Bill Matteson
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
Eddie Waitkus was a born baseball player. He was so good that when he played minor league with a small town in Maine, they called him a Natural. He was born of immigrant Lithuanian parents on Sept. 4th 1919.
He signed with the Chicago Cubs in about the1939/1940 time bracket, playing full time in 1941. Then the war broke out and most able-bodied ball players signed on to serve their country.
Eddie went with the Army and fought many a bloody battle in the Philippines, winning 4 bronze stars.
He returned to the Cubs in 1946 playing 1st base, replacing Phil Caveretta, who moved to left field.
Eddie was a highly educated sportsman and everyone liked him. He could speak five languages and was the poster boy of sportsmanship for the media. Yes, everyone loved him; maybe a little too much.
In 1948 he was traded to the Philles for three players, including Dutch Leonard, a great knuckleballer.
Now the Phillies had been scheduled to play 11 games over the 1949 season.
Arriving in Chicago June 14th, 1949, he registered at one of Uptown's finest hotels, the Edgewater Beach. A lot of out of town sports figures stayed there, while most of Chicago's players stayed at the Sheridan Plaza.
Unbeknownst to Eddie, he was being stalked. He had an admirer.
Ruth Ann Steinhagen was uncontrollably infatuated with Eddie. She registered at the hotel under the name of an old classmate of Eddie's and sent him an urgent message to meet her in her room.
When he walked in, she shot him in the chest with a 22 cal. rifle; she then called the desk and explained what happened. When help arrived, she was cradling Eddie's head in her lap. Eddie almost died several times, but they were successful in removing the bullet, which narrowly missed his heart.
On Aug.19., 1949, just 2 months after being shot, Eddie suited up and played at Shibes Park for Eddie Waitkus Night.
Today, our highly paid athletes get a hang nail or a sprained finger, they sit out the season.
Ruth Ann Steinhagen never went to trial. She spent a long time in a mental institution and died of natural causes last December 2012.
Sometime in 1952, a book was published, written by Bernard Malamud, inspired by these events. Malamud took parts of the Eddie Waitkus story and then borrowed from the life of Shoeless Joe Jackson, a few more baseball role models, including Christy Mathewson, the greatest pitcher of his day and the inventor of the fade-a-away, the present day screwball, a reverse curve, so to speak.
Christy was a role model for all young boys, not ever drinking or smoking and going to church. Christy even became the role model for the Frank Merriwell adventure series with over 800 books, movies, and radio programs
(I like to mention this part about Christy because his family changed their name from Matteson to Mathewson while living in Pennsylvania.)
Bernard Malamud wrote The Natural. Roy Hobbs was molded after all players mentioned.
A lot of good things come out of Uptown, or at least Uptown played a major part in them.
Editor's note: Bill Matteson grew up in Uptown in the forties and fifties. You can read more of his recollections by clicking the link "Bill Matteson" below.
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July 27, 2013
July 8, 2013
Hotel Sheridan Plaza, Wilson and Sheridan, Uptown Chicago
Text reads:
Uptown Chicago's Most Favored Hotel!
Why not this coming summer spend a few days or weeks on the famous North Shore—Chicago's vacation land? Come to the beautiful Sheridan Plaza. Bathing, boating, motoring, theater-going. Short ride to golf grounds and parks. Music and dancing every evening. Moderate rates in the restaurant and Narcissus Grill cafeteria. Eighteen minutes from downtown: elevated express and surface lines; motor busses to and from downtown through Lincoln Park stop at the door. European plan. Excellent rates with private bath. $3 a day and up. Reservations are advisable. Exceptional garage accommodation.
Image currently on eBay: http://bit.ly/183KQNy
September 17, 2012
My Team, the Chicago Bears, 1946
Bill Matteson
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
When I was a kid, we lived around the corner from the Sheridan Plaza Hotel where all the sports figures stayed when in town. My dad, being the drinker he was, got around and would drink with various sports celebrities, and they would usually end up at our place on Kenmore Ave.
