Bill Matteson
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
As young guys we all had the thirst for adventure and a desire to learn
On one of the adventure trips we discovered Maxwell St. and we could get there by public transportation.
During the war and immediately thereafter Maxwell St, was the street of bargains.
We started shopping on Maxwell from the time we were 11 years old until we were 17 years old
Maxwell St. was a line of tables, carts and stores than ran for about three blocks,
My Dad always warned me not to go into any store. because we might not come out, always do your shopping outside.
A lot of Gypsies lived there in vacant store fronts, they kept their tables out side, I bought a pair of pants from one gypsy vender, when I tried them on at home I realized there were no pocket liners, My Mom laughed and Dad hollered at me for being stupid.
The big treat of the day for me was the Polish Sausage with onions and peppers on a hard roll, I would buy one a for about 30 cents.
Then I would find a certain black blues guitar player and listen to him sing about the "Signifying Monkey". Every time I would go to Maxwell St. I would find him and hear the same thing over and over , I committed it to memory, Today I can still recite it, but its not for mixed company and certainly not for children,
Back in my freelance days I had many names, in the Graphic arts, Unicorn Graphics, Orion Litho, or Gash Litho (1985-1995) I made the Offset film and set it up for the printer and I had a good clientele of underground Private recording labels.
One of which was Earwig records, Mike Franks was the owner and under contract to him was a Blues guitar player "Honeyboy Edwards"
Some time during this past summer I was watching a Bio on Honeyboy and he told of coming to Chicago and playing on Maxwell Street. during the late 1940's
Honeyboy died last August at age 96. The last of an Era of Delta bluesmen.
Could Honeyboy have been the same Blues Player?, I 'd like to think so. but if it wasn't. I 'd like him to be Willie Dixon
"Signifying Monkey" is an African American Street folk tale as why the monkey lives in trees.
"Said the signifying monkey to the lion one day, there's this big burly motherXXXXXX" well You get the idea!
I had the ability in those days to almost memorize any thing, and if I did then I still know it now,
today I can't remember what I had for Breakfast
Back in the drinking days
I drank for free in a lot of bars because I knew all the Irish Songs and I could recite a Lot of Poetry like, The Shooting of Dan McGrew , The Cremation of Sam McGee, The Midnight Ride, Casey at the Bat, The face on the Barroom floor or Gunga Din. Etc
Ah yes the good old days I am glad I was able to survive them
January 21, 2012
January 12, 2012
Roller Skating at the Arcadia Roller Rink
Bill Matteson
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
Roller Skating at the Arcadia was what we all lived for, A Saturday afternoon skating on the new blue plastic floor . with live pipe organ music.
I bought my first pair of shoe skates for $20, case included, at the Arcadia. for a couple of bucks down and .50 cents per week
you could own your very own shoe skates, they would be kept at the rink until they were paid for
Life was simple in those days boys skates were black, girls were white
now that I think of it our ice skates were the same
In my skate case
I had two sets of wood wheels, regular wheels, two inch diameter and a one inch width for normal rink skating and racing
and another set for dancing 1'1/2 inch diameter and a two inch length, also a small wrench for replacing the wheels and a spray container of dry graphite
I had another set of composition wheels for street skating
Also in the case I had to have a decal of a pin up girl on the inside lid, these we bought at the dimestore
we would skate around in a clockwise rotation keeping to the tempo of the music, some times fast and sometimes slow. if we started skating to fast the organist
would slow down the tempo, and at times we would have to skate counter clockwise.
Then we would have announcements over the speaker, "Ladies Choice"or "couples only" now this was the fun part, we would have our "dancing wheels" on, find a girl to dance with and then standing side by side put your right arm around the waist of the girl and her left hand in yours, skate around with the girl of your dreams. we would take turns skating backwards. first I would and she would steer me around then we would switch and she would skate backwards.
The Center of the rink was left open for more advanced skaters and dancers, while the outer perimeter was left for beginners and novices.
