ebinger school which had over nine-hundred students, an increase of more than one hundred from the previous year, sent two hundred kindergarten, first, and second graders to the new Frederick Stock School named for the famous Frederick Stock, leader of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Edison Park also through this vast building era gained in population back in 1950 in every category in a decade when some communities lost in the fifteen to nineteen and twenty to fifty four age groups particularily. Edison Park's median age was 35.9. Median education was 12.2 years in school for everyone twenty five years and older, a good record compared to the city wide median age of nine and one half years. The average family income from Edison Park at this time ('57) was fourth highest in the city with $5,527; the first was Beverly Hills with $6,946. In 1950 more than seventy five percent of all dwelling units were owner oc- cupied and the median value of these units was almost $16,000. Edison Park's biggest and costliest fire was on New Year's Eve of 1956. Smoke and flames poured from Bauer's Service Station at Ottawa and Touhy Avenues early New Year's Eve while nearly three hundred people from the town were waiting to celebrate the New Year some five hours away. They watched firemen battle the blaze which completely gutted the structure of the service station and seven automobiles inclosed. At 6 o'clock p.m. the owner, George Bauer, closed the station. Shortly afterwards, around 6:15, the structure of the building began to burn. An unknown person telephoned the fire department. As soon as local apparatus arrived an extra alarm was ordered. Engine Company 119 and Hook and Ladder Company 55 from Norwood Park immediately went to work on the creeping blaze. Page 48 EDISON PARK Cars in the service station produced several minor explosions. In a moment or two, the other companies summoned by the second alarm could be heard screaming their way to the scene. As they pulled into the area, line after line was yanked from hose beds and firemen disappeared into the building with hose lines streaming. Some of the firemen began to remove three of the seven flaming automobiles from the garage. While doing this, Fireman Clarence Meyers of Company 108 fell into the grease pit breaking his right ankle. He was taken to Resurrection Hospital. There were eight pieces of equipment on the scene battling the blaze. By this time, there was a growing number of local residents at the busy location watching as firemen brought the fire under control. Flames continued to rage through the station, but firemen worked hard keeping the blaze from the tanks containing six thousand gallons of gasoline. Heavy fumes and smoke from chemicals became a hazard to the firemen as they came out coughing. Despite high pressure water lines, the blaze continued to burn out the interior of the service station which included a washroom, boiler room, lubrication, washing, and body and fender work departments. The firemen worked at extremely close range trying to keep the fire from spreading. They finally won their battle after two hours of struggling with the blaze. Now a look towards the future population of Edison. It looks as if the Italians and Polish nationalities will be the majority, now moving in north of Touhy Avenue and on the corner of Overhill and Touhy where the G.I. housing project stood during the early fifties. Many of these newcomers are from Jefferson Park, Illinois. Edison Park's social life is uplifting. During Brotherhood Week since 1944, the combined Men's clubs of Edison Park churches have an evening of com- munity singing, music, jokes, brief talks from Pastors of the churches, and a guest speaker. The 1956 speaker was Colonel Eric F. Noonan, an authority on world travel and manager of one of the larger independent travel bureaus in the United States, whose travels have taken him to all corners of the world. At the gathering he told of some of his experiences, supplemented with movies, called "Safari through South Africa". Each year the Edison Park Lutheran church, Edison Park Methodist, St. Juliana, and the Edison Park Evangelical and Reformed churches take turns in this event as host. A traditional custom since 1905, the July 4th celebration in all its splendor coupled with a pageant of our nation is sponsored by the Edison Park Com- munity Council. A huge parade begins the festivities and American flags are presented to the youthful paraders, an outstanding program for the entertain- ment and enjoyment of the residents of Edison Park follows. A men's baseball tournament is planned. Many star acts also appear on the program throughout the day. Page 49 EDISON PARK Why is it that Edison Park is only one out of a few communities in the City that can boast about their juvenile record? One reason is that Church clubs and Scouting are stressed and now play an important part in curbing juvenile delinquency. For instance in 1953 there were eighteen Girl Scout and Brownie troops in Edison Park and Norwood Park totaling four hundred and forty-two girls. Three years later there was an increase of six troops and one hundred three additional girls. The largest Girl Scout organization now in Edison Park is St. Juliana with six troops that have a membership of more than one hundred fifty girls. The average number of members per Girl Scout or Brownie troop in the city is twenty-three. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Explorer Scouts in Edison are also as numerous as Girl Scouts. There are at this time four Cub, five Boy Scout troops and three Explorer Posts. Since 1950 Edison Park has boasted one of the most outstanding Explorer units in the City. This is Explorer Post 2965 of St. Juliana Catholic Church. Mr. Walter Valters is the Post advisor. When exploring began to falter, it was evident a new type of program would have to be introduced. 2965, in cooperation with Senior Girl Scout Troop 1 of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, introduced its first co-educational feature, a winter weekend; this is now a permanent part of 2965's program; then as an added stimulus to the sagging spirits of exploring, 2965 provided the nucleus of an exploring council, so that there might be a free exchange of ideas and the experiences that they enjoyed could pass on to others. To vary its program and point the way to other groups, 2965, proceeded to earn it's High Adventure citation by its Canadian Treks; over the past years its accomplish- ments have been activities such as a bowling league, soft ball, basketball, co-educational functions, Mothers' night, Dads' nights and many numerous service projects covering various fields of endeavors. When Indian Boundary needed organization and leadership for its first Philmont Jaunt, 2965 provided both. The explorer post represented the Boy Scouts of America, at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists' Convention in Chicago in 1956. The purpose of the affair was to give men of Science an opportunity to interchange ideas in their field. Among the various booths these explorers of St. Juliana were selected to conduct the display of the Scout Booth, and to be available to disseminate information regarding their activities as related to geology. The selection was made because of the Post's interest in the field of science, particularly in geology. Other organizations that help keep children off the street are: the little league baseball teams, lighted school program and pony leagues. It takes all Page 50 V EDISON PARK'S wm-ffMWk BUSINESS SECTION T. L Page 54 Edison Park Methodist Church St. Juliana Roman Catholic Church Edison Park Evangelical and Reform Church Edison Park Lutheran Church Page 55 EDISON PARK of these organizations plus the discipline and guidance on the part of the parents to gain the status that Edison Park now holds. Today hundreds of thousands of people of diverse tastes, education, means, and temperament are living in Chicago in peace and prosperity unaffected by many annoyances which have caused other great cities to seeth and boil with agitation and discontent. Why is it that in Chicago there has been so comparatively little discontent, so little trouble? One reason, and possibly this is more potent than any other, is that Chicago grew rapidly not letting people classify their neighbors' distinctions, background, or their worth, as they are living there to better the community. Chicago, with its miles of business blocks, is surrounded on the north, south and west by numerous, ambitious, and pretentious suburban towns into which the great city overflows. Some of these communities are noted as in- dustrial centers, filled with the manifold activities of business enterprise, while others are quiet, and restful homesteads. To the latter class in the far northwestern reaches of Chicago, just within the City limits, the lawns widen, the foliage thickens, and Edison Park is still in Chicago although it yet seems to be a world apart. The high class of residents in Edison Park are a little over twelve miles to twenty five minutes by commuter train from the center of Chicago and are quite in favor of city ties. The handsome village is a popular location for homes of Chicago business men, and those who, after ceaseless activity of the day, desire a pleasent community, surrounded only by the spirit of quiet. A village that benefits from the city's service without surrendering the most desirable attributes of suburbia, a village that points to their city tax rate of 33 cents less per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation than that of independent Park Ridge and adjoining suburbs, a village that can compare favorable their city provided transportation, schools, paving and street lighting with the services and facilities of the suburbs, that's Edison Park, suburban in character and appearance. Page 56 _ 2. M ,-»•>-< 3> ro - Pj i )£ <-t ft " „ O 55' pr S S3 S.^ w r- <-► Pj £. g 13 3" T1CL ^3 EJ S'S 5" *C TJ E+ H - 3, 3-C o h W Ej. t" 3-' " -J 3 v- " cd O o OP rt- ;■ ~ dgl 3 --^ ^ 0_a> CD O OP C O- 5 •rii 3 TO o 2,2-^op 2- a o £' 5-o-n ^ » 3.5.3 g^3 3 aj n> 3. ** S i ^ ^i i 3 ° ps &3 O <-•■ 3 3 Of" «• o • O 3*. a> J" 3 5 ^ 5 . p> op s^op t* 1 /< mt V* C i NORWOOD PARK Chapter IV 1830-1885 GOING back more than a century and a half, when Chicago was not even a city and the town of Jefferson (now Norwood Park) was com- posed of dense groves and jungles of underbrush and Milwaukee Avenue was but a winding Indian Trail with a few scattered log cabins, we find that Mark Noble was the first settler in this area. Mark Noble, at this time around twenty-eight years old, had lived in England and came first to scout the territory and to find a suitable home for the rest of the family. After paddling down the Mississippi River as far as St. Louis, he decided that Chicago offered the best possibilities, as the land seemed fertile enough for farming. He then returned to England for his family. In the Spring of 1831 they landed in this country, finally arriving in Chicago on the schooner, "Governor Cass", (note . . . this was the first vessel that went around the Great Lakes from Detroit.) Before the Nobles arrived, probably many thousands of years before, in the Ice Age or glacial epoch the climate here was much colder. Snow was said to have piled up to great depths and was gradually compacted into ice thousands of feet thick, until it began to spread under its own weight and extended over large parts of the country. As many as three of these ice invasions reached Norwood and Edison Park. The first invasion came directly from the Northeast from a region east of the Georgian Bay. It was in the last cold period that this ridge, on which Page 59 NORWOOD PARK Norwood and Edison Park is located, was formed by the Lake Michigan Ice Lobe. Today scientists claim that the ice reached the height of nine to ten thousand feet at the highest point. The weight of this ice lobe, mixed with sand, clay and rocks, forced it to spread around us depositing the soil that formed this ridge where Norwood and Edison is located. When the ice melted more soil was deposited and the water flowed, forming the Aux Plaines River now called l)es Plaines River. Arriving in Chicago in 1831, the Nobles occupied the Kinzie Cabin. Mark had brought about eight thousand dollars in gold, enough really to purchase at that time a large part of the city, but he felt that there wasn't any sense to buy lots when there wasn't a town. Later he changed his mind though, and went up around the famous stockade at the river's mouth and traveled to a point near the present border line between Chicago and Niles. There he bought a three hundred sixty acre stock farm which turned out to be a profitable investment too, for the opening hostilities of the Black Hawk War drove people from all around to the shelter of Fort Dearborn, (note . . . the wife of Mr. Wilcox, commandant of the fort, was a sister-in-law of Barbara Ebinger who then lived in Canfield, now Edison Park, and she frequently visited her relatives in the garrison.) The Nobles supplied the overcrowded garrison with cattle, which were slaughtered on the open prairie at Madison and Michigan. Mark Noble, junior, was among the many who rallied to the call for troops at this time. This later proved to be a deciding factor in winning the war. Black Hawk and his two sons were taken captive. Later they were let go to join the tribe in the reservation near Fort Des Moines. Noble Jr.'s name appears with many other men on the muster roll of the Cook County volunteers, who took part in the Black War. In 1833 Mark purchased one hundred acres of hilly, fertile timber land in the southwest portion of Niles Township and in addition bought enough land to make up six hundred acres of it in Niles and a part in Jefferson Township which later became Norwood Park. Another settler who moved into Jefferson Township after the Mark Noble family was Phineas Sherman's family, who lived near the Des Plaines River and Higgins Road. Living costs of the day for the Sherman family m 1838 (note . . . the following data has been taken from two letters and an account book left behind by the Sherman Family dated during the year 1838) ran like this: one pair of buckskin mittens is entered at $1.25, while cloth for pantaloons was $1.68/2 and their making fifty cents. A one pound can of tobacco could be purchased for the same amount of money as a half bushel of potatoes. From a period between May 31st to June 27th, they lived on fourteen dollars. From a sister in Ohio a letter to the Shermans, dated January 18, 1838 Page 60 NORWOOD PARK stated, "We have good society here, as good as any in the place and can go to meetings as often as we have a mind to, if we are well enough. "Sister Harriet and I have each a new cloak at seventeen dollars apiece. The stuff is French Camlet, a new kind of goods; there is quite a luster on it. I have a new silk bonnet, five dollars — it costs everything almost to get anything here." The brother wrote a few months later asking plaintively what the living conditions were here, if the land were self-sustaining and what possibilities there would be of finding a teaching situation in Chicago. "Gloom and desolation spread far and wide," he wrote. "This place as well as Cleveland is under the reign of infidelity that is the executive (it was Van Buren's ad- ministration) yes, the whole nation. See how the Bible is fulfilled in this, 'when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn.' " Of their sister Mary he writes, "She named some work done and much to do; twenty pounds of wool to be spun, of shirts made and John a new suit. Mother has two hundred thirty pounds of butter laid down, which will bring cash at twenty cents per pound." He closes the letter with this little tidbit, "T wish you to write more explicit next time and begin so as to cover one page, no cover sheet, with something and if you cannot think of enough to write, get your neighbors to help" (note . . . writing material and mailing costs were quite expensive dur- ing this time.) Other early neighbors of the two just mentioned were Mr. Byron Smith, who owned an original grant signed by President Polk, the Balls, Hemming- ways, Klienes, Pennoyers, Shaws, Willis, Winstons and other families, (note ... all residents were widely scattered.) The first joint action of this quiet town of residents was held for the purpose of getting a school house. The meeting was held at the home of John Pennoyer, where it was decided that all male commuters, including bachelors, should contribute five dollars to purchase lumber for a school. After enough money was secured and the lumber was bought, everyone lent a helping hand to erect the school house. The building was completed two years later and named for James Monroe Pennoyer, who, although he was a former teacher in New York, never taught in a school that bore his name. The original school was a one-room building on Higgins and Canfield (new Pennoyer school stands there). Children came from miles around, some on horse back to get their education. In 1864, or a few years after the Civil War, George Dunlap, a real estate man in the town of Leyden Township, purchased land in Jefferson with intentions of laying out a village. He was born in Jefferson County, New York in 1825, son of William and Margaret Dunlap. He came to Illinois Page 61 NORWOOD PARK with his parents in 1836, locating at Troy Grove, LaSalle County. In 1840 he and his family moved back to Monroe Precinct, Cook County, which was formerly the town of Leyden. The family owned six hundred forty acres and the locality was known as Dunlap Prairie. Here, George was a supervisor of the township for four years, justice of the peace for five, and postmaster. Now seeing possibilities living in Jefferson, he had built a comfortable two- story frame house with a spacious porch, extending clear across the front, and an ornate cupola on its roof. This was surrounded by spacious grounds, shaded by great elms. The interior of the house consisted of ten large, lofty rooms. This house is still standing, and after ninty-two years is still a venerable shrine of the suburban area with its old fashioned rooms still having an atmosphere of leisurely days in contrast to the rooms of the present. During this same year the train depot was erected by the North Western Railroad at Norwood Park; George Dunlap was the only passenger until a few months later when Thomas H. Seymour decided to ride the one train that had no steam heat, air brakes, or automatic couplings. These were the days of hard railroading when a railroad man could be