.
One of the dirtiest football players of the era was Ed Sprinkle. He taught us kids how to play dirty and not get caught. Another was Joe Osmanski, who with his brother, "Bullet Bill" Osmanski, were on the Championship Chicago Bears.
I went to a Bears game only once. They played at Wrigley Field then, and I met most of the rest of the team. I got to say hello to Sid Luckman, which in the day was like talking to God.
I was ten years old then. After Bill retired from football, he became a dentist and actually filled one of my teeth. I seem to remember he had an office in the Uptown Bank building. The tooth finally had to be pulled, but that was 60 years later, At one point in time, Bill Osmanski ran for Cook County coroner at the same time Chuck Percy was running for senator. We were at a get acquainted dinner at a VFW hall in Norwood Park. I approached Bullet Bill and asked if he remembered me. He didn't, but he remembered my father. Chuck Percy won, Bill didn't.
Sid Luckman was the greatest Quarterback of all time (according to me) followed by Johnny Lujack. After that, So Long Bears
This was back in the day when footballers were tough. They played the whole game, there were no offense or defense teams. The quarterback played both sides and did all the kicking. Does anyone remember what a drop kick is? That's how field goals were made back in the day.
Lets look at today's player:
Game time 1 hour
Lets say if it were divided equally, offense plays 30 mins and defense plays 30 min. With each play lasting only a few seconds and the balance of the time is used up before the next play, well, the player only averages about 10 minutes worth of playing time per game. With 18 games that's 180 minutes or 3 hours for several million dollars per year.
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
When I was a kid, we lived around the corner from the Sheridan Plaza Hotel where all the sports figures stayed when in town. My dad, being the drinker he was, got around and would drink with various sports celebrities, and they would usually end up at our place on Kenmore Ave.
.
One of the dirtiest football players of the era was Ed Sprinkle. He taught us kids how to play dirty and not get caught. Another was Joe Osmanski, who with his brother, "Bullet Bill" Osmanski, were on the Championship Chicago Bears.
I went to a Bears game only once. They played at Wrigley Field then, and I met most of the rest of the team. I got to say hello to Sid Luckman, which in the day was like talking to God.
I was ten years old then. After Bill retired from football, he became a dentist and actually filled one of my teeth. I seem to remember he had an office in the Uptown Bank building. The tooth finally had to be pulled, but that was 60 years later, At one point in time, Bill Osmanski ran for Cook County coroner at the same time Chuck Percy was running for senator. We were at a get acquainted dinner at a VFW hall in Norwood Park. I approached Bullet Bill and asked if he remembered me. He didn't, but he remembered my father. Chuck Percy won, Bill didn't.
Sid Luckman was the greatest Quarterback of all time (according to me) followed by Johnny Lujack. After that, So Long Bears
This was back in the day when footballers were tough. They played the whole game, there were no offense or defense teams. The quarterback played both sides and did all the kicking. Does anyone remember what a drop kick is? That's how field goals were made back in the day.
Lets look at today's player:
Game time 1 hour
Lets say if it were divided equally, offense plays 30 mins and defense plays 30 min. With each play lasting only a few seconds and the balance of the time is used up before the next play, well, the player only averages about 10 minutes worth of playing time per game. With 18 games that's 180 minutes or 3 hours for several million dollars per year.
July 28, 2011
Cubs Lost the 1945 World Series and the war was over
Bill Matteson
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
And now Cubs Fans, I have held this secret for 66 years and now it's my duty to tell the Cubs fans the real reason. they blew the series
But first I want to set this up properly
The Set up
My 4th grade class at Stewart School was all for the Cubs winning the series, except one girl, Ruth Ann Zurke
She was second on my list of Girls to hate, right after Tokyo Rose.
The Tigers won, Ruth Ann was smug and took every opportunity to rub it in.