It was always a rite of passage to skate in the "Inner circle"
In the early to mid 40's we skated on a hardwood floor, one day they closed the Arcadia down for a couple of weeks maybe even a month and when it opened, we couldn't believe our eyes, A solid deep Blue plastic floor , it was to us the same as when Dorothy open the door and realized she wasn't in Kansas anymore.
We soon found out the if you skated fast and then touched someone they would get a static shock, we had fun with that caper
My favorite skating music was "I'm Looking over a Four Leaf Clover" and "Pistol Packin Mama" I'm sure that I had others but they are long forgotten
Every Friday after school a "hawker" from the Arcadia would give out discount passes , we could skate all day noon to 5pm for 12 cents
they would hold races before closing and the winners would win a free pass for the next week
I would win because I would enter a younger age bracket, I did this until they got wise to me .
I skated there until I went high school in 1950, the Arcadia burned down somewhere in the mid 1950's and a lot of old memories went up in smoke
ah yes the good old days, do kids roller skate today?
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
Roller Skating at the Arcadia was what we all lived for, A Saturday afternoon skating on the new blue plastic floor . with live pipe organ music.
I bought my first pair of shoe skates for $20, case included, at the Arcadia. for a couple of bucks down and .50 cents per week
you could own your very own shoe skates, they would be kept at the rink until they were paid for
Life was simple in those days boys skates were black, girls were white
now that I think of it our ice skates were the same
In my skate case
I had two sets of wood wheels, regular wheels, two inch diameter and a one inch width for normal rink skating and racing
and another set for dancing 1'1/2 inch diameter and a two inch length, also a small wrench for replacing the wheels and a spray container of dry graphite
I had another set of composition wheels for street skating
Also in the case I had to have a decal of a pin up girl on the inside lid, these we bought at the dimestore
we would skate around in a clockwise rotation keeping to the tempo of the music, some times fast and sometimes slow. if we started skating to fast the organist
would slow down the tempo, and at times we would have to skate counter clockwise.
Then we would have announcements over the speaker, "Ladies Choice"or "couples only" now this was the fun part, we would have our "dancing wheels" on, find a girl to dance with and then standing side by side put your right arm around the waist of the girl and her left hand in yours, skate around with the girl of your dreams. we would take turns skating backwards. first I would and she would steer me around then we would switch and she would skate backwards.
The Center of the rink was left open for more advanced skaters and dancers, while the outer perimeter was left for beginners and novices.
It was always a rite of passage to skate in the "Inner circle"
In the early to mid 40's we skated on a hardwood floor, one day they closed the Arcadia down for a couple of weeks maybe even a month and when it opened, we couldn't believe our eyes, A solid deep Blue plastic floor , it was to us the same as when Dorothy open the door and realized she wasn't in Kansas anymore.
We soon found out the if you skated fast and then touched someone they would get a static shock, we had fun with that caper
My favorite skating music was "I'm Looking over a Four Leaf Clover" and "Pistol Packin Mama" I'm sure that I had others but they are long forgotten
Every Friday after school a "hawker" from the Arcadia would give out discount passes , we could skate all day noon to 5pm for 12 cents
they would hold races before closing and the winners would win a free pass for the next week
I would win because I would enter a younger age bracket, I did this until they got wise to me .
I skated there until I went high school in 1950, the Arcadia burned down somewhere in the mid 1950's and a lot of old memories went up in smoke
ah yes the good old days, do kids roller skate today?
December 29, 2011
Hurdy gurdys, monkeys and chickens
Bill Matteson
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
There was the Hurdy Gurdy woman at least that's what we called her, for lack of a better title
she was ancient, but still able to push this big hurdy gurdy all over Uptown
The Hurdy Gurdy stood about 5 feet tall and about 5 feet long and three feet wide and it was on wheels, (this is to the best of my memory)
She would stand at it's side and crank in order to play a circus style music,
she would just appear then disappear, we never knew where she came from or where she lived, but we always dropped coins in the cigar box.