identified by the absence of his first couple of fingers, lost in coupling cars. Yes, when ten minutes to eight came around in the morning Tom and George , were sitting in the chilly waiting room, with no office, telegraph station or oil lights as yet, waiting to hear the train whistle so they could flag down the train. The train returned at six o'clock in the evening. The only other way to get to the city was by horse and buggy, if the roads were passable, which they rarely were. The railroad schedule also was often disrupted by inclement weather in winter. The conductor was said to be so conscientious he would not have carried his sick mother without a first class ticket. The station names were quite dif- ferent from those of today. Mayfair was Montrose, Jefferson Park was Plank Road, (Milwaukee Avenue), Edison Park, Canfield, Park Ridge, Brickton and Norwood Park, Wood Stock Accommodations. Thomas Seymour was a commission merchant and broker for the Chi- cago Board of Trade. Born in Jefferson County, New York, in 1835, his father was a doctor. He came to Chicago in 1854, engaging himself in the freight department of the Chicago Board of Trade, and was subsequently as- sistant freight agent, a position which he held until I860, when he moved to the township of Jefferson and purchased sixty-five acres. On these acres he raised fruit extensively, his orchard containing five hundred apple and six hundred thirty cherry trees, and a vineyard of two thousand grapevines. On this tract he also raised blooded stock, making a specialty of short horns. They had seven children. Further development of Norwood Park came when John F. Eberhart Page 62 NORWOOD PARK recognized the fact that there was the highest land on the North Western Railroad between the lake and the Mississippi River, and believed, therefore, that it would make a desirable place for a suburb. He obtained an option on about eight hundred acres in the vicinity of the railroad station and was asso- ciated in this undertaking with other prominent men. They knew the wants and demands of the public, and with a desire to grant to these demands they began a series of improvements on the line near the Wisconsin division of the North Western Railroad in Jefferson Township. They were referred to as the Norwood Park Land and Building Association, and through their efforts the harsh though fruitful fields of this section were transferred into vast gardens whose bloom and beauty is the best evidence of the quantity and quality of work performed in so short a time. While improving this property the Land and Building Association divided the land into ninety four blocks and streets, checkerboard fashion. The streets ran both rectangular and cirvilinear, the purpose to provide the most pleasing residence sites for commuters who had money and were able to add to the attractiveness of their grounds and to the community. Many modernists today admire this style of laying out the streets and lots, but to the Sunday visitor, who isn't used to streets of this type it can become a game. The price paid per lot differed according to location (note . . . this is very natural when at this time portions of Norwood Park lay higher than others, the flat not being more than thirty feet above the level of the north branch of the Chicago River, and the ridge fully sixty feet higher; or in other words, ninety feet above the same sheet of water.) The most salable section was that of the south, west, and northwest of the train depot, while the most valuable part of Norwood was that costing thirty dollars per foot, that lay contingent to the depot or within the circle. Also considered was the land west of Evergreen Avenue on the north side. Sales were fair the first year netting a sum of $53,000, but within a span of one year from 1870 to '71 sales tripled to $165,000. The principal thoroughfare at this time was the north side of Norwood Park, on Evergreen Avenue where stores occupied a row of buildings. There were also a meat market and post office, and the Norwood Press, a steam printing company which ran off a weekly paper called the "Weekly Christian Times". The paper's circulation was around six-thcusand copies. The soil was adapted for the purpose intended by the founders of Nor- wood — James E. Tyler, George Field, John F. Eberhart, W. W. Everts, J. K. Barry, Cyrus Bentley, J. H. Wrenn, Lewis Cornell, Thomas H. Seymour, J. D. Cole, M. B. Smith, L. Pennoyer, J. A. Simons, George Wrenn, Jane Church, George W. Hart, A. D. Bellamy, J. F. Gillette, P. S. Parker, C. T. Gilbert and D. H. Sheldon — as they hoped this area might become a summer Page 64 NORWOOD PARK resort because it was considered far out in the country, being hilly and well shaded bv the branches of maple and the cedar. Now the only problem was that there was no lake, but this was easily corrected. A large artificial lake was constructed, boats were provided and a hotel was built, and later bought bv John F. Eberhart for $10,000. Eberhart was known as a hard worker and a fine educator. He was born and reared in Pennsylvania of fine German stock. His early life was spent in attendance at school, work on the farm and in teaching, by which he sup- ported himself while carrying on his studies. In this way he developed mental and physical strength, for both of which he was widely noted. He graduated at Alleghany College July 2, 1853 and on September 1, 1853, he became principal of the Albright Seminary at Berlin, Pennsylvania, the first educa- tional institution founded by the Evangelical Association. Here tax upon his energies was so great that, after two years, he was forced by failing health to resign. Because of his poor health, John Eberhart that spring came west to Dixon, Illinois. There he edited for a time the Dixon "Transcript" and taught courses of scientific lectures before institutions of learning; then spent a year in traveling for a publishing house. He finally made his home in Chicago and for about fifteen years he was engaged in educational work, in the editorial and lecture fields. As superintendent of the schools of Cook County he or- ganized and developed them into a virtual system, and a mode! school for the training of teachers was recognized. In 1860, Eberhart turned his attention, to a considerable extent, to real es f ate. He purchased and owned nearly three hundred acres in the city and was chief promoter of Norwood Park and Chicago Lawn, making his home in the latter suburb on the corner of 64th place and Homan Avenue. The hotel John purchased was surrounded by a park and was pretty, for an arti- fic : al lake and rustic bridges aided vastly to the surroundings of JefTerson Township. The hotel itself was a huge three story building with basement. The landscape around the hotel was shaded by beautiful elm foliage, and well laid lawns provided croquet grounds. For the better securing of water privilege for the guests of the hotel an artesian well was dug, and supplied the hotel with water. Water passed through wooden mains but when the city began to supply water, the pressure being too great for them, they rapidly went to pieces under the strain and had to be replaced with iron. The hotel became the social center of the village for entertainment and dancing, but never became a financial success as a hotel. At one time Mr. Eberhart turned it over to the use of a boys' school, fore-runners of the Glenwood Training School for Boys but there was not adequate rooms for the development of the school. Page 65 pP 1 , ^T,. "* 1 1 *. *w vm \Wi< Norwood Park Hotel Page 66 NORWOOD PARK Also to beautify the community two parks were in process of arrange- ment at this time. One was to be on West Circle Avenue and Colfax Place and the other on Myrtle and Grant Place. The first doctor of the town was Dr. J. O. Hughes who settled here soon after the Civil War in which he had served in the medical corps. A venerable, godly man, loved by all, he never refused anyone and his bills were based on what people could afford, the majority of which were never paid. His reward was a peaceful demise, he passed away in a rocking chair beside a stove in a country farmhouse, after trodding through a blinding snowstorm with a very strong wind and very great cold, to a maternity case. The first dentist was Herbert L. Webster and a few years later about five more doctors who were on the staff at the Cook County hospital for insane came. Two of the most famous were Dr. S. Clevenger and Dr. John Campbell Spray. Many visitors came from all over just to admire the new mansions and the scenery that now spread out on both sides of the railroad tracks, in nearly equal parts — the one sloping downward, and permitting through the foliage of maple, elm and evergreen trees a glimmer of the north branch of the Chi- cago River, the other rising before them in all the picturesque beauty of its hotel whose portico attracted the eye and caught the attention even through the vista of trees. Now let's pan out from this central area and follow Central Avenue that leads from the railroad depot toward Circle Avenue, the only paved street during the 1800's, and admire some of the homes. The old story comes up now and again that during this time this paved street was a race track. This is not true, however, though many farmers were tempted to give the horse the rein on this mile stretch. Our first stop will be the house of Mr. Guilbert, at the corner of Circle and Central Avenue. Adjoining Mr. Guilbert's home is the house of Reverend Gulick. Another choice residence of this time was the home of Mr. Pleasant Amick on Central Avenue. Also on Central Avenue was the house of Milo Winchell, a well known mason whose two daughters were both school teachers. The principal thoroughfare of this day was on the south side of town, Evergreen Avenue occupying the same privileged position on the north side, though it crosses over to the south side. Various streets diverged from Circle Avenue, which was bound by West Circle Avenue, on the one side and East Circle on the other. Central Avenue ran across the circle, forming the point of meeting for the Circle Avenue at both the north and south circumference. Many streets now radiate, running either towards the North Western railroad track and intersecting the same, thence continuing their course on the north side of Norwood Park but under another name. However, starting from dif- Page 67 NORWOOD PARK ferent points, they intersect and cross the ones whose source is the Circle. Most of these streets are a full one hundred feet wide which presents an appearance at once imposing and airy. Residents of Jefferson Township were displeased with the services ren- dered to the northwest section and also thought the distribution of railroad taxes were unfair so they petitioned for establishment as a separate township. Mr. George Dunlap who held the office of revenue assessor for five years when the office changed to deputy collector, quit after six more years service to represent the seventh district in the twenty-ninth General Assembly. At this General Assembly in Springfield, Illinois, Mr. Dunlap was instrumental in the organization of Norwood Township. He secured a special act of the legislature in setting it off from Jefferson. (Note . . . the town of Norwood was taken from section of Leyden and Jefferson Township as well as the southwest corner of Niles Township and the southeast corner of Maine Town- ship.) The name first selected for this village was Norwood, after the novel "Norwood; A Tale of Village Life in New England," by Henry Ward Beacher, but because at one time another post office used this name, the word Park was added, and the full name was established. During this same time, the first post office was opened and was located on Avondale Avenue. On Octo- ber 1, 1918, it moved to Nina and Circle (the old Masonic Hall building, now owned by the Veterans of Foreign Wars) and finally it was moved in 1924 to its present location on Northwest Highway (then Norwood Park Avenue). Thomas Seymour was the first postmaster of the town. On April 1, 1873 the first township board meeting was called to order by George Dunlap in the North Western Railroad station. At this meeting Stephen Pennoyer was elected the first township supervisor by the prominent residents of Norwood most of them occupying important positions with Chi- cago's business houses. The railroad station now began adding to the building and also to the outside. White fences were put up to keep stock off the right of way. A shanty was erected that eventually held the equipment which operated the crossing gates. The station now consisted of two waiting rooms and an office with two-pot-bellied stoves which addition was greatly appreciated by the commuters as in these days winter was "really" winter. A telegraph circuit entered the station and the two clicking sounders gave evidence that Norwood Park was at last part of the United States of America. Back in the 1870's the church now known as the Norwood Park Pres- byterian Church was at this time the Dutch Reformed Church. Behind the latticed windows in the belfry was a three foot bell which not only called the faithful to Sunday morning and evening services but also gave the alarm Page 68 » ,; Dutch Reform Church 1890 Page 69 NORWOOD PARK when an occasional fire occurred. To the right of the church was a shed wherein the farmers would blanket and tie their horses when the wintry snows were at their worst. A dirt road next to the shed was Nina and Circle Avenues, a single track rut that bogged down during the spring rains. The name of the first pastor was the Reverend Mr. Guilick and the second the Reverend Mr. Joroloman. Finally in 1874 the village of Norwood Park was organized after the cir- culation of a petition among the legal voters of the village had been signed and presented to Judge Wallace of the County Court Board. Now in harmony with the petition, a notice was sent out to the legal voters of Norwood concerning an election on whether Norwood Township should be incorporated into a village. The election was held on July 25, 1874 at the train depot. Cyrus J. Corse, Thomas H. Seymour and James Winship were appointed judges of the election and, out of thirty-two votes cast, thirty-one were in favor of the organization. One month later an election of trustees for the board was held and George H. Campbell was elected President of the board of trustees: Cyrus J. Corse, village clerk — pro-tem; John Commack, treasurer; Thomas Manahan, street commissioner; and Thomas Our, constable. Soon after the elections the officers set forth and passed nine or ten ordinances pertaining to Norwood Park. Those passed concerned the follow- ing: animals running at large, arrests and recovery of fines, streets and their use and obstruction, the establishment of cemeteries, regulating subdivision and plotting land, the regulation of vending of liquors. (Note liquor) The village of Norwood Park prohibited the selling, bartering, exchanging, or giv- ing away, any kind of malt or spirituous liquors, with a fine no less than fifty- dollars for each offense. The ordinance didn't pertain to druggists though. A committee was appointed to find out what authority was given to A. J. Snell for graveling Norwood Avenue, (Northwest Highway) and setting a toll gate up on Raven and Norwood Avenues. James Winship, the attorney, re- ported that A. J. Snell, had no right to collect toll on the gravel road, and, in accordance with this opinion, Mr. Snell was notified to remove his toll gate. Mr. Snell was willing to remove his toll gate, if the board wished, or he would make a gravel road, sixteen feet wide, with culverts, and have it done and ready for use five months later. He was granted permission to gravel the road through the village of Norwood Park, but according to certain specifica- tions, and according to the conditions as to the time of completion named by him. He finished the highway in time and the toll gates were put back. Page 70 Chapter V 1880-1930 ALSO at this time another toll gate stood on Northwestern Plank Road, which today, we call Milwaukee Avenue, another street that barely hits Norwood Park. The privately owned toll gate was supposed to finance the maintenance of the road. However, it became known as the worst road in the state during; the nineteenth century. Farmers who came from the country with wagon loads of produce for the Chicago villagers had to pay the toll gate operations. These farmers felt the gate was a serious inconvenience especially when their horses stumbled in the mud holes or over-turned the wagons in the ruts during dry periods. The proprietors became the most unpopular men in the vicinity and there were many threats against them, particularly after the village became an incor- porated city and farmers realized that a state law forbade toll gates within city limits. One day during the 80's on inspection of the highway Mayor Creigier was compelled by the toll gate operator to pay for riding on the town's road. A reply from the mayor to the man was, "Me pay to ride on the worst road, well something will be done about this." While he was sitting up nights trying to figure out the best method of doing away with the toll gate, suddenly out of the clear blue sky, a fire destroyed the toll gate. Page 71 NORWOOD PARK The Mayor, not letting this mishap bother his conscience, heard that the toll man immediately set to work to rebuild it. The Mayor ordered them to cease work under threat of imprisonment for violation of state law. During the life of the toll gate, however, hundreds of thousands paid for the privilege of experiencing the bumpiest, most uncomfortable ride in the country. This road which suffered from the domination of a few men for nearlv half a century, and which had the only toll gate in Chicago lonqr after the district was annexed to the city, has since become one of the most important streets in the city and a main artery to the Loop. From the era of the farmers feeding the toll gate until now, Milwaukee Avenue has been a street of hard working, industrious people. Laboring men and women who warned homes with their own yards, many of them old-coun- try people clinging to old customs, settled far out on the avenue where land was cheap, away from the territory traveled by the side walk inspector and lamn lighter. The residents have nearly always been pioneers, doing without conven- ience for years to have good air and companionship among their own kind Milwaukee Avenue is lined with low structures with many old buildings now pieced out to give a modern appearance, standing beside newly con- structed stores and offices. One of the