I wouldn't talk to Ruth Ann, all through 4th and 5th Grade
In 6th grade, girls changed and acted different so we started accepting their invitations
to birthday parties and thats when we discovered kissing games.
The very first girl I ever kissed was Ruth Ann Zurke I had to change my opinion of her drastically
At that moment she became my dream girl, Young love, we must have kissed three or 4 times that night .
Ruth Ann, I hope you are well
The Reason
In 1945 the War had ended and down stairs from us, lived a Navy Officer named Larry Satori who was before the war,
The Center and Captain of the Detroit Lions Foot Ball Team.
Larry and my Dad were drinking buddies. so they went out drinking, with some of Larry's old buddies to either the Red Lion or Golden Lion Inn. Larry had friends on the Tigers.
Now the Sheridan Plaza Hotel. is where all the Sports Figures stayed when the played at Wrigley Field .
Dad was out all night.
The next morning. Mom says go down stairs and see if your Father is there, so I went down stairs knocked on the door and I think it was Stan Hack (3B) who opened it up. I told him I was looking for my Dad and he wanted to know which one of a dozen, stinking, vomit laden guys was my Dad,
I pointed him out. and looking around I realized I was looking at most of the starting line-up for the Cubs.
They played later that day and the rest is history.
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
And now Cubs Fans, I have held this secret for 66 years and now it's my duty to tell the Cubs fans the real reason. they blew the series
But first I want to set this up properly
The Set up
My 4th grade class at Stewart School was all for the Cubs winning the series, except one girl, Ruth Ann Zurke
She was second on my list of Girls to hate, right after Tokyo Rose.
The Tigers won, Ruth Ann was smug and took every opportunity to rub it in.
I wouldn't talk to Ruth Ann, all through 4th and 5th Grade
In 6th grade, girls changed and acted different so we started accepting their invitations
to birthday parties and thats when we discovered kissing games.
The very first girl I ever kissed was Ruth Ann Zurke I had to change my opinion of her drastically
At that moment she became my dream girl, Young love, we must have kissed three or 4 times that night .
Ruth Ann, I hope you are well
The Reason
In 1945 the War had ended and down stairs from us, lived a Navy Officer named Larry Satori who was before the war,
The Center and Captain of the Detroit Lions Foot Ball Team.
Larry and my Dad were drinking buddies. so they went out drinking, with some of Larry's old buddies to either the Red Lion or Golden Lion Inn. Larry had friends on the Tigers.
Now the Sheridan Plaza Hotel. is where all the Sports Figures stayed when the played at Wrigley Field .
Dad was out all night.
The next morning. Mom says go down stairs and see if your Father is there, so I went down stairs knocked on the door and I think it was Stan Hack (3B) who opened it up. I told him I was looking for my Dad and he wanted to know which one of a dozen, stinking, vomit laden guys was my Dad,
I pointed him out. and looking around I realized I was looking at most of the starting line-up for the Cubs.
They played later that day and the rest is history.
June 27, 2011
The Cubs, the Bleachers, and Bert Wilson
Bill Matteson
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
As kids, we would walk straight south on Sheridan Road, and it ran straight on to Sheffield Ave. We would enter the bleachers at Waveland Ave. I think it cost 30 cents for the bleachers, which were, at that time, long benches. Sometimes, if we were lucky enough, we would get to walk down Sheridan with the Cubs' left fielder Andy Pafko, who stayed at the Sheridan Plaza Hotel. In the few times that we walked with Andy, we never once thought of asking him for his autograph.
I would come home from a game and my dad would mention the great plays that he heard on the radio and would ask me about them. I would tell Dad I didn't see any plays that were outstanding and could never figure out why he was asking me about spectacular plays.
Until one day, when I was listening to Bert Wilson call the ball game—wow, how exciting it sounded. It was then we realized that the radio announcer could basically say anything he wanted to. There was no TV at the time and it was the announcer's job to make it sound interesting.
