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 Dee Dee & Ronda in Salem in
1944 by deecat
Our situation was unique...we lived next door to my Mother's parents. My Father's parents died when he was a boy, and my Mother was an only child, so all of us were close to my grandparents. We lived in a small house that my father and grandfather built. It was kind of out in the country and a great place for a child to grow up.
Located 90 minutes from St. Louis, Missouri, via Interstate 64, Salem, Illinois, has a population of about 8,000 with three elementary schools, one high school, and a community college. There is also a town hospital in Salem.
Salem's most famous citizen was William Jennings Bryan (The Silver Tongued Orator).
Salem is also the home of the G.I. Bill of Rights which was written at the American Legion Post, and it assisted veterans of active service in the Armed Forces during World War II..
A local restaurateur at Max Crossett's Cafe created a salad dressing called Max's X-tra Fine Salad Dressing in 1931. It was so good that the Kraft Company bought it for $300.00 and renamed it "Kraft's Miracle Whip"!
Salem is called Gateway of Little Egypt because in 1820 a severe drought hit northern & central Illinois so wagon loads of people came to Southern Illinois to obtain food for themselves and their livestock. This was compared to the Biblical story of Israel going to Egypt to purchase grain; thus, southern Illinois became known as Egypt or Little Egypt, and Salem became the
"Gateway of Little Egypt".
Salem is the County Seat of Marion County so it has the Marion County Court House located on the town Square
I remember vividly visiting the town park that is called Bryan Memorial Park where there are tennis courts and a swimming pool.
My parents and grandparents used to tell us about the great Oil Boom which started in the 1930's just after the Depression. By 1939, Salem 's oil industries and land owners were part of a business which had the second highest amount of oil production in any one area. (93 million barrels were pumped from Marion County's farmlands and sold for fifty cents a barrel!)
My grandfather talked about the enormous amounts of MUD created by the Oil Rigs being created in the worst of weather. The mud in the fields was four feet deep!
Note: The photograph I have selected is of my sister and I as children. We look like "rag-a-muffins" because we always played outside for hours and hours, and, as you see, got mighty dirty. You can tell from the photo that we certainly had little money but lots of love. Leave a Comment
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 Dee as Cheerleader at
Homecoming Bonfire by deecat
I personally was studying Business Education with a minor in English. It was the English that won my soul; thus, I taught English for over thirty years after graduating.
The Library, the Student Union, the Science Building, and Thompson Point Dorms were all brand new. I lived at Thompson Point where I looked out on the Campus Lake, and I had to walk from the main campus through Thompson Woods to reach my dorm. What a fantastic place to live.!I stayed there all four years; my last year as a Resident Counselor.
I met my future husband there; I learned the importance of a well-rounded education, and I learned about the importance of the natural environment there.
John F. Kennedy visited as a Presidental Candidate. The Four Lads and the Diamonds both entertained us there!
I learned about Egypt since the area was Little Egypt. The yearbook is called Obelisk; the team mascot is the Egyptian Saluki Dog, Towns around Carbondale had such names as Cairo, Thebes, and Dongola!
Besides my academics, I was an SIU Cheerleader, a member of Pi Omega Pi (a national honorary Business Education fraternity, on the Social Council for my Dorm, and I served as a Resident Counselor for one floor in my Dorm.
I especially loved the Campus Lake, which had been in operation for only two years. It provided swimming, boating, fishing, picnicking, and a place to commune with Nature. Only Southern's students & faculty were allowed to swim there. The Canoes, rowboats, paddle boats, a a surplus amphibian craft called the "duck" certainly provided fun. We could picnick around the lake on the ground or at one of the numerous Geodesic dome shelters. The Campus Boat House provided the setting for dances, picnics, and contests at SIU. Scattered around the lake were many cement fishing piers. This place was greatly appreciated because of the strict car ban instituted because of a lack of space.