most interesting of pioneer landmarks was the "Green Tree" tavern, which stood for years on Milwaukee Avenue. It was on the porch of this tavern that the proprietor used to sit when not busy with guests and shoot wolves that came to carry off the young pigs he kept in a barn across the street. Although one of the most famous and best kept taverns of the day, it would hardly compare with the restaurants lining the avenue today. Any noted travelers of the period put up for a night's lodging for twelve cents a night, and drank the landlord's whiskey at eighteen cents per pint. Milwaukee Avenue was also said to be the most down trodden and tyranically ruled street in the country. The next problem the board had was the artesian well that John F. Eber- hart had fenced up. Eberhart, when questioned, said his reason for fencing up the artesian well was that he had purchased the lot upon which the artesian well was dug and, therefore, considered himself the rightful owner of the well, but mentioned that the village could have water therefrom. Soon many people came to the windmill operated town well in the center of the town to get mineral water that turned pans brown but gave hard enduring teeth. Everyone would come after dinner to get the next day's water and many important problems were Page 72 NORWOOD P A R K discussed and, of course, also many pieces of gossip were spread. Another reason the hotel promoters were so avid was that they believed everyone would come to get a little of that healthful water. As stated before the hotel didn't pan out. Later a new water tower was built on the north side of Norwood and Niagara Avenues which supplied Norwood with water until 1913, when the City of Chicago brought in a pumping station. The old water tower was torn down in 1929 to make way for the present building, Fetters Warehouse, which is used as a large furniture house. A new Baptist Church was erected during this time on the corner of Wal- nut and Chestnut Streets. Next to the church stood the first Norwood Park School then attended by some seventy-five students. This school building burned down in 1884 and the Baptist Church was hit by a tornado a few months later. A new brick school house was constructed after the fire. It had four rooms, two downstairs where the children were taught the ABC's and two upstairs where the older pupils had class. The first principal was a Mr. John- son. He rode to school on a bicycle, the granddaddy of all bicycles, a big wheel in front and a small wheel trailing. One morning a little child saw Johnson zooming toward school head bent over the handlebars, and immedi- ately ran home where he told his mother he wanted no part of school because he saw the devil coming there riding on his tail. It was in this school in 1898 that the principal, Solon Dodge, came trod- ding into the eighth grade room and wrote on the blackboard "The Battleship Maine has just been blown up in Havana Harbor/' and soon after many families found themselves cheering and waving goodbye to the older boys as they left to free Cuba from the Butcher, Weiler. Well, they freed Cuba all right, but a few of the home town boys stayed. Because of the rapid improvements that were made by the Land and Building Association before 1893 the people began to move into the commu- nity again in small numbers. Approximately one hundred sixty homes were erected. The settlers, now being predominantly first and second generation German, Polish and Swedes, had built their one and two-story frame resi- dents in a scattered fashion over the community although there was a tendency to concentrate within the few blocks near the railroad station. During 1893 Norwood Park was annexed by election to the great city of Chicago. Now there were nine trains running in each direction which stopped at the Nor- wood depot, and a daily average of sixty to seventy passengers, most of them residents doing business in Chicago using the accommodations of the railway. In 1895 the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized by an Evangelist by the name of Cooper. Members pledged enough to start a church which was located at what is now the corner of Circle and Nicolet Avenues. Page 73 Norwood Park School 1890 Page 74 NORWOOD PARK When barbed wire was used to carry the telephone conversation during the late 1800's, Norwood Park was included. The toll station was housed in the general store of James A. Low on the southeast corner of Nina and Avon- dale Avenues, and was a center of community activities in those days. Norwood Park remained a toll station until October, 1900, when a one- position magneto board was installed. Fourteen lines were connected to the board at that time, three of which were in Niles. The exchange was taken over in 1903, by Thorsen and Wingert, real estate and hardware dealers at what was then 6494 Avondale. The July, 1903 directory, printed on a card, shows twenty-two telephones, three of which were in Niles. Under Thorsen and Wingert's management, the number of subscribers was increased to about eighty. In 1904, the one-position switchboard was moved to the front room of the residence of Mrs. Jesse Temple at 6083 West Circle Avenue. This office in Mrs. Temple's home consisted of one room and one switchboard. The names of the operators were (note . . . their maiden names) Mabel Christensen, Laura Merriman, Bernice Schlie and Mrs. D. Jones. Mrs. Temple took care of the switchboard herself at night sitting up until midnight every evening; after that hour a buzzer would ring to awaken the sleeping operator if a call was to be made. In those days the telephone operator really had to be on the alert. For instance, in the ringing, the operator really had to hold a key over in order to ring a phone. If someone else called and wanted to make a call, the oper- ator would have to stop ringing the previous number and ring the latter one. In other words, only one number could ring at a time. Also in the office was a row of bells; each bell represented either Morton Grove, Niles, Niles Center, Glenview or some other outlying town. When one of these bells would ring, Mrs. Temple was not supposed to answer, since that meant that a Chicago call was trying to reach that particular town and, since there were only two lines from Chicago, had to come through the Nor- wood Park office. Many will remember the fast smart job Mrs. Temple and her employees did at the post the time of the burning of the Norwegian Old People's Home. As the office was directly across from the Home, Mrs. Temple on looking out of her window noticed flames and smoke coming from the third floor annex. Immediately she called the matron of the home; next she telephoned the Irving Park Police Station, and lastly she proceeded to call nearby home owners to ask for aid in fighting the blaze and in providing room for the old people of the Home when they were brought from the burning building. Mrs. Temple is said to have had a good deal of trouble arousing the sleeping citi- zens, since they were on the chase the night before after the post office was Page 75 NORWOOD PARK robbed; and were not inclined to go running down bandits two nights in a row; so she had to explain definitely that the Home was on fire. Gradually as time passed on and the neighborhood grew, the office soon boasted of four switchboards. Then Edison Park, which was on the Park Ridge line, wanted to come in on the city service, and so consequently was taken over by the Norwood station, and the '"Newcastle" exchange was created. Mrs. Temple gave up the telephone office in 1920, when the switchboard moved to the building on Oliphant Avenue in Edison Park. (Note . . . now the Edison Park American Legion Hall.) The board was loaded on a truck at eleven o'clock at night and moved to its new location around two the next morning. Mr^s. Temple severed her connection with the new company as night operator in charge when the board was moved to Edison Park with Mrs. Nochre from the Irving office as chief operator. At the turn of the century the Order of the Passionist Fathers decided to have a retreat house in the Chicago Area. After some consideration Reverend Felix Ward, C.P. was assigned by his superiors to secure a site for the Retreat House. This was in 1903 and after making a survey of many locations all were found to be unsuitable for one reason or other. Finally a site was selected and it was known as the old Burham Estate which extended from Harlem Avenue westward beyond Odell Avenue and from Talcott Road on the north to Higgins Road on the south. This property had on it a frame farmhouse and was adaptable to the Order's needs in Chicago for the time being. Father Provincial Stephen arrived in Chicago from the headquarters on April 5, 1904 to take possession of the property in the name of the Congregation of the Passion. Father Felix was left to act as the temporary Pastor and the needs of the community were amply cared for. The first Parochial Mass was celebrated the following Sunday for the people of Norwood Park and Park Ridge in the chapel of the Sisters of Charity Home in Park Ridge. In the meantime plans were in progress to develop the newly acquired premises and contractors were engaged to both repair and enlarge the resi- dence on the ground and to erect a church. As the months went by the plans took shape rapidly. The church was to be a reality, thirty feet wide and seventy-five feet deep with a stone foundation and a frame superstructure. The dedication took place on Labor Day, September 5, 1904. Prior to this time, of course, arrange- ments were made to have a special train come out to Norwood Park for the occasion. This carried the prelates, priests and laity from the city to attend Page 76 NORWOOD PARK the sacred rites. This train was met by a large gathering of people from Park Ridge, Norwood Park, Edison Park and even Des Plaines. Catholics and non- Catholics alike sent their carriage to the station to escort the Archbishop, the Bishops and clergy to the Church. His Excellency Archbishop James Edward Quigley, assisted by fifty priests, dedicated the Church. His Excellency Bishop Muldoon sang the Pon- tifical Mass, and the Cathedral choir was in attendance. Prior to the time the Passionist Fathers came to Norwood Park, the chaplain at St. Mary's Training School took care of the needs of the people of Park Ridge, while the Rector of St. Viator's Church guided the Catholics of Norwood Park and Niles. After the Passionist Fathers established them- selves, their parish included all Catholics of Park Ridge, Niles, Edison Park, and Norwood Park, two hundred eighty-six parishioners in all. Traveling to Church was a problem to many. The more fortunate mem- bers drove their surreys and buggies, those living close to the train used that means of transportation and when they arrived at the station they were faced with the short jaunt from the station down a foot path which very often was more or less a sea of mud. More than half of the sturdy pioneers walked to Mass. and some had great distances to travel by makeshift paths or lanes. In those days both Harlem Avenue and the four lane highway now know as Talcott Avenue were mud roads, which were at times impassable; Nina Avenue was the only thor- oughfare with a hard surface. The Catholic population in the northwest area except Edison Park of Chicago increased. Sunday school classes were held in both Park Ridsfe and Niles. Need for a Church in Park Ridge became quite evident and in 1907 the Passionist Fathers purchased six acres in Park Ridge. In 1913, free bread choked Norwood Park. The chickens had the gout, the porkers could scarcely navigate, and the whole town of Norwood Park was crusty, but hope was seen in the near future. Two bakery companies began a price war. Each trained its ovens on the town with the result that the siege of Vicksburg, when compared with the bombardment of the little village, was like a picture in the Garden of Eden. General High Cost of Living was caught in a flank movement and was rid- dled with dough bombs. When the people could eat no more, the chickens were appealed to until it finally came to such a pass that the hens would eat no bread unless the loaves were warm. The porkers demanded rye bread and soon the supply exceeded the demand. Then drifts of bread gathered on front and rear porches. The small boys did their best to dispose of the overflow. When they had stretched themselves over the visible supply for one day, they used Page 77 i ■ :#% : 'JpS:t> '|ffi: : Im»*~~ Passionists Fathers Home NORWOOD PARK the next day's consignment for footballs, baseballs, and they even threw the loaves upon the waters of the creek hoping they would never come back. The condition back of the bombardment was created when the Ward Bakery Company sought some of the business in the village. It seems that the representative of the Schulze Baking Company believed he had made exclusive arrangements to supply the staff of life in Norwood Park. The Ward people are said to have claimed that the two principal groceries of the place refused to use any but the product of the rival company. Then came the shower of free bread and a few days later the bombardment had closed and Norwood Parkers were busy with snow shovels. Three years later smoke choked Norwood Park. The Norwood Park fire department augmented by bucket brigades, four engine companies and one truck company from Chicago, fought unsuccessfully for more than an hour to save the Norwood Park Methodist Episcopal Church. The loss was placed at $25,000. When the Chicago fire fighters, under the leadership of Assistant Chief Arthur Seyferlich and Captain Walter Powers, arrived, the church was beyond help. They confined their efforts to saving the parsonage. The fire, believed to have been caused by an overheated furnace, was discovered by Mrs. J. Anderson, wife of the pastor. Unlike Edison Park most of Norwood's Park's Churches were built dur- ing the. 1910 to 1920 period. Immaculate Conception School opened on the fifth of September, 1912, with an enrollment of sixty pupils and two religious teachers. The sisters commuted every day from St. Sylvester's Convent as the Passionist Fathers who were in charge of the parish and school were as yet not able to provide a home for the Sisters. The first graduation exercises were held the following June. There were five boys and four girls. A beginning had been made. On September 27, 1913, the Sisters moved into the dwelling at Nina and Harlem, which had been arranged for them. The first Mass was offered in their little chapel on November 21, the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lady. Each succeeding year the enrollment increased, another Sister was added to the faculty. The history states that by June, 1923, there were five Sisters and one hundred thirty-one pupils. During the summer months of 1920 two men, Otto P. Behnke and Wil- liam Lewereing began work toward the establishment of an English Lutheran Mission in Norwood Park. They secured the use of the little Episcopal Church on West Circle and Northcott Avenues, but because it could not be made over in the time they wanted, the first service was held in the Masonic Hall on Nina and East Circle Avenues. Twenty-five Lutherans attended the first service. The new church brought Pase 80 NORWOOD PARK an impetus to the church's work and growth. The Sunday School enrollment went to one hundred forty and the church membership and attendance to seventy by the end of the year. Talk of a new school was looked forward to. In 1924 the Mission Board of the English District subsidized the church with a teacher. The plan was to begin with seven grades and add a grade the next year. Since sixty-two chil- dren had been promised, it seemed necessary to have two classes, one in the church proper and one in the basement. When the time came for classes to begin forty-two children showed up, but still two classes were taught, the primary by the pastor and the other grades by Mr. Paul Mall. Now changes had to be made from school to church on Saturday and from church to school on Sunday after church services. However, even though there were plenty of problems, it worked out, until 1928, when a new school was dedicated. When the 1920's are mentioned by old timers of Norwood Park up come the words "disaster strikes." Yes, floods began and sites around Norwood saw furnaces out, winter wood floating around the cellar, basement domestic laundries in no condition to receive the week's wash, shopkeepers passing time sitting on cracker boxes waiting for boats to bring customers, street cars plowing and paddling along Irving Park Avenue, leaving waving wakes of muddy water and floating debris. Also one of the biggest number of robberies in one single night was in Norwood Park. Yes, a pleasant time was had by all the burglars who jour- neyed to Norwood Park September 20, 1920 and leisurely jimmied their way into twenty-five houses. Nobody disturbed them and they carried away all they could comfortably carry in commodious trucks, automobiles and even vans. (Note . . . surprisingly they did not steal from the police station.) Poor Constable Bob Trieger, it was his night ofT and while slumbering on his screened porch the burglars gained entrance to his home by smashing a window. They moved out several articles of interior furnishings, but left Bob Trieger and his Big Ben clock. It woke him up bright and early the next morning to see bright empty rooms. Other Norwood Parker victims whose homes were robbed of trinkets, odd shoes, eatables, household equipment, such as meat grinders, clothes wringers and even fifteen bottles of milk, were: Charles Itschner, 6004 N. Neva; Henry Henning, 6753 Oshkosh; Edward J. Millard, 5787 Circle; John Hammersmark, 6024 N. Harlem; Attorney Frank C. Miese, 6835 Ardmore; Thomas Watt, 5857 N. Harlem; Claude S. June, 6046 Avondale; Joseph S. Hartford, 5960 N. Neva; Mrs. Mary G. Ritche, 5764 Nina; Captain J. Condie Cadwallader, 6827 Hobart; Dr. Charles W. Gimbele, Edgar A. Millarde, Thomas B. Lawerence, Henry Debelde, Kimball B. Valentine, Henry Peter- son and Attorney Frank P. Miese. The latter found a strange ladder leaning Page 81 ^ * f v» nr ■■*>■•& Norwood Park Episcopal Church 1890 Page 82 NORWOOD PARK against his bed chamber, while his ladder was in the yard of a citizen a block away. Others found ladders, ropes, and lumber hocks in their yards or against their windows upon rising. Asking for immediate relief after a heavy wind storm for people in Nor- wood Park, Albert Wallins stated in 1920; the suffering out here (Norwood) will be terrible, unless something is done at once. "Our people have lost their