Bert Wilson: "It's hit, there's a long fly ball going into deep center field. 'Peanuts Lowery' is racing back. He's climbing the vines, he leaps, and makes a one-handed stab. What a play, folks, I've never seen anything like it."
I was there that day—a blooper fly ball fell into Peanuts Lowery's glove.
That's when me and my friend Lionel decided to bring a portable radio with us. Now, in the mid-forties, portable radios were big bulky and very heavy. Lionel had a Trans-Oceanic short wave portable that was powered by big dry cell batteries; it was so heavy that we would take turns carrying it. We sat down on the bleachers and turned the radio on; it was the hit of the bleachers, listening to the way Bert Wilson described the game as opposed to what was actually happening.
On the way out, a big Andy Frain usher* told us never to bring the radio again.
Think maybe I was an original bleacher bum?
A couple of baseball expressions I haven't heard in a while are Texas Leaguer and the "old automatic." Sometime in the late 40's, my dad was listening to a Sox game (very rare in our house). Rudy York was at bat; Bob Elson the announcer said if he puts this one in the stands, I send everyone a turkey for thanksgiving. Rudy smacked out a homer, Sox won. My dad sent a letter to Bob Elson requesting the turkey. Around the first of November, we received a card, die-cut in the shape of a turkey, saying thanks. I always wondered how many they had to send out
*Editor's note. According to the Andy Frain website: Andy Frain Services was founded in 1924 by Andrew T. Frain who was certain that he could solve the perennial gate crashing problem at Chicago Stadium hockey games. After Andy and his small group of ushers showed the hockey promoter what honest gateman could do for his gate receipts and crowd control, Andy moved to Wrigley Field. William Wrigley, Jr. was so impressed with Andy's group, that he invested capital necessary to outfit Frain's men in their traditional blue and gold uniforms. The uniforms became a hallmark for professionalism and customer service, which still is demonstrated in Andy Frain Services today.
Uptown Chicago History Correspondent
As kids, we would walk straight south on Sheridan Road, and it ran straight on to Sheffield Ave. We would enter the bleachers at Waveland Ave. I think it cost 30 cents for the bleachers, which were, at that time, long benches. Sometimes, if we were lucky enough, we would get to walk down Sheridan with the Cubs' left fielder Andy Pafko, who stayed at the Sheridan Plaza Hotel. In the few times that we walked with Andy, we never once thought of asking him for his autograph.
Original baseball card for sale on eBay
.
I would come home from a game and my dad would mention the great plays that he heard on the radio and would ask me about them. I would tell Dad I didn't see any plays that were outstanding and could never figure out why he was asking me about spectacular plays.
Until one day, when I was listening to Bert Wilson call the ball game—wow, how exciting it sounded. It was then we realized that the radio announcer could basically say anything he wanted to. There was no TV at the time and it was the announcer's job to make it sound interesting.
Bert Wilson: "It's hit, there's a long fly ball going into deep center field. 'Peanuts Lowery' is racing back. He's climbing the vines, he leaps, and makes a one-handed stab. What a play, folks, I've never seen anything like it."
I was there that day—a blooper fly ball fell into Peanuts Lowery's glove.
That's when me and my friend Lionel decided to bring a portable radio with us. Now, in the mid-forties, portable radios were big bulky and very heavy. Lionel had a Trans-Oceanic short wave portable that was powered by big dry cell batteries; it was so heavy that we would take turns carrying it. We sat down on the bleachers and turned the radio on; it was the hit of the bleachers, listening to the way Bert Wilson described the game as opposed to what was actually happening.
On the way out, a big Andy Frain usher* told us never to bring the radio again.
Think maybe I was an original bleacher bum?
