Wilmette Public Library Local History Digital Collection

Fred Stickney Northam (1904-1979) oral history

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Track 6, Transcript p. 14-17: Track 6, Transcript p. 14-17
Transcription: Track 6 RA: Ice cream parlor, really? FN: Oh, yeah. A nice place to go. And we had several very successful drug stores; apparently drug stores were a focal point for a lot of the business of the town. RA: Now did we have the, uh . . . ? Were they pharmaceutical shops in those days or were they packaged drugs? Did the pharmacist . . . FN: They ground their own things in the pestle and the mortar and all that stuff and made their prescriptions, but it really wasn't as primitive as that. They were starting to get stuff by Abbott, Pfister and all of those old time drugs, even when I was young; but as I say, when I was born it was the Victorian age and now that I'm in my early 70's, it's the atomic age and in between there's a lifetime of living. p.15 RA: That's right. FN: That's for sure. RA: And yet it seems as though in each lifetime . . I felt that way about a great aunt of mine who lived to be 95 and went from wagons and horses to . . . She lived into -- the atomic age, but it does. I think . . . Any life packs a great deal. FN: Well, when you think about this now, the second place that I recall in Wilmette is on the 900 block of Linden Avenue. There was a family next to ours named Kirchberg and it was a large family -- Catholic family - and they lived, uh . . In the same block there was a house or two between them, and on the corner was what they called Francis Xavier Church. It doesn't exist now, but the school's across the way, I believe. RA: Then the first Francis Xavier FN: First Francis Xavier Church RA: Was on what corner? FN: Uh. . it would be the southwest corner of 9th and Linden. RA: Southwest corner, and now it's on the north. FN: Northeast. RA: Northwest corner. The church... FN: I don't know where it is. RA: The church is on the northwest corner of . FN: Northwest? Well, then it's where the other one was then. RA: Is it? p.16 FN: Yeah. RA: Uh...this is... FN: the other one RA: And the school is east of it. FN: It was a peculiar looking church because it looked like it was just flat. It had no steeple and it didn't look like a church at all, but it served a neighborhood that was largely Catholic. RA: Now, you went to the Presbyterian Church. FN: Well RA: Where was this? FN: My father was Presbyterian, and our family were CalvinIst when they came over from the old country. Most of our people came from England many, many years ago. My family history dates back to 1600, and ah . . . 1639. The Northams, and the Drurys and then the ileald family, which was my grandfather's mother's family. RA: Was that part of the Heald family that was at the Fort Dearborn massacre? FN: I haven't been able to check that out. I don't- I don't know. I've been trying to . . . the Captain Heald that was there and went through that terrible ordeal . . . As I say, I've been researching so many families that these things are going to have to wait a little while. (laugh) RA: They eventually come out. FN: I'm almost sure it must be. p.17 RA: That's one thing, it always remains there for you to uncover at one time or another and eventually someone FN: The avenues of research are marvelous. They keep your mind stimulated . . . it's a lot of fun. But at this house on Linden Avenue, we had a . . . It was a nice home -- big home. And I say I remember the Kirschbergs. There were some people across the street called -- the only German family that I could remember there - their name was Klangpeld. And I never had heard that name, and I just happened to think of it last week when I was thinking of all these old things. And there are other names that have since left, you know. They say so many cells die in your brain. Well, some of my memory cells have died and I've lost a few families that way that I knew a few years ago. RA: I think you do remarkably well. FN: I've lost some, though. RA: Well, I grew up with people over several . . . I mean generations of our family . . . and I can't remember their FN: I used to be able to name every house and every family in that block, but I can't do it anymore. RA: Tell me, what did your father do?
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/

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