homes, roofs have been torn off, the hitch- ing posts have been torn out of the ground by the violence of the storm, chicken coops have been sailing through the air, and there's not a chicken left, I believe, with any feathers on, "The storms came so quickly there was no time to prepare, and it would not have done any good anyway. I have just helped to get a neighbor, Mr. Gorst, out of his basement, where he was almost buried under timbers from the house. Five weeks ago his wife died, two weeks ago they buried his baby, and now his home goes." Wrecking of the former Norwood Park Hotel, an ancient landmark, signified the final surrender of Norwood Park to Chicago. This time also signified the end to big floods, twenty-five home robberies, and dough bombs, invading Norwood Park. The remainder of Norwood Park was annexed in the 1920-30 decade, the northern section in 1924 and the northwest and western sections in 1927. During the 1920's Norwood Park, like the rest of Chicago, felt the impact of subdividing and building booms. Transportation was still poor up in this Northwest sector of the city, but improved later in the 1920's when the advent of the automobile helped to overcome the lack of adequate, rapid public transportation and led to the extension and improvement of major thoroughfares that traversed the community. These are Talcott Road, Mil- waukee Avenue, Northwest Highway, Avondale, Foster, Devon, and Harlem Avenues. The suburban Branch of the North Western Railroad and the United Motor Coach also provided transportation to the business districts of the city where most of the residents worked. The erecting of many homes between the span of 1920 to 1929 did not quadruple like Edison Park but quadrupled extending construction within the whole area bounded by the city limits on the west and south Devon Avenue and the city limits on the north and on the east Nagle Avenue south of Bryn Mawr Avenue and Austin Avenue north of Bryn Mawr to Indian Road which crosses I>evon Avenue. Yes, by 1929, Norwood Park had reached maturity although there was still much vacant and unsubdivided land, especially in the northern area. The town now boasts a library on Circle Avenue; the oldest cemetery in Page 83 Norwood Park Village Hall and Jail in 1900 was tall and impressive then. The old landmark still stands today across from the Norwood Park railroad depot. Paw 84 NOR W OOl) P A R K the Chicago area, purchased about 1839; a baseball team known as the Bil- likens; post office; fire department and many other features that made this town of Norwood stand out among other towns. The postal service prior to the new building on Northwest Highway was from the station at 6040 Avondale Avenue which later moved to 5095 Nina. Then when the population increased and new homes were built the govern- ment saw fit to establish a post office to exclusively serve this section of the city. When this post office was completed, it served the district bounded by Irving Park Road, Dempster Street, Central Avenue and West River Road. In 1928 there were twelve carriers and four postal clerks. Mr. Stanley De Long was then superintendent and stayed in that position until 1933 when he retired. Compared to the twelve carriers and four clerks back in 1928, the local post office force now includes thirty seven foot carriers, one collector, eleven clerks, twenty laborers, substitutes, and two supervisors. A total of seventy-five persons, united to serve mail needs. A new $55,000 dollar field house located at Avondale and Hurlburt Avenues was completed on December 30, 1928. Called the Norwood Park Field House, it was equipped with a large auditorium which could be used as a theater and ballroom; a gymnasium, dressing rooms, and other modern facil- ities for community functions. Page 85 Chapter VI 1930-1960 POPULAR interest grew in securing feeder busses on the Northwest High- way from Jefferson Park to the City limits in which project all of the civic and welfare organizations of Edison Park, Norwood Park, and Glad- stone Park became active over a period of six years. For many years the citizens of these communities were chafing under the injustices of having to pay ten cents additional fare or a total of seventeen cents for service which all other parts of the City were furnished for only seven cents. In the early part of 1928 the Chicago Motor Coach Company filed a petition with the Illinois Commerce Commission seeking a certificate of con- venience and necessity to extend their service for the transportation of pas- sengers on certain streets and highways in the City of Chicago which in- cluded the Northwest Highway. The Amalgamated Improvement and the United Edison Park Improvement Associations filed their intervening petitions praying for feeder bus service with transfer privileges at a seven cent fare and objecting to the service then furnished by the United Motor Coach Company or that proposed by the Chicago Motor Coach Company. The Chicago Surface Lines in their amended answers stated that they were able, ready, and willing to install and furnish a seven cent feeder bus service on the Northwest Highway. Considerable testimony was presented by the resi- dents of Edison Park and Norwood Park and of other communities alon? Paee 87 NORWOOD PARK the Northwest Highway. Volume of charts and other documentary evidence were introduced. A strong case was presented and extended over several months, but to the surprise and disappointment of the residents of the com- munities affected, the Commission refused to order the installation of the feeder busses on the Northwest Highway and prolonged their fight for feeder busses. In an effort to coordinate the work of the various organizations of Edison, Norwood, and Gladstone, the 41st Ward Civic League met at Nor- wood Park on September 18, 1931. The meeting was called by Paul J. Paulenske, President of the Northwest Highway Development Association. Practically every civic and welfare organization in the territory affected by the need of feeder bus transportation was represented at this and subsequent meetings of this group. When James C. Moreland was elected as Alderman of the 41st Ward, he entered into the fight for feeder busses with great vigor which continued without slacking. The hearing before the Illinois Commerce Commission was based on the petition filed in the name of the 41st Ward Civic Council of which Alderman Moreland was President. He attended every one of the numerous sessions of the hearing as well as the meetings of the various or- ganizations which consolidated their efforts in the battle. His testimony in the case showed his accurate and comprehensive know- ledge of the needs of the portion of his ward especially affected by the need for this type of transportation. The Chicago Surface Lines, stubbornly opposing the petition for the service asked, interposed every obstacle possible to a prompt disposition of the case. Every excuse for delay had been advanced and when it appeared that these had been exhausted, the Chicago and North Western Railroad whose suburban train service parallels the route of the bus service prayed for, asked to be made a party of the hearing thus again requiring a continuation of the case. When the Railroad's attorney announced that the Chicago and North Western would oppose the granting of an order for the feeder bus service on the ground that they would suffer a lose of revenue by reason of this com- petition, a letter was sent by Henry Logan, chairman of the transportation committee of the Norwood Park Citizens' Association to the president of the North Western Railroad. Page NORWOOD PARK "November 29, 1932 Dear Mr. Sargent: As you are doubtless aware, the people of Norwood Park, Edison Park, and other adjacent localities have for a long time past en- deavored to secure feeder bus service for the Northwest Highway, with transfer privileges to and from the surface lines extending to all parts of the city of Chicago, at a single fare. It is no more than reasonable to expect this service, as the community for the most part is thickly populated, and is one of the oldest in the city. In addition to many of our residents who must travel each day to and from their places of business and labor, many of those places far removed from points served by your lines, there are hundreds of students in our district compelled to attend the Carl Schurz High School, as we have no high school within our district, necessitating the payment of a bus fare plus a car fare, or walking a long distance to a street car. The parents of these students are to a large extent commuters on your lines, and good permanent citizens. Various obstacles have been placed in our way by private in- terests for their own gain, and we have encountered delay after delay, upon one pretext after another, and are still without adequate surface line transportation. As long as people had a fair amount of money to spend, they exercised remarkable patience, being assured from time to time that they would soon have feeder busses, but with the extreme scarcity of money now prevailing, patience is about ex- hausted, and with everyone struggling for an existence, which re- quires the utmost economy, the payment of double fares becomes a great hardship. At the hearing before the Illinois Commerce Commission today, ninety-eight representative, citizens of Norwood Park and Edison Park, expecting to meet only the objections of the Surface Lines and the United Motor Coach Company, were amazed to find when the case was called for hearing, that the attorney representing the Chicago and North Western Railway opposed the hearing upon the ground that your company was not made a party respondent to the petition, and would object to granting the order to give us a seven cent fare with transfer privileges to all parts of the city on the surface lines. We believed that we had the goodwill of your company, and that the matter of feeder busses would not interest you. At this dis- tance from the "Loop" you must realize that the Surface Lines are Page 89 NORWOOD PARK not competing with you to any extent, and very few would use them going to and from the city in the regular course of business, if trains are available. In many cases your lines do not serve the requirements of people who must travel to and from points where your service does not reach. This is particularly true in the case of the students referred to in the first paragraph of this letter. Even if the feeder bus should at first tako a number of people from you, they would tend to encourage an increase in the population of the districts served, so that you would ultimately benefit both from passenger service and also in the matter of freight. In many other parts of the city there are surface lines paralleling the railway lines, yet the public is not compelled to pay double fare within the city limits, because of the fact, and there is no just reason why our people should be compelled to do it. The United Motor Coach has been operating its buses for many years on the Northwest Highway, at a fare that is an imposition on the people residing in this section of the city, yet your company has apparently not raised any objection. Our organization is one of the largest and oldest of its kind in America, and represents most of the families in Norwood Park. We are cooperating with the other civic organization in adjacent dis- tricts for the welfare of the people in general, and express the senti- ments of the citizens in this behalf. We have reached the point where it must be determined whether the rights of the public will be served justly, or if the public must be subjected to the domination of powerful private financial and political interests. I am quite sure that our people will not submit very much longer to the state of affairs that has prevailed in the past. May we hope for your cooperation in attaining our objective, which means so much to the people of our communities, and which can work no hardship on your company? The hearing has been set for December 14th, and we would appreciate the courtesy of an interview before that time. Yours very truly, signed Henry H. Logan Chairman, Transportation Committee, Norwood Park Citizens' Association" Page 90 NORWOOD PARK As a result of this meeting a representative of the North Western Railroad, after a meeting with Alderman Moreland and other members of the com- mittee in charge of the hearing, announced that the railroad would not urge its objections as it valued the goodwill of the citizens of Edison and Nor- wood Park and wished to maintain friendly relations with them and their representative in the city council. The necessity of raising funds to defray the expense of preparation of the case led to the decision to stage an entertainment in which all of the organizations of the community were invited to participate. The result was that on November 25th, 1932, the Northwest Highway Revue, one of the finest high-class entertainments ever produced in this com- munity, was presented at the Norwood Field House. Under the able direction of Luther L. Zink as stage director, assisted by J. I. Mac Taggart, William D'Arcy, Everett B. Mann, William Burroughs, and many other citizens of Norwood and Edison Park, there was presented a twelve act performance of high merit to which the Women's Clubs, Parent-Teacher Association, Church organizations and civic organizations all contributed the best of their local talent. No finer exhibition of united community spirit was ever shown than this highly successful entertainment from which a very satisfactory financial aid was derived. Another exhibition of fine community spirit came to light when it was decided that it would be desirable to have a series of aerial photographs of the territory through which the Northwest Highway runs, for use as evidence in the case. Ray Willis of Edison Park, an ex-service man whose wartime experience as an aerial photographer in charge of an important branch of that service qualified him as an expert, volunteered to take care of this work as his con- tribution to the community welfare. Major R. W. Schroeder, of Sky Harbor, famous ace of World War I, agreed to furnish a plane which he personally piloted, and with Mr. George Echkoff a much pleased passenger, directed the taking of pictures, a series of twenty four exposures which were used in evi- dence in the hearing and from a most important part of the record of the case. It was realized that it was necessary to have legal aid in presenting the case before the Illinois Commerce Commission and after George Echkoff consulted with a number of local attorneys who said that they would be glad to volunteer their service free of charge to as great an extent as was possible, but they could not assume the entire conduct of the case, it was decided to employ one man, at a nominal fee to draft the necessary papers whose duty it was to be present at all preliminary hearings and to supervise the conduct Page 91 ■ € Si NORWOOD PARK of the case. Norwood and Edison were fortunate in securing the service of Ernest M. Schein on the above basis, and in the actual hearings Mr. Schein was assisted by Mathias Perz of Edison Park and Carl M. Johnson and Frank P. Miese of Norwood Park. These gentlemen gave freely of their time and legal knowledge and the citizens were greatly indebted to them for their unselfish devotion to the service of their neighbors. To mention all of the names of citizens who played an important part in the conduct of this community enterprise since its inception would be impossible; at one hearing alone ninety-eight witnesses were sworn and ready to testify. However, today the community may be justly proud of all who participated in getting feeder bus service on the highway, which runs to Ozark Avenue in Edison. The depression in the thirties dropped land values lower than in the heyday of the early promotion. To Norwood Park, instead of being a calamity, it proved a boon for the village as new buyers moved in and built over 1100 homes. Tax rates gradually increased, cement sidewalks replaced the old wooden side-walks, the streets were paved in the vicinity near the railroad tracks. The population gained 2,058 making a total population of 16,466 in 1940. From this total 1099 were children under five years of age. There were still vacant areas in the northwest and southwest sections of Norwood Park, as well as many vacant lots scattered throughout the hilly village of Norwood. Single family brick dwellings and a few small apartment buildings were the main type of structures built. A section of Norwood centering about Overhill Avenue and Higgins Road, 7700 west and 5900 north claimed that they were living a hill billy life. One man commented, "It's in Chicago, in a community with no sewers, no electric lights, no gas, weeds growing in the street, roadside ditches filed with tin cans, weeds, and, when it rains, torrents of yellow water, out- side toilets, cracked, broken and tilted sidewalks are more common than in Ethiopia." The residents were citizens of Chicago and taxpayers and for the most part owners of their modest cottages and bungalows, but they had none of the big city conveniences. The United States mail wasn't even delivered to the homes of most of them. Mrs. M. Jaster, of 5629 Overhill Avenue mentioned at the time, "Why we even leave boots by the mail boxes, so that in wet weather we'll be able to get to our houses. In the spring it is practically impossible to get to the mail boxes without boots." Overhill Avenue once was paved, but the pavement long since had been cracked, broken and all but erased. It was a street good for a wartime Page 93 NORWOOD PARK tank, but for no man's automobile. Summerdale Avenue tapers off into a weed-covered trail about three hundred feet west of Overhill. Others claimed Bryn Mawr Avenue was rutted and muddy, and all but impassable. Other streets in the neighborhood were in the same state, except Hiffffins Road which was the inhabitants' main connection with civilization through the surrounding farmland. A near fist fight between two members of the Norwood Park board was the central topic of discussion during November of 1931. The unexpected situation arose at a protest meeting at 6100 Northwest Highway, when Charles Gindele, who belonged to a minority faction of the board told the two hundred fifty taxpayers gathered that his plan to purchase land for a small park at Imlay and Newcastle Avenues for $18,000 was turned down by the majority of the board which later voted to pay $36,000 for the site. That was as far as Mr. Gindele got. He was interrupted by Carl Peter- son, who voted with the