2004-06 RHS Newsletter – June-July 2004

This article details the 1920s expansion of chain grocery and drug stores like Walgreens, A&P, and National Tea Company into Chicago's outlying neighborhoods. It focuses specifically on real estate developer George W. Prassas, who in 1929 constructed a building at 95th and Wood Street designed to house multiple commercial storefronts alongside a Walgreens. The piece notes that this historic 95th Street building, which represented a new prototype for neighborhood commercial development, is slated for demolition, and it acknowledges a donation of historical Walgreens books to the RHS collections.

Page(s): 1, 4

Reprinted from the March 10, 1910 issue of the Bethany Union Church "The Reminder," this brief notice announces an upcoming entertainment event on the Glazier course. The program features Miss Mary Hazel Freeman providing dramatic and comic readings and impersonations, alongside Hattie Rood Grace, a dramatic soprano and whistler.

Page(s): 1

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and Heritage Preservation awarded the Ridge Historical Society a 2004 CAP grant. This funding allows professional conservators to spend time surveying the RHS site and drafting a comprehensive report identifying conservation priorities. The assessment is intended to help the society evaluate its current collections care policies, environmental conditions, and long-range strategies to ensure its historical artifacts are preserved for future generations.

Page(s): 2

This obituary recounts the life of Charles B. Goes, who died on March 14th after a long illness. Born in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1855, Goes moved to Chicago shortly after the Great Fire and entered the lithography trade as an apprentice. He eventually established his own firm, Goes, Quensel & Libold, which later relocated to Englewood in 1902 and became the highly successful Goes Lithographing Company.

Page(s): 2, 3

The RHS Archives Committee met with Jennifer Hartz of the Chicago Historical Society (CHS) to discuss a grant-sponsored program aimed at documenting and microfilming public domain newspapers in Illinois. Although the CHS project has strict grant parameters that exclude many religious newsletters, RHS possesses highly complete sets of obscure local publications like "The Post" and "The Beverly Review." The article notes that while it may take years before actual microfilming occurs, the eventual repository for these records will be the University of Illinois at Urbana, ensuring long-term access through interlibrary loans.

Page(s): 3

Reprinted from the January 13, 1910 issue of the Bethany Union Church "The Reminder," this short piece details a terrifying accident at the Belmont Station (present-day 107th Street train station). A wood-alcohol torch, used to ignite gasoline gas for lighting, exploded, severely burning the hands of Mr. Hornbeck and causing serious internal and external injuries to his two-year-old son, though physicians expected both to recover.

Page(s): 4

The Ridge Historical Society hosted a highly successful exhibit titled "Small Wonder," which showcased Jack Simmerling's detailed paper and cigar-box models of legendary, now-demolished Prairie and Calumet Avenue mansions. Simmerling, who has a lifelong passion for preserving architectural memory, salvaged architectural fragments and crafted these stunning miniatures using scrap materials decades ago. The article highlights the exhibit's extensive press coverage in the Sun-Times, the collaborative effort to restore the dusty models, and Simmerling's personal, emotional connection to the lost buildings he preserves.

Page(s): 5

Reprinted from the March 17, 1910 issue of the Bethany Union Church "The Reminder," this amusing historical snippet outlines the Sunday preaching schedule. It notes that the pastor will preach his second and final sermon on "Christian Growth" in the morning, but in the evening will deliver his fourth consecutive sermon on the biblical figure Samson, specifically titled "Samson's Famous Hair Cut."

Page(s): 5

Reprinted from the March 10, 1910 issue of the Bethany Union Church "The Reminder," this short piece reports the sudden death of William S. Wood from heart trouble at his home on Winchester Avenue. Wood, an assistant superintendent of telegraph for the Rock Island Railroad, dedicated nearly twenty-nine years to the company starting at age sixteen, and was remembered as a highly respected resident of the Tracy and Longwood communities.

Page(s): 6

In late April, the Ridge Historical Society hosted a highly successful fundraiser where an overflow audience of 95 guests enjoyed dinner and a live performance by "THOSE WERE THE DAYS RADIO PLAYERS." Local talents recreated classic radio show episodes, including "The Life Riley" and "The Shadow," complete with vintage scripts and live sound effects. The event was heavily supported by numerous RHS board members and volunteers who catered the meal and provided extra seating to accommodate the large crowd.

Page(s): 6

Demonstrating the active nature of the historical society, the RHS hosted over twenty architectural enthusiasts visiting from Milwaukee. With extensive help from the Morgan Park Junior Woman's Club and RHS board members, the society catered lunch for the guests, landscaped their front driveway, and led a comprehensive bus tour of the community. Emeritus board member Sue Delves conducted the tour, revealing to the out-of-towners the rich architectural beauty and significance of Beverly Hills and Morgan Park, a neighborhood they previously had no idea existed.

Page(s): 6

Newsletter Editor David Daruszka outlines the updated deadlines for submitting articles to the RHS Newsletter for the remainder of 2004, establishing the 1st of the preceding month as the firm cutoff date. The notice details the requirement that all submissions must be provided digitally via email attachments or disk in standard word processing formats, explicitly rejecting typed or handwritten copy in order to streamline the volunteer-run production process.

Page(s): 7

This section highlights two local civic milestones from 1929. First, it notes the organization of the Beverly Hills Center of the Infant Welfare Society under its first president, Mrs. Paul Headland. Second, it details the establishment of the 13th Police District (Morgan Park Police District), describing its original municipal boundaries, the celebratory parade welcoming the police, and their transition from a leased commercial space on Monterey Avenue to a purpose-built structure in 1936.

Page(s): 7

Reprinted from the March 10, 1910 issue of the Bethany Union Church "The Reminder," this brief and humorous note mentions that Mr. J.H. Burdette of Longwood Boulevard is anxiously awaiting the arrival of his new Chadwick automobile. The vehicle is touted as the fastest machine in the city, reportedly capable of running 107 miles per hour on the track.

Page(s): 7

This short advisory column reminds readers that historic preservation is not solely about preventing the total demolition of old buildings, but also about maintaining historic character. It encourages homeowners to carefully remodel older buildings by retaining the unique historic elements and details that give a structure its specific charm, rather than removing or destroying them.

Page(s): 8

This notice serves as an event calendar highlight, promoting an upcoming exhibit at the Ridge Historical Society titled "The Prairie School in Beverly." Running from June 12 through August 16, the exhibit features architectural photographs taken by Mati Maldre. The event includes a special opening reception on June 12 sponsored by the Walter Burley Griffin Society of America.

Page(s): 8