Then an organ grinder would come by with his trained little monkey he had a much smaller instrument that had the crank on the side with straps that fit around his neck. we would throw coins and the monkey would pick them up and then tip his hat to us
An old knife sharpener would push his cart through the alley ringing a bell, housewives would bring out knives and scissors for sharpening
There were always the traveling musicians, two or three playing guitars and singing, doing requests, people tied money in a handkerchief and threw it down to them from their back porches, the Musicians would take the money and leave the hanky on the fence,
On Broadway and Wilson was a guy with a trained chicken that could do all sorts of weird tricks, He would walk around with it on his shoulder.
The Vegetable man with his plaintive cry, tooooooomatoeeeess, and fresh fruit, he had a horse drawn wagon
The Ice man also had a horse drawn wagon, we would all run down to the alley just to see the horse. and get an ice chip
We had the Ragman, old raaags neeeewspapers,scrap he had a horse also
One thing we did was chew tar, not all the time but on occasion, some one told us that tar was good for the teeth, so we would find where tar was placed along the streetcar tracks,we would scrape off the top dirty layer then cut off a piece of "clean" tar and then chew that. I did it and I'm still alive.
Today I would scream at kid's if I saw them do that.
Meanwhile back at the Barber shop, I couldn't wait until I got old enough to get a "singe" finally I was thirteen and the Barber gave me a singe
Now I don't know what a singe did , I just figured it was a rite of passage, to enter adulthood
the Barber would light a wick then he would carefully Singe the edges of your hair .
I haven't the slightest idea why, nor do I know what good It did. Hair cuts cost fifty cents
the last Barber shop in town just closed, another trade committed to memory.
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
There was the Hurdy Gurdy woman at least that's what we called her, for lack of a better title
she was ancient, but still able to push this big hurdy gurdy all over Uptown
The Hurdy Gurdy stood about 5 feet tall and about 5 feet long and three feet wide and it was on wheels, (this is to the best of my memory)
She would stand at it's side and crank in order to play a circus style music,
she would just appear then disappear, we never knew where she came from or where she lived, but we always dropped coins in the cigar box.
Then an organ grinder would come by with his trained little monkey he had a much smaller instrument that had the crank on the side with straps that fit around his neck. we would throw coins and the monkey would pick them up and then tip his hat to us
An old knife sharpener would push his cart through the alley ringing a bell, housewives would bring out knives and scissors for sharpening
There were always the traveling musicians, two or three playing guitars and singing, doing requests, people tied money in a handkerchief and threw it down to them from their back porches, the Musicians would take the money and leave the hanky on the fence,
On Broadway and Wilson was a guy with a trained chicken that could do all sorts of weird tricks, He would walk around with it on his shoulder.
The Vegetable man with his plaintive cry, tooooooomatoeeeess, and fresh fruit, he had a horse drawn wagon
The Ice man also had a horse drawn wagon, we would all run down to the alley just to see the horse. and get an ice chip
We had the Ragman, old raaags neeeewspapers,scrap he had a horse also
One thing we did was chew tar, not all the time but on occasion, some one told us that tar was good for the teeth, so we would find where tar was placed along the streetcar tracks,we would scrape off the top dirty layer then cut off a piece of "clean" tar and then chew that. I did it and I'm still alive.
Today I would scream at kid's if I saw them do that.
Meanwhile back at the Barber shop, I couldn't wait until I got old enough to get a "singe" finally I was thirteen and the Barber gave me a singe
Now I don't know what a singe did , I just figured it was a rite of passage, to enter adulthood
the Barber would light a wick then he would carefully Singe the edges of your hair .
I haven't the slightest idea why, nor do I know what good It did. Hair cuts cost fifty cents
the last Barber shop in town just closed, another trade committed to memory.