majority. Mr. Peterson shouted: "You're a liar." Then Mr. Peterson removed his spectacles to be ready for a fist fight, but some taxpayers intervened and no blows passed. On the plea of John Chapman, president of the board at this time, a full report of all expenditures would be given the taxpayers at the next meet- ing, three weeks later, the meeting was readjourned and Mr. Gindele pur- chased the land. The Norwood Park Trust and Savings Bank which had a capital of $100,000 surplus of $20,000 and deposits of $175,000 was closed in 1932. Nine months before five bandits had held up the bank and fled with between $2,000 and $3,000. One of the robbers carried a machine gun and the others were armed with sawed off shot guns. All were masked. Two women and three men employes, and seven customers were forced to lie on the floor while one of the bandits ran behind the cage and scooped up cash on the counters and overlooked close to $10,000 dollars in the vault. Church building programs in Norwood did not keep pace with the growth of the churches. The depression following 1929 put two thirds of the men in Norwood out of work and dropped contributions from the commu- nicants, (note . . . Our Saviour English Evangelical Lutheran Church dropped from seventy six dollars per communicant to twenty six. ) This made it im- possible to carry the load and pay off their debt, to say nothing of building of new churches, scheduled for the thirties. Many churches were instituted to meet emergencies in 1933 and even these were overcrowded and gave night- mares of rattling chairs and crowded aisles to the pastors of Immaculate Con- ception Catholic, Our Saviour Evangelical Lutheran, Norwood Park Baptist, St. Albans Episcopal and Norwood Park Methodist. The latter in 1936 stated Paee 94 NORWOOD PARK if members of the Church found it inconvenient to come to church to pay their share of running expenses, then the chinch would come to them. This they did. More than one hundred miniature churches, close reproductions of the Norwood Park edifice, were placed in the homes of the congregation members. Those who accepted the model churches agreed to place one cent in them following each meal. Once a month each family then would receive a social and collection call from one of these captains in charge of the drive: Carl Claussen, J. H. Ellis, J. M. Izar Weinrich, V. J. Brakaw, H. E. Turner, F. L. De Lay, J. B. Smallwood, C. R. Brown and P. W. Fitzsimons. Every four months the little buildings then in turn served as an admission ticket to a social, which was held in the church parlors. Ground was broken and construction started on the William Howard Taft High School, in February of 1938. Immediately after the first shovel of dirt had been turned over for the $1,600,000 school by Alderman William J. Cowhey, prominent community leaders took their places on the flag bedecked speaker's stand and spoke in turn to the large assembly of over fifteen hun- dred people. The principal speakers for the occasion were Nels Olson and Frederick Seibel, members of the Board of Education, who were introduced by Edmond P. Moloney, general chairman. Next to address the gathering were Alderman Cowhey; Anthony Czarnecki, long a resident of Norwood Park and an en- thusiastic civic leader; and Theodore W. Davis, representing the American Legion. George J. Eckhoff, John Kerr, and Carl M. Johnson spoke on be- half of the Norwood Park Citizens' Association. Frank P. Miese, an outstanding promoter for the school, spoke next. A word or two was then offered by Mrs. P. Dehlinger, Edison Park Civic Leader; O. A. Brendel, member of the Edison and Norwood Park Kiwanis Club; and Mrs. Condit Voorhees, Nor- wood Park Civic leader. Representing the Parent-Teacher Organization of the community were Mrs. H. D. Ellis, and Miss Willard. Youth and a coming student of the new school were personified in the person of John Magnus, Mayor of the Norwood Park Elementary School. Senator Raymond O'Keefe of the 25th district was an honored speaker and was followed in turn by Charles Bosshart, Claude June, and Gene Sass, officers of the Norwood Park Chamber of Commerce. Miss Anna Keller, principal of the Norwood Park Elementary School, told of her approval of the high school. John C. Christiansen, architect for the board of education drew the plans for the U shaped school, which covered a space 400x200 feet; the purpose of the U shape to have every room face the outside. Built in yel- low face brick, the school was made architectually beautiful with white cut stone and a stone ribbon running between the first and second floor. The framework consists of steel, tile, and concrete and is absolutely fireproof. Page 95 •if • i ■v > u LSfli ; SilW NORWOOD PARK The building contained twenty seven classrooms, a commerce room, two typewriting rooms, two art rooms, a mechanical arts room, a cooking and sewing room, chemistry, physics, botany and zoological laboratories, a library, lunchroom, band room, two gymnasiums, for the boys and girls respectively, containing locker room and shower, a swimming pool, and, of course, an auditorium. The school had a student capacity of 1,827 and was opened for use in February of 1939. As of 1940 there were still vacant areas in parts of Norwood. Residential construction picked up during a four year span from 1940 to 1944 as 1355 homes were erected compared to the depression days from 1930 to '39 when only 1105 homes were built. More children under five were seen running the streets. It remained predominantly American, German, and Polish, with a sprinkling now of members of the Sweden, Norway, and Denmark nation- alities' groups. Homes built in Norwood were of single family brick dwellings and a few small apartment buildings have been the chief types of structures built. The inauguration of bus lines on some of the major thorough-fares has alleviated to some degree the transit problems of the community. Bus service to and from the Loop was still poor and many of the business men who worked down town still had to rely on the North Western Railroad and the automo- bile. During this period of time also Norwood Park attracted residents who were employed in industrial plants in neighboring suburbs. A Norwood Park block bounded by Bryn Mawr, Newcastle and Hurlburt Avenues was chosen during the 1940's as a typical block because of the diver- sity of occupations of the citizens residing there and because the Norwood Park area was so well organized. The twenty families living in this block include an attorney, an engineer, and author, a chemist, several industrial manufactur- ing executives, a school teacher, a musician, a piano manufacturer, three salesmen, a motor club representative, and an insurance broker. Organization of this typical block was begun by Harvey H. Howard, block organizer, who notified each of the heads of the twenty families in the block. Each family was asked to be present at the election, although only one vote to a family was permitted. This is to keep one family from dominating the block organization. Mr. John K. Crippen was appointed judge and referee of the election which was held at the home of William A. Steinmetz, 5623 Newcastle Avenue. Harry Zone, captain of one of the eleven zones in the Norwood Park area, supervised the election. The election was conducted in a democratic way, the various families electing their Captain who is to be their future leader in so far as that block is concerned. Each individual was signed in by the referee upon entering and Page 97 NORWOOD PARK it was ascertained that over 75 percent of the families in the block were present. This percentage is required in order that the election may represent a fair majority. Stuart S. Crippen, Jr., a manufacturer, was elected as block captain of this typical block, and it was his job to appoint committees and individuals and to work with the zone captain in carrying on the work with city-wide and nation-wide organizations. Such organizations included the first aid units, fire and air raid wardens, and other groups necessary for complete preparedness. The election provided an informal and pleasant meeting ground for neighbors. In this typical block, for example, some of the old residents be- came acquainted for the first time with newcomers. The spirit of seriousness prevailed, yet the neighbors' relationship was pleasant and amicable. Mr. Crippen has the honor of being the first block captain in Chicago. He observed that the meeting typified the spirit which will do away with axis aggression. In his words, "The national emergency has thrown together each block in the great city of Chicago — thus fusing the people of Chicago into a great voluntary unit, each group backing and supplementing our defense activities with faith that supplants fear and bigotry, Americans' real answer to Totalitarian stupidity." At a meeting a few days later the Norwood Park civilian defense com- mitee elected George J. Eckhoff treasurer of the committee; John Andersen, chairman of recreation; and the following committee: Richard Krohn, Fran Fisher, William G. Burroughs, Howard Hewson, and Mrs. D. J. Donahue. Dedication services for Norwood's new St. James Lutheran Church at Oketo and Foster Avenues was held in November of 1945. Sunday School be- gan the day's dedication program. The divine worship service followed with Dr. C. O. Bergtston, president of the Illinois conference, as guest speaker. Formal dedication services were held that afternoon with Dr. Oscar Benson, president of the Augustana Lutheran Church, as guest speaker. St. James Church, designed in modified Gothic architecture with a lan- non stone front was constructed at a cost of $15,000. Seating capacity of the church was approximately 300. Work toward the creation of the new St. James congregation was begun early in 1945 when the Saron Lutheran Church of Chicago under the leadership of Reverend Vernon E. Ryding, pastor, appointed a committee to locate an area where Sunday school work could be undertaken. Oriole Park was selected and a complete survey that summer revealed to church officials that there was a need not only for a Sunday school, but for a Lutheran Church of the National Council as well. Mission services were created in April of 1946, and held at the Garvy School. Several preachers served this mission until December, when Pastor and Page 98 ■ - , '.""'' tl# NORWOOD PARK Mrs. Milton Lundahl and family moved into the parsonage which had been purchased. During the past 25 years of Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church history, 115 adults and 342 children have been received into communicant membership by baptism or confirmation, 464 have been baptized, 110 given Christian burial and 134 couples married. The communicant membership has grown. The Sunday school has 224 enrolled, the Cradle roll 75. The school enrollment in 1945 was 85. Church attendance reached its peak in 1941 — 255 per Sunday. A drop in the at- tendance of children brought down the figure for 1942 and then the boys were called into service, holding it down until 1944, when the figure climbed to 251. The growth these 25 years has averaged 17 communicants per year. The former pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, the Reverend Richard Hughes, C.P., was appointed in 1945. Under his leadership a Mothers' Club was organized and a cafeteria opened. The brick dwelling next to the convent was purchased during 1947 to accommodate a faculty of eleven Sisters. A schoolroom for fifty-two second grade children was opened in the basement of the building. The newly organized parishes of St. Monica and St. Eugene claimed about 120 children of Immaculate Conception during 1949 and 1950. How- ever, their enrollment in June 1950 was 426, so in March 1951 ground was broken for the new addition to the school. Two rooms were ready for occu- pancy in November 1951, and a lay teacher was added to the faculty. An art teacher was added to the faculty in the fall of 1952. She spent one day in each of the classrooms. School closed in June 1953 with 509 pupils. Plans for two classrooms to be opened were made. A new school addition at the east end of the present school building was begun in August, with a promise that its six new class- rooms would be already for occupancy by September of 1954. Ground was broken for the new convent on November 23, 1953. In 1955 Immaculate Conception School had a faculty of twelve Sisters, two lay teachers, an art teacher and a speach teacher. The enrollment reached over 600. School opened in September of 1955 with thirteen Sisters, three lay teachers, and an art teacher. The enrollment was 700 on the first day of school. Five of the six classrooms were occupied and enjoyed by the priviledged classes assigned to them. The Blessed Sacrament was brought to the new convent on December 23, 1954 and the first Mass was said in the new chapel on Christmas morning. Open House was held for the people of the parish on Sunday, May 29, 1955. The formal blessing and consecration was held later when the grounds were Page 100 Leo Hoefer landscaped and the old building removed. School closed in June with a promised increased enrollment in the following Sep- tember of 763; plans were made for the opening of another schoolroom and the addition of another Sister. In September of 1956 the Reverend Paul Francis took over as pastor of the church. A new innovation in June weddings took place at the Hub Roller Skating Rink June 28, 1951. What, a marriage on roller skates? Yes, Miss Dolores McGuire and Mr. Vince Ray were married during the regular Thursday evening skating session on wheels. Leon Berry, the rink organist at the time played the wedding music while Connie Mallas and Irene Heglund gave their vocal solos. Merchants from the Edison and Norwood area sent wedding presents to the couple which were on display at the rink the night of the wedding. Anyone who wanted to attend the "Marriage on Wheels" ceremony could. Since Taft opened its doors in 1939, the classrooms have been over- crowded. The school for many years has had to have a double shift. A new addition will end this problem. This addition, is part of a multi-million dollar construction program which includes 41 other schools. The plan calls for an expenditure of more than $36,000,000 in which the new Taft addition will receive $1,500,000. All but $3,500,000 will come out of the $50,000 bond issue approved by votes in 1955. The balance will come from real-estate tax. Included in Taft's new plans will be a large boys' gymnasium, a library, home economics laboratories, machine shop, and many additional classrooms. The building is to be completed in 1957. In September of 1954 Miss Mary C. Gillies was appointed principal of Taft after the death of Leo Hoefer. Mr. Hoefer will long be remembered for his progressive theories of education. For despite teaching experience extending over a period of 42 years, he was no conservative in his educational philosophy. Mr. Hoefer was heard once to say that extracurricular activities are almost as important in modern education as the regular course of study. "What I aim to do is to turn out good citizens able to earn their livings and to live happily, rather than autom- atons stuffed with facts and miscellaneous information." This proved to be a successfull theory for Mr. Hoefer and students who knew him, if not today will someday, be thankful for all Mr. Leo Hoefer did. In early 1956 Our Saviour Lutheran Church approved expansion of facilities costing more than $250,000. Ground breaking ceremonies were con- ducted by the Reverend Carl H. Toelke, just recently called to Our Saviour Church from a congregation in Akron, Ohio. The new building includes: four new school classrooms, with full basement area, a combination gymnasium and assembly hall, complete with a physical director's office, stage, wardrobe, Page 101 Pacre 102 NORWOOD PARK storage areas, kitchen, and shower and locker rooms. The new building is of face brick exterior embellished with significant cut stone designs. The interior is of concrete block, block construction cement floors, except gym- nasium which has a maple wood floor, glazed tile in various corridor and toilet areas, and acoustical ceilings. The design of the building, together with driveways, parking areas, play areas, for school children and the landscaping gives the Norwood Park another new look. Before an audience of more than 5000 persons in 1949, His Eminence Samuel Cardinal Stritch turned the first spadeful of earth at the ground breaking ceremonies of the proposed Resurrection Hospital. The master of ceremonies, Mr. Raymond Gleason, requested the Rt. Reverend Msgr. John W. Barrett, the Archdiocesan Director of Hospital to make the invocation. Preceding the actual ceremony His Eminence Samuel Cardinal Stritch spoke briefly of the many years of planning, of the great need for a hospital in the area, and of the disappointments that had been encountered. Finally, through fund governmental aid, the great project was launched. "I know nobody," the Cardinal remarked, "who has greater satisfaction here today than I." Mayor Martin H. Kennelly, who served at one time as honorary chair- man of the fund raising drive, stated that he had followed developments with great interest and hailed the institution as a great contribution to the welfare of this great area. Representing Governor Adlai E. Stevenson, who was unable to attend, County Clerk Richard Daley, (now Mayor of Chicago) conveyed the con- gratulations of the governor to the Sisters upon the progress they had so far achieved and extended his best wishes for the earliest possible completion of the hospital for which they had so earnestly worked and planned. Among the noted guests who attended were: Rt. Rev. Msgr. Hardman, Secretary to His Eminence; the Hon. Richard Daley, Richard Schmidt, rep- resenting the architects of the future hospital; Edward Rupinski, associate architect and representative of State and Federal aid; Dr. George Truman Carl, Minister of the Methodist Church of Park Ridge; Rt. Reverend Stanley J. Fiolek, Provincial Superior of the Resurrection Fathers; Reverend A. Gor- don Nasby, Pastor of Edison Park Lutheran church; and Reverend Francis C. Young, Pastor of St. Juliana Church. The Sisters of the Resurrection have enjoyed an enviable career in both the teaching and nursing professions. Their order was founded in Rome over 60 years ago. In 1900 they established the St. Mary of the Angels School in Chicago at 1813 Wood Street. In the following year they established a second school in St. Casimir's Parish at 3047 W. Cermak Road, both progressing successfully. Resurrection High School was established in Norwood Park in 1914. It Page 103 ..... NORWOOD PARK is across the road from the hospital. The Sisters conduct other schools and hospitals, in the states of New York. Alabama. Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. The joy and happiness of the Sisters on the eventful day of breaking of the ground for the new hospital was climaxed by the presence of Reverend Mother Teresa, C.R., Superior General of the Sisters of the Resurrection, who came from Rome, Italy, to participate in the ceremony. After 13 years of planning, in 1952 the new Resurrection Hospital became a reality. The Sisters of the hospital who are and have been conducting an elementary school and high school for girls in Norwood Park, saw the neces- sity for a hospital to serve the great northwest section of metropolitan Chi- cago and the adjacent suburbs. The shape of the building typifies a benefactor with arms extended to the highway to receive and help all men without discrimination. The hospital building is Georgian in character having a red brick and cut stone trim exterior. The hospital has a ground or basement floor and four addi- tional stories. The building is designed to have one additional hospital floor. Resurrection Hospital accommodates 181 hospital beds, 44 basinettes, quar- ters for 34 nurses, and a staff of 10 doctors and internes, complete operating and x-ray departments, laboratories, operating rooms, a library, and a chapel. Other features, include an animal laboratory, advanced communication system, hubbelite flooring, and numerous safety pieces. When the planned future fifth floor is added, the total bed capacity will be 250. It is interesting to note that 4,200 cubic yards of concrete; four hundred twenty-five tons of reinforced steel ; more than 64,000 face bricks and 71,500 common bricks and 930 cubic feet of cut stone and belt course went into making this super structure hospital. Today Resurrection Hospital represents a great physical improvement to the people of Northwest Chicagoland, securing their lives and increasing the value of their neighborhood. It is the symbol of the area's expansion, develop- ment, and importance. The name Resurrection also is a happy chance and a pledge that after these builders of today have gone, their hospital will live on for future generations. It is something in which every resident concerned can be proud to have participated. A huge "send-off" parade and celebration for Norwood Park's Adrienne Falcon, Miss Chicago of 1951, took place in Norwood's shopping district the evening of August 31, 1951. Miss Falcon was to depart for Atlantic City to compete in the Miss America contest the following day. One of the famous barbershop quartets of the Norwood area serenaded Miss Falcon with a rendi- tion of "Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad." Also featured in the parade were the prize winning Norwood Park Drum and Bugle Corps, a Page 106 ! bJK_.| I I. 1 ■ 1 i ;.~1 | S0 ■ : ~ lm u_ m ui;! I ■ Ljt jri.i .itrfti 1 LH L^'JI U-] L»*»»« ~™»*. few | Uk I s _ d-uijiaj 1 . m IX ^""iM '* ' B "Br ": LJL iJL"^ •£&! ; UL w"^ lit LJI. fell "hM< mSk 4 -I l |nj| ^ : JJ| Hfc BUI 1 11 NORWOOD PARK motorcade, Patricia Stevens Models, Girl Scouts from the Norwood, Edison, and Oriole Park areas, an accordian band, and Boy Scouts. In the motorcade. Miss Falcon occupied the lead car along with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Falcon of 6060 N. Navarre, and Patricia Stevens, Chicago sponsor of the Miss America contest. Other cars were occupi- ed by the runner-up in the Miss Chicago contest and Chamber of Commerce dignitaries. The line of march began on Raven and Northwest Highway, and proceeded north to the triangle at Harlem and Devon Avenues where the pro- cession turned around and returned south through the business district where the send-off ceremony took place in the parking lot just north and east of the North Western train station. Four years later Norwood Park was again privileged as beautiful Flor- ence Gallagher of 7226 Myrtle won the Miss Chicago contest and later brought the Miss America crown closer to Chicago than anyone else that represented Chicago in the contest's 27 years of existence. She placed third. One year before the Chicago Girl Scout Council was established in 1920, Troop 1, of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, captained by Mrs. John Quinn, was flourishing by correspondence. A little girl and her family moved to Norwood and joined this troop and has never left. This is Mrs. Walter Valters, first a senior leader when she became a senior scout, and then continuing as adult leader giving invaluable service. She has a family and a house of her own, is a five time blood donor, and has sponsored scout activity in Red Cross work. Yes, these were the days when the Girl Scouts could be identified by their baggy kahki uniforms when giving service to others, and during precision drilling countless parades, nerve-shattering badge centers, and happy camping days at the first Chicago camp on the Des Plaines River north of Des Plaines, Illinois. In 1945 the program level was changed, since the senior patrol could no longer be registered, and all but two of the members were of senior age. Now after earning their coveted wings and diligently carrying out their service projects they still find plenty of time for splash parties, dances, hay rides, cooking contests, competitive canoeing, primitive camping, and canoe trips in the Quetico Provincial Park. Mrs. Valters can recall, nostalgically, the two year period of Thursday nights when the Valters home was jumping, with twenty explorer scouts meet- ing upstairs and more than 25 girls in the basement. The friendship between boy and girl scouts established vying for honors in joint cookouts during the summer season. Some forty troop members of Mrs. Walter Valters are now in leadership roles in troops in the community and from California to Texas to Mississippi. One of the former scouts is responsible for starting a troop in South Africa. Page 109 NORWOOD PARK Nine of Mrs. Valters former girls now serve in leadership capacities in Nor- wood Park. In 1956 the State Street Council selected Mrs. Valters Volunteer of the Year, because of her service to Scouting and also because she volun- teered many hours of her time to Norwood and Taft P.T.A.'s; is active in the Cancer and Heart Drives; is a member of Aquatics committee and does hos- pital work one-half day a week. One very notable fact about Mrs. Valters volunteer service is her extreme consistency and enthusiasm that have been paramount for over 30 years of volunteer service. Some 30 years ago a young lad, wanting to produce rhythm with his drum instead of a lot of noise, approached William "Willie" Widmayer who he knew was a drummer in the second regiment of the Illinois National Guard. Soon this boy became a good drummer under the instruction of "Willie" and it brought together five more boys who wanted to learn drumming. Willie loving children, held classes for the six children in the basement of his home. This was actually the start of the Norwood Park Drum and Bugle Corps. After numerous practices and additional children becoming interested, the parents of Norwood Park formed a parent organization with Mrs. Helen Crowe as its president. Some time later, the Corps was ready for its first turn out, a parade with 48 members made up of boys and girls averaging 10 years old. The Corps gradually increased its membership to 70 members, 20 of which were in the drum section. By this time, the Corps had taken part in many parades. With the able assistance of Warren Scheffner, "Willie" did all the instructing. The drum majoring was shared between Maxime Merta and Kenneth Cochran, leading the Corps in various parades till about 1941. During this same year due to the variation in ages of the members, two Corps were formed, the "A" Corps and the "B" Corps. From 1941 to 1945 June Baley was drum major. "Willie," with assistance of Tony Baley taught bugling and Oscar Norlin instructed on the drums. Together they decided to have a field drill. Fred Specht was appointed as the first military instructor to teach the boys and girls a field drill which included wheels and various other complicated maneuvers. In 1946 June Baley left the Corps, Edra Lindman became the drum major. The corps took part in six field contests, placing second 4 times, and coming in third and fourth in the other two contests. The following year the Corps won 4 first places, 2 seconds, 3 third places and captured the State Championships. With Emmet Sahrigs as musical instructor (now with the University of Wisconsin as band instructor), and Joan Purse as drum major, it became possible in the year of 1948 for the Corps to add 6 first places, 3 second, 3 Page 110 NORWOOD PARK third, 1 fourth and another State Championship to their fine record. Beginning the 1949 season, Edward Reimer instructing on bugles with Bob Badal instructing the drummers and Joan Purse still the drum major, the Corps won the State Championship for the third time, also coming in first 3 times, second 4 times and third once. It was in this year that the Corps, for the first time went to a National Convention being held in Philadelphia, Pa. Competing against 40 corps, Norwood Park came in 6th place. Continuing with the same personnel in 1950, the Corps captured first place 7 times, second 3 times and third 2 times and had the honor of winning the State Championship for the 4th consecutive time. Because of transporta- tion cost and the National Convention being held in Los Angeles, California, the Corp found that it was not able to attend this year. In 1951 the Corps had a very successful year and won 8 first place prizes, 3 second and 3 third. Attending the National Convention at Miami, Florida, Norwood, competing with the best Corps in the country, came in fourth. It also was in this year that Norwood captured all honors at South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, winning first place in the drill. They also were picked as the best appearing corps in the parade, also winning the Grand Award over all com- peting units taking part in the festival. Thousands of people saw the Norwood Drum and Bugle Corps win the American Legion Illinois State Championship in the Junior sponsored division in 1955 at Springfield, Illinois. They later went to Miami, Florida and placed sixth in National com- petition. All of Norwood is proud of its record in stimulating musical interest, military conduct, good clean and proper living and sportsmanship of the youths of the community. Today Girl Scouting in Norwood Park has grown around Troop 1 using many ideas the troop originated. This small town of a little more than three square miles makes up approximately eighteen percent of the number of Girl Scouts in the city of Chicago. The largest of the twenty-four troops in Nor- wood is Immaculate Conception Church with 135 members. There are 30 more Boy Scouts in Norwood than Girls. All of these 575 boys could be responsible for more than 200,000 good turns during the year. In addition to the scouts themselves, over 600 parents give of their time and talent to provide leadership and guidance to the boys. Scouting has no equal as a builder of boys who later become good citizens. There are seven scouting groups active among the people of all segments of the community, with over 575 boys registered in 16 groups of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Explorers. With the combination of boys and parents that Norwood and Page 112 This is the Harlem Foster area today from the air, beautiful, breathtaking. In another year an 1 1 acre shopping center will further dot the landscape at the intersection of Harlem and Foster Avenues. !R? r "~~fiS; 2 tit** 1 ''* 5 laiytfV 'W' 4 **^ .#" ty*j*££ The Bryn Maur Higgins story is more than just homes and safe curving streets as is shown in this aerial picture . its people their myriad of activities and interests. You will find them in government, churches, social and cultural organizations — vigorously engaged In making the Bryn Maur Higgins Area the community of action on the Northwest side of Chicago. Page 113 _— — — ~—~~ — "** ""~"*"*~*~---^. 1 i AAlWlA Mvi.;r, I ^ ■! \ m ! ■ ■1 9 H % MB /* * ,n MMm'^ : T* '£r**|f 11.: NORWOOD PARK Edison have, no communities are better places to live. At Immaculate Conception Church there are three groups, 926, 3926, and 2926 totaling 112 boys. The cubs have Frank Maciere of 1821 S. Crescent, Park Ridge as Cubmaster; Earl Gilles at 7754 Thorndale as Scoutmaster and Theodore Kersting of 1212 Canfield, Park Ridge, leader of the explorer group. The Norwood Park Methodist Troops 988, 3988, 2988 are next largest in size with Robert Flexman, 6929 Hurlburt Avenue, as Scoutmaster. The Cub Scouts have Raymond Hall, 5045 Mulligan as Cubmaster, and they have an explorer group also. St. Thecla has two scouting groups, 978 and 3978, paced by the cub scouts led by Francis Franata, Cubmaster, 6028 Newburg. The scouts meet with Scoutmaster Carl Wood of 6214 Newcastle Avenue. At Our Saviour's Lutheran Church there are three groups numbered 961, 3961, 2961. Cubmaster Raymond Karnatz of 6440 Harlem Avenue has 45 cubs working on badges. Fred Wiedenbauer is Scoutmaster of the boys. He lives at 5484 Menard. The explorer group has Mr." S. A. Jacobsen of 6954 Imlay, as leader. St. Monica parish Scout Troops have Michael Albanese as captain. He lives at 5116 Neva and can help boys get affiliated with their Cub Scout group 3943. The scouts from the Norwood Park Presbyterian Church are well known for winnnig scout meets, but are better known as Troop 968. Don Anderson is Scoutmaster and resides in Mount Prospect. Cliff Keller is the Cubmaster of Pact 3968; he lives on West Circle Avenue. At Norwood Park Evangelical Lutheran Church the troop, numbered 970, has Don Thomsen as Scoutmaster. He lives at 7711 N. Oconto. In the Indian Boundary District of which Norwood Park is a part, there are over 3400 scouts, and of course more than 4000 parents making the area a safer, better place to live. Now with the rapid growth Norwood Park Methodist Church has made many improvements to the original structure. The gas lamps were replaced by electricity; the parsonage was erected in 1908; the church auditorium was rebuilt and repaired, following a fire caused by an overheated furnace; and in 1925, the present front entranceway was installed and the spire erected. Growth of the membership of the Church and Sunday School attendance necessitated consideration of expansion. In 1951 work was begun on the new $100,000 educational wing, which was completed the following year. This building is used for Sunday School classes and meetings of the youth groups, Scouting units, other organizations of the Church, and by civic groups in the community. October 1954 saw the dedication of a completely remodeled and re- Page 116 Norwood Park Events Golden Wheel Derby — Soap Box Derby — Fourth of July Page 117 NORWOOD PARK decorated sanctuary, with installation of new pulpit, lectern, altar and baptis- mal font. In 1955 a office was built on the third floor of the educational building for the use of the Youth Minister and the young people. The rapid growth of youth and organizational activities required the expansion of present facilities. Following the unification of the three main branches of Methodism in America in 1940, the Church dropped the word Episcopal from its title and became the Norwood Park Methodist Church. During its 62 years, twenty eight pastors have served the Church. Reverend F. Hopkins Kleihauer is the present pastor. His staff comprises the Minister of Youth, Cletus C. Cary; the Minister of Music, Ernestine March; the Choir Director, Leo Pondelick; the Custodian, Paul Christensen; and the Church Secretary, Mrs. Herman Schultz. Through the years the Norwood Park Methodist Church has maintained the village church character and will continue to emphasize the quality of its worship, work and service to God and to the community. Also during these years the Norwood Park Baptist Church and the Nor- wood Park Evangelical Lutheran Church carried on building programs. The Baptist Church erected a new building with a seating capacity of 400. This new sanctuary was attached to the old church building, which is now used as a Christian Education Center. The present Pastor, the Reverend Cornelius M. Beerthuis, began his ministry on September 30, 1955, and the present membership of the church is more than 300. The depression of 1929 and succeeding years caused the indebtedness to become a very heavy financial burden to the Norwood Park Evangelical Luth- eran Church and the mortgage holder threatened to foreclose the church a few times. It was a great struggle but the people worked hard to meet it and on December 29, 1946 the mortgage burning ceremony was held. Occasional donations were made to a building fund from 1947 to February 1953 a pro- fessional fund raising firm was engaged to raise $75,000. This proved very successful, which made it possible to build an educational unit to the Church. The ground breaking ceremony was held April 24, 1955. The cost of the new building and furnishings was about $85,000. The congregation is now looking forward to greater expansion and to rendering wider and better service to the community. A new Church to seat approximately 350 is being planned for the near future. Many people wonder today what lies ahead. We realize that the symptoms are making their appearance. Conditions that cut off the progress of this community then are present now. There have been some economic hypo- dermics, some attempts to buy economic prosperity in subsidized industries. But we all know there has not been a sure and easy cure for the social eco- Page 118 NORWOOD PARK nomiCj civic, and political ills that affect communities. Too often a community was put under the microscope by some outside expert who made a whirlwind survey, told the property owners and the busi- ness men what was wrong, and what they should do about it, and of course, what he charged for telling. The expert always left the community before a posse could tar and feather him for insulting the community, if he dared to be realistic in his appraisal and recommendations. What has put Norwood Park on the road to prosperity and also has helped the community to survive? The Norwood Park American Legion and their fine Senior and Junior Drum and Bugle Corps ; Norwood Park Women's Club, Norwood-Edison Kiwanis Club; Lions Club; Resurrection Hospital; Men's Foundation and Auxiliary; Scouting; and the programs of the Chamber of Commerce of Norwood. This chamber of commerce turns refreshingly away from the theory of social planning and harks back to the pioneer spirit of self help and individual initiative and affords an opportunity to create new opportunities at the local level. The prominent leaders Timothy Sheehan, Joseph Immel and William Cowhey who have been elected as our representatives are outstanding. These men have determined what is needed, and what the community can stand in the way of expansion in the field of opportunity and that is another asset which makes Norwood Park stand out as part of the "Seven Miles of Ideal Living." Norwood Park had a population of 26,798 whose median age in 1950 was 33.2, or less than that of the city's 33.6. Of age groups, the area in 1950 had an increase of 153 percent, or from 1,099 to 2,780 in the under 5 age group; but this group had fallen twenty-five percent in the depression 1930's. Next highest increase among age groups was the 76.2 percent, or from 937 to 1,651 in the over 65's. The sex ratio of 93 men for every 100 women of 15 years or older is lower than the city wide 95 and would indicate a slightly aging area. That is, the older the area, the fewer men and more women. The community's 26,798 in 1950 included 3,034 foreign born, with Polish leading the group, having displaced the Germans, who came second, with people from Sweden, Norway, and Austria following. The population groups also included 22 negroes. The median number of school years completed by residents of this section was eleven years in school. Of the total population eighth grade graduates numbered over 4,500; high school, 2,000; college, 650 and around 70 had no schooling at all. Over 5,000 homes have been built since 1945 and the median income per family is $4,755. The median value of homes in Norwood is $14,000 and the Page 119 ■■■ . : FETTER STORAGE mm *», IP I 1 Pi i *l ■ * % lip - . o *~ '■C fa/5 a3 w C 3 is a £ t/3 QJ > £§.