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➤ ➤ 1 literally the “carriage porch” of Windermere House on East 56th Street. Peter filled us in on Memorable Architecture UPCOMING EVENTS local history, beginning with ’s vision of Hyde Park as a suburb of single-family dwellings, Tour Saturday, December 15, 2-4 pm Holiday all reachable from the city by the Central party at Headquarters. Bring your favorite Railroad. The Age of the began in Chicago The weekend of October 13-14 saw visitors from holiday refreshment and stories to tell in the 1880s with the construction of large steel- all over Chicago thrill to parquet floors, leaded glass, about local history. frame buildings characterized by masonry cladding and oak-paneled entrance halls, all seen during Saturday, January 19, 2013, 1-3 pm Tour of and hydraulic elevators. Hyde Park’s hotels, though openhousechicago, sponsored by the Chicago St. Thomas the Apostle’s Church. Meet at not in the technical sense, benefited from Architecture Foundataion. On Saturday architecture Kimbark Avenue entrance. these structural advancements. buffs braved threats of heavy rain to cross thresholds Early Hyde Park hotels were built to accommodate into homes owned by some of the city’s most Saturday, February 23, 2013 Annual dinner visitors to the World Columbian Exposition of 1893. important figures of the 19th and early 20th centuries. at Quad Club. Featured speaker will be Tim The first Del Prado Hotel, built on the north side 480 guests were welcomed by Rev. Ljubo Krasic of Samuelson, Chicago’s Cultural Historian. of the Midway between Dorchester and Blackstone Croatian Ethnic Institute, now housed in the Ryerson Avenues on 59th Street, was one of these, as was the Skylight in lobby of East Park Tower Hotel Mansion at 4851 South Drexel Boulevard. This original Windermere Hotel, built at the northwest handsome building, designed by architects Treat and corner of 56th Street and Cornell Avenue at the site residential apartment building in the 1970s when the Foltz, was built in 1887. Also, several groups of visitors of Bret Harte School and a parking lot. The first Del acquired the building and its visited the Society’s headquarters. Prado Hotel, razed more than 100 years ago, was on name was changed its name to Windermere House. Correction land that later became the site of International House. MAC Property Management acquired the building in Windermere West, as the old hotel was known, was 2005 is now renovating some classic elements of this In the article, Sunday Afternoon in Pullman…” the torn down in the 1950s. classic building, including plans to revive the French Science Fair Projects? name of Eliot Ness is misspelled. Eliot is spelled with The Windermere Hotel, built in 1922, became a and Italian Renaissance lobby. A new sign inspired one, not two “ells.” Hyde Park History regrets the error. by the original Windermere Hotel sign will be placed HPHS member Bert Benade provided Hyde Park in a conspicuous location at the front (south) of the History with a list of research papers from the Technical building. Society of The Armour Institute of Technology From Windermere House, tour guests walked to the (founded in 1890), which merged with the Lewis Answer to Mystery Quiz in the 5400 block of South Shore Institute (founded in 1895) in 1940 to become the Drive. This distinctive Spanish Revival building now Illinois Institute of Technology. Some of these topics This is 61st Street just east of Dorchester Avenue and is inaccessible because of the extensive reconstruction might be appropriate for high school students today immediately north of the Andrew Carnegie Elementary going on within its high walls. Built in 1925-26, the for science fair projects. Others seem remarkably School, seen in the background. In the early 1880s, the Shoreland abutted Lake Michigan so closely that primitive, but as Benjamin Franklin once asked, Illinois Central Railroad built a spur from their main waves sometimes cast spray on the hotel’s front walls “What good is a newborn baby?” line to accommodate visitors to the Washington Park and windows. The completion of Promontory Point Race Track between Cottage Grove Avenue and South on the lakeshore in the mid-1930s put an end to The Pneumatic Caisson Park Avenue, now Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial onslaughts from the waves. Peter Cassel described The Fur Seal Drive. The curve on 61st Street indicates the path of the spur from its origin near 60th Street. In the early how the building’s 1000 rooms are being reconfigured Automatic Railroad Signals into one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. All 1890s, Mayor Hempstead Washburne sought to ban interior structures have been removed except columns Express Telephone System all racetracks in Chicago because of corruption and and floors. David Guinn described the demolition Manufacture of Chewing Gum gambling. The track closed from 1894 until 1898, as “green;” city standards require that ground water Study of the Telephone Sound in the Japanese Language when it reopened. It remained open until 1905, when the State of Illinois banned gambling and all horse not be contaminated and that all removed material— The Life of Watt between 19 and 24 million tons—must be hauled racing. In 1926, a second Washington Park Race Track The Subject of Phrenology t away to be recycled. Guinn described how the opened in south suburban Homewood. Hyde Parkers know this street as the site of the Saturday morning oor building is secured by large timber pilings extending Determination of Base Line in Triangulation v 60 feet below surface. Notables who have lived in Manufacture of Pianos farmer’s market. Just beyond the wall on the left, at 6100 South Blackstone Avenue, are the Experimental

