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VII SUBURBAN PATTERNS From the turn of the centurY to the on-set of World War I, suburban Iife in Wilmette was more concerned with local than with national or in- ternational affairs. Serious as they might be for individuals and for later nat-ional government, the Spanish- American War, the freeing of Cuba, its Platt Amendment and Yellow fever plague, the acquisition of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Panama Canal and the protection for the Gulf of Mexico, seemed almost mere episodes. The acquisition of the Philippine Islands, their long suze- raintll the annexation of the Sand- wich Islands (Hawaii) and the political challenge of "American Im- perialism" and "benevolent assim- ilation" of brown-skinned peoples were subjects for academie discus- sions or for Political maneuvers more than for keen analYsis and civic commitment. Local affairs were a constant PreoccuPation. Historical hind-sight now shows us the somewhat rule-of-thumb de- cisions by which bevies of Young Couples, unconsciouslY in *ltY cases, were taking steps to solve current local issues, which in fact were setting patterns for suburban life for years to come. There were over-riding attitudes which cropped up whenever an issue imPinged on certain preconceptions of this type of life ih.t was the goal of the Young CouPles. Scores of minor issues were allowed to jog along, to be set in grooves by some "leader"' But let the question of "flat build- ings", racial intrusions, "political control" of the Public schools or even beach regulations touch too closely upon imagined "individual rights" and issues were joined in such fashion as to sPill blood in small-time political rows. RepeatedlY there were efforts at organizing for civic purposes' Some- times this went onlY to the degree of establishing a committee for a given street, which would collect a few dollars to mow overgrown grass and weeds and Plant or trim a few trees in default of such action bY the Village Council or subdividers' Sometimes it took the more compre- hensive form of the Menrs Club, a new Civic Association, or special in- quiry commissions from the newlY devetoping Woman's Club, Parent groups or an occasional church group. Underlying manY of thede transi- tory action groups' which were often groping to find the waY to right iction, there were several strong influences. One need not call them pressure groups to bring up invidious-omparisons with similar pressures of tie great metroPolis. These in- fluences, nevertheless, existed -andthey, in Part, determined the flow of Voung CouPles from the citY to Wilmette. 'When Northwestern UniversitY was chartered bY the State of Il- linois, the sale of intoxicating liquors was banned bY the state within four miles of the then Evanston campus' This line ran uP to the seParating niage Road beiween Wilmette and tne aiilage of Gross Point' The re- sult was a tine of saloons along the west side of that street which made the German village "notorious" in the Chicago press for years' "R-ow- Jyi.*, .rtiotence and frequent chal- tenges for disrepute persisted" glill the-two villages were merged in 1924' But after the repeal of the Volstead ect, protribition through local option n"..*" a basic issue again until settled bY Plebiscite of the whole Township of New Trier. Of an entirelY different tYPe was the constant iniluence of real estate o-*t"tt, both individual and sub- ai"iJ"tt. Constant was the rising i"it"u""" of the increasing number .J--"-tt"t"tt"t and their advocacy of 22