As part of the country’s 200th birthday celebration, the League of Women Voters sponsored a nationwide contest to recognize the city with the largest percentage of registered voters and largest voter turnout. Awards were also given to towns that achieved the greatest increases in these categories between 1974 and 1976. Two hundred and sixty-eight cities entered the contest.  The Western Springs Bicentennial Commission took up the challenge in April of 1976. Soon, local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops were being organized to get the word out. Also involved was the local chapter of The League …

According to the Western Springs Historical Society archives, the building in question dates back to 1893 when it was the Swedish Methodist Church (see photo below). While it went through several renovations over the years, the original building remains largely intact.  By 1950, the Methodist congregation had outgrown the church and built their current place of worship at 43rd Street and Howard Avenue. They then sold the original church building to Masonic Lodge No. 1136, which has used it as their Masonic Temple since 1951. However, according to the Mason’s website (www.…

More than 35 years ago, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago embarked on a massive, $2.4 billion engineering project aimed at capturing storm water and sewage, thereby also reducing the harmful effects of flushing raw sewage into Lake Michigan. This involved boring underground tunnels, ranging from 10 to 33 feet in diameter. During heavy storms, the tunnels were designed to hold up to 2.3 billion gallons of water and sewage. Afterwards, the contents would be pumped out, treated at the huge Stickney water treatment facility, and released into the Sanitary and Ship …

Western Springs is a town of neighborhoods. Some, like Old Town North, date back to the very beginnings of the Village, while others, like Commonwealth and Timber Trails, are relative newcomers. But, there’s one small section of the village that thousands of motorists see each day, yet know very little about. In 1922, Cameron Fish and his wife, Rose, moved to Western Springs. Mr. Fish was active in the Congregational Church, the Elks Lodge, and Democratic politics. A graduate of Northwestern University’s law school, he had law offices in both downtown Chicago and LaGrange.  See second photo…

The Chicago Tribune’s first mention of an organized house walk in the Chicago area was in 1957. Perhaps this was because early residents were so involved in entertaining and visiting each others’ homes, there was little mystery as to how their friends and neighbors had designed and decorated their homes. The first known reference to a house walk In Western Springs was in 1961. This was the 75th anniversary of the village’s founding and, as part of the town’s “Diamond Jubilee” celebration, the Newcomers Club organized a tour of homes, both “new and old”. For a mere one dollar donation, …

In September of 1984, Tischler Finer Foods, located on the southeast corner of Wolf and Burlington, had just celebrated its third year of operation in Western Springs. And, by all accounts, the supermarket was highly successful. But, on the evening of September 29, shoppers were surprised when a 25-year-old man entered the store, brandished a handgun, and announced a hold-up. After demanding and obtaining the store’s cash receipts, he fled into the parking lot, firing a shot at an employee who ran after him. While sleepy little Western Springs might have appeared to be an easy target for the …

The National Prohibition Act, which took effect in 1920, banned the manufacture and distribution of alcoholic beverages. As a result, it gave rise to the illegal production of what were sometimes impure and even poisonous products. While gangland wars and graft became an everyday occurrence, many law enforcement agencies did attempt to restrict the flow of illegal alcohol.   One such incident occurred right here in quiet Western Springs. In the late 1920’s, a two-story brick residence had been built on the southeast corner of Burlington & Clausen Avenues in what was then the brand-new Ridge …

While the image of our historic downtown water tower appears on the village’s trucks, website, and welcome signs, in 1976 the Western Springs village board had another water tower on its mind. Back in the 1890s, the original tower had been the village’s only water storage facility, holding fewer than 100,000 gallons. To supplement this, the village eventually added reservoirs at its water treatment plant, which held another 300,000 gallons. As the town’s population boomed in the 1950s, a million gallon water tower was built in Spring Rock Park. But, with continued growth and the annexation of…

The Cuban missile crisis of 1962 brought the world to the edge of nuclear war. While tensions eased over the next ten years, planners were aware that this could change over time. As a result, new public buildings were often constructed with civil defense in mind. In the case of Western Springs, an emergency operation center was included in the original plans for the village hall.  See second picture.  Completed in 1970, the room was 21 feet wide by 68 feet long. It could serve as both a shelter and an auxiliary communications room in the event of a nuclear attack or other disaster. It was …

In 1885, the Grand Avenue School was built to replace a smaller schoolhouse that had been on the same site. Later that year, the residents of Western Springs voted to incorporate as a Village, which became effective in January 1886. Since there was no village hall as yet, the first meeting of the Board of Trustees took place in the school. This continued until 1892, when the town built the historic Water Tower, complete with two floors of office and meeting space. In 1906, the partial second floor of the school was expanded to a full floor, and the bell tower on the southwest corner was …