ande r or been feted in this hotel include aviatrix Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Hoffa, Al Capone, Bill Veeck, and Manufacture of Pipe Organs Station and Chicago Bicycle Works. Elvis Presley. Manufacture of Pneumatic Tires The third stop, East Park Tower Hotel, described Development of Trolley Systems s Fr ances V o t previously, was relatively unfamiliar to most members Manufacture of a Dollar Bill

P h o of the group. From this building, the group crossed View of Del Prado Hotel to the “new” Del Prado Hotel on the corner southeast Petroleum Industry

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corner of 53rd Street and Hyde Park Boulevard. This they finished on the back steps leading up to what is now The Third Star hotel, almost identical to the to the Museum of Science and Industry (where I worked the east, is the oldest of the four hotels visited. Built when in college), which is where he proposed to her. People can’t seem to get enough information about in 1918 as the Cooper Carlton Hotel by Sherman So you see how much this tour would mean to me. I the third star on the blue-and-white striped Chicago Tecumseh Cooper, it incorporates American Indian will make it to the Regenstein Library tomorrow, which flag. This flag, representing 200 years of Chicago’s features including terra cotta feathered headdresses is as close as I will be in time and space to the tour. But history, highlights four major points of Chicago’s on the gables and in the lobby. The ceiling of the then my travels move me onward. colorful history. The first star recalls the grim Ft. entrance hall is embedded with the heads of 4 Indian Dearborn Massacre of 1812. Also grim was the leaders, including one of Tecumseh the great Shawnee Wesley Johnston of October, 1871, represented by Indian leader. September 14, 2012 the second star. The third star celebrates a singular This writer’s personal interest in the Del Prado goes event in the nation’s history, the World Columbian back to the late 1940s. I’m from Michigan and grew Exposition (WCE) of 1893.* Commonly called the up idolizing the Detroit Tigers. I learned that the 1893 World’s Fair, this monumental event forever Tigers always stayed in the Del Prado Hotel when changed the way the nation and world regarded they came to town to play the White Sox, so I was Chicago. Ever since its heralded opening on May 1, thrilled to see the lobby where my heroes used to hang  1893, it has been memorialized in music, art, and out. literature. Myriads of historical documents, the 2003 Other American League teams frequented this best seller about the Fair, Eric Larson’s The Devil in classic hotel, including the New York Yankees, about White City, commemorative stamps, posters, glassware whom Peter Cassel told the following tale. In 1955, and all sorts of bric-a-brac are sought by collectors the New York Yankees hired Elston Howard, a around the world. talented African-American catcher. When the Yankees Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, by Chicagoans came to Chicago, the hotel management informed the Joseph M. Di Cola and David Stone (Arcadia team’s manager that Howard wouldn’t be permitted to Images of America Series, 2012), appeared in local stay at the hotel, because “Negroes were not allowed.” bookstores in early October, and is perhaps the WCE’s Previously, there was a tacit understanding that black most accessible account of this epic event. Stanley baseball players in the major leagues would find other Appelbaum’s handsome book, The Chicago World’s accommodations in the city. Upon being challenged Fair of 1893 (Dover, 1980) is useful, but hampered the Yankee management declared that the team would by its large size and limited informational content. cancel all reservations—now and in the future— Aside from lacking an index, the newer book offers unless Howard was permitted to stay. The hotel gave many advantages including seldom seen photographs in. This was the first instance of an African American of artwork shown in the Palace of Fine Arts, now the staying in a hotel in this neighborhood. Now, of Museum of Science and Industry. There are many The World’s Columbian Exposition—and its star course, the entire neighborhood is integrated. photos of classic buildings—the Administration on the flag—will always shine brightly in Chicago’s It will be exciting to watch as work progresses on Building, the Fisheries Building designed by Chicago history. This fine book, Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, these legendary buildings. They will continue to architect Henry Ives Cobb, and the Women’s Building brings the Fair to life once again. FSV beautify and enrich Hyde Park. FSV PHoTo FrANCES VANDErVoorT PHoTo designed by architect Sophia Hayden. A boy is shown 61st Street, facing west near Dorchester Ave. holding a box of Quaker Oats, first introduced at the Note: It is anticipated that the authors of the book will be Fair, and a trio of Persian dancers brandish swords and discussing the book and signing copies at the 57th Street Wesley Johnson of California was not able to participate shields in front of the Persian concession northeast of Bookstore in February. in the hotel tour, but sent the following letter: Mystery Quiz: the Ferris Wheel on the Midway. One photo shows the constructing of the Golden How I wish that I could do this tour, but I will be in Most Hyde Parkers are familiar with the curve Doorway of the Transportation Building designed by Toronto by then before heading back home to California. of Kenwood Avenue between 52nd and 53rd Louis Sullivan. Captions are concise but informative. Streets. The accompanying photo shows another The book ends on a note of both triumph and To the Hyde Park Historical Society: departure from the grid-like street pattern that poignancy. This great Fair, held at a time of national New Society Members characterizes much of Hyde Park. This curve stress, brought people together from all over the world. The Hyde Park Historical Society welcomes In 1895, my then-18-year-old Great Grandmother predates the World Columbian Exposition by Then, within one year, fire turned almost all of the the following new members: Hal and Joanne Martha Boezel was working in the kitchen of one of those about ten years, is located almost but not quite fragile, ephemerally-built buildings into smoking ruins. Cohen, Michael Davis and Deborah Jones, hotels—the Del Prado I think, since I vaguely recall it in today’s Hyde Park, and is frequented by local Barbara Hall, Albert Rhee, and Richard & starting with a D—and an 18 year old young man named shoppers seeking fresh produce during summer Kay Sleeper. George Johnston came through the kitchen on a delivery months. The view faces west. Can you identify *The fourth star on Chicago’s flag represents the 1933- or for something like that. They began seeing each other. this street and explain why it is curved? 34 Century of Progress Exposition. And one day after boating on the Jackson Park Lagoon,

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Sunday Supper. An Employee-of-the-Year award received by the House both directly and through changes. I retired in 1996. International House, program was also started the University. Graduate students coming to the The ambiguous relationship between the House Interesting programs in the late eighties and early University, even the foreign ones, were far more and the University in many ways contributed to its 1980s–2000 nineties included a third U.S.—U.S.S.R. conference sophisticated than in the early days of the House. problems. Unlike the New York House, which is and, in 1991, a conference to honor the University’s They were often older, many had held responsible jobs independent of any of the schools whose students By Claude Weil centennial. Its theme was the American Research and perhaps even owned their own condos. Foreign it serves, or the Berkeley House which is part of the University and the International Student, and brought students, especially those in the Business School, were University of California, the Chicago House was This is the final installment of a series of articles about to the House former Indiana congressman, John frequently supported by the companies for which neither fully independent nor part of the University. the history of the University of Chicago’s International Brademas, then Chancellor of New York University. they worked. They could afford grander housing as Since its clientele consisted mostly of the University’s House from the day it opened, in September 1932, until I-House’s food service catered an all-campus picnic at . The rooms the House offered were students, it could not proceed independently in its the 2000s. Previous installments appeared in Hyde Park held on the quadrangles as part of the celebration. An small, and shared washroom facilities did not have fund-raising efforts. The New York House always had History in Autumn 2007, Winter 2008, Autumn 2008, International Women’s Dialogue series was started as much appeal to them. Greater freedom in how to a Rockefeller associated with its board, which gave and Summer 2009. was a forum on the Persian Gulf crisis of 1990-1991. spend their money for meals was also a major concern. it great visibility and helped assure its fund-raising The House also hosted a conference of directors of Then too, the House’s infrastructure needed massive efforts. The Berkeley House had the University behind In the mid-1980s, it was decided to separate the International Houses from various parts of the world upgrading. It was not possible to provide more it. The Chicago House had neither. Governor Adlai business affairs function of the House from the and published a directory of these people. adequate electrical service except by totally replacing all Stevenson was probably the most prominent person to development function since a major fund-raising In 1992, the House celebrated its 60th anniversary the wiring in the House. This was exceedingly difficult ever serve on its Board. His son, Adlai Stevenson III effort would require more time than I had available by having the