December 16, 2011
shooting Pop In Jays in a tavern with bow and arrow
Bill Matteson
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
In and around the mid 1960's I worked for I. S. Berlin Press at Belmont and Kimball.
also in the evenings as an Instructor at The Blackhawk Archery Range, above the Portage theatre on Milwaukee Ave (6 corners)
Working at the Archery Range gave me the opportunity to practice a few hours each day, Sell my custom made aluminum arrows, strings . belts and quivers.
One evening, a guy walks in, with an arrow, that had a blunt tip on it and asked me if I could get blunt tips and make him a few dozen,
I asked what they were used for, his reply was Pop-In- Jay shooting,
I never heard of Pop-In Jay shooting before, but I said I would make him the arrows, wood shafts, with custom cresting.
I made 6 dozen arrows, for the tips, I used blank 38 spl, brass shell casings,
I delivered them to a tavern on North Clark Street , on the northern edge of Uptown. I think it was the "Pop in Jay" Lounge or the Wooden Shoe.
I walked in with the arrows, they were happy to get them and they led me the left side of the bar where a shooting range with a 3 tiered metal rack was set up. bottom tier, held three wooden pegs on each side with feathers stuck in them, the second tier had two pegs each side, and the top post only had one.
The object was to shoot a bird (peg with a feather) off the rack starting with the bottom and working upwards
Now here's where the rules get fuzzy, you win if you shoot the top bird, if you miss you have to buy a drink, if you win someone buys you a drink,
all I remember is, a lot of drinking, Man those guys could drink. they were fair shooters but I was a top ranked AA shooter and won a lot of amateur contests.
I just wasn't that good of a drinker.
There were 4 or five of these bars on Clark Street, and every one was from Belgium . and they all shot Pop In Jay
Pop-in Jay shooting was a sport that originated in Belgium, by shooting pigeons off of the church steeple .
On subsequent orders I made them pick up the arrows at the Archery range. I couldn't drink like they could
Each bar had their own club ,so I made them silk screens so they could make their own shirts, also each club had their own custom cresting.
Cresting being the colored bands around the arrow near the fletching (feathers)
Speaking of Archery, There was a Buddhist Temple on Leland and Racine, I shot there against some "monks" they never beat me!
I always had respect for their skill, in shooting. But their equipment was not all that great.
I don't know if its still there or not.
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
In and around the mid 1960's I worked for I. S. Berlin Press at Belmont and Kimball.
also in the evenings as an Instructor at The Blackhawk Archery Range, above the Portage theatre on Milwaukee Ave (6 corners)
Working at the Archery Range gave me the opportunity to practice a few hours each day, Sell my custom made aluminum arrows, strings . belts and quivers.
One evening, a guy walks in, with an arrow, that had a blunt tip on it and asked me if I could get blunt tips and make him a few dozen,
I asked what they were used for, his reply was Pop-In- Jay shooting,
I never heard of Pop-In Jay shooting before, but I said I would make him the arrows, wood shafts, with custom cresting.
I made 6 dozen arrows, for the tips, I used blank 38 spl, brass shell casings,
I delivered them to a tavern on North Clark Street , on the northern edge of Uptown. I think it was the "Pop in Jay" Lounge or the Wooden Shoe.
I walked in with the arrows, they were happy to get them and they led me the left side of the bar where a shooting range with a 3 tiered metal rack was set up. bottom tier, held three wooden pegs on each side with feathers stuck in them, the second tier had two pegs each side, and the top post only had one.
The object was to shoot a bird (peg with a feather) off the rack starting with the bottom and working upwards
Now here's where the rules get fuzzy, you win if you shoot the top bird, if you miss you have to buy a drink, if you win someone buys you a drink,
all I remember is, a lot of drinking, Man those guys could drink. they were fair shooters but I was a top ranked AA shooter and won a lot of amateur contests.
I just wasn't that good of a drinker.