A couple of baseball expressions I haven't heard in a while are Texas Leaguer and the "old automatic." Sometime in the late 40's, my dad was listening to a Sox game (very rare in our house). Rudy York was at bat; Bob Elson the announcer said if he puts this one in the stands, I send everyone a turkey for thanksgiving. Rudy smacked out a homer, Sox won. My dad sent a letter to Bob Elson requesting the turkey. Around the first of November, we received a card, die-cut in the shape of a turkey, saying thanks. I always wondered how many they had to send out
*Editor's note. According to the Andy Frain website: Andy Frain Services was founded in 1924 by Andrew T. Frain who was certain that he could solve the perennial gate crashing problem at Chicago Stadium hockey games. After Andy and his small group of ushers showed the hockey promoter what honest gateman could do for his gate receipts and crowd control, Andy moved to Wrigley Field. William Wrigley, Jr. was so impressed with Andy's group, that he invested capital necessary to outfit Frain's men in their traditional blue and gold uniforms. The uniforms became a hallmark for professionalism and customer service, which still is demonstrated in Andy Frain Services today.
March 18, 2011
Lions Club Parade Picture, Sheridan Plaza, Uptown Chicago
Love this image! The sign on the side reads: "Hotel Sheridan Plaza: The Home of the Uptown Lions Club." It's currently on eBay
December 29, 2010
Walter W. Ahlschlager
A cartoon of architect Walter W. Ahlschlager from 1923; Ahlschlager designed many of Uptown's landmark buildings, including the Sheridan Plaza Hotel.
Original image from book available here: Walter W. Ahlschlager
December 3, 2010
The Prince of Wales Slept Here -- Advertisement with Sovereign Hotel
Hotel Sovereign, 6200 N. Kenmore, Edgewater, Chicago. The Sovereign was designed by Walter Ahlschlager, who designed the Broadway Building and the Sheridan Plaza Hotel.
Original advertisement available at time of posting from here: Sovereign Hotel Chicago
Here is another ad featuring the Sovereign.
This one is available here: Sovereign Hotel Chicago
Sheridan Plaza, Sheridan and Wilson, Uptown Chicago
November 28, 2010
Hotel Grasmere, 4621 Sheridan, Uptown Chicago, 1962
Just north of the Sheridan Plaza Hotel. We featured an old postcard image of the Grasmere in 2008. See it here: Grasmere Postcard.
November 4, 2010
Sheridan Plaza Hotel, a Glimpse of Sheridan Road
In 1957, a Mrs. Long leapt to her death from the sixth floor of the Sheridan Plaza Hotel. The photo illustrating the story for the Chicago Tribune shows the west side of the hotel, and a glimpse further north up the street at some of the other buildings.
Wilson and Sheridan, Uptown Chicago, 1955
All told, I probably spend about an hour a day combing the Internet for pictures of Uptown back in the day, and sometimes hit real pay dirt, like with this image. It's a 1955 scene of Wilson Avenue, west of Sheridan (you can see the Sheridan Plaza Hotel, with its upright marquee, in the background). You can purchase the original here: Wilson Avenue, 1955
What I love about his image is the close-up detail of the buildings; most of the other images I've found of this stretch of Wilson are taken from much further back. Enjoy!
If you have any pictures of Uptown from decades past, drop us a line. We love hearing from our readers.
November 1, 2010
Sheridan Plaza Hotel, Wilson and Sheridan, 1959
The Sheridan Plaza Hotel, as seen in 1959. The corner retail spot once housed the Golden Lion Inn restaurant.
September 21, 2010
6200 Kenmore, Sovereign Hotel
The Sovereign Hotel, at 6200 Kenmore, as it looked in 1957. The Sovereign was designed by Walter W. Ahlschlager. Ahlschlager was the architect who designed the elaborate terracotta Broadway Building, the Sheridan-Plaza Hotel at Wilson and Sheridan, and the Pantheon Theatre (torn down) on Sheridan, just north of Wilson.
To see the original floor plans of the Sovereign, go to Walter Ahlschlager PDF.