§ - c a J'8§ u fac z D g 0) rtT3 g So c c '-sjj 8. £ | S -oc g o^ .2, «3 ■S 2 * o.S-2 «» £ * si? S * x -§"3 8 £§* CD u NORWOOD PARK average rent paid is around $50. Fifty-four percent of home owners have television. To go along with the rapid housing project south of Talcott Road three business sections were opened; one at Harlem and Foster; Higgins and Harlem and the other located on Canfield and Talcott Roads, thus expanding Nor- wood Park's business stores to about 163 in 1956. Now people have their choice of going to fifty food stores, twenty-three restaurants, four general merchandise stores, six apparel, six furniture and appliance stores and eight automotive shops. If you ever run out of gas there are twenty-three gas stations to service you and now Norwood boasts also eleven lumber and hardware stores, nine drug stores, eight liquor stores, and thirteen not classified. Today Norwood Park offers many of the advantages of suburban commu- nity while it is a part of the city, it is distinctly suburban in appearance and atmosphere. Its transportation facilities; include the Chicago and North Western Railway, United Motor Coach and Chicago Transit Authority give transportation to the loop. Yes, Norwood Park is a community of homes surrounded by beautiful foilage and rolling hills. There are no industries. Churches, fraternal and civic organizations play an important part in the life of the community, and in neighborliness and community spirit it ranks second to none. OUR BOYS' APPENDIX Sergeant Roy Anderson Enlisted May 3, 1917, in a Coast Artillery Unit. Trained at Jefferson Barracks, Fort Hamilton and Fort Wadsworth. Entered Officers' Training School at Fort Monroe, Virginia, in November, 1918. Discharged from serv- ice December, 1918. Corporal Clarence Blume Enlisted June 21, 1916, in First Illinois National Guard. Served on Mexican Border for four months. Recalled into service March 26, 1917. Trained at Cicero, Camp Grant and Houston, Texas. Mustered into Federal Service into 131st United States Infantry. Sailed for France May 22nd, 1918. Served in the Battle of Hamel, July 4th, and Chippilley Ridge, August 9th. Wounded severely August 9th and spent ten months in various hospitals in France, England and the United States. Received a disability discharge May 21, 1919. Earl Bridgeman — Rifle Instructor Enlisted June 20, 1918, in Navy at Great Lakes. Trained at Great Lakes and Camp Logan, Zion City, until August. Then sent to Rifle Range, New Port, Rhode Island. Paee 122 NORWOOD PARK Lieutenant Waldo Campbell Enlisted January 4th, 1915, in First Illinois National Guard. Served on Mexican Border from July to October, 1916. Recalled into service March 26th, 1917. Trained at Joliet, Rockford and Houston, Texas. Mustered into Federal Service into 131st United States Infantry. Sailed for France May 22, 1918. Served in France as Mess Sergeant. Entered Officers Training Gamp in France where he served in the Army of Occupation in Germany. Private Lloyd Christley Enlisted in February, 1918, in the Ordinance Department, under the chemical line. Has served in France for more than a year and discharged later. Sergeant Paul Christley Enlisted in February, 1918, serving with the Medical Staff at Camp Davis, Texas. He had charge of the Chemical Laboratory there. Private John Fox Enlisted January 4, 1915, in the First Illinois National Guard. Served on the Mexico Border from July to October, 1916. Recalled into service March 26th, 1917. Trained at Joliet, Camp Grant and Houston, Texas. Mustered into Federal Service into 131st United States Infantry. Sailed for France May 22, 1918. Served in the Battles of Hamel, July 4th, and Chippilley Ridge, August 9th. Was wounded on August 9th and sent to Base Hospital in Eng- land. Returned to the company November 12, 1918. Discharged from service June 4, 1919. Private Fred Gifford Inducted February 24th, 1918. Trained at Rockford. Sailed for France June 22, 1918. Served with 32nd Engineers in France at Pauillac Air Station. Discharged from service June 19, 1919. Sergeant Marvin Greener Enlisted January 10, 1918, in Ordinance Department. Trained at Chicago University, Camp Jackson and Camp Hancock. Sailed for France July 31, 1918. Served at Camp Bourges, France, proving ground, testing ammunition, etc. Discharged from service, June 1, 1919. Seaman Earl Gubbins Enlisted in Navy at Great Lakes. Served in radio department. Dis- charged from service in March, 1919. Private John Gubbins Enlisted May 2, 1917, in the 132nd United States Infantry. Trained at Houston, Texas. Sailed for France May 16, 1918. Wounded July 4th in Battle of Hamel. Wounded eighteen times. Page 123 NORWOOD PARK Corporal Albert Hansen Inducted June 2, 1918, in the Army. Trained at Fort George Wright, Spokane, Washington, with Company D, 21st Infantry. Private Le Roy Hedges Enlisted March, 1918. Trained at the Chicago University. Transferred to the engineers, then went to Washington, and sailed for France the latter part of Jury. Was in charge of power plant. Discharged in May, 1919. Lieutenant William Hedges Correspondent for Daily News from September, 1917, to May, 1918, at Camp Grant. Enlisted in the aviation. Was sent to ground school at Colum- bus, Ohio, then to the University of Texas, at Austin, then to Dallas, Texas. From there was sent to the school of fire at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Discharged in December, 1918. Lieutenant Homer Huntington Enlisted August, 1917, in the Medical Department. His work was in- spection of Malaria and typhoid fever. Was sent to Camp Pike, and to Eng- land and Loanoke and later discharged. Sergeant Walter C. Johnson Inducted February 23, 1918, with the 36th Engineers. Arrived in France in June, 1918. Is now with the 25th Company Trans. Corps, located at Gievres, France. Paul Bugler Kendrick Enlisted April 7, 1917, in First Illinois National Guard. Trained at Joliet, Rockford and Houston, Texas. Mustered into Federal Service into 131st United States Infantry. Sailed for France May 22nd, 1918. Served in the Battles of Hamel, July 4th, and Chippilley Ridge, August 9th. Was killed in action September 26th 1918, at Argonne Forest. Herbert Kettler Enlisted in the Navy at Great Lakes. Served in the store department. Is discharged from service. Lewis Kettler, Chief Petty Officer Enlisted in the Navy at Great Lakes. Served in the store department. Is discharged from service. Lieutenant Edward Krum Enlisted January 11, 1915, in the First Illinois National Guard. Served on the Mexican Border from July to October, 1916. Recalled into service March 26, 1917. Trained at Joliet, Rockford and Houston, Texas. Was mus- tered into the Federal Service into 131st United States Infantry. Sailed for France May 22nd, 1918. Served in Battles of Hamel, July 4th, and Chippilley Ridge, August 9th. Received two medals for bravery, "The Distinguished Service Cross" and "The Military Medal." Entered Officers' Training Camp in Page 124 NORWOOD PARK France. September 13, 1918, and received commission. Discharged from service May 29, 1919. Lieutenant E. E. Longfellow Enlisted July. 1918, with a Unit of Construction Engineers. Trained in Virginia. Was discharged from service in January, 1919. Arthur Love Enlisted June 5th, 1918, in the Navy at Chicago. Trained at Puget Sound Navy Yards, Washington. Was taken sick with influenza on September 26th, and died October 3rd, 1918, giving his life to the country. Henry Mall Cook Enlisted in June, 1916, in First Illinois National Guard. Served on Mex- ican Border from July to October, 1916. Recalled into service March 26, 1917. Trained at Joliet, Rockford and Houston, Texas. Mustered into Federal service into the 131st United States Infantry. Sailed for France May 22, 1918. Served in France as cook. Discharged from service June 4, 1919. Charles Marshall Enlisted June 4, 1918, in the United States Coast Guard Battalion. Trained at Seabright, New Jersey, and on the ocean. Discharged from service June 4, 1919. Private Raymond Marshall Inducted May 26, 1918. Trained at Camp Wheeler in Sanitary Train No. 106. Sergeant Victor Moe Enlisted March 30, 1918, in First Illinois National Guard. Trained at Joliet, Rockford and Houston, Texas. Sailed for France May 22nd, 1918. Served in the Battles of Hamel, July 4th ; Chippilley Ridge, August 8th ; Ar- gonne Wood, September 26th, and Muese, October 8th. Came through with- out a scratch. Was discharged from service June 4, 1919. Private Joseph Nicholson Enlisted June 20, 1916, in First Illinois National Guard. Served on Mex- ican Border from July to October, 1916. Recalled into service March 26, 1917. Trained at Joliet, Rockford and Houston, Texas. Mustered into Federal service into the 131st United States Infantry. Sailed for France May 22, 1918. Served in the Battles of Hamel, July 4th; Chippilley Ridge, August 8th; Ar- gonne Wood, September 26th; and Meuse River, October 8th. Discharged from service June 4, 1919. Lieutenant Thomas Osbourne Enlisted in July, 1917, in a Red Cross Unit. Transferred to the Aviation and trained at Champaign, Rantoul and Waco, Texas. Was discharged from service February 24, 1919. Page 125 NORWOOD PARK Cadet Philip Peterson Enlisted April 7, 1917, in First Illinois National Guard. Trained in Joliet, Rockford and Houston, Texas. Was transferred April 10th to the Air Service Aeronautics, and then trained at San Antonio, Texas, and the University of California. Discharged from service in December, 1918. Roy Peterson Enlisted in the Navy in June, 1918. Trained at Great Lakes. Trans- ferred to the Radio Service and was sent to Boston, Massachusetts. Dis- charged from service in January, 1919. Corporal J. Judd Pope Enlisted January 3, 1915, in the First Illinois National Guards. Served on the Mexican Border from July to October, 1916. Recalled into service March 26, 1917. Trained at Rockford and Joliet, where he received an Honorable Dis- charge May 11, 1917. When registration time came, he registered and was inducted October 3, 1917, and while training at Camp Grant, signed up for early service in France with 503rd Engineers but was later transferred to the 2nd Engineers Service Company Forestry. From Camp Grant went to Camp Merritt, New Jersey, and sailed for France in November, 1917. Ran a large locomotive part of the time. Wounded slightly. Spent eighteen months in France. Discharged May, 1919. Corporal Thomas A. Pope Enlisted June 5, 1917, in First Illinois National Guards. Trained at Joliet, Rockford and Houston, Texas. Mustered into service into the 131st United States Infantry. Sailed for France May 22, 1918. Was wounded July 4th in Battle of Hamel. He received four medals for bravery, "Congressional," "Medal Militaire," Croix de Guerre," and "Distinguished Conduct Medal" for captur- ing a machine gun nest. Returned to the company from the hospital November 12, 1918. Was discharged from service June 4, 1919. Corporal John Quedens Enlisted March 23, 1916, in First Illinois National Guards. Served on Mexican Border from July to October, 1916. Recalled into service March 26, 1917. Trained at Joliet, Rockford and Houston, Texas. Mustered into Federal Service into the 131st United States Infantry. Sailed for France May 22, 1918. Served in Battle of Hamel, July 4th, and was wounded August 9th at Chippilley Ridge. Was in hospital in England until December. Discharged from service January 27, 1919. Private Horace Sammons Enlisted May 22, 1918. Left Camp Dodge for Atlantic Coast, July 4, 1918. Served in France with 404th Telegraph Battalion, and also with the Army of Occupations. Page 126 NORWOOD PARK Sergeant William E. Schneider Enlisted June 20, 1916, in the First Illinois National Guards. Served on Mexican Border from July to October, 1916. Recalled into service March 26, 1917. Trained at Joliet, Rockford and Houston, Texas. Mustered into Federal service into the 131st United States Infantry. Sailed for France May 22, 1918. Served in the Battles of Hamel, July 4th, Chippilley Ridge, August 8th, Ar- gonne Forest, September 26th, and Meuse River, October 8th. Left the com- pany April 1st. Discharged May 15, 1919. Private Arthur Scott After several unsuccessful attempts to enlist, he was inducted February 23, 1918, with the 76th Division, then transferred to 496th Aero Squadron. Trained at Garden City. Long Island, in school of aviation. Sailed for France July 3, 1918. Discharged March 22, 1919. Private Clarence H. Smith Enlisted July 6, 1917, in the United States Field Artillery. Trained at Boston, Massachusetts. Sailed for France September 9, 1917, with the First National Guard Regiment of Artillery. Served on the front line and in all the important battles from February 9, 1918, to November 11, 1918. Was dis- charged from service April 29, 1919. Sergeant Clarence Smith Enlisted 1914 in the Coast Artillery. Stationed at Mobile Bay, Alabama. Died of influenza November, 1918. Sergeant Lewis L. Smith Enlisted March 20, 1918, in Tank Corps. Service in France with the 304th Battalion. At present he was later sent to Bordeau with the Headquar- ters Garage Company and later discharged. Oscar Stanley Smith Joined First Officers' Training Camp at Fort Sheridan, June 15, 1917. Sent to Camp Bowie to instruct officers in special bayonet drill. Transferred to Camp Grant, then to Camp Hancock. S. C. Promoted to First Lieutenancy — transferred to Camp Sevier, Georgia, then to Camp Dixon, New Jersey. Private Felix Stahl Inducted August 31, 1918, with the Depot Brigade; then transferred to Medical Detachment at Camp Dodge in isolation ward to Base Hospital where he later was discharged. Private Raymond Sutten Inducted in the 332nd Machine Gun Battalion on June 24th, 1918. Left Camp Grant for France, where he gave his life for his country, October 28, 1918. Earl M. Watts Enlisted May 14, 1917, in United States Navy, First Class Petty Officer Page 127 NORWOOD PARK of United States Navy clothing and small stores. Storekeeper for District Dis- bursing Officer at Great Lakes for 9th, 10th, and 11th Naval Districts. Re- leased from active duty December 22, 1918. Lawrence Whitson Enlisted at Great Lakes June 20, 1918. Assigned to Camps Farragut, Dewey and Logan. Sent to Virginia Rifle Range and then to Battleship Mis- sissippi. Made two trips half across the ocean. Discharged January 15, 1919. Corporal Lester Whitson Enlisted March 30, 1917, in Co. E, 131st Infantry, old National Guards. Trained at Rockford, Joliet and Houston, Texas. Sailed for France on May 22, 1918. Served in Battles of Hamel, July 4, Chippilley Ridge, August 8th. Killed in action on September 26, at Argonne Wood. Decorated August 9th by King George, English Medal. Distinguished Service Cross by General Pershing for capturing a machine gun nest while wounded. Private Walter Whitson Inducted March 18th, 1918. Went to Columbus Barracks, then to Camp Rierdon, then to Edgewood Arsenal. Discharged December 15, 1918. Carlton Wheldon, Chief Gunners Mate Enlisted in regular Navy in November, 1914. Trained at Great Lakes until May, 1916, and then went to Norfolk, Virginia, and sailed through the Southern Hemisphere. When war was declared by the United States, he was on the second U. Boat that sailed into the Mediterranean. Came back to States in November, 1918. Ray Willis, Chief Petty Officer Enlisted in July of 1917 in Navy at Great Lakes. Served in store house there until May. Transferred to Naval Air Station at Miami, Florida. He took a special course in photography and was later stationed at Key West Naval Air Station, where he has charge of the photographic department. Captain F. M. Wood Enlisted in August, 1918, in the Medical Corps. Called in October, 1918, to New Haven, Conn., doing laboratory work, training for overseas. In Janu- ary, 1919, was sent to Fort Bayard, New Mexico, where he was head of the Agricultural Department. Page 128 Index Albright, Adams. 