Wilmette Public Library Local History Digital Collection

Robert D. Hall (1914- ) and Alice Freeman Hall (1916-) oral history

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Track 4, Transcript p. 10-13: Track 4, Transcript p. 10-13
Transcription: Track 4 RDH; I would think that the location would always assure that. We lived over here on the three hundred block on Maple. No, it would have to be the two hundred block on Maple and I remember coming back to Wilmette one time and I think I took Alice by there and the house was gone. And I told Alice I used to live upstairs above that vacant lot. [gigglig] And, of course, now there is a house there. RA: Oh, yes. RDH; But not the house I lived in. RA: There were many early houses weren't there. Bob, in that block? RDH: Oh, yes, these were two story wood and brick. AH: They were all taken down, except the one on the corner. RA: The one on the corner. AH: The old one is still there. RA: That's right. And at one time, I believe, Mr. McDaniels lived up in there somewhere. AH: I don't believe I knew him. RA: Well, he was Mr. Dingee's representative in early Wilmette. RDH: I'll tell you something that I remember as a kid. We lived west of the tracks. You see I've lived on both sides of the tracks. RA: So did I. Robert D. and Alice Hall, cont. p.11 RDH: You know, if you lived west of the tracks you didn't haveit, you know, but if you lived east of the tracks, thatwas supposed to be something real, very fine in Wilmette and I don't think that that exists any more. There's some mighty fine areas west of the tracks. RA: That's right. RDH: And there were then, but I think this must have grown out of the way the children looked at things. RA: Well, I have had Esther Hoffman who lives on West Lake Avenue, east of The Ridge tell me that she had a very unhappy childhood because she lived west of the tracks. RDH: West of the tracks. [Laughter] RA: So you were going to tell a story about living west.... RDH: Well, it was just that that fact was a fact of life when I was in school here. RA: Well, it was very noticeable when I came as late as 1932. RDH: I don't think I've heard of that in the past ten or fifteen years, but I don't think the kids would even know about it today. RA: Well, the kids.... RDH: Perhaps no one else would. RA: ....perhaps were less conscious of it than the adults were when I came. AH: I think it's more of.... RA: Because I had a friend whose husband bought the farm upon which Indian Hill Estates was built and we used to go to Robert D. and Alice Hall, cont. p.12 the League of Women Voters and she would be introduced and they would say, "And where do you live, Mrs. Drucker?" and she would say, "Oh, out on, off of West Lake Avenue." And they'd say, "Oh," and their voices would drop and she would giggle and poke me [laughter] and she always had a great laugh over this and, of course, it is true that the west side has become really.... AH: Well, my mother was on the school board. This would be back in the twenties, I guess. RDH: Elementary school board. AH: Yes, and maybe late twenties. And I can remember that the school board, I think this is the time that Mr. Cutler was on the board, urn, and somebody else. RA: The Howards? AH: Not Howard, but somebody else that was very outstanding here in the village. I can't remember the name, but I'll think of it in a minute. He, uh, she, I'll go back to the school board. And had bought a piece of property which was adjacent to the Indian Hills Estates, since you mentioned Indian Hill Estates, and the Indian Hill Estates had not really been, I think it had been sub-divided by that time, and looked as if, I guess, it was going to be a going concern that they would be able to develop that, but, of course, this happened, I think, in the very late twenties and then, of course, with '29 and the crash and all, building stopped. Well, it was just about at that Robert D. and Alice Hall, cont. 13 time that the board had bought up this piece of property for a school. If this Indian Hill Estates was going to be developed, there was no school out there. So the board was forward looking and this property came up for sale. I think it was a piece of farm property and, of course, it was very reasonable. And then they had, of course, a referendum to enable them to raise money for this thing and I can remember mother calling and calling and calling on the phone to get people out for the referendum. And I can remember her, you know, she was running up against all this opposition of, "Well, who would ever live out there? It was way to heck and gone and nobody would live out there." RDH: West of The Ridge? AH: Well, certainly. You were talking about west Wilmette or the other side of the tracks and this whole attitude....
Creators: Hall, Robert D., Interviewee; Hall, Alice Freeman
, Interviewee; Adler, Rhea Saul
, Interviewer
Media Type: Audio; Image; Text
Item Type: Audiocassettes
Description: Interview with Robert D. Hall and Alice Freeman Hall by Rhea Adler in Wilmette in winter 1977.

Abstract:

• His childhood in Zion, Illinois - Description of the community founded for religious reasons by Mr. Dowie
• Wilbur Glenn Voliva and radio station WCBD
• Hall family from Vermont to Zion "to be. healed" in 1902 -Most went on to California later but his father and uncle stayed
• "Blue laws" - No sewers - No movies - Owned all industries -Zion Bakery - Lace factory - Power plant
• Uncle Charley moves family to Alamo, Michigan about 1920 -Family and household goods in two boxcars - Head of household drives team of horses from Zion to Alamo -Spends first night in Wilmette, horses spend night on Ridge in a lumberyard - Goes through Chicago via Western Avenue and horses spend second night in lumberyard and driver slept in wagon - Took two weeks to reach Alamo, Michigan - Had a celery farm ~ Strawberries
• Return to Wilmette - Lived in various areas - 4th Linden area
• "West of tracks" - Community attitudes toward different locale - Harms Woods trolley - Two years University of Alaska
• Alice Hall's description of Mrs. Freeman's (her mother's) grade school board tenure - Purchase of Harper school land - Mother's Quaker upbringing in Richmond, Indiana
• Graduated Earlham College - Volunteer year in Puerto Rico
• Discussion of philosophy of Wilmette/ Winnetka schools - PTA -Woman's Club - Arden Shore Girl Scouts - Park Ridge School for Girls - All activities of Elizabeth Freeman - Father on faculty of Armour Institute (forerunner of Illinois Institute of Technology) for 42 years
• Present activities of the Halls - She, New Trier High School teacher - He, in audio-visual school supplies – Avedex in Skokie
Place of Publication: Wilmette, Illinois
Date of Original: 1977
Subject(s): Teachers
Oral histories
Wilmette (Ill.) -- Residents
Personal Name(s): Hall, Alice Freeman ; Hall, Robert D.
Local identifier: R977.31 HA
Language of Item: English
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