Consider the following a nostalgic return to the "Golden Years of Roseland".To many this may be of little significance, but to those who spent most of their lives growing up in Roseland and were a part of the "Roseland Mystique", these passages may be esoteric in value. The passages not only relate to "Roseland", but also to the times, events, and special places that prevailed during these glorious days.

Roseland was the "Jewel" of the South Side.

Probably the most known stretch of road or street in Roseland was the "Ave", Michigan Avenue of course. We shopped on the "Ave", we strolled on the "Ave", and most of us "tooled" the Ave in our cars. Most likely we "tooled" in a "56 Chevy, a "49 Ford, a "Hot Rod" or possibly in a car with a "Rumble Seat". Did your car have seat covers, a steering wheel spinner, painted white walls, or an ooga-ooga horn?

We all visited and shopped at many of the stores on the "Ave". Probably the most known and visited was Gately's Peoples Store. Did you ever stand and gaze at the doughnut machine? Do you remember the floorwalker hawking his wares? Did you ever sit on the stairway landing between floors or in the booths waiting to have your shoes repaired? Remember when we tried on a new pair of shoes and stepped onto the fluoroscope machine to view your foot inside the shoe to assure a perfect fit?

How about going next door to Kresge's for some odds and ends or some popcorn -- maybe buying a recording of "Heart-Aches" by Ted Weems. Remember the whistler on this recording? It was Elmo Tanner.

Other great stores on the "Ave": Neisners, Woolworth, and Greens Five and Dime. How about furniture stores like Bimrose, Hattens, Bass or Jordans. Remember the other department store. The Home Store? Later we had Penney's.

Remember when the Nuns that walked the "Ave" looked like Nuns?

It might be time for a movie at the State, Parkway, or Roseland Theaters. Away from the "Ave" we went to the Ridge, Verdi, or Normal Theaters.

I think it is time to visit the "O" for a malt or soda -- or maybe a "Fatman" burger from "Nicks" at 111th and Normal.

How many of our friends and relatives did we pay our last respects to at Doty's, Panozzo's, Opyt's, Otto's, Cooney's, Pisarski's, or Phillip's Funeral Homes?

Remember politicians like Reggie DuBois, Les Beck, Shel Govier, Dom Lupo, or Judge Napoli?

Where did we get the latest news or gossip? From the Calumet Index or the South End Reporter, of course.

We bought flowers from Mat Summers, Richards, Gries, or Arivio's Flower Shops.

Hey Man! Ever buy clothes from Bovenkerks, Fred Nelson, Raymond Levine, or even Robert Hall?

Got a sweet tooth? Try Fannie May, Cupid Candies, DeMars or Andies Candies.

By the way, be careful when crossing the "Ave". You could be hit by a red streetcar, or later by a Green Hornet, and later yet, by a bus.

Bowling night took us to the Rosebowl, the Palace, or Roseland Rec.

Something new to us was "Pizza". We had many pizza parlors - Toots Rago, Giovannis, Tony's, Ken & Dicks and Ninos.

We also had other junk food emporiums - White Castle' Coney Island and Don's Drive-In. Speaking of drive-ins, how about Vinces or Louarts?

We also had carryouts from the Tea Garden, the Fish House, Chicken Unlimited and KFC.

For sit-down meals we frequented Inglenook, Parisi's, Pesavento's or the Roseland Cafe. Late at night we went to Tony's Snack Shop. How about a great chicken dinner at the "Jolly Inn"? Want some great Italian food? Try Dal Santo's for sausage or Panetti's for beef.

Bakeries you ask! Try Ergo's, Liberty, Wascauskis and the Roseland Bakery.

Thirsty? Venice Inn, Parisi's, Knotty Pine, Pete & Mames, The Macombo and many, many more taverns.

Did you know that Roseland had more churches per capita than any other place in America? What church did you attend? St. Solemea, St. Willabroad, Roseland Presbyterian, Zion Lutheran, St. Nicholas, Bethel, Bethany, West Pullman, Stewart Ridge or St. Stephens? Do you recall Father Murphy, Father Nalin, and Dr. Hager, Dr. Williamson? How about all the Nuns and Mother Superiors?

Carnivals were gathering spots for adults, teens, and others who would be attracted by glitter, thrills, rides, and games of chance. St. Anthony, St. Willabroad, and St. Solemea hosted the best.

Let's note some of the sights and sounds that were so familiar to us all:

"Rags and Old Iron" was a familiar chant by the junkman in the alleys. So was "Strawberries" by the fruit peddler.

The distant sound of clinks and clanks signaled the knife sharpener was close. How about the clinking sound of the Organ Grinder with his obedient monkey?

The arrival of the ice truck meant slivers of refreshing ice!