16, 17, 30, 39. Albright. Ivan Dc Lorranc, 16, 17, 39. Albright, Malvin Marr, 16, 17, 39. Airhcart. Reverend Walter, 19. Albanese. Michael, 116. American Legion, 33, 48, 76, 95. Amick. Pleasant, 67. Anderson. Donald, 116. Anderson, John, 80, 98. Anderson. Ray, 123. Aylesworth. Reverend W. W., 11. B Badal, Bob, 110. Badeau, A. C 6, 7. Baley, Tune, 110. Baley. Tony, 110. Ball Family, 61. Barrett, Thomas W., 24, 41. Barrett, Reverend Msgr. John W., 103. Barry, J. K., 64. Bauer, George, 48. Bauer's Service Station, 48. Beacher, Henry Ward, 68. Be-Square Produce Store, 23. Behnke, Otto P.. 80. Bellamy, A. D., 64. Bennett, L., 31. Benson, Dr. Oscar, 98. Bentley, Cyrus, 64. Bergmann. Marcella, 40. Berry, Leon, 101. Bethel, Lutheran, 41. Beverly Hills, 48. Billikens, 85. Black War, 60. Black Hawk, Chief, 3, 4. Black, W. P., 10. Bloesch, Reverend Herbert, 28. Blume, Clarence, 123. Blume Family, 15. Bosshart, Charles, 95. Bowler, Akerman, 28. Brakaw. V. J., 95. Brown, C. R., 95. Brendel, O. A., 95. Brickton Depot, 62. Bridgeman, Earl, 123. Brotherhood Week, 49. Bryn Maur Higgins, 113. Burman Cleaners, 15, 19. Burroughs, William G., 91, 98. Butler and McCabe Real Estate, 11. C Cadwallader, Captain J. Condie, 81. Campbell, G. H., 70. ' Campbell, Waldo, 123. Can Day, 23, 24. Canfield, 6, 11. Carl, Dr. George Truman, 103. Carlson. C. G., 29. Carroll. William, 24. Cary, Cletus C, 118. Caufield, Al, 26. Central School, 19. Chapman, John, 94. Chicago Board of Education, 95. Chicago Boy Scouts of America, 50, 112. Chicago Housing Authority, 42. Chicago Girl Scouts, 49, 109, 112. Chicago Lawn, 65. Chicago River, 2, 64. Chicago Board of Trade, 62. Chicago Exposition of, 8. Chicago Fire, 6. Chicago Motor Coach Company, 87. Chicago and North Western Railroad, 6, 9, 10, 20, 22, 28, 37, 39, 40, 41, 62, 63, 64, 67, 68, 73, 83, 88, 89, 91, 97. Chicago Surface Lines, 41, 88, 89. Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 48. Chicago Telephone Company, 22. Chicago Transit Authority, 123. Christiansen, John C, 95. Christensen, Mabel, 75. Christensen, O. A., 28. Christley, Lloyd, 19, 123. Christley, Paul, 11, 19, 118, 123. Christley, Samuel, 19, 23, 24, 41. Church, Jane, 64. Civil War, 6, 61, 67. Clark, Fred, 39. Clark, Herbert L., 40. Clark, William, 2. Claussen, Carl, 95. Clevenger, Dr. S., 67. Cochran, Kenneth, 110. Commack, John, 70. Coneglio, Reverend Andrew, 43. Constantius, Sister Mary, 34. Cole, J. D., 64. Cook County Hospital, 67. Cornell, Lewis, 64. Corse, Cyrus J., 70. Cowhey, William J., 42, 95, 119. Coyle, Reverend Francis, 34. Creigier, Mayor, 71, 72. Creneul, 16, 39. Crippen, John K., 97. Crippen, Stuart, S., 98. Crowe, Helen, 110, 111. Czarnecki, Anthony, 25, 95. D Daley, Mayor Richard, 103. Daniels, J. E., 12. D'Arcy, William, 91. Daughters of Isabella, 48. Davis, Theodore W., 95. Debelde, Henry, 81. Dehlinger, P., 95. De Lay, F. L., 95. Page 129 Des Plaincs River, 6, 59, 109. Dcs Plaines Telephone Company, 22. Dodge, Solow, 73. Donahue, D. ]., 98. Doyle, Pat, 34. Dutchmen's Point, 2. Dunlap, George, 61, 62, 68. Dunlap, Margaret, 61. Dunlap, William, 61. Dunlap, Praries, 62. Dunlap Real Estate, 62. Downing Infirmary, 20. Dutch Reform Church, 68, 69, 70. Eberhart, John F., 62, 64, 65, 72, 73. Ebinger Family, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11. Ebinger School, 29, 30, 48. Ebinger, Barbara, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1 1, 60. Ebinger, Christian, 2, 3, 9, 29, 30, 31. Ebinger, Frederick, 3, 4, Ebinger, John, 4. Echkoff, George, 91, 95, 98. Edison-Norwood Review, 48. Edison-Norwood Kiwanis, 95. Edison, Thomas, 11, 14. Edison Park Alcoholic Sanitarium, 19. Edison Park Chamber of Commerce, 48. Edison Park Community Council, 48, 49. Edison Park Evangelical Reform Church, 28, 49, 55. Edison Park Garden Club, 48. Edison Park Improvement Association, 23, 41, 87. Edison Park Lutheran Church, 31, 41, 43, 45, 46, 49, 55, 57, 105. Edison Park Library, 17, 23. Edison Park Methodist Church, 10, 17, 19, 25, 31, 49, 54. Edison Park P.T.A., 29. Edison Park Printing Press, 36. Edison Park School, 23, 25, 26. Edison Park State Bank, 28, 40. Edison Park Theatre, 31. Edison Park Village Board, 1 7. Edison Park Water Tower, 16. Edison Park Woman's Club, 48. Edison-Ridge Paint, 36. Ellis, H. D., 95. Ellis, J. H., 95. Etredge Family, 20. Ettinger, John, 10. Evangelista, Sister, 34. Everts, W. W., 64. Falcon, Adrienne, 106, 109. Falcon, Joseph, 109. Fallows, Rev. Samuel, 26. Feeder Buses, 41, 87. 88, 92. Fetters Warehouse, 73. Fibber, McGee and Molly, 40. Field, George, 64. Fiolek, Reverrnd Stanley J., 103. Finnegan, Judge Phipil F., 42. Fisher, Fran, 98. Fitzsimons, P. W., 95. Fixmer, H. J., 23. Fort Dearborn, 4. Fort Dearborn Massacre, 2. Fourth of July, 117. Fox, John,' 123, 124. Franata, Francis, 116. Frazer, Chick, 39. Gage, Reverend W. C, 11, 31. Gallagher, Florence, 109. Garvy School, 98. Giffert Family, 15. Gifford, Fred, 124. Gilbert, C. T., 64. Gilbertson Family, 20, 26. Gillette, J. F., 64. Gillick, Mrs. Fred, 15. Gillis, Earl, 116. Gillis, Mary C, 101. Gimbele, Dr. Charles W., 81. Gindcle, Charles, 94. Gladstone Park, 87. Glenview, 75. Glenwood Boys School, 65. Golden Wheel Derby, 117. Gordon, W. iC., 28. Gore, Earl, 22, 23. Gore, Lillian, 10, 22. Gorst, 83. Grunau, Charles, 31. Grunau, W. A., 12. Green Tree Tavern, 72. Greene, Reverend J. M., 33. Greener, Marvin, 124. Gubbins, Earl, 124. Gubbins, John, 124. Guilbert Family, 67. Gulick, Reverend, 67. Guy, J. Milton, 41, 42. H Hagerup, J. O., 12. Hall, Raymond, 116. Hammersmark, John, 81. Hamilton, Donald, 43. Hansen. Albert, 124. Hardcastle, Captain, 24. Hardman, Reverend Msgr., 103. Harlem Foster, 113. Harrisville, Reverend Roy A., 33. Hart, George W., 64. Hartford, Joseph S., 81. Haxton, Lillian, 16. Hedges, Le Roy, 124. Hedges, William, 124. Heglund, Irene, 101. Hemmingway Family, 61. Henning, Henry, 81. Henry, Ken, 39. Herscher, Village Marshall. 11. Heuback, 7, 15. Hewson, Howard, 98. Page 130 Hinderlie. Reverend A. M., 32. Hoefer, Leo, 101. Hogan. Reverend Thomas, 33. Howard. Harvey H., 97. Hub Roller Skating Rink, 101. Hughes, Dr. J. O., 67. Hughes. C. P.. Reverend Richard, 100. Huntington, Ed, 17, 26. Huntington, Homer, 124. Hustad, O. E., 33. Illinois Commerce Commission, 87, 88, 89, 91. Illinois National Guard, 24, 25, 110. Illinois Wisconsin Railway, 6. Illinois Wisconsin Land Company, 6. Immaculate Conception Church, 33, 50, 94, 99, 100, 101, 109, 116. Immaculate Conception School, 80, 100, 101. Immaculate Conception Mothers Club, 100. Immel, Joseph, 119. Indian Boundary, 116. Irving Park Avenue, 81. Irving Park Police Station, 75. Itschner, Charles, 81. Jacobsen, S. A., 1 16. faster, Mrs. M., 93. Jefferson Park. 2, 87. Jefferson, Thomas, 2. Jegerson Township, 60. 61, 62, 68. Joroloman, Reverend, 70. Johnson, Carl M.. 95. Jones, Mrs. D. 3 75. Johnson, David. 43. Johnson, John A., 12. Johnson, Mathilda, 33. Johnson, Walter C, 93, 124 June, Claude S., 81, 95. K Kaltenmeyer's Kindergarten, 39, 40. Kamman, Bruce. 39, 40. Kane, William, 43. Karnatz, Raymond, 116. Keller, Anna, 95. Keller, Cliff, 116. Kelly, Mayor Edward J., 42. Kendrick, Paul Bugler, 124, 125. Kennelly, Mayor Martin H., 103. Kerr, John, 95. Kersting, Theodore, 116. Kettler, Herbert, 125. Kettler, Lewis, 125. King, Florence, 39. Kingsbury, Mrs., 15. Kinzie Cabin, 59. Kinzie Store, 3. Kleihauer, Reverend F. Hopkins, 118. Klener, E. E., 12. Kletzing, Mr., 10. Krohn, Richard, 98. Krum, Edward, 125. Krum, Lc Roy, 10. Lanning, Juliana, 34. Lanning, Paul, 34. Lawerence, Thomas B., 81. Lawrence, Thomas B., 81. Levy, Henry R., 37. Lewereing, William, 80. Lcyden Township, 61, 62. Lindgerg, Harold, 43. Lindman, Edra, 110. Lions Club, 48. Logan, Henry, 88, 89. Longfellow, E. E., 125. Love, Arthur, 25, 125. Lowden, Governor, 26. Lunde, Theodore H., 24, 38, 39. M Maciere, Frank, 112, 116. Mac Taggart, J. I., 91. Madden, Mrs. Roland, 6, 7. Madden, William, 26. Magnus, John, 95. Maine Township, 6, 41, 68. Mall, Henry, 125. Mall, Paul, 81. Mallas, Connie, 101. Manahan, Thomas, 70. Mann, Everett B., 91. March, Ernestine, 118. Marshall, Charles, 125. Marshall, Raymond, 125. Martin, Stanley, 32. McCormick, J. B., 24, 26. McGinnis and Wheeler, 22. McGuire, Dolores, 101. McLean Bierback, 10, 11, 14. Merriman, Laura, 75. Merta, Maxine, 110. Messiah Lutheran, 41. Meyer, Marjorie, 33. Meyers, Clarence, 49. Miese, Attorney Frank P., 81. 93. Millard, Edward J., 81. Millarde, Edgar, 81. Miller, J. A., 12. Miller, William, 17. Moe, Gerald, 43. Moe, Victor, 125, 126. Moloney, Edmond P., 95. Moreland, James C, 88, 91. Morton Grove, 75. Muldoon, Bishop, 77. Mundelein, Cardinal George, 33. N Nasby, Reverend Gordon, 41, 43, 46, 103. National Tea, 38. Neff Family, 15. Nicklelodeons, 40. Nicholson, Joseph, 126. Page 131 Niles Center, 75. Niles Evangelical Cemetery Association, 3. Niles, Illinois, 22. Nilsen, Reverend K. G., 33. Noble. Mark, 59, 60. Noble. Mark Jr.. 59, 60. Nochre Family, 76. Noonan, Colonel Eric F., 49. Norlin, Oscar, 1 10. Norwegian Lutheran Children's Home, 20, 21, 22, 29, 31, 32, 46, 47.. Northwestern Plank Road, 70, 71, 72. Norwegian Old Peoples Home, 75. Norwood Drum and Bugle Corps, 106, 110, 111, 112. Norwood Edison Kiwanis Club, 119. Norwood Park American Legion, 119. Norwood Park Baptist Church, 73, 94, 118. Norwood Park Citizens Assoc, 88, 90, 95. Norwood Park Episcopal Church, 80, 82. Norwood Park Evangelical Lutheran Church, 116, 118. Norwood Park Events, 117. Norwood Parkk Field House, 85, 91. Norwood Park Hotel, 65, 66, 73, 83. Norwood Park Jail, 84. Norwood Park Land and Building Asso- ciation, 64, 73. Norwood Park Methodist Church, 94, 116, 118. Norwood Park Methodist Episcopal Church, 73, 80. Norwood Park Post Office, 68, 85. Norwood Park Presbyterian Church, 68, 116. Norwood Park School, 29, 73, 74, 95. Norwood Park Water Tower, 73. Norwood Park's Women's Club, 119. Norwood Park Trust and Saving Bank, 94. Norwood Park Village Hall, 84. O O'Keefe, Senator Raymond, 95. Olson. Arthur B., 33. Olson, Nels, 95. Oriole Park, 98. Osbourne, Thomas, 126. Otis, W. K., 24. Our Saviour English Lutheran Church, 94, 100, 101, 103, 116. Our, Thomas, 70. Park Ridge, 56, 76, 77. Park Ridge Methodist Church, 103. Parker, P. S., 64. Passionist Fathers, 76, 77, 78, 79. Paulenske, Paul J., 88. Pennoyer, James Monroe, 61. Pennoyer, John, 61. Pennoyer, L., 64. Pennoyer School, 61. Perz, Mathias, 93. Peterson, Carl, 94. Page 132 Peterson, Henry, 81. Peterson, Philip, 126. Peterson, Roy, 126. Peterson, Thomas, 33. Pickwick Theatre. 41. Pierce, George H., 6. Plank Road. 63. Plank Road Tavern, 3. Polk, President James Knox, 61. Pondelick, Leo, 118. Pope, Tudd. 11, 16, 17. 18. 36. 126. Pope, Thomas, 126, 127. Pope's Stencil Factory, 37. Powers. Walter, 80. Purse, Joan:, 110, 112. Q Quedens, John, 127. Quigley. Archbishop James Edward, 77. Quinn, John, 109. Ray, Vince, 101. Reimer, Edward. 112. Resurrection High School, 103, 108. Resurrection Hospital, 49, 105, 106. 107. Resurrection Men's Foundation, 119. Reuhl. Barbara, 1. Richter, Reverend Raynor, 43. Ridgelawn, 6. Ritche, Mary G., 81. Ronning. Carsten, 33. Roseneath Country Club House, 25, 27. Roth. Reverend George, 43. Roxy's Gang, 40. Rupinski, Edward, 103. Ryding, Reverend Vernon E., 98. Sahrigs, Emmet, 110. Sammons, Horace, 127. Sargent, Mr., 89. 90. Saron Lutheran Church, 98. Sass, Gene, 95. Sauter, Alexander, 24. Scheffner, Warren, 110. Schein. Ernest M., 93. Schmidt, Richard, 103. Schlie, Bernice, 75. Schneider, William E., 127. Schoeneman, Rudolph, 33. Schroeder. Major R. W., 91. Schultz, Herman, 80, 118. Schurz High School, 28, 30, 89. Schwiesow Family, 9, 10, 11, 16, 22, 23. Schwiesow, Lillian, 10, 16, 22. Schwiesow, Theodore, 9, 10. Schwiesow, Walter, 10, 16. Schwiesowville, 9, 10. Scott, Arthur, 127. Seaver, Andrew E., 31, 32. Seibel, Frederick, 95. Sexton, Corporation Counsel, 24. Seyferlich, Arthur, 80. Seymour, Thomas, 62, 64, 68, 70. Shaw Family, 61. Shcchan, Timothy, 119. Sheldon,, D. H., 64. Sherman, Harriet, 61. Sherman, Mary, 61. Sherman. Phineas, 60, 61. Sherry Richards Company, 42. Simons, T- A., 64. Sisters of Resurrection, 103, 106, 108. Sliphenson, Reverend, 19. Soap Box Derby, 117. Sousa's Band, John Phillip, 40. Smallwood, J. B., 95. Smith, Clarence, 127. Smith. Clarence H., 127. Smith, Lewis L.. 127. Smith, Oscar Stanley, 127, 128. Smith, M. B., 64. Smyser Family, 29. Snell. A. J.. 70. Snowd Family, 20. Spray, Dr. John Campbell, 67. Specht, Frank, 110. Stade, Felix, 126. Stock School, Frederick, 48. Stahl, Felix, 128. Steinmetz, William A., 97. _ Stephen, Reverend Provincial, 76. Stevens, Patricia, 109. Stevenson, Governor Adlai E., 103. St. Albans Episcopal Church, 94. St. Casimir's, 103. St. Eugene's Church, 100. St. James Catholic Church, 33. St. fames Lutheran Church, 98. St. John Brebeuf, 43. St. Juliana Roman Catholic Church, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 48, 49, 50, 54, 103. St. Marks Lutheran Church, 41. St. Mary of the Angels School, 103. St. Mary's of the Woods, 43. St. Mary's Training School, 77. St. Monica, 100, 116. St. Paul of the Cross Church, 33, 76. St. Thecla's Church, 116. St. Timothy Lutheran Church, 32. State Street Council, 110. Stritch, Samuel Cardinal, 103. Sutten, Raymond, 128. Taft High School, 30, 31, 95, 96, 97, 101, 103. Temple, Jesse, 75, 76. The Carnation Hour, 40. Thomsen, Donald, 116. Thorsen and Wingert Real Estate, 75. Toelke, Reverend Carl H., 101. Torgerson, Richard, 43. Touhy Avenue, 51. Trieger, Constable Robert, 81. Triman, Helen, 15. Triman, Marion, 15. Turner, H. E., 95. Twenty-ninth general assembly, 68. Tyler, James E., 64. U Uncle Tom's Cabin, 40. United Motor Coach, 41, 83, 87, 89, 90, 123. United Studios, 31. Urness, Halvor, 33. Uthus, Ole L., 32. Valentine, Kimball B., 81. Valters, Mrs. Walter, 50, 109, 111. Veterans of Foreign War, 68. Voorhees, Condit, 95. W Wagner, Jacob, 4, 6, 15. Wallace, Judge, 70. Wallins, Albert, 83. Wanamaker Boy's Band, John, 40. Ward, Etta, 15. Ward, C. P., Reverend Felix, 76. Watts, Earl M., 128. Watt, Thomas, 81. Webster, Herbert L., 67. Weekly Christian Times, 64. Weinrich, J. M. Izar, 95. Weldon, Charles, 10, 12. Wetthers, Mrs. Sarah, 2. Wheldon, Carlton, 128. Whitson, Lawrence, 128. Whitson, Lester, 128. Whitson, Walter, 128. Widmayer, William, 110. Wiedenbauer, Fred, 116. Willis Family, 61. Willis, Ray, 91, 128. Wilcox Family, 4, 60. Wilson, Frank, 28. Wilson, Robert, 24. Winchell, Milo, 67. Wingert Family, 11. Winship, James, 70. Winston Family, 61. Wood, Carl, 116. Wood, Dr. F. D., 26. Wood, F. M., 128. Wolfs Grocery Store, 15, 19, 20, 23, 28. Wrenn, George, 64. Wrenn, J. H., 64. Y Young, Reverend Francis C, 34, 36, 43, 44, 103. Youth, Willard, 95. Z Zarob's Drug Store, 37. Zeutell, Edison, 11. Zeutell, William, 10. Zink, Luther L., 91. Zone, Harry, 97. Zuehls, E. J., 28. Page 133 Bibliography Books Andreas, A.T. History of Cook County, Illinois. Chicago, A. T. Andreas Publishing Co., 1884. Chamberlain, Everett. Chicago and its Suburbs, Chicago T. A. Hungreford and Co., 1874. Price, Bessie Louise. A History of Chicago. New York Alfred A. Knopf. Reports Chicago Plan Commission. Housing in Chicago Communities, Number 9, Edison Park. Local Community Fact Book for Chicago, 1950 Philip M. Hauser, Editor University of Chicago. Chicago Community Inventory. 1953. Periodicals Chicago American (Dec. 23, 1913), (Nov. 10, 1931), (May 7, 1932), (Nov. 5, 1935), (June 25, 1948). Edison Norwood Review (Records) Edison — Norwood Weekly. (November 10, 1927) Herald Examiner (Mar. 29, 1920), (Sept. 19, 1920), April 21, 1933, (July 12, 1936) Landord's Guide. Reality and Building, Inc. Vol. XXXVIII (December, 1947) Page 134 Seven Miles of Ideal Living By Edward T. Scholl In "Seven Miles of Ideal Living," Edward T. Scholl here brings to life the deeply moving story of two suburban like towns trying to make themselves known. It goes back more than a century to the 1830's when Kinzie's store represented all of its commercial activity; and when Barbara Ebinger became the perfect hos- tess to Chief Black Hawk, coming to smoke the pipe of peace with her husband. The author goes back to the town of Jefferson as a dense jun- gle of underbrush with very few and widely separated log cabins, to the famous Milwaukee Avenue as a winding Indian trail. Scholl comes back through the years in a vast panoramic view of the struggles, rewards, humors, and pathos of two young suburban towns trying to make themselves known. He takes us through Hoods, fire and other disaster up to the present time where the growth has been without parallel to any other period in the history of this seven mile stretch. "Towns and cities at our el- bows," the author says, "have doubled and tripled without our conscious realization, so accus- tomed have we become to this expansion. All this has become so commonplace to us that the people in this area have accepted it as a pattern of their daily lives without, perhaps, a realization of the tremendous impact this growth actually has on the people who live in these Seven Miles of Ideal Living, and on the genera- tion ahead." "Seven Miles of Ideal Living" is certainly an apt title for Edison and Norwood Park, in Chicago, a suburban atmosphere within a city of 212.8 square miles of sing- ing steel and concrete, used car lots and coal yards, clanging streetcars, and 600 feet above sea level. inois' VWigest Author Edward T. Set. jll Interest in the history and devel- opment of one of the Windy Cities most pleasant areas has prompted Edward Thomas Scholl to write this book "Seven Miles of Ideal Living." Scholl was born on the south side of Chicago in 1937, just nineteen years ago. His youth, however, has not prevented his making a name for himself in journalism. The young author has worked as a photogra- pher, society editor, feature editor and advertising man for the "Edison Norwood Review." As a result of his work Scholl was appointed editor and chief of the 125 book called the "March of Progress". He wrote more than 65 stories and interviewed more than 600 Northwest Suburban residents to tell the story. As a result of his work Scholl was appointed editor in chief of a 125 page "March of Progress," which com- pletely tells the whole story of the amazing progress of the Northwest Suburban Area. He wrote more than 65 stories and interviewed more than 600 Northwest Suburban residents to tell the story. The author graduated in 1951 from the John F. Eberhart public school, named after one of the principal men in his book. His family moved to Edison Park, Illinois, the same year and Scholl started at Taft High School. It was here that he became an editor of Aerie, Taft's first yearbook. Following graduation from Taft, the author entered the Commerce School at Loyola University, and soon was handling all Commerce news for the Loyola News. He now is attending Wright College in Chicago. Many of his other interests are Scouting and basket- ball. He was a Boy Scout on the south side of Chicago and joined an Explorer Post when he came to Edison Park. In 1955 Scholl was elected President of Scouting's exclusive Order of the Arrow, an organization of about 250 out- standing selected Scouts. The young author's knowledge of basketball has earned him the honor of being the first student coach of Taft's Frosh-Soph Team of 1955. At Loyola University in 1956 he was selected on the univer- sities Intramural All-Star basketball team. The author first became interested in newspaper work from hivexperience as a paper boy. While it was a common job to other boys it became, to him, an inspiration to a career in journalism.