There were 4 or five of these bars on Clark Street, and every one was from Belgium . and they all shot Pop In Jay
Pop-in Jay shooting was a sport that originated in Belgium, by shooting pigeons off of the church steeple .
On subsequent orders I made them pick up the arrows at the Archery range. I couldn't drink like they could
Each bar had their own club ,so I made them silk screens so they could make their own shirts, also each club had their own custom cresting.
Cresting being the colored bands around the arrow near the fletching (feathers)
Speaking of Archery, There was a Buddhist Temple on Leland and Racine, I shot there against some "monks" they never beat me!
I always had respect for their skill, in shooting. But their equipment was not all that great.
I don't know if its still there or not.
December 11, 2011
December 8, 2011
Sea Scouts/Explorer scouts
Bill Matteson
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
About 1949 1950 time bracket
When we were 14, we formed a Sea Scout / Explorer Scout Troop.
all of us, even though we were inner city kids , were used to being out of doors.
As Sea Scouts we had a ship the SSS Polaris at Diversey Harbor.
Each "man" had an oar, which was about 16 feet long and maybe 4 inches at the widest part were it seated in the oar locks.
The oar locks were two wood "Belayin" Pins that fit into holes at the top of the gunwhales (Pronounced gunnel) the oars were our responsibility and were in real bad shape when they were given to us.
We sanded them down and varnished them with a marine spar varnish, I reworked the leather around the area the fit into the oar locks.
Our Ship was an old Life boat about 16 feet long, very similar to the boats that are used for Whaling.
We had to Strip the old paint away, chink it with the traditional red flannel, then chalking compound, and sand by hand.
When the Skipper Bob French (my friend Dons Brother) was satisfied, we painted it,
after two or three weeks, we left on our maiden voyage . We flipped the ship right side up, put the rollers in place and with ropes attached, pulled it to the launch.
We would row out to and around the crib about 2 miles. the Skipper would announce that the smoking lamp was lit. so we would ship our oars and lite up.
in those days we all started smoking at about 13/14, I smoked Marvels, they were 10 cents a pack and had a red rooster for a logo
We kept a good eye on the weather and never had any problems, the only danger we had was from a "CRAB"
Now we had 5 rowers on each side, each one with a 16 foot oar, if at any time, a rower missed, timing. the force of the water pinned the oar against the side of the boat, this caused the handle side of the oar to pin the rower against the gunwhale and could crush his ribs. when this happened the rower would call out "CRAB", all would stop and the rower across from him would jump down on the oar handle popping the oar blade
out of the water.
We all took that as an opportunity to make fun of the "Crabee".
We took our girl friends with us and at times and let them take turns rowing. if their mothers ever knew!
I had to store the oar on my back porch , and walk it all the way to Diversey Harbor from 4737 north Kenmore to 2800 north along the lakefront
Learning to row took teamwork and that what Scouting is all about. this was about 60 years ago and My wife was one of the rowers and she still helps pull the oar.
Now camping was different no girls were allowed, we were to afraid of parents even to suggest it
There was a Boy Scout camp just off Higgins Road in Des Plaines called Camp Fort Dearborn, they had cabins but they were more like barracks We took our gear on the street cars and buses and It was one long walk form the end of the bus line to the camp,
Our best camping adventures was when we discovered La Bagh Woods at Foster and Cicero.
We would take our gear tents sleeping bags and mess kits all army surplus on the Broadway Streetcar to Foster and get off at Cicero , at that time Edens was under construction and La Bagh woods was wide open.
we camped a lot during the summer, we loved cooking on the campfire, never had a problem, until the rangers found us and kicked us out.
We camped in other areas, when we were the Forest Service Patrol, We would plant trees and even helped fight a couple of small forest fires
For us at Lawrence and Kenmore, La Bagh woods became the great untamed frontier, It seemed so far away, now I live in Harvard IL and it still seems so far away
Think maybe, the time is what is so far away.
