Thank you all for so much interest and response to my earlier post “New Years 1885 at 12:30PM”, the story about the daily funeral trains to Rosehill and Calvary Cemeteries on the Northside of Chicago.
If you did not see it, you can hop back to that January 1, 2019 post with this link:
https://chicagoandcookcountycemeteries.com/2018/12/30/new-years-1885-at-1230pm/
But wait!! There’s more! There is more to share about Rosehill Station Continue reading “Rosehill Cemetery Railroad Station”
On a cold but sunny day in January 1885, I take you to Wells and Kinzie streets in Chicago, the then Wells Street depot of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. The station was sometime referred to as the Kinzie Depot. It was bounded by the Chicago River to the south and west, Kinzie Street to the north and Wells Street to the east. The station is long gone, replaced by the Chicago and Northwestern Station (Ogilvie Transportation Center) The Wells Street Station site is now the massive Merchandise Mart built in 1930.
Train number 31 was just one of fifty-five daily Northwestern trains. What made this train different is that it is the daily Northwestern funeral train taking mourners and the deceased to Rosehill or Calvary Cemetery. The train leaves Chicago every day at 12:30 PM sharp, including Sunday north bound for the two cemeteries. Continue reading “New Years 1885 at 12:30PM”
This is the true and amazing story of an old, non-descript suitcase, forgotten for many years in a dusty storage area of a cemetery. It was almost discarded. Inside was a treasure trove of family pictures, genealogy and precious memories . Who did it belong to? How was it forgotten in a cemetery of all places? How old is it? Could someone figure out who’s it was? Would a family member be thrilled to have it once again?
There was a high school diploma, letters, papers, priceless photographs, and clues of a life well lived. There was even a handmade needlepoint! Continue reading “Mystery: The Suitcase in the Cemetery”
To a kid, it was Chicago’s own“Field of dreams”.
It was a miniature version of a big league ballpark just like Comiskey or Wrigley Field. It was complete with lights for night games, a public address system, grandstands seating over 2400 northside fans, concessions, an electric outfield scoreboard, an announcer’s booth and more.
It was Thillen’s Stadium at 6404 North Kedzie Avenue, the generous gift of Mel G. Thillens I1914-1993) and his company, the Thillens Armored Car Check Cashing Company.
It was a place where some 17,000 kids could play Little League baseball every year at no cost.
And the deal was, if you could hit the sign of armored truck on top of the outfield scoreboard, you would win the $5000 savings bond. Three talented little leaguers did just that, hitting a baseball 300 feet. The place made kids feel that they were big league players at Wrigley or Comiskey. Continue reading “Win a $5000 Savings Bond!”
Chicago and Cook County Cemeteries 