1948 - 1956
Fourth baby born in Park Forest
News Clippings from The Park Forest Reporter
Park Forest Townhouse
MUD!
The Plaza
Opening of the Holiday Movie Theater Brochure
The Holiday Theater wins a National Award.
Robert Chambers holds his little brother, Mike, outside their townhouse
at 144 Birch in 1950.
Baby Michael Thomas Chambers was born on July 14, 1949. See birth announcement
below.
The Park Forest Public Library has a list of the very first babies
born in the Village of Park Forest.
The library lists Rebecca Joyce Findlay, 11/2/48, Roger David Ruehl,
11/5/48, and Philip Hecht, first child
born within the village limits on 6/27/49.
Robert Chamber's family townhouse, 144 Birch, 1949.
Dick Whittington, Class of 1956, standing, was a next-door neighbor
to the Chambers. He drinks soda pop on a summer's afternoon.
Note the duck boards used before there were sidewalks.
Susan Cowan Jakubiak sent the 3 following photos:
1949 -- Ben Cowan adjusts the temporary stairs at their townhouse at
the corner of Elm street and Fir street. (163 Elm)
while Bonnie Cowan looks for kids to play with.
Susan Cowan Jakubiak writes:
"You can see how well landscaped the town was at that time!
No streets either -- just
the same clay mud as the back and front yards."
1949 -- "The gang" is determined to turn mud into grass!
1949 -- Bonnie Cowan, in her spring finery, was happy the mud had dried
temporarily!
And so was her mother!
"The Plaza", with its newly paved sidewalks and the historic Clock
Tower which was torn down
in the 1980s. The shopping center was the first of its kind in the
1950s.
.
Where did the people of Park Forest spend their leisure
time?
"At the movies" -- of course!
Thanks to Morrie Kaufman for this historic brochure of
the gala opening of the Holiday Theater
and the clipping from The Chicago Daily News.
Clipping from The Chicago Daily News, February 21, 1952