Newsletter – May 2009
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Calumet Heritage Partnership To identify, preserve and reclaim the natural, historical and recreational heritage of the Calumet region of Illinois and Indiana 13300 S. Baltimore, Chicago, Illinois 60633 (773) 646-0436 www.calumetheritage.org |
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NEXT MEETING AT NEW LOCATION: The next bi-monthly meeting of the Calumet Heritage Partnership will be held Thursday, May 21, 2009 at 7:00 p.m at the Pullman State Historic Site in Chicago. This will be an opportunity to check in on the LTV Coke Plant Model and Acme Large Blast Furnace Bell, moved to the site this past year. Meet at the front porch of the Florence Hotel, which is located at 111th Street and Forrestville (near Cottage Grove.) This is about a mile west of the 111th Street exit off I-94/Bishop Ford Expressway. If you arrive a bit late on that evening and would like to catch up with the rest of the group, call Mike Wagenbach, the Site Supervisor, our host and our fearless leader for the evening, on his cell, at 773.216.3946. Or just set on the porch a spell and the group will return for the regular business meeting around 7:30-7:45. Thanks, Mike, for the hospitality! Here’s a closeup of the model in its new home:
DANIEL BURNHAM AND THE CALUMET REGION: Rod Sellers will present a talk on the topic “The Burnham Plan: Impetus for Change on Chicago’s Southeast Side” at the Vodak East Side Library, 3710 E. 106th Street, on Thursday, June 4, at 7 p.m. The talk is sponsored by the library and by the Southeast Chicago Historical Society. For further info call the library at 312.747.5500. Rod is also on the program two weeks later when the Calumet Ecological Park Association hosts an evening of fun and information called “The Calumet Celebrates the Burnham Plan.” This event takes place Thursday, June 18, 7:00 p.m., at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 112th St. and Ewing Ave., Chicago. The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments. The ShawChicago players will perform a special skit. Rod’s presentation will be followed by Nicole Kamins, Chicago Department of Environment, “The Calumet Initiative;” and Eleanor Roemer, Friends of the Parks, “The Last Four Miles.” Everyone is invited to take part in this celebration. For more information contact Judy Lihota at (773) 646-4773. DISTINGUISHED FRIEND: At last month’s 23rd Annual South Suburban Heritage Association Conference in Homewood, CHP Board Member Cynthia Ogorek was named this year’s winner of its Distinguished Friend of South Suburban Heritage award. No wonder: Cynthia is author of two books on the region’s history, The Lincoln Highway Around Chicago and Along the Calumet River; owner of Calumet City-based The Public Historian; Outstanding Alumna of 2008 of the History and Political Science Department of Purdue Calumet; and a longtime active member of CHP. She led a terrific bus trip of the Lincoln Highway through the Calumet region for the CHP annual conference just last fall. The South Suburban Heritage Association was founded in the mid-1980s as a means to locate and identify resources related to the history and culture of the south Cook County area. It also seeks to strengthen and promote its member organizations. The annual conferences have delved into topics as varied as transportation heritage, the French in the southern suburbs and religious diversity. This year’s program celebrated the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth with a look at his influence on the southern suburbs. Here is SSHA’s home on the web: http://march14th.org/home. TREE CARE ALONG THE BURNHAM GREENWAY: The Burnham Greenway in southeast Chicago is an example of the rails-to-trails transformation that is sweeping through the Calumet region. On Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m, volunteers are needed to water the trees and perennials planted along the path. Meet at 108th Street and Avenue D, Chicago. Call John at 773.991.0613 or Judy at 773.646.4773 for more information. This event is sponsored by Trees “R” Beautiful and the Calumet Ecological Park Association. “THE CALUMET REGION: AN AMERICAN PLACE”: Photographer Gary Cialdella’s new book is now out and it looks terrific. It’s jointly published by the University of Illinois Press and the Brauer Museum of Art at Valparaiso University. “DISCOVER CALUMET” ONLINE: Last month we told you about the Spring, 2009 issue of Chicago Wilderness magazine, featuring the people and places of the Calumet region with a three-page foldout map section of the region from Blue Island to Michigan City. Now you should know that the entire issue, including the map insert, a list of friends, and the magazine’s Calumet-related articles from the past dozen years or so, are all available online at http://www.chicagowildernessmag.org/calumet/ . I-WITNESS TO SOUTH SHORE HISTORY: I’ve seen the prototype of this bi-monthly electronic newsletter sponsored by the Historical Community of Northwest Indiana and created by Ken Schoon at Indiana University Northwest, and it will be an outstanding resource. Groups sponsoring history-related events are welcome to submit information (including admission charges) for the next issue. Groups are also welcome to send email addresses of persons interested in receiving the newsletter. There is no charge or obligation. To send news, send an email to [email protected] with the subject: News. To subscribe send an email to [email protected] with the subject: Subscribe. To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] with the subject: Unsubscribe. NEWS?: If you or your organization have items that you’d like to post in this newsletter, email the editor, Mark Bouman, at [email protected]. |