Carbondale and SIU were my home for four years, and I have such fond memories of this beautiful place. Leave a Comment
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 Our Home in Libertyville,
Illinois by deecat
See my Libertyville pages for details of this quaint community.
The real positive of Libertyville is the vibrant downtown area where there are excellent restaurants, numerous speciality shops, a lovely Rose Garden, an old-fashioned Movie Theater, and a weekly Market Day all summer. Even though there are several large Malls within driving distance, the community backs the historic downtown area, keeping it open and vibrant.
The schools that serve Libertyville are very highly rated; the rail transportation is outstanding and located right in the heart of the downtown section. Condell Hospital is thought to be one of the very best in the area; the park district is active and highly accessible. So, one can see that Libertyville, Illinois is a wonderful community to live in and a super place to visit.
Living here in unincorporated Libertyville is ideal because we are right in the middle between Libertyville and Gurnee and have easy access to both villages. Our home is less than one mile from the Interstate, which is a direct route to Chicago and Milwaukee.
We pay taxes to the Gurnee Schools, and those taxes are less than those in Libertyville (thank goodness). Our home is located on a dead end street so there is little or no traffic. There is a Wetland protected area behind us so nothing will ever be built there, which gives us further privacy. We feel that living here is just right for us, and we think visiting Libertyville is a grand idea for all of you!
The photograph is one of our home here in Libertyville. See my travelogue on my Libertyville pages to see my many perennial gardens Leave a Comment
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 4 Seasons in Lake Bluff,
Illinois by deecat
Lake Bluff, Illinois. We lived in four different homes in Lake Bluff, and we loved all four of them...all completely different styles.
Our first home was a rental Duplex that had been the Gardener's Quarters for the Field Estate (the Fields of Marshall Field & Co. Fame!). It was awesome with it's stucco exterior, its dark wood floors and woodwork, and its location on a beautiful Ravine about half a block from Lake Michigan up on the Bluff. We loved it and the neighborhood, but we had been married for twelve years and were still renting, so we bought our first home, which was a low-slung, flat-roofed , 4 bedroom Ranch. This was another lovely neighborhood. We only lived there one and a half years because the real estate market was so "hot" that we sold it to the first "looker" at a huge profit. We purchased a small Victorian down by Lake MIchigan and lived there for one summer; then we realized it was far too small and purchased the Cape Cod close to Allan's school.
The photographs show the four seasons in Lake Bluff at our Cape Cod Style home. CLICK to get the full concept!
Lake Bluff is next to Lake Forest, Illinois, and is on a Bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. Thus, its name....LAKE BLUFF. It's a tiny village with a few stores, a nice park, a great beach, good schools, and outstanding natural settings of ravines, bluffs and huge Oak trees. We stayed in this amazing town until Jill was ready for 5th grade. We did not want her to have to have her father as a teacher in Jr. High School. Looking back, I think that was a mistake because the Lake Bluff/Lake Forest schools were far superior to where we moved.
Come visit Lake Bluff, this incredible North Shore Community. Leave a Comment
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 Dee's Senior Prom, Robinson by deecat
But, it still has that Midwestern friendly down home feel, and the Court House on the Square still stands as do the banks, the Dog N'Suds(where I worked as a Car Hop), and the Robinson Community High School where I was active in Drama Club, Student Council, Pep Club, Newspaper Staff, the Senior Class Play, "Rebel Without a Cause", and Varsity Cheerleading. The First Christian Church(where I went to church and Bible School) still welcomes parishnioners. Oh, yes, and the Methodist Church (where I was married) is still open and active.The original Health Candy Bar Offices are closed, but Hershey Company purchased it and still makes the original Heath Candy Bar...and The Marathon Oil Refinery still lights up the nightsky and provides almost 600 jobs for the community.
