From the President

By: Kathy Gemperle

As the Edgewater Historical Society begins its second year, we are looking forward to the challenges ahead. Our Board of Directors has started a WISH LIST in the hopes that anyone able to help will get involved.

Many area residents have donated memorabilia and research materials but the development of our collection awaits a permanent home. In the meantime, we are working with the Edgewater Community Council, the North Lakeside Cultural Center, the Edgewater Branch Library and the Swedish American Museum to secure space.

We hope to begin a more thorough search for historic photographs of Edgewater this year. With the recent contribution of $500 from the Edgewater Community Council, we can now have reproductions made for EHS and return the originals to their owners. Once copies are procured, we will be in a position to make more photos available for research and exhibits in our community. Please contact me if you are willing to let us copy any old photos of Edgewater streets, buildings and people.

We recently received a wonderful donation of some 1930s photos of the area from Pearl Plensener. She also contributed a postcard of the original Church of the Atonement, used as a Sunday school attendance record for her mother. Thanks, Pearl!

Photographing the changes in the Edgewater scene is another task before us. We need a photographer who is willing to keep track of some of these changes as Edgewater goes through the construction process on some of our commercial and residential streets. We have some funds available for this.

Our first annual meeting was a great success and we wish we had recorded it. John Simmons’s slide show of Chicago postcards set everyone to talking. Even John was surprised by the stories! The celebration was “top drawer” thanks to the elegant cake donated by the Swedish Bakery, 5348 N. Clark. Mr. George Stanton, former chef of the Edgewater Beach Hotel, is the owner. His son is the artist who drew the fantastic marzipan copy of our logo for the cake!

And speaking of gastronomic pleasures, how about a picnic in July? It’s in the planning stages for July 15 or 22 at Berger Park. Besides enjoying baskets of homemade goodies, we’ll be imagining the lakeside life style of the Sheridan Road homeowner years ago. We will also tour the site and solicit ideas for a suitable marker to commemorate the work and planning of John L. Cochran, who developed Edgewater and gave it its name. Watch for a flyer at the end of June.

House Tour plans continue now that the date has been set for September 17. JoAnn Varga Holmes and the House Tour Committee are busy coordinating what needs to be done between now and then. If anyone is interested and available to do some research at City Hall during his/her lunch hour, please give JoAnn a call.

And if you joined EHS last spring, please remember that membership renewals are due. We hope we can count on your continued support and energy.

Hope to see you at the picnic!