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
About 1949 1950 time bracket
When we were 14, we formed a Sea Scout / Explorer Scout Troop.
all of us, even though we were inner city kids , were used to being out of doors.
As Sea Scouts we had a ship the SSS Polaris at Diversey Harbor.
Each "man" had an oar, which was about 16 feet long and maybe 4 inches at the widest part were it seated in the oar locks.
The oar locks were two wood "Belayin" Pins that fit into holes at the top of the gunwhales (Pronounced gunnel) the oars were our responsibility and were in real bad shape when they were given to us.
We sanded them down and varnished them with a marine spar varnish, I reworked the leather around the area the fit into the oar locks.
Our Ship was an old Life boat about 16 feet long, very similar to the boats that are used for Whaling.
We had to Strip the old paint away, chink it with the traditional red flannel, then chalking compound, and sand by hand.
When the Skipper Bob French (my friend Dons Brother) was satisfied, we painted it,
after two or three weeks, we left on our maiden voyage . We flipped the ship right side up, put the rollers in place and with ropes attached, pulled it to the launch.
We would row out to and around the crib about 2 miles. the Skipper would announce that the smoking lamp was lit. so we would ship our oars and lite up.
in those days we all started smoking at about 13/14, I smoked Marvels, they were 10 cents a pack and had a red rooster for a logo
We kept a good eye on the weather and never had any problems, the only danger we had was from a "CRAB"
Now we had 5 rowers on each side, each one with a 16 foot oar, if at any time, a rower missed, timing. the force of the water pinned the oar against the side of the boat, this caused the handle side of the oar to pin the rower against the gunwhale and could crush his ribs. when this happened the rower would call out "CRAB", all would stop and the rower across from him would jump down on the oar handle popping the oar blade
out of the water.
We all took that as an opportunity to make fun of the "Crabee".
We took our girl friends with us and at times and let them take turns rowing. if their mothers ever knew!
I had to store the oar on my back porch , and walk it all the way to Diversey Harbor from 4737 north Kenmore to 2800 north along the lakefront
Learning to row took teamwork and that what Scouting is all about. this was about 60 years ago and My wife was one of the rowers and she still helps pull the oar.
Now camping was different no girls were allowed, we were to afraid of parents even to suggest it
There was a Boy Scout camp just off Higgins Road in Des Plaines called Camp Fort Dearborn, they had cabins but they were more like barracks We took our gear on the street cars and buses and It was one long walk form the end of the bus line to the camp,
Our best camping adventures was when we discovered La Bagh Woods at Foster and Cicero.
We would take our gear tents sleeping bags and mess kits all army surplus on the Broadway Streetcar to Foster and get off at Cicero , at that time Edens was under construction and La Bagh woods was wide open.
we camped a lot during the summer, we loved cooking on the campfire, never had a problem, until the rangers found us and kicked us out.
We camped in other areas, when we were the Forest Service Patrol, We would plant trees and even helped fight a couple of small forest fires
For us at Lawrence and Kenmore, La Bagh woods became the great untamed frontier, It seemed so far away, now I live in Harvard IL and it still seems so far away
Think maybe, the time is what is so far away.
December 7, 2011
Uptown Theatre Print
I was delighted to find this seller on etsy.com today, courtesy of a link on Huffpost. Buy the print from Kevin O'Rourke here.
November 30, 2011
Lake Front Lovers Lane, creating havoc
Bill Matteson
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
With all the activity going on in Uptown, why would anyone go out if their way to cause trouble?
Sometimes in the evening with nothing to do , We would borrow Don French 's big Indian Chief with the Side Car and head out to the park to harass the people along "Lovers lane"
Lover Lane, as we called it in those days was any place along the Lake Front and on any night of the week, It would be almost impossible for me to convince any one today, about the amount of sex that went on in the park. The street that runs adjacent to the south side of the harbor was always crowded down into the turnaround and back up from there on Simmons drive to Lawrence Ave. I am talking Bumper to Bumper sex, Hundreds of cars, there were no Hotels / motels around in those days.