In 1982, School District 101 closed the Maurice Clark elementary school, which was located at 46th and Franklin Avenue. This was due to declining enrollments and the growing cost of maintaining the 1920’s era building. See first photo. Two years later, the Village’s Recreation Department began leasing the building for its various programs. This arrangement continued until the mid-1990’s when the School District decided it was time to sell the building and land. This left the Recreation Department with three choices: buy the building, curtail many of its award-winning programs, or relocate …

With the advent of modern photography and printing presses, the production and sale of picture postcards became a huge industry in the early 1900’s. Not only did the Post Office establish a special one cent rate for the cards, it also allowed short messages to be written on the address side of the cards. With those changes, postcards became, literally, the email or Facebook of that era.  The Western Springs Historical Society archives contain a collection of such cards spanning most of the last century. As shown in the first photo, some promoted the town's “tourist attractions”, including …

In 1858, 20-year-old Dietrich Dierks came to America from Germany. By 1869, after working at several jobs in La Grange and Western Springs, he purchased 40 acres of farm land, eventually expanding it to 329 acres. The farmhouse and barns were located on South Willow Springs Road, directly across the street from today’s La Grange Memorial Hospital.  See second photo. In 1919, Dietrich died and the farm was passed on to his children who, in 1953, began selling off acreage for the new Springdale subdivision. However, the house and barns remained well into the 1960’s, a constant reminder of how …

By 1937, the Village of Western Springs' fire department had been conducting training drills every Monday night for three or four years. So, when the City of Chicago announced a national tournament for fire departments, Chief Waldo Erickson didn’t hesitate to enter his volunteers, limited to six in number. See second photo.   Thirty-one departments from 9 states were represented, all competing for a $500 grand prize ($8,000 in 2013 dollars).  See third photo. An estimated 100,000 spectators watched the contests at Chicago’s Soldier Field. These events included wall scaling, raising ladders, …

You may have toured the Western Springs Historical Society museum in the village’s historic water tower. Or, perhaps you’ve visited the restored Ekdahl House, behind the village’s main fire station. If so, you’ve seen some great artifacts and photographs depicting the town’s 126 year history. But, there’s another side of the Society that fewer residents have seen. The Archives office, located on the second floor of the Grand Avenue Community Center, is a treasure trove of newspaper clippings, photographs, slides (remember slides?), and negatives relating to the village’s history.  The …

In 1899, a 16-year-old boy named August Serio came to the United States from Palermo, Sicily. After working and saving his money, he returned to marry Anna Calderone. But, the Italian Army inducted him, even though he had become a U.S. citizen. Three years later, he was discharged, married Anna, and returned to the U.S.  Initially selling fruit and vegetables door to door in the western suburbs (see first photo), August also started his two sons, Tony and Sam, in the business while they were still in grade school. By the time they were 16, they were working full-time. In 1927, the family …

Built in 1888, this home at 1013 Burlington faced the Burlington railroad, just west of what is now Oberweis.  And, in its early days, it served as both a retail store and a residence. See second photo. In 1925, Nels Henrikson sold the house to Gus Johnson and his wife, Hazel. They had their living quarters on the second floor, while the first floor was devoted to retail activity. According to historical society records, the structure once housed a bakery owned by Mrs. Christine Johnson, as well as a grocery store owned by Charles H. Vaughan.   .  Unfortunately, Gus Johnson and his wife …

“Dear S. Claus, North Pole.  It is a whole year since I have written to you. It is time to let you know WHAT I want , as Christmas is near.  (1) doll house, (2) wall black board, (3) auto, (4) roller skates, and (5) a desk.  Virginia, Western Springs” “Dear Santa Claus, I have been very good in school and I am good at home. Please send me a freight outfit for my electric train. Please send me $10 to give to others. Will you send me a mother dog. I would like a pair of ice-skates and a new overcoat.   Dean”  “Dear Santa, Please bring me a set of dishes. I would like a Bye lo doll and a big …

In 1935, Theron McClure was a young, promising bass violinist. However, he and a group of other Western Springs youths felt they needed an opportunity during the summer months to hone their musical skills. So, young McClure approached a local piano teacher, Lela Hanmer, who was also on the faculty of the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. He asked her help in forming an orchestra comprised of local area residents. With Miss Hanmer’s encouragement and leadership, the group approached the School Board and received permission to construct a band shell in the wooded area just north of …

The thousands of students who have attended McClure Junior High School … as well as parents who have attended school functions… have seen the plaque that honors E. P. McClure, a former President of the School Board, for whom the school was named.  But, few know why he was so honored. Elmer Perry McClure was born in 1867 in Assumption, Illinois, the son of a successful farmer. But, unlike most farm boys of that era, Elmer attended college, graduating from Oberlin in 1895. He soon married and moved to Chicago, where he opened a drug store in 1895. In 1904, the couple moved to Western Springs, …