Highwood Historical Society News
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Highwood Historical Society P.O. Box 132 Highwood Historical Society News Highwood, IL 60040 Summer Highwood, Illinois 2011 The end of an era customers. Famous names like Charlie Trippi, Johnny O, Sid Luckman, Jonny Lujack, Ollie Matson, Paul Scornavacco’s Cristmand, Bruno Nagurski, Ed Sprinkle, Pat Harder, By Leonora C. Cervac Frank Bernardi (Cardinal Player who was a nephew of Highwood resident, Adolph Baracani of Highwood), A Highwood landmark is gone. It stood on the corner of were all regular customers. Washington Avenue and Railway Avenue (now Green Bay Road.) It was called “Scornavacco’s Washington Angelina and Alex had four sons- Armand (Mondo), Oak Terrace School Gardens’” and it was a big part of Highwood’s history Tony, John and Eugene and four daughters, Francis, Blizzard 2011 and lore. Nellie, Millie and Rose. Grandson Alex later opened a restaurant in Highwood called Alex’s Washington In the twenties, Angelina and Alex Scornavacco moved Gardens. Another grandson, John Jr., was inducted into from Chicago to Highwood and opened a grocery store the Highwood Historical Society Sports Hall of Fame on the front of their home on “Railway Avenue.” Later, just last year. when prohibition was repealed in the thirties, Angelina It’s time to renew your membership. and Alex opened an outdoor beer garden on the same Granddaughter Vickie Scornavacco Duffy, daughter of RENEW your membership today! property. They then rented out the grocery store to my Tony and Ellen Scornavacco and her brother Alex parents, Frank and Edith Parenti. We lived in an Scornavacco, still live in Highwood on Washington apartment behind the grocery store. Avenue. Vickie and Alex have made history of her own, Alex was owner of the “new” Washington Gardens I remember the families that lived on Washington Restaurant and both were an integral part of the Oak Avenue. I especially remember the “kids.” I hung around Terrace School PTA, putting on and sponsoring many with Harold and Mary Lou Lowe, Billy Peterson, Bruce mostaccioli dinner fundraisers for the school. Vickie and and Beverly Callen (Reno, Nevada was named after their her husband Pat and Alex, have been very generous great grandfather, General Jesse Reno), Polly and Dolly supporters of the Highwood Historical Society. The Vole (their father was a Highwood policeman), and the Mark Your Calendar Today Scornavacco family made a tremendous mark in the Membership Form Defilippis boys. For our upcoming Events: history of our community. June 1, 2011 through May 31, 2012 Name: _______________________________ We were the “Dead End Kids” of Highwood. For those Terrific Tomato Contest I had a personal historical stake in the building that has of you who don’t remember “the Dead End Kids”- they Address:_______________________________ Sign up ASAP been such a Highwood landmark because of my parent’s were a famous depression era group of kids of movie Pick-up August 16, 2011 grocery store. From the window in our apartment I _______________________________ fame. We all played on the stage and outdoor courtyard (LEAVE TOMATOES ON THE VINE) watched it all happen. Phone: _______________________________ of Scornavacco’s lattice covered gardens in the daytime Judging/Awards during Garlic Fest Leonora Cervac is a current Board Member, Past President when the tavern was closed. E-mail: _______________________________ August 17, 2011 and founding member of the Highwood Historical Society. Louise and Erma Bedini lived in one of the Calling all Caddies! New Membership Membership renewal Scornavacco’s upstairs apartments, I remember that The Lady Elgin Graves Friday, September 23rd many considered Louise the most beautiful woman that By Tom Scopelliti Exmoor Country Club Annual membership categories (please check lived in Highwood. Louise and Erma’s father went turtle If you were able to attend the Highwood Historical one) hunting and made turtle soup. He would hang the turtle Highwood’s Greatest Generation Society General Meeting on June 13, 2011, you were Regular Member $15.00 shell in the backyard to dry. treated to Valerie Van Heest's superb presentation on the Business/Organization $25.00 Send stories and photos to Donor $50.00 to $99.00 [email protected] Scornavacco’s Washington Gardens was, for most of its tragic sinking of the Lady Elgin on Lake Michigan in Patron $100.00 and above or many years, a celebrity hangout and one of Highwood’s 1860. Hundreds of passengers were lost and their bodies Highwood Historical Society most popular bars. The restaurant introduced pizza to washed ashore along the Lake Michigan coast, including Please make your checks payable and mail to: PO Box 132 Lake County. Can you imagine- you couldn’t get a pizza several bodies that were found east of