cafeteria serve dishes from a menu because much of it had become frozen in cast iron also served briefly. for it. One of the first major fund raisers was a offered in 1932 with a price of $0.65 for dinner. conduits. A makeshift solution was found by installing The House didn’t lack for residents who made their separate Festival of Nations, first held at the House By this time, the food service had once more been additional wiring through the hallways. Plumbing mark on the world. Over the years, International and later at various downtown venues. It consisted revamped. It had become obvious that the kind of throughout the House caused problems as the pipes House had been home to poet Langston Hughes and of entertainment, a dinner and silent auction, and changes the House could effect in improving its were slowly wearing through and could easily rupture. Nobel Prize winners Enrico Fermi, George Stigler, in some years, a raffle. Income from it was used to operation and cutting down deficits were limited, so Air conditioning the House was an issue though it T. D. Lee and C. M. Yang. Katharine Graham, late increase the number of fellowships available for foreign the wheel having turned 360 degrees, the operation wasn’t clear whether doing so was cost-effective since publisher of the Washington Post, also resided there. residents, a program started in 1983 with a grant was once more contracted out, this time to the many residents moved out during the summer. Ceiling One interesting resident in the House in 1987 was from the Borg-Warner Corporation. Another Board Marriott Corporation that offered to advance funds fans were installed in many rooms making residents an Afghan Freedom Fighter who had been brought of Governors fund-raising event was a golf outing to upgrade the facilities. Ultimately this arrangement more comfortable on hot days. to Chicago for medical treatment. One can’t help organized by the University’s retired athletic director, failed when occupancy declined and food services were The Board of Governors, aware of these problems, wondering what happened to him in the light of recent Harold (Jeff) Metcalf. In honor of her mother, board mostly eliminated. The Tiffin Room continued to created a task force to work with the architectural events. member, Lorna Straus, made it possible for the House provide refreshments of all kinds. After considerable firm of Vickrey, Oversat and Awsumb to develop a A storm was created by the suggestion that to offer the Puttkammer Resident-of-the-Year Award remodeling, the kitchen areas were made available to plan to remodel the House. The new plan suggested International House be closed and torn down to make to the individual who had shown those residents who wished to prepare their own meals. combining three rooms into two and providing them way for a dormitory for the Graduate Business School. strong leadership in House By 1991 the balance between foreign and U. S. with a shared bathroom. It wasn’t a perfect solution Eventually, this decision was reversed but to continue affairs. This award would be students had been equalized but there were troubling but was thought to substantially satisfy the needs of its operation, the House had to be integrated more given annually at the Spring signs in the diminishing number of applications future residents. The infrastructure was also to be closely with the University and lost its independent totally brought up to date. The plan was costed out at Board of Governors. A University study group, with about $20,000,000. the help of Holabird and Root, came up with a Though by this time the House’s endowments had reconstruction plan costing well over thirty million increased substantially, they were not nearly large dollars. This plan was approved and in the past several enough to cover even a small portion of the cost. It years, the House was substantially remodeled. was thought that increased income would help pay the In the recent past, the House has continued to debts incurred to fund the project, but a substantial fulfill the purposes for which it was founded, i.e. amount of money would still have to be found. bringing together students from all around the world. Consultation with the University was a prerequisite. For the time being it also houses some advanced Les Sterner retired in 1994 and a new director, Ralph undergraduates. Wide-ranging programs featuring Nicholas, Professor of Anthropology and Director of persons of international significance are being held the International Studies Center, was appointed. He there and its community outreach enlarged. had to wrestle with all the problems mentioned above Friends and supporters of International House, and and the city’s requirements that a modern fire alarm especially former residents for whom it remains part system be installed and the House be made accessible of a truly significant life experience gladly echo the to physically challenged individuals, these on top of his House’s credo, “That Brotherhood May Prevail.” academic responsibilities. Nicholas retired in 2000 and was replaced by Henry Pernet, a former Swiss resident. These articles were based on a talk given at the Hyde Subsequently there have been more directorship Park Historical Society. HPHS

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