The Historian Preserving & Promoting Neighborhood History
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The Historian Preserving & Promoting Neighborhood History Volume 30, No. 4 Fall 2014 Board of Directors Monthly Meetings December 29, 2014 All meetings are held bi-monthly on the last Monday of each even-num- bered month at 7 p.m.at the Society, 1447 W. Morse Avenue and are open to all members. In This Issue 6125 N. Maplewood Avenue in its holiday trimming in 2013. Historical Society Celebrates Holidays with December 7 House Walk page 2 Historical Society Celebrates Holidays Collector’s Corner page 2 With December 7 House Walk From the President’s Desk By Colleen Sen page 3 The first ever Rogers Park West Ridge This historic church, built in 1922, is Bowling in Rogers Park and Historical Society Holiday House Walk known for its spectacular stained glass West Ridge page 4 will be held on Sunday, December 7, windows. Tours of the church will be from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The owners of offered at 1.30 and 2.30 p.m. Our New Coverage of Marion three historic bungalows on the 6100 Mahony Griffin Tickets are $20 each for RP/WRHS page 6 block of Maplewood Avenue (just north members and $25 each for non-members. of Peterson) will open their homes to West Ridge Historian Traces (Not a member? Join us to get special Local Park Development members and guests. event discounts and other perks). page 8 In addition to giving tours of their Volunteer Profile, Gwen Gregory Day-of tickets: You may purchase tickets homes, the owners will serve delicious page 10 on the day of the tour using a check or holiday refreshments -- hot chocolate, Marrying the CTA Route 96 cash. Visit the registration desk at Christ Touhy Bus with the Chicago hot cider, wine, sweet and savory Church of Chicago, 6047 N. Rockwell Motor Coach Route 54 Lunt Bus treats, and more!. Holiday decorations page 11 Street, for your tickets and guidebook. and music will enhance the festive The White City, Society Member atmosphere. Advance tickets: Send a check to RP/ June Finer’s Latest Play WRHS, 1447 W. Morse Avenue, page 13 Registration will be at Christ Church Chicago, 60626, or pay using PayPal on Trash Turns into Treasure at of Chicago, 6047 N. Rockwell Street, Annual Members Party our website. page 14 Chicago from 12:45 to 3:30 p.m. page 2 • Fall 2014 • The Historian Rogers Park / West Ridge Peterson Woods Was the Site of Historical Society Society’s 28th House Tour Board of Directors 2013-2014 By Colleen Sen President on the west by the lovely Legion Park that Ken Walchak provides a recreational green space sheltering Vice President the neighborhood from the traffic on Kedzie Katherine McSpadden Avenue. Treasurer Margaret Ferguson Most of its homes were custom built between Secretary 1925 and 1935. The original owners belonged Glenna Eaves to Chicago’s middle and upper classes and Directors many were of German or Scandinavian Glenna Eaves Margaret Ferguson origin. Many of the houses have had only two Sr. Sue Kilduski One highlight of the tour was a visit to a fabulous ‘castle’ or three owners and some residents have lived Katie Macica Kay McSpadden at 3007 W. Hollywood Ave. here more than 70 years. Many of the homes Hank Morris are accented with such architectural details The weather was perfect for the Rogers Colleen Sen as turrets, Tudor-style wood beams, tile roofs, Hope Shannon Park/West Ridge Historical Society’s 28th Karen Tipp leaded windows, and wrought iron fencing. Dona Vitale annual house tour on Sunday, September Ken Walchak 14– dry and sunny, with just a hint of Highlights of the tour included visits to a autumn in the air. This year the Society fabulous “castle” on Hollywood and Virginia, visited the Peterson Woods neighborhood, a newly upgraded mansion on Sacramento, one of several residential districts in the far and an elegant garden, and a talk on the The Historian southwest corner of West Ridge. Called “one history of Legion Park by Historian Arlene published quarterly by The Rogers Park/West Ridge of Chicago’s best kept secrets,” this quiet Swartzman. Historical Society family-oriented neighborhood is bounded Editor Hank Morris Managing Editor Collector’s Corner David Richert By Colleen Sen Production Editor Kathryn Siemianowski We thank our Society friends and Rogers Design Consultant Park community leaders, Brian and Sue Kathleen Paluch Kozin, the former owners of No Exit Café Editorial Staff and Gallery for the donation of the archives Ellen Credile David Richert of their coffeehouse, including the business Sue Sosin records, menus, artwork and files on the many The Cabbagehead performers who graced their stage. While E-Newsletter Editor they no longer live in Rogers Park, they say Hank Morris