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.10Wilmettes 75th Anniversary 1872-1947September 18, 1947WesterfieMGeo. Rogers, wbo on one occasionWest to Ridge Avenue, in what is Letter of 1916while in a hurry was accosted bynow Gross Point Village, and inmy Father with ttio question, whywalking down Ridge Avenue, as ithe hurried so; replying, he said heis I believe now called, to the or-Shows Many Community Changeswas trying to catch That Streetiginal Wilmette Avenue, where atCar, (long before such things wereone time everybody knew every-Charles Pomeroy Westerfield, sonmative I gradually became awareknown this side of Chicago). Mybody else, I met but two (2) old ac-of John Gedney Westerfield and Re-that my questioner was MelvinFather told him, never mind, nextquaintances.becca Dingee Westerfield and laterBrown, the son of an old and re-car would soon be along. I men-* * *a Lake county deputy surveyor liv-spected resident and one whom wetion this occasion simply to show"One Otto Kempe, who stilling in Waukegan, returned to the Iused to expect much of, for, unlikethat Fathers prophecy that Wil-pegs away at the shoe business,scenes of his boyhood after manymost boys he was always busy andmette would have street cars andand Mr. Blaizer (Bleser), a sonyears of absence and in 1916, wrotehas been known to saw wood witha population of hundreds, and nowoin the form of a letter his recollec-an open book before him. I wasvour City numbers its inhabitantsmf one of the old residents. Ony way down Wilmette Avenuetions of Wilmette in an earlier day. [certainly pleased to meet him andin the Thousands.ThI thought of the time that our olde following is in his own wordsto know that he had panned out"From there I called on Mr.friend Haskamp bumped alongand way of spelling.to be a successful business man aswelJoseph Shantz, a grandson of oneon his load of hay, which be-l as the pleasant appearingW"ilOmne ttMy return from a visit toof your early settlers, but found nohind him, had set on fire fromegentleman that he is. and a few of Relatives andone home. I then went to the homehis pipe. He probably had de-friends there the events of the past"I next walked East on Lake ave-60 odd years seemed to pass beforenue; which is located near the oldMof aCxhiief of Police Sieber in quest oflayed longer than intended atm Dusham, both old residentsMine Host, Huerters or Zunt-me, so changed is your now thriv-corduroy and swampy road overof Wilmette; the latter, withchels (Zeutschel), and the olding city from the wilderness thatwhich I have hauled with Ox teamCharles McDaniel and myself thesquire might have been thinkingexisted when I first knew it.many a load of white ash wood forthree oldest timers of your burgof the golden nectar quaffed*the old-fashioned fireplace at Fath-now living; we having spent ourthere. * #"Aers old home at the Lake Shore,boyhood days in the wilderness of"But he, as well as our olds I stepped from the Elec-(now foot of Lake Ave.); to thethe Ouilmette Reservation; our par-friend Squire Childgren (Schild-tric Line I naturally tried toresidence of an Aunt, Mrs. S. M.ents and a few strolling Indians be-gen), with others have longlocate my old residence whichDingee ST., where I was pleasantlying about the only inhabitants.since passed away. On my wayis now so remodeled that, hadentertained by Mrs. Alfred Walters,it not been for the large oak* * *to the train I was reminded,and from there endeavored to calltree (and the Cedar, now aon"Althoughtoo, of the time when I saw failing to see my Mr. and Mrs. Mendsen, theDeer in what is now your thriv-large tree, which I plantedold acquaintance Mr. D. I stroll-whenformer an Army Comrade, the lat-ing city. but two (2) feet high) Ied to Dr. Stolps residencewouldt not have recognized thewhere# * * I was welcomed by Mrs.PhotographerMera ttah iaCousin and daughter of Mr.s Gedney.s residence, justStolp, but it was not the girlish"But things have changed in theeasterly of your fine Post Office* *figure of the young bride whompast fifty years and only memoriesbuilding and Theater, as the"I was met at the door by aI knew years ago while thenow exist as we think of the listold home, built by me, to whichyoung German Lady whom Igood looks still remained ofnow mostly passed away.I took my Bride, and in whichcould not make understand whocourse she had grown to the"John G. Westerfield and Alexan-five (5) of our children wereI was, and after giving up therather rotund figure of the ma-der McDaniel headed that list inborn. To say I was lost hardlyattempt to see my old acquain-tron whom I did not at first rec-forming the nucleus of your presentdescribes it. I presume mycity and were followed in turn bya feel-tance, called on Charlie Mc-ings were somewhat similr toDaniel, another Army Comrademogannize, not having seen her fory years.others, such as Kline, Greenleaf,Rip Van Winkles.asThe Dingees, Gedneys, Stolps, Hills, well as an old Schoolmate, * **L * *whom I saw with his good wife;"After a pleasant talk with thatMaothrraimssse,s Boggs, Stouphers, Rogers,, Gages, Smiths, and many"Whilehe at work as usual. Of course gazing in rather a dazedlady of Ye olden times I meander-manneothers whose children for the mostrhis hair and beard were long at so many changes, andwhenand about to turn a way, a pleas-Wede satgain to Lake Avenue and wentpart, only, are left. ...", thinking of the old days wlienEditors note: Charles Wester-ant looking gentleman accosted meI was assistant to Father, who waswfield served as village clerk fromW.i?th the question, "Wasnt I C.P."In talking together he called toa deputy county surveyor, fixed the1875 to 1878 and as township clerk and in my reply in the affir-mind our old pioneer acquaintance,lines of that street, extending jtfor the past two of those years.Time changed this picture***You all may not remember when the south westcorner of Ridge and Lake Avenues looked likethis photo taken back about 1908, with Klinge& White Grocery & Market (as it was namedthen) being the third building on the right. Thecomer has changed a bit, however WhitesGrocery & Market is still standing today as itwas then.Back in those days we sold kerosene, pickles, crackers and beans from abarrel, and the -farmers came in on Saturday -for their weeks groceriesand swapped stories with their friends. Now Whites offers you the finestin food preservation and courteous and prompt service. Time has taughtus how to keep the flavor and bring to you fresh and delicious groceriesand meats.GEORGE WHITE GRDEERY & MARKET821 Ridge RoadWilmette 113Founded in 1908