Friday, January 10, 2025

Oaklawn (in progress updated 1-10-25)


The first house that I remember living in was at 6828 West 96th Place in Oaklawn Illinois. (I can't believe I still remember the address) My dad built the garage, it was a kit that he had delivered, then he bought extra material and built it 10 feet longer and 10 feet wider than a standard garage back then (1950s). I remember he had a pot-bellied wood burning stove in there for the cold winter days. The house had an attached garage but my Dad turned it into a playroom. Behind the house off a little to the right was a Baptist Church that we went to. Donald Smith Memorial Baptist Church. 
 


 
I remember the Pastor was a real short guy. We all called him Dr. Dick
 
Now it's St. Mary's Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. It still looks the same as I remember it on the outside but the inside has changed a lot. Like me, it converted. The original Baptist Church was a memorial to a boy who drowned at Fox Lake in a boating accident.  

I went to an elementary school called Dearborn Heights Elementary School, just a few blocks from home. Now it is Kolmar Avenue Elementary School. It's gotten much bigger than it was when I went there. When it was Dearborn Heights, we had a lot of grassy fields around it where we played baseball football and all kinds of other stuff.   
 
The history of Oak Lawn, Illinois, began in the early 19th century when individuals purchased large tracts of land in the area. The village was incorporated in 1909 and experienced rapid growth in the 1950s and 1970s. Oak Lawn is known for some of its popular attractions, which include: Children's Museum in Oak Lawn. Juicy Luzy Sangria, and the South Side Escape Rooms. If you're interested, you can read more about Oak Lawn's local history at the library
 
Oak Lawn Illinois - Wikipedia 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment