Wilmette Public Library Local History Digital Collection

Fred Stickney Northam (1904-1979) oral history

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Track 5, Transcript p. 11-14: Track 5, Transcript p. 11-14
Transcription: Track 5 FN: [Laughter] RA: This, uh, isn't it interesting how things of our child-- hood that frightened us? FN: Well, yeah, uh, I was a -- as you may know from listening to me talk -- was a loner. I like to do . . . I never was a lonely child because I enjoyed being alone in the woods, and walking around seeing things and observing. I'm still doing it at my age now. RA Well, this accounts for your keen awareness, perhaps. FN: I'm a people--watcher. (laugh) I like people and I like to watch to see what they are doing, I think they're wonderful, myself. (laugh) RA: Don't we all? There's nothing more awe inspiring than people, I believe. FN: But to get back to Gage's Woods. When I was small we could see bent trees that had been bent by the Indians and we could see trails through the woods even then. p.12 RA: You could see trails? FN: Absolutely, absolutely. I used to say to ray father -- he'd like to go with us - and I'd say "Father, what is that?" I said. "It looks almost like somebody had been walking through it". He'd say "That was an Indian trail and those bent trees were pointing the way". And now since I have done research and know where some of these things are, I can see where these trees were pointing; because it's a well known fact that where Evanston Hospital was built on a very high knoll there in Evanston, at Ridge Avenue and Central, there was a chipping station for the Pottawatomie Indians and there's a plaque out in front of the hospital denoting that. And I suppose that these bent trees in Gage's Woods pointed to that area. It seems likely. RA: Interesting because . . FN: Either that or they were pointing to Chicago, which is possible, but since we're so close to the lake I don't know why they needed any direction anyway. They could just walk down to the lake . RA: Well, as I understand, it was very boggy. FN: . . . there. They did for that reason. I came across something -- in researching in Evanston in the library there -- where one elderly woman said when she left the railroad station, she had to take her wagon and put her feet up to keep the water from getting on her shoes, it p.13 FN: was so boggy to get over to one of the churches in Evanston to go to a function there. This amazes me when you think about it. RA: I understand Kenilworth was this way too FN: Just boggy, really boggy. RA: When Mr. Sears came out to establish it. They had to have their sidewalks elevated then. They were very high boardwalks. FN: Well, of course, it's a well known fact that Chicago is raised, you know, eight or ten feet. RA: That's right. FN: There are still sections of Chicago where you can see houses way down low where they have not filled it in. But we had … RA: Yes, Well to get back to Wilmette. These are your very earliest recollections and we had started. to talk about the business area. What constituted the business area? What kinds of shops were there? FN: Well, I say, I remember taking notes. And besides Mr. ah . . . Frank Smith's store -- I think next door at that time -- probably a son of one of our original pioneers Alex McDaniel, -- one of his Sons had a bicycle shop along in there right opposite the railroad station. And going south when we hit Wilmette Avenue and West Railroad -- as it was called then - on the corner, the northwest corner, was Rinkman & Schultz a grocery store. Then across the p.14 FN: street from that -- across the corner was a drug store owned by a man named Wilming, and all these old drug stores could be identified because they had these water things in the window. One was full of red water and the other was full of blue water and they had a light behind them. And it was fascinating for any youngster, you know. And all the drug stores were actually meeting places because they had marvelous soda fountains and usually wrought iron glass--top tables and wrought iron chairs with the little cushions on it. It was a nice place to go.
Creators: Northam, Fred Stickney, 1904-1979, Interviewee; Adler, Rhea Saul, 1906-1990
, Interviewer
Media Type: Audio; Image; Text
Item Type: Audiocassettes
Description: Interview with Fred Northam by Rhea Adler in Wilmette, Illinois, in the fall of 1977.

ABSTRACT:
Birth in Wilmette — Llewellin Park - Early childhood experiences

“L” tracks run into Wilmette overnight on CMSTP right of way - Digging Sanitary Canal

Wilmette business district Central/Wilmette Avenue and West Railroad Avenue (Green
Bay Road)

Account of Drury and Northam families — Grandparents — Parents locale in village

Socialized with Chicago families

Gage’s Woods — Marshes “Small town” feeling

Circulation of petitions for New Trier High School by Grandfather Drury - President of
Wilmette

Life at the 900 block of Linden Avenue - Father CPA for International Harvester at 606

South Michigan

Grant Park a “garbage dump” - landfill

T. Slater Gillette - Photographer; Drs. Byron and Rufus Stolp

Moved to Glencoe brief - Return to Wilmette to 1614 Elmwood - Back of Grandma Bell’s
farm house, later remodeled (ca. 1936 by Matots) on 1600 block of Greenwood Avenue

Death of Mr. Northam, Sr. - Left wife and five children

Mrs. Northam — Wilmette’s first welfare employee

Description of surrounding area to Kenilworth

Episodes of childhood

Move to 423 10th Street after death of father

Reichmann, Gibson, Leary, Wilson neighbors
Wilson Bakery - Delivery wagon

Description of first movie at Ridge/Lake; Mueck grocery store — Licorice balls (“penny
candy”)

Started school at (“Logan School”) now called McKenzie

Glassblower lived and worked near Park Ave./Wilmette Ave.

People of area — “Nigger” Smith’s store

Home gardens — Vegetable — Household activities early twentieth century

Description of Grandpa (Horace) Drury’s house

Wilrnette elementary schools; New Trier High School

Teachers he remembered at New Trier High School

Reading — First movies seen - Presbyterians

Old Carnegie Library — Anna Law — Importance in lives of children of that era

Portius Gage Stanley Steamer Breaker Beach Club -
Gage Piers — Henry Gage - Stanley Gage

Andreas - History of Chicago 3 Vol.

Andreas – History of Cook County 1 Vol.

Discussion of source material
Place of Publication: Wilmette, Illinois
Date of Original: 1977
Subject(s): Public schools
Oral histories
Wilmette (Ill.) -- Residents
Personal Name(s): Northam, Fred Stickney
Local identifier: R977.31 NO
Language of Item: English
Copyright Statement: Protected by copyright: Uses other than research or private study require the permission of the rightsholder(s). Responsibility for obtaining permissions and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Copyright Date: 1977
Copyright Holder: Wilmette Public Library
Copyright Holder Contact Information: 1242 Wilmette Av.
Wilmette, IL 60091
U.S.A.
Recommended Citation: Northam, Fred, and Rhea Saul Adler. Fred Northam. Wilmette, Ill: Wilmette Public Library District, 1977.
Contact: Wilmette Public Library
Email:refdesk@wilmettelibrary.info
Website:
https://www.wilmettelibrary.info/

Agency street/mail address:
1242 Wilmette Avenue
Wilmette, IL
60091-2558
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