a virtual “Hi” to all those who shared their magical space. Sue Kozin Brian Kozin We were delighted to receive the unexpected donation of a trove of 306 photographs, from Mr. Eamon A. Rago. These were well and numerous route maps and timetables documented and will be added to our digital representing the CTA and Metra Rail lines archives. page 3 • Fall 2014 • The Historian From the President’s Desk Membership as of November 20, 2014 to hang our hats. But, that being said, we can only trim so much. We need your help in Welcome New Members two areas. We need you to participate in our programs. I hope that that is something you Individual Kristine Falck-Pedersen all want to do. Our newly revamped website Larry Olson and Cabbagehead are doing a great job John Pincine Jane Ranshaw keeping you informed of upcoming events. John Schermerhorn If you are not receiving them, please contact Ahndrea Sprattling Susan Weaver us and make sure that we have your contact Cliff Zimmernam Ken Walchak information. At the same time make sure that your friends, relatives, neighbors, and former Household Greetings, Rogers Park and West Ridgers are all in Sarah Haeffle & Nicholas Bart touch. Oh, and did I forget to mention to like David Kalensky & Maureen Gallagher I hope this finds you all happy and rested us on Facebook? Stephen & Ruth Metzger after the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope it also The second area where we need your help is finds you in a generous mood, because I’m to keep our budget balanced. We have a team Senior going to devote my editorial this issue to a working on grants, but those take time to Linda Henderson request for you to be as generous as possible. Judith Kolata bring to fruition. Organizations also want to Bruce Munro We have had a busy year, not only know things like how many people we serve, programming a number of interesting, fun and how much they are donating. In other Senior Household events, but planning for the future of our words they want to see that we have skin in Brian & Claire Owen Society. We have added new Board Members, the game. With the year closing out in just said goodbye to some others, ramped up our a few short weeks, we need to put some real Premium Kristin Jacobsen strategic alliance with Loyola University, money in the bank. and spent a great deal of time and energy Please, be as generous as you can, and be becoming a more modern historical society. Thanks for Renewing cheerleaders for the Society. Talk to friends, Individual All of these initiatives have cost precious neighbors, relatives, employers (many of Dorel Dittmann resources that are in short supply. When I them have matching programs). Do it by the David Gerber took this job, I promised you in one of my end of the year so you can deduct it. You’ll Louis Hoffman Sharon Kozak first messages, that we would be careful feel good, and I know the Rogers Park/West Amy Kraushaar stewards of what is, after all, your money. Ridge Historical Society will feel good. Vicki Kruzel David Marshall We have been that. We have trimmed Happy Holidays, Carolyn Quinn expenses wherever we have been able. We Grace Reichert Dr Shirley Roy are looking for less expensive space in which Ken Walchak Marcee Williams Linda Winke Jay Woldenberg Do you receive our Cabbagehead? Household Your society sends out an electronic newsletter frequently. It contains news of events that Bruce Boyd & Wayde Carttwright were announced AFTER the previous Historian newsletter was mailed and will occur Carolyn Hyson & Mark Badanes BEFORE the next issue of the Historian is published. It’s our way of getting the word out Nikki Lively & Steven Shay Michael & Angela Morrow to our membership about things they otherwise might not learn about. William Siavelis & Vicki Curtis Send us your e-mail address to insure that you’re on the distribution list. Just send us an e-mail at [email protected] with the subject “Cabbagehead”. www.rpwrhs.org www.facebook.com/RPWRHS page 4 • Fall 2014 • The Historian Rogers Park / Membership as of West Ridge Bowling in Rogers Park and West Ridge November 20, 2014 Historical Society By Hank Morris Boardcontinued of fromDirectors page 3 Back in the 50s and 60s, one of the most popular to grow through entertainment media such as 2013-2014 sports was Bowling. In the early 1950s in video games for home consoles and handheld Senior StuartPresident Alpern Chicago, there were 202 bowling alleys listed in devices. VirginiaKen Walchak Greninger the Yellow Pages phone directory. Today there Bowling Alleys in Rogers Park JosephVice President Gutstadt are only 32 bowling centers in the immediate BarbaraColleen Isaacson Sen Bowl Haven, 1542 W. Devon Avenue (closed). James Kepler Chicago area. BetteTreasurer Raef Bowling Moderne, 7350 N.