When I was growing up in Robinson, the two most important employers were Heath Candy Company and Marathon Oil Company's Refinery. My father worked for Marathon in the offices, and so Marathon played a big role in my life. That refinery has been around a long time...established in 1906! They produce, refine, and deliver petroleum and natural gas products. They specialize in exploration, development, production, refining, distribution, and marketing of a much needed product in the USA. The original office of the Heath Company was located near our house, and I just always thought it would be there forever.
It was found in 1914, by the Heath family. Their most famous candy was the Heath English Toffee Bar" which was conceived in Robinson and is still produced solely in Robinson (in the former plant that is now Hershey's Chocolate Robinson.) Heath had the first Pepsi-Cola bottling franchise in Robinson in 1935. I remember in 1964, a new Pepsi plant was built at the west edge of Robinson on Rt. 33. Actress Joan Crawford (then Chairman of the Board of Pepsi) came to Robinson to dedicate the facilities. Heath then built a new candy plant next to the Pepsi plant in 1967 and sold Pepsi Francise in 1969. The Heath Family ran the company until 1989; at that time it was sold to Leaf, Inc. and then Leaf sold to Hershey.
So in my memories of Robinson, Oil and Candy do mix quite nicely!
Note: Photo to show the time period when I grew up in Robinson, Illinois. This is my prom photograph from 1959! Leave a Comment
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 Same House, Different
Season in Waukegan,
Illinois by deecat
Potawatomi Indian for "Little Fort"
The racial makeup of the city is:
44.80%= Hispanic or Latino
31.76%= Caucasion
19.21%= African American
3.58%= Asian
.54%= Native Americans
.06%= Pacific Islander
There are a many retired people living in Waukegan along with many young families.
It was established as a French trading post in the late 17th Century and was incorporated as a city in 1859.
Waukegan is located next to Lake Michigan about ten miles south of the Wisconsin border and forty miles north of the City of Chicago. Waukegan is commonly referred to as the midpoint between Chicago and Milwaukee ; however, it is still considered a part of Chicagoland.
Waukegan was at its prime from the 1920s until the 1970s. I remember when there were all the big department stores, lots of clothing stores, jewelry stores, hardware stores, restaurants, hotels, etc. in this beautiful, big city by the Lake. Once the Shopping Malls came, Waukegan seemed to "fold up".
It is so sad to see it so barren.
Many citizens are working very diligently to bring it back. I hope they succeed.
I think my fondest memories of Waukegan are visiting with our wonderful neighbors, Marvella and Bill. Bill made me laugh so much. Our neighborhood was tree-lined and beautiful with modest, well-kept homes that were built in the 1950s through the 1970s.
Because the value of homes was not going up (in some instances, the value was declining), we decided to sell and move to Libertyville, Illinois.
Regardless, I still love Waukegan. Leave a Comment
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 Rental Duplex in Gurnee,
Illinois by deecat
The photograph shows part of the Great room and its fireplace.
We discovered that we did not need 3 bedrooms plus a loft den, Great Room, Dining Room, Eat-in Kitchen, 3 and a half baths, utility room, full basement, two and one half car garage plus a deck! We also didn't need to spend that much money!
We stayed one year, but it was a great year because Gurnee is a super place to live.
a. Close to the Illinois Toll Road.
b. Plenty of places to shop such as
Gurnee Mills Shopping Center
c. Extraordinary places to "play" such as
Six Flags Great America
d. Outstanding places to eat such as
Saluto's
e. Good schools such as Warren
Township High School
f. Super park district with parks such as
Viking Park
g. Plenty of places to stay such as the large
Holiday Inn on Grand Avenue
I loved living in Gurnee because that is where I worked; therefore, it was quite convenient and saved so much gasoline and time.
I loved the home we rented; we were the first to live there, so it was sparkling clean. I loved being closer to the Interstate for out-of-town travel pursuits. All-in-all, it was a grand year we spent in Gurnee! Leave a Comment
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 Jill in Hinsdale, Illinois in
1972 by deecat
We rented a two bedroom home on a beautiful tree-lined street that consisted of much larger, more expensive homes. It was within walking distance of the quaint downtown section.
