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WILMETTE LIFEWilmettes 75th Anniversary 1872-1947spilling half in getting up the steepMJ. Melville Brown Recallsbanks.Mr. H. A. Dingee, Mr. Al"For years the village scarcelyMcrDanielexander, Mr. J. G. Westerfield,. Porties Gage and the Dushamextended east of Eighth street orand Mahoney farms. Mr; H. A. Din-Indiansgee was reported a millionaire and Visits to Villagenorth of Lake avenue. I well remem-ber the advent of Mr. George Rog-always excited envy or respect onRecollectionhis annual visits to the village. Hesers, on Forest avenue, and the inter- of J. Melville Brown,738est excited among the boys by theonce built a very pretty fence about Eleventh street, written in 1916,giveonly daughter, and the rigging of athe triangle bounded by Wilmette another picture of early Wil-mettetick tack against the front windowI avenue, Central avenue and Elev-.to frighten her. The tables wereI enth street, and promised to donate"My earliest recollections are ofturned, however, by Mr. Rogers ap-it to the village for park purposes,following a wagon, filled withpearing on the scene with a shotgun,but his heart failed him and he soldhousehold goods, from our home inand some of the boys did not stopI it for real money.Evanston through a beautiful forestrunning until they reached North* * *to Wilmette. The first house sightedwaEvanston."There was genuine fellowships a small one, since enlarged to * and enjoyment at the town par-the present Bookings residence. A"Indians were not infrequentties in the vacant pasture justlittle clearing was just east, farmedvisitors in the early days, andaeast of Lake avenue and Sixtht that time by a German namedRudolphwhen about we boys kept closelystreet, to which everyone went.. It was reported that it wasat home because of the fearfulaThere was a fair ball field on wigwam settlement at one time,but entirely fanciful tales toldbuthis same spot and on Saturdayt there exists no evidence to sup-porof them . . .afternoons or holidays out oft this theory.* town boys entertained the entire"For long years the house was"Many here remember Mr. Henrypopulace in baseball combatsvacant and the superstitious thoughtKinney, who sold us our groceries,with the neighboring town nines,it haunted. Certainly many youngwas station agent, postmaster, ex-and no league game of the pres-people hurried by after nightfallwitpress agent, village treasurer, andent days excited more intenseh bated breath. The clearinggeneral confidant and friend of theinterest.afterward became a hotly contestedneedy.bal* l field for the school boys . . ."The old hard coal stove in the* * "The boys were real boys then asrear of his store was a meetingnow, and some of their antics con-"Our roads were dirt orplace for all and the starting pointsisted of carrying fence gates to thecorduroy lined by deep ditchesof many a story or bit of gossipto carry the surplus rains. Thewhildepot platform, stealing horseblocks,e waiting for Mr. Kinneys cry,1 digging up hitching posts, tick tack-old plank sidewalks were con-weAll up! gathered about the warmI ing on church windows at night time,tinually getting out of repair andwere I climbing the roof of the old school responsible for many astove to light up for the home-hard"Abundant wild fruits and ber-I building, or into the Methodist fall. The street lamps wereward journey . . .ories grew everywhere, particu-I church and ringing the bells, a stern-f the oil burning kinds, andlarly red raspberries. . . . Nutsly forbidden pastime. The lake wasfew and, far between. A requestwere plentiful and each gatheredthe drawing point in summertime,for a lamp in some benighted"Each home was provided with asectionagainst the winter storms.and many of the boys who played caused heated discus-well for drinking water and a cisternsions at the village meetings.*hookey for an afternoon forbidden * *for soft water. We all remember theEacswim. . ."h household had its supplynecessity". . . on East Railroad avenue of priming the pump in Iof lanterns, always carried onsummera and thawing it out with hotdark nights, and a processionwaterM rlong wooden building used byLONG TENURE. Gathercoal was a carpenter in winter . . . We had frequentA member of the village boardheaded to some public gatheringdrouthsshop. For many years this was our, drying out our wells andreminded one of a lot of giganticcisternspietentioufrom 1910 to 1913, Jesse R. Gather-s theater or hall for all and we were compelled tofireflies. There, was a lot of gen-haupubliccoal served from 1920 to 1935 as a occasions, dances, theatricalsl water from the springs alonguine sociability displayed whenGrossandmember of the board of education even church services. . . . Point road cr from the lake, Iof the township high school."The early large land owners wereNorth Share9s Furriers far 37 YearsOkeanurnerdThe OKEAN registered label means that three generations have been serving the North Shore witha complete Fur Service. It is your guarantee of genuine satisfaction.Every woman who owns an OKEAN coat feels that there is something special about it. She adoresthe way it looks and what it does for her. Shes happy with its many virtues warmth, beauty andlong wear. Shes in fashion with an OKEAN garment and she knows it. The stock of our wholesaledivision, the Jack M. Okean Co. of New York and Paris allows our North Shore patrons dne of thelargest selections of Furs in the middle west.COLD FUR STORAGECOMPLETE FUR SERVICEWe Congratulate Wilmette on its 75th Anniversary417 Linden AvenueTel. Wil. 832WilmetteV2 Block West of "L" Terminal