Remember when turkey was a treat on Thanksgiving or Christmas? Does anyone recall Mom or Grandma cooking a turkey on a Weber Grill with the fork in one hand and a beer in the other? Bet not!!

Speaking of Thanksgiving, do you remember the annual Turkey Day football game between Fenger and Pullman Tech played at Willis Field on Thanksgiving morning?

High School Days - Fenger, Pullman Tech (later Mendel), Mt. Carmel, St. Rita. Do you remember your locker lock combination?

Fenger won the City Football Championship in 1954 beating Mt. Carmel 13 to 7 under Coach "Rocket" Palmer.

Remember the Sock Hops, Friday Night Socials, or Hi-Y Dances? Who was your special date for the prom? Did you marry? Did you go to the Dunes the day after the Prom?

We enjoyed the dance music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and by singers who had class. Their lyrics had meaning! Like the ever romantic "Rag Mop" by the Ames Brothers.

Remember the sounds of children playing tag, hide and seek, Mother may I? Could you hop scotch?

Summer and spring days were marked by the carpet beater slapping against a rug. There was a smell of tomatoes, jelly, fruit and vegetables being canned for future use. The sound of popping lids assured us that the jars were sealed. There was the smell of lilacs, roses, and other flowers and shrubs permeating the air. The clothes hanging on lines would be dampened and folded for ironing the next day.

Does anyone darn socks any more?

We lived through a very serious time - World War II. Our boys were on foreign shores and we were asked to sacrifice and contribute to the war effort. Gas and food rationing, War Bond drives, Victory Gardens, blackouts and asking wives, mothers, sisters and daughters to fill defense jobs were themes of the day. Remember Rosie the Riveter? How about paper drives, collecting tin cans, or saving stamps at school? Where did we work? Acme Steel, Pullman, International Harvester, Electro-Motive, Sherwin Williams and many of the small businesses that flourished in Roseland.

Speaking of businesses, remember the Roseland Music Store, Zordans, Jostes, Schmid-Lofgren Drugstore, Sears, Wards, Roseland Hardware, Three Sisters and Root Brothers?

The "Ave" was open on Saturday nights for shopping convenience. Then we switched to Monday and Thursday nights. During the Christmas holiday, the stores were open every night a week prior. But NEVER on SUNDAY!

We had photo studios like Banks, Miltons, Manor, Firestone and Ridge, who preserved family christenings, weddings, anniversaries, graduations and other occasions.

We had so many great athletes that they all cannot be mentioned. Bill Kooistra, Sam Esposito, Frank Esposito, Jack Delveaux, Rich Kreitling, Don Hudson, Ron Nietupski, Carmen Salvino - to mention just a few!

Back to the sounds and events of the day! Remember the Three Sons, the Harmonicats, Les Paul and Mary Ford, Rosie Clooney and Johnnie Ray? How about their hit tunes like Twilight Time, Peg O'My Heart, How High The Moon, Hey There, and Cry? Recall Mona Lisa (Nat Cole), Tennessee Waltz (Patti Page) or You Belong to Me (Jo Stafford)?

Remember when trains had cabooses? What color?

Every railroad crossing had a guard in a tower that would faithfully raise and lower the gates.

How about the dances and weddings at the SFBI Hall, The Moose, Pochran Hall, Gano AC, or the Polish Home?

Did you ever wander away from Roseland to attend theaters like the Avalon, Capitol, South Town, or the Jackson Park?

Remember when LeRose Coal, Chatham Coal or Madderom Coal delivered a huge pile of coal in the street only to have one poor soul transfer the pile by wheelbarrow into your coal bin?

Did you have an octopus in your basement? Octopus was the nickname for the big coal-fed furnace with seven or eight hot air pipes extending to all rooms of the house. Did you take out the ashes?

Fresh milk, cream, eggs and cottage cheese were delivered to the door. No more do we have this service.

What's for dinner? Whatever the local grocer and butcher recommended. A simple phone call, placement of an order, and a delivery of food was the shopping chore of the day. Sounds good huh?

Does anyone host a quilting bee any more?

What happened to the cop on the beat?

Did you ever call a policeman a pig? I bet not.

What happened to South Park Blvd.?

This will test Senior Memories - Did you know the Pullman Company was the proud sponsor of the "Pullman Minstrels"?
About 200 employees/volunteers toured the world and even performed at the State Theater.

Were you tempted to purchase a bomb shelter in the "50s"?

Do any of you ladies remember "leg makeup"?

Did any Roseland war brides sit under the "Apple Tree" with anyone else?

Do the policemen of today look young to you?

What would "Ernie" the cop do had we not installed parking meters?

How many grammar schools do you remember? How about Brenan, Bennet, Poe, Pullman, Fernwood, Van Vlissingen, Scanlon, Gompers and many more!