There is a wide range of architectural styles throughout the village. These include Italianate, Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Shingle Style, Prairie Style, Craftsman Bungalow, Colonial Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, Tudor Revival, and Plan Book and Pre-Cut Catalog Houses The more modern homes include the American Bungalow, Classic Box, Ranch, and Split-level. Preservation is a policy in Hinsdale administered by the Historic Preservation Commission.
People first came to what is now Hinsdale via the old Black Hawk Indian Trail. A man named William Robbins, "The Father of Hinsdale,"bought 6400 acres of land in 1862; thus, the village began. He planned and built the streets; more importantly, he planted thousands of young shade trees. At that time the population was about 500; today, Hinsdale's population is over 18,000 residents.
Presently, Hinsdale is a lovely village of tree-shaded streets, gracious architecture, quaint little shoppes, and a self-supporting business community. "This town combines the charm of the past with the vitality of the future."
Hinsdale is located off the intersections of Interstate Highway 294 and U.S. Route 34 (Ogden Avenue) or Illinois Rt. 83 & U.S. Rt. 34.
I remember being told that Hinsdale was a great example of a Railroad Suburb because its distinct landscape is based on the picturesque English ideal of the country house set in a naturalistic, landscaped garden. "Single-family homes were developed near rail stations to allow the wealthy to escape the ills of the city." Well, Hinsdale is, indeed,
WEALTHY! We could never afford to stay in Hinsdale . . . not back in the early 1970s and not today.
Our two years in our rented home in Hinsdale was a time when I was earning an additional degree in Special Education, and Allan was a Principal of a local Grade School. We were juggling our jobs with parenthood. Because it was such a busy time, it flew by.
The photograph is of Jill at our neighbors across the street in Hinsdale, Illinois. She is about three years old. Leave a Comment
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 Dee in Her Waukegan
Garden by deecat
This is an explanation of how I am organizing the pages about Illinois.
I have decided to incorporate a personal view of the state; therefore, the general tips will include all the places (towns) that I have lived in and written from my personal perspective.
The Must See will be the more typical of the presentation and also less specific.
I hope you enjoy this style of organization.
I was born in Illinois, went to school in Illinois (excect for two years in grauduate school), was married in Illinois, taught High School English for 30 years in Illinois, adopted our daughter Jill in Illinois, and retired in Illinois.
I've lived in the southern and northern parts of the state and enjoyed both.
I really love the four seasons which we experience, the friendliness of the midwestern people, the opportunities that our state's largest city, Chicago offer, and, finally, the cosmopolitan yet "down home" ambience that permeates the lifestyle of Illinois.
Won't you join my life adventure here in The American Heartland? Leave a Comment
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 Jill in Her Sand Box at
Downers Grove Apartment by deecat
The founder (1832) of Downers Grove is Pierce Downer who discovered this huge grove of trees in the middle of the vast Illinois prairie, and he knew it would provide the raw material needed to begin a new village. So you can see why the town was called Downers Grove The railroad soon opened new opportunities to Downers Grove. Once the expressway system was built, excellent transportation was available to the citizens.
Today there are almost 50,000 people living in Downers Grove, and the village finds itself near total development within its borders.
The Park District manages over 500 acres of park land in town and has won the coveted National Gold Medal award for the quality & diversity of its recreational pursuits.
The community has over 1,000 hotel and motel rooms, including two all suite properties.
The downtown shopping district remains strong with financial services, professional services and retail services. There are also numerous restaurants downtown.
Our fondest memories, by far, was watching Jill go from an infant to a toddler here in Downers Grove. In addition, a wonderful lady babysat for her while Allan and I both taught, and that woman was fantastic. We appreciate the fine people of Downers Grove who have wonderful values and kind hearts. Leave a Comment
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