To see the original floor plans of the Sovereign, go to Walter Ahlschlager PDF.
September 15, 2010
Pantheon Theatre, 4642 N. Sheridan, Uptown, Chicago
The Uptown wasn't the only large movie house in Uptown. Before that, there was the Pantheon, located just north of Wilson on Sheridan. Designed by Walter Ahlschlager for the Lubliner and Trinz chain, it opened in 1918. Here's a great advertisement for Kewanee Smokeless boilers featuring the Pantheon Theatre.
According to Cinema Treasures:
If Ahlschlager's name sounds familiar, it's because he designed a number of Uptown's most prominent buildings, including the Sheridan Plaza Hotel. Get a PDF download of some of his work here: Walter Ahlschlager.
According to Cinema Treasures:
"The Pantheon opened its doors in 1918 for the Lubliner & Trinz chain, located in the Uptown neighborhood on Sheridan Road at Eastwood Avenue. At the time it opened, it was said to have 3000 seats. It was the largest movie theater in the area until seven years later, when the nearby Uptown Theatre opened. The theater cost over $750,000 to build, and was decorated in the style of the Italian Renaissance, complete with a double organ and a 30-piece orchestra. Within a few years, the operation of the Pantheon was taken over by Essaness until, like so many other theaters in Chicago, it was added to the always-expanding Balaban and Katz chain. By the 50s, the Uptown neighborhood was no longer the entertainment mecca it was from the 1910s through WWII, and the Pantheon's fortunes rapidly declined, as did the rest of Uptown. The Pantheon remained in operation into the early 60s. It was demolished in 1962 and was replaced by a parking lot."
If Ahlschlager's name sounds familiar, it's because he designed a number of Uptown's most prominent buildings, including the Sheridan Plaza Hotel. Get a PDF download of some of his work here: Walter Ahlschlager.
August 17, 2010
Sheridan Plaza Featured in Article on Historic Chicago Rentals
"Chicago has a rich history and naturally, so do its buildings. This city has been blessed with famed architects such a Frank Lloyd Wright , who have helped make the city and its neighborhoods both beautiful and unique. What people may not think about is that these historic homes have residents. Okay, this is where you come in. Historic rental properties in the area are more common than you might think and, if you so choose, you could find yourself living inside the same walls as someone involved in hunting down Al Capone or an apartment designed by Meyer Fridstein..."
Read complete article at Chicago Now.
Read complete article at Chicago Now.
July 13, 2010
Uptown Gem Restored and For Rent -- Sheridan Plaza, Uptown Chicago
One of my all-time favorite Uptown buildings has been restored and is currently for rent--the Sheridan Plaza.
See the article here.
Click the labels and links below to take you to more historic photos and histories of the Sheridan Plaza.
See the article here.
Click the labels and links below to take you to more historic photos and histories of the Sheridan Plaza.
July 8, 2009
Bank Files Foreclosure on Historic Sheridan Plaza Hotel
"(Crain’s) — A Dallas bank known for buying distressed loans is seeking to foreclose on an $8.2-million mortgage on a historic former hotel near Wrigley Field, where during the 1940s many Chicago Cubs lived during the baseball season..." Complete article can be found here.
A free PDF download of a 1921 article featuring this hotel and other work by architect Walter W. Ahlschlager, with many historic images, can be found here.
For more articles and images on the Sheridan Plaza Hotel found on this site, go here.
A free PDF download of a 1921 article featuring this hotel and other work by architect Walter W. Ahlschlager, with many historic images, can be found here.For more articles and images on the Sheridan Plaza Hotel found on this site, go here.
May 2, 2009
Bugs Moran, the Sheridan Plaza Hotel, Buena Church, and the Green Mill: A Reader's Perspective
Editor's note: Thanks to Joe Ragont for sharing his memories of growing up in Uptown! He has kindly given his permission for us to post his recent e-mail to us.