current-day Highwood Historical Society Highwood, IL 60040 anywhere else in Lake County- because no one knew Highwood. For generations stories have persisted, P.O. Box 132 Or call what it was? stating that graves of a few of these poor souls were Highwood, IL 60040 847-433-2984 actually located in Highwood. In fact, in a newspaper BE A MEMBER. Soldiers from Fort Sheridan considered Scornavacco’s article written in 1899, a reporter claimed to have visited Questions? Call (847) 433-2984 SEND YOUR MEMBERSHIP NOW! their second family away from home. It was a sports bar, the gravesites. However, he noted no specific location. players from the Cardinal’s and the Bear’s were steady Therefore, I invite all of you to join me and the That's it for this time. We will discuss the newspaper Highwood Historical Society as we embark on a journey article and the many clues it contains in the next edition Highwood’s Greatest Generation “New” News through history in an attempt to find the gravesites of the of the Highwood Historical Society News. Everyday something remarkable happens in our Lady Elgin victims that might be in Highwood. We will Tom Scopelliti is a Board Member of Highwood Historical HIGHWOOD RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS community that deserves to be documented and present information that we find in this and future Society. OWNERS – The CPAC committee would like to invite preserved. Events happen, children are born, loved ones newsletters. Remember, this is a work in progress and you to see the proposed Master Plan for Highwood. pass. Our goal as a historical society is to collect and the information we are searching for is over 150 years Join them on Thursday, August 25 from 7-9 PM at St. James Church Celebrates preserve those “remarkable everyday events.” old. We may or may not find the sites but I guarantee Oak Terrace School, 240 Prairie Avenue, for a 100 Year Anniversary Community Information Meeting about the proposed we will uncover bits and pieces of history along the way. Perhaps the most truly remarkable thing about update to the Highwood Comprehensive Plan. There St. James Parish is celebrating its centennial with events Highwood are the people that have called Highwood First, let us try to paint a literary picture of what this area will be a presentation and question and answer session scheduled all year long. We hope you will join us for the home. The most frequent calls we receive are calls was like at the time of the accident. On September 8, with Houseal Lavigne Associates, the firm working celebration, which will begin with a Mass with Bishop seeking information about people that lived here. 1860, when the ship went down, there was no closely with the City in developing the plan. More Rassas on September 18, 2011 followed by a reception, “Where were my grandparents married?” “What Highwood. William W. Everts and Reuben Jeffreys information, including a copy of the proposed plan, can and will include events such as the annual Parish Gala information do you have about this tragedy?” We even recorded the first plat map of Highwood in 1868, which be found at http://www.hlplanning.com/highwood. In and an all-school reunion. It will conclude with a Mass received a call from the United States Government included the southeastern section of Highwood. Various the coming weeks, copies of the plan will be available with Cardinal Francis George on September 23, 2012. seeking information about a Congressional Medal of plats were added to the village until E. Ashley Mears for viewing at City Hall and the Highwood Public Please see the schedule below. Honor winner who died in the early 1900’s because their recorded the northern section in the early 1870's. This Library (expected arrival 8/10) Contact City Hall at great great grandson was seeking information. meant that Highwood occupied a rectangular area that We would love to use pictures that you may have of 847-432-1924 for additional information!" can loosely be described as having a western border at events taking place at the church or school in past 100 Recently, so many of Highwood’s Greatest Generation " Western Ave., a southern border just south of Michigan years. Please drop them off at the rectory marked with have passed. Their names and faces are as familiar to us Ave., a northern border just north of Euclid Ave. and your name and phone number so they can be returned as a blue sky. Their loss is a loss not only to their family, I remember… extending into Fort Sheridan, and an eastern border in once we scan them. Thank you in advance for your help! but also to our community. We were blessed to know By Diane “Cookie” Lo Presti line with Lakeview Ave. An invitation to be a part of this celebration is extended them. They graced our lives in so many ways. In the to the entire community.