The Police would do a slow drive by, the couples would make an attempt to show nothing was going on, and the resume what ever they were doing as soon as the Police Passed by.
Now these are just the cars, other couples with out cars, just walked to the park with a blanket , they were sprawled all across the Grass ,the area around Cricket field was a hot spot of activity,
So one warm summers evening me and Lionel Rowe headed to the Lake Front to create some havoc.
There were three lights on the front of the Wind break, so we covered two of them with red Cellophane, keep them turned off until we started a trip across the grass
the headlight and red lights went on, girls screamed and guys swore, we saw a lot of Bare skin, both genders, then we hit the drive near the harbor people were jumping and screaming, some guys chased us and we escaped by the skin of our teeth.
Lionel and I Laughed about this for couple of weeks until we thought it would be fun to do it again.
So some where along Simmons Drive we noticed we were being followed by a Three wheel motor cycle cop, He pulled us over and the next day we had to appear before the Desk Sergeant at The Town Hall Police Station. Seems like people were reporting being harassed by the Police in the park and made some formal complaints
The Motorcycle Cops that were assigned to that area on the nights, we did our dastardly deed, were called on the carpet. The Desk Sergeant didn't believe them.
So Lionel and I showed up and told our story. The Desk Sergeant didn't want to believe us, and thought we concocted the story to save the Cops on duty.
So we had to show the left over red cellophane , tell where we got it, and promise never to do it again.
The Sergeant then said, that takes care of all three of these incidents, I looked at the Cop who busted us and he was laughing, no wonder he was nice to us!
Lionel and I only did it twice.
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
With all the activity going on in Uptown, why would anyone go out if their way to cause trouble?
Sometimes in the evening with nothing to do , We would borrow Don French 's big Indian Chief with the Side Car and head out to the park to harass the people along "Lovers lane"
Lover Lane, as we called it in those days was any place along the Lake Front and on any night of the week, It would be almost impossible for me to convince any one today, about the amount of sex that went on in the park. The street that runs adjacent to the south side of the harbor was always crowded down into the turnaround and back up from there on Simmons drive to Lawrence Ave. I am talking Bumper to Bumper sex, Hundreds of cars, there were no Hotels / motels around in those days.
The Police would do a slow drive by, the couples would make an attempt to show nothing was going on, and the resume what ever they were doing as soon as the Police Passed by.
Now these are just the cars, other couples with out cars, just walked to the park with a blanket , they were sprawled all across the Grass ,the area around Cricket field was a hot spot of activity,
So one warm summers evening me and Lionel Rowe headed to the Lake Front to create some havoc.
There were three lights on the front of the Wind break, so we covered two of them with red Cellophane, keep them turned off until we started a trip across the grass
the headlight and red lights went on, girls screamed and guys swore, we saw a lot of Bare skin, both genders, then we hit the drive near the harbor people were jumping and screaming, some guys chased us and we escaped by the skin of our teeth.
Lionel and I Laughed about this for couple of weeks until we thought it would be fun to do it again.
So some where along Simmons Drive we noticed we were being followed by a Three wheel motor cycle cop, He pulled us over and the next day we had to appear before the Desk Sergeant at The Town Hall Police Station. Seems like people were reporting being harassed by the Police in the park and made some formal complaints
The Motorcycle Cops that were assigned to that area on the nights, we did our dastardly deed, were called on the carpet. The Desk Sergeant didn't believe them.
So Lionel and I showed up and told our story. The Desk Sergeant didn't want to believe us, and thought we concocted the story to save the Cops on duty.
So we had to show the left over red cellophane , tell where we got it, and promise never to do it again.
The Sergeant then said, that takes care of all three of these incidents, I looked at the Cop who busted us and he was laughing, no wonder he was nice to us!
Lionel and I only did it twice.
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