I loved reading your blogs about Uptown. I was born at Ravenswood Hospital in 1939 and grew up in Uptown. In fact I lived at Montrose and Dayton (800 west) from birth until I got married in 1960.
My mother took me to Buena Church when I was four years old. I grew up going to Sunday school, DVBS (where I received Christ) Youth groups, etc. My wife and I were married there in 1960. Our four children were baptized there. I continued to teach Sunday school until we moved to the suburbs in 1969. Five years later we decided to attend Buena again. The minister, Dr. Larkin, asked me to be Director of Christian Education in 1974. We accomplished much the next year, but living so far away and working a full-time job proved too much and I had to
resign.
After the collapse of the building, my wife and I visited the rubble and just wept. Buena was and in many ways still is our church.
Incidentally your other blogs have also stirred great memories. Stewart School was where I went all eight years. And the Jesus People USA's headquarters at 937 Wilson Ave. was the very sight of my father's barber shop. I spent countless hours there after school and summers and
cleaned it on a weekly basis. Ironically, above the barber shop was a bookie joint, and next door was a strip joint called Backstage. As a youngster I used to amble out the back door of the shop and wonder what was going on in Backstage, where their back door was always open.
My father also owned the barber shop in the Sheridan Plaza Hotel in the late twenties and early thirties. Many of his "clients" were members of the Bugs Moran mob which had its headquarters at Lawrence and Broadway, across from the Green Mill and the Uptown Theater. After moving to the 937 Wilson shop, his clients became many Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears who lived at the Sheridan Plaza and played just down Sheridan Road at Wrigley Field.
During the summer I used to go to neighborhood movie theaters just about every day. In addition to the large theaters like the Uptown and Riviera, there were the smaller Pantheon and Lakeside. On Saturdays I would venture to the tiny Mode, just south of Irving Park, which always showed two cowboy pictures, three cartoons and a serial.
I really appreciate your blogs which have brought back so many great memories!
Joe Ragont
I loved reading your blogs about Uptown. I was born at Ravenswood Hospital in 1939 and grew up in Uptown. In fact I lived at Montrose and Dayton (800 west) from birth until I got married in 1960.
My mother took me to Buena Church when I was four years old. I grew up going to Sunday school, DVBS (where I received Christ) Youth groups, etc. My wife and I were married there in 1960. Our four children were baptized there. I continued to teach Sunday school until we moved to the suburbs in 1969. Five years later we decided to attend Buena again. The minister, Dr. Larkin, asked me to be Director of Christian Education in 1974. We accomplished much the next year, but living so far away and working a full-time job proved too much and I had to
resign.
After the collapse of the building, my wife and I visited the rubble and just wept. Buena was and in many ways still is our church.
Incidentally your other blogs have also stirred great memories. Stewart School was where I went all eight years. And the Jesus People USA's headquarters at 937 Wilson Ave. was the very sight of my father's barber shop. I spent countless hours there after school and summers and
cleaned it on a weekly basis. Ironically, above the barber shop was a bookie joint, and next door was a strip joint called Backstage. As a youngster I used to amble out the back door of the shop and wonder what was going on in Backstage, where their back door was always open.
My father also owned the barber shop in the Sheridan Plaza Hotel in the late twenties and early thirties. Many of his "clients" were members of the Bugs Moran mob which had its headquarters at Lawrence and Broadway, across from the Green Mill and the Uptown Theater. After moving to the 937 Wilson shop, his clients became many Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears who lived at the Sheridan Plaza and played just down Sheridan Road at Wrigley Field.
During the summer I used to go to neighborhood movie theaters just about every day. In addition to the large theaters like the Uptown and Riviera, there were the smaller Pantheon and Lakeside. On Saturdays I would venture to the tiny Mode, just south of Irving Park, which always showed two cowboy pictures, three cartoons and a serial.
I really appreciate your blogs which have brought back so many great memories!
Joe Ragont
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