Frances A. Goodhue (1886-1983) oral history: Wilmette Public Library Local History Collection

Frances A. Goodhue (1886-1983) oral history

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RA: How long have you been in Wilmette?
 
FG: We came here in 1914. My father had retired at that time, and he already owned this property and so it was decided it was best for us to [indistinct]
 
RA: And where was your property?
 
FG: It was down at Fourth…Third at Linden.
 
RA: And was there a house on it?
 
FG: Yes there was a house on it.
 
RA: Was it a new house?
 
FG: No it was an old house that was built over on Laurel Ave. and had to be moved because of the cutting of the drainage canal.
 
RA: I see. And so you moved it over there.
 
FG: We moved it.
 
RA: How big was your family
 
FG: Well there were three of us daughters in the home and my parents.
 
RA: Five of you
 
FG: Yes. Another sister was already living in Wilmette, Mrs. James Crossley.
 
RA: That would be…
 
FG: At Fourth and Washington
 
RA: Oh, you were close
 
FG: Um hum.
 
RA: And what was Wilmette like when you came.
 
FG: Well when we came one thing one thing of interest the elevated was already operating to Fourth and Linden. There were no houses across the street from us. It was just a meadow. And the fisherman loved to come. Evidently around 2 and 3 in the morning was the good time to catch and they would go [indistinct] across that field to a little shack that was owned by a man who sold bait. And they would get their bait there and then go on over to the harbor to do their fishing. And evidently they were a little afraid of the dark because they talked at the top of their lungs. The other thing I remember was that there seemed to be so many sick wives at the time when the lilacs were in blossom. We had two large lilac bushes on the front lawn and so many of these men would come to the door and say, "I have a sick wife may I please have some lilacs?"
 
RA: [Laughter] The fishermen?
 
FG: Yes, the fishermen, on their way home again.
 
RA: [Laughter] From the jetty. Interesting. And have you any idea how many people were in Wilmette at that time.
 
FG: I don't think I have any good idea of that. But of course it was growing down in this section by the time we were out here, and there were many houses. Now there were some that were over here on Laurel to the rear of our house. Those were older houses that were built at the time that ours was, the one that was bought and moved.
 
RA: Was this a part of Lewellen Park?
 
FG: I don't think that Linden Ave. was but Laurel was I believe. And I know that some of our neighbors, the Farrell family, had their two girls… three girls in that family, and they were all in the Evanston School District because they were in Lewellen Park
 
RA: In Lewellen Park then was Evanston School District
 
FG: They went to the Evanston Orrington School. When they were ready for high school they went to New Trier.
 
RA: I see. This is very interesting. Rodney Allen who is now gone lived over here in Lewellen, the old Lewellen Park, I believe he was born in that town, and that is at Fourth St. near Maple. You didn't know him?
 
FG: No I didn't
 
RA: He was a member of the Congregational Church
 
FG: Um Hum. I think I had met him
 
RA: My husband and I met him in later years, but he and his brother were bachelors and lived there. And he was in a bank downtown for his career. So um…Then you didn't go to school here in Wilmette?
 
FG: No no I didn't
 
VYou were from [indistinct]
 
FG: I graduated from the University of Chicago
 
RA: Yes

Creators:

Goodhue, Frances A., 1886-1983, Interviewee

Adler, Rhea Saul

, Interviewer

Karen Miller

, Transcriber

Media Type:

Audio

Text

Item Type:

Audiocassettes

Description:

Interview with Frances Goodhue by Rhea Saul Adler about 1977 in Wilmette, Illinois. Transcribed by Karen Miller, June 2009.

Place of Publication:

Wilmette, Illinois

Date of Original:

1977

Subject(s):

Oral histories

Local identifier:

R 977.31 GO

Language of Item:

English

Geographic Coverage:

United States - Illinois - Bahai Temple

Latitude: 42.07447
Longitude: -87.6845

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