MARKTOWN UPDATE A publication of the Marktown Preservation Society September 2007 Neither the celebration of La- From there we made our way bor Day nor the concept of a bi- to the old union building on South cycle tour or even a race are new Avenue O. It was the site of the concepts to the Pullman Landmark 1937 Memorial Day Massacre at District in Chicago. Acme Steel where innocent Just one year after the celebra- women and children were killed in tion of Labor Day began in 1883, the mayhem that broke out when the Pullman Palace Car Company over zealous security guards de- suffered a two month strike of its cided to break up the picnickers workers. The strike came about that had assembled seventy years when, after having to reduce the ago. Kevin Murphy, playwright, employees wages the company author and historian provided an failed to lower the rent on their outstanding but brief lecture on the homes in the Pullman neighbor- tragedy. hood. From there it was off to the And as for their relationship to west side of Wolf Lake and the the bicycle, this Labor Day marked William Powers Conservation the 120th anniversary of the first area for a presentation by Mike Chicago to Pullman bicycle race. Boos, Executive Director of the That historic race began at Adams Association for the Wolf Lake Ini- and Michigan Avenue at what is tiative. Mike explained some of the now the Art Institute of Chicago early history of the lake. His pre- and ended at the modern Pullman sentation detailed the building of neighborhood just outside of Chi- ABOVE: Participants prepare to de- the dikes those many decades ago cago. So you see, combining the part the Hotel Florence in the Pullman and the present restoration work celebration of Labor Day and bi- Landmark District in Chicago. that is being done. cycles was a natural event. Below: The group of nearly 100 riders The next stop on the ride was begin arriving in the Marktown Historic For the third consecutive year, the site of the Cline Avenue bridge District in East Chicago, Indiana the Pullman Civic Organization collapse 25 years ago this past sponsored the Pullman to Mark- April when 14 highway construc- town Labor Day Ride, a ride that tion workers lost their lives in what will be well remembered by all. was then the largest construction The chairperson this year was accident in U.S. history. Paul My- once again Patty Oyervides who ers, who worked for the Safety spent countless hours making Department of LTV Steel at the sure that everything went just right time of the accident presented a for this 40+ mile excursion. brief but poignant presentation The weather was perfect for was well marked on our maps, we based upon his first hand knowl- the ride this year. No rain and no somehow missed the stop and the edge of the event. 90 degree temperatures until well lecture by architect Michael Paul explained that the cause after we returned to Pullman in mid Shymanski. of the accident was attributed to afternoon. Patty Oyervides ex- We regrouped briefly on undersized footings under the plained the route to us from the 122nd Street between Stoney Is- scaffolds that supported the con- front steps of the Hotel Florence. land and Torrence where we crete forms and the actual bridge, From there we were off and run- learned about the wetlands on ei- and an unapproved change in the ning at just a bit after 9:00 AM. Our ther side of the road. For those at design of the scaffolds that were first stop for the day was to be the the front of the tour we spotted a used. It was also noted that the Market Square building just east Great Blue Heron in the marsh- total fine for the 14 deaths was of the Hotel Florence, and while it lands to the north. less that $12,000.00. visit us on line at www.marktown.org From the Cline Avenue site it last stop: Whihala Park in Whit- was but a short ride to the mid- ing, Indiana. way point in our journey, as the Upon our arrival, John Pastirik Marktown Historic District was just of the South Side gave a brief lec- down the street. ture on the economic history of The group assembled at Lake Michigan, both past and Paul's home in Marktown. Once present. What once had been a there his six room home was much needed tool for industrial ex- opened for visitors. Paul dis- pansion 100 years ago is now a cussed the history of industrial tool for quality of life issues and housing in the Midwest and the the economic grown of Calumet specific designs used in Mark- Region. He also discussed the town. Patty Oyervides arrived with bird sanctuary at the western end one of the SAG vehicles and pro- of the park, just past the Ham- vided fresh fruit, fitness bars and mond Marina. bottled water for the riders. After using the washrooms at Once the lecture was con- the county park, we remounted cluded and the questions an- and headed for the bridge at Horse- ABOVE: Riders make their way over swered, the group was off to our shoe Casino and our trip back to the Torrence Avenue bridge. the Hotel Florence in Pullman. Below: Kevin Murphy, author and his- Once there, lunch was a wel- torian provided an outstanding lecture comed site for all present and a on the 1937 Memorial Day Massacre variety of homemade side dishes at the Acme Steel site on Chicago's supplemented the hearty sand- South Side. wiches and fried chicken. Follow- ing lunch a group of local musi- cians entertained riders and resi- dents alike. It was by all means the best tour yet. Special thanks must go to the Mike Boos, Executive Director of the Association for the Wolf Lake Initia- Paul Myers, who rode the entire route tive discussed the history and this year, explained the tragic occur- biodiversity of Wolf Lake. His presen- rences that lead to the death of 14 tation was made at the William Pow- highway construction workers on the ers Conservation Area on the west side Cline Avenue ramp 25 years ago this of Wolf Lake. past April 15th. Chicago Police Department for providing an escort on the Illinois side of the tour. To Patty Oyervides for chairing the event once again. To Tony Dzik for hav- ing designed the map, posters and John Pastirik for not only leading the Above: Riders returned to the Flo- tour but also serving as a docent at rence Hotel in Pullman for a much Whihala Park in Whiting. He explained deserved lunch in the park. the integral role that Lake Michigan Below: Participants and residents played in the industrialization of the alike enjoyed the rock music provided Calumet Region and our need to re- by local musicians. store the lake as a recreation asset Bottom photo: Mike Boos and Patty for generations to come. Oyerides take a brief moment for a other support materials. To John photo before heading back to Pullman. Pastirik for leading the tour and serving as a docent at Whihala Park. To Mike Boos, Kevin Murphy, Mike Shymanski, and Paul Myers for also having served as docents at the various stops along the way. To those who set up the registra- tion table at the beginning and The turn around point for the tour was those who prepared and served once again the Marktown Historic Dis- the lunch afterwards. We must trict. Participants had the opportunity also thank the outstanding rock to take a much deserved break in the band members who once again ride and to hear a brief lecture on the provided the entertainment after history of Marktown and the labor our return to Pullman. And last but movement that facilitated its construc- not least, our thanks must go out tion 90 years ago. Paul's home was also opened so that participants could to the riders who made this event see the inside of one of the historic possible. For those of you who homes in Marktown. missed it: see you next year! The Times Names Seven Wonders of NW Indiana.... Last month, The Times spon- ing. sored an on-line survey to nomi- The Munster War Memorial is nate and name the Seven Won- by far the most modern of the ders of Northwest Indiana. The Seven Wonders of Northwest In- concept of doing so is not new by diana. This magnificent nine acre any means. The first such list was park was created in just three that of the ancient world and was years at a cost of $3.2 million dol- compiled some 2,200 years ago lars. by Callimachus of Cyrene. An up- More than 100,000 visitors dated list was completed in the from 40 U.S. states and nine for- Historic Crown Point Court House Middle Ages, and most recently a eign countries visited the park that modern list was assembled ear- first year in 2003. This outstand- lier this year. Not to be left out of ing park is one of the most inter- the fun, it should be noted that active memorials in the country nearly all of the states have also and features separate memorials assembled their own list of seven for each of the major U.S. conflicts wonders. So, here it is, the NW of the 20th century. Indiana edition of Seven Wonders: The Illiana Motor Speedway on The Historic Crown Point Court U.S.