What kind of milk did you have after recess - white or chocolate?

Did your grammar school have a school store nearby to buy supplies, penny candy or a bottle of Kayo perhaps?

Hey Ladies: Did you wear an ankle length pleated skirt, a poodle skirt, a cardigan sweater backwards with a dickey collar, bobby socks or saddle shoes?

A typical Saturday night at the local drug store or malt shop might include a pack of Chesterfields, a juke box selection like "Saturday Night is the Loneliest Night of the Year" and no date. Their fellas were fighting a war somewhere "Over There".

Did you have dice hanging from your rear view mirror?

Every play pee-wee golf at Ziggies (115th and Halsted)? We all went there for fireworks on the Fourth of July!

Roseland had Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Campfire Girls, Brownies and Cub Scouts.

On a cool night in autumn we gathered the fallen leaves curbside, set fire and roasted potatoes or marshmallows. Will you ever forget the aroma of burning leaves?

Remember when TV was so new that we watched it in store windows? Remember Kukla, Fran & Ollie, Capt. Video, Uncle Milty? Did you ever watch test patterns?

Did you have a doctor that made house calls?

Did your grammar school desk have an inkwell?

Did you ever go swimming at the Pump, Palmer Park, or West Pullman Park?

Hungry? How about a thick, juicy corned beef sandwich from Krapil's?

Roseland had communities within a community -- Rosemoor, Gano, West Pullman, Sheldon Heights, Pullman, Fernwood, and ever famous "Bum Town".

Can you imagine mother or grandma in designer jeans, or attending a tanning salon or Jenny Craig's? Did mom or grandma ever serve a Big Mac, Taco, or White Castle for dinner?

We knew not of "X" rated movies.

Do ladies still wear aprons?

Did you ever worry about safety when walking through Roseland?

Lots of cars for sale at Fred Tuck's, Roseland Buick, Roseland Oldsmobile, Roseland Pontiac, Caley Chevrolet or the Ford dealer.

Remember the Studebaker dealer at 112th and Halsted or the Packard dealer at 115th and Halsted?

Speaking of Halsted Street, did you buy produce at Brandt's Farm Stand or a watermelon from the Greek at 104th and Halsted?

We had family-owned gas stations that would pump the gas, check oil and water levels, check tire pressure, and wash your windows all in the interest of "full service".

Remember the Monarch and Up to Date Laundries?

I'll bet almost every household had a treadle Singer sewing machine.

Ladies: Did you shop for clothes at Gately's, Three Sisters, Gordons, Penneys? Want the latest in Mod fashions? Try Dal Degans California Shop!

Men: Did you ever suffer the indignity of wearing knickers?

Did Mom ever rub your chest with "Vicks"?

We will never, ever take a drop of Cod Liver Oil again!

Radio programs: The Shadow, Jack Armstrong, Fred Waring, Dr. IQ, Fred Allen, Fibber McGee & Molly (do you suppose his closet is still cluttered?), Bob Hope or the WLS Barn Dance.

What cigarettes did you smoke? Lucky's, Old Gold, Pall Mall, Chesterfields, or Raleigh's (coupons)?

How about beer? Schlitz, Prima, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Meister Brau?

We never heard of wine coolers. We had Dago Red!

Ever eat parsnips, turnips, eggplant, or rutabaga?

Did you have a patch of rhubarb, violets, or lily-of-the-valley in your yard?

Ever clean your wallpaper with a wad of something?

Ever mix margarine with a packet of dye to make it resemble butter or something edible?

Today we move from house to house, location to location. Roseland was such a great place to live that we actually moved houses.

Did anyone have two cars or two bathrooms?

Roseland had little class distinctions between the people. We all blended together and with a sense of community, we helped and cared for one another.

You hear so much today about prejudice among people. Roseland had more diversity among its citizens and had countless ethnic groups, but also had more harmony and cooperation between peoples.

What would you give to have a chance to visit old neighborhoods, classmates, friends or old sweethearts?

I guess this arduous journey could go on and on, especially in the minds of former Roselandites. Unfortunately, this journey is only in our minds. Roseland for all that it was will never be again. However, we have precious memories that will always be with us.

Some final thoughts:

• Roseland was home.
• Roseland was not only a place, but a way of life.
• Roseland had a sense of belonging.
• Roseland was our roots!
• Roseland is in our veins. It flows through our blood.
• Roseland is a special place in our heart.
• Roseland will never be again. But it SHOULD!
• Roseland should have been experienced by all.
• Roseland wasn't perfect - but damn close!

We dedicate this special journey to all the classmates who have left us and to those who are here with us.

Rich and Lynn Mullen
Written by Rich Mullen for June 1953 Fenger High School 50th reunion Held in Sept. of 2003

God Bless You All!