ECC: Beginnings

"The Edgewater Community Council was officially established on November 27, 1960, when at a well-attended community meeting by-laws were adopted and offices elected.  The community meeting culminated a year’s planning effort, which included the establishment of several task forces, a community meeting in June, an extensive outreach to the community, and the opening of an office on Broadway. Edgewater’s religious leaders were very active in the effort.

The first project of ECC was undertaken soon after the formation meeting.  It was called VAN-OF-CANS, and it was project to aid the less fortunate of the community. The project was for the school children of Edgewater to bring cans of food and in return receive admission to a movie shown at Mundelein College’s Theatre.  The movie was the "Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" and played December 23rd."

–taken from ECC’s Special 35th Anniversary Anniversary Supplement–Part 1 (Winter/Spring 1996).

The year was 1960. Eisenhower was in is last full year as President; a six-pack cost $.99; and the Edgewater Community Council was born.

Rogers Park to the north and Uptown to the south had community organizations for several years’, and so it was natural that like-minded citizens in Edgewater should want a community wide organization for their community as well. The effort started early in the year (if not before) though precisely when is uncertain, as is also who it was who took the lead in calling others together to plan the undertaking.

The June 1, 1960, issue of the Edgewater-Uptown News, was the first documentation of the undertaking. Under the headline—“Edgewater Council to Organize: Hugh Steering Group set Meeting for Wednesday, June 15”—the article listed the members of the steering committee and outlined the projects suggested for the new organization. The following members of the steering committee were listed: Alderman Paul Wigoda (49th): State Representative Paul Edward (8th); Frank Lyman and Edward Berard, 1st Commercial Bank; William M. Barr, Barr Funeral Home; Frank Nichols; owner of Snowdrop Inn; Charles Holleb, attorney; Leo Fanagan, public relations director, Mundelein College; and Ellis Shaffer, 6101 Sheridan Road. Almost all of Edgewater’s religious institutions were represented on the steering committee. Rabbi Herman Schaalman, Temple Emanual; Rev. J.C. Curtis, Immanuel Lutheran; Rev. Nicholas Lotz, Epworth Methodist Church; Rev. Ralph Pomeroy, Bethany Lutheran Church; Rev. James W. Lyons, St Gertrude’s Church; Rt. Rev. Msgr, Arthur F. Terlecke, St Greogory Church and Rev. Gerard C. Picard, St. Itas’ Church.

.The following projects were suggested: elimination of building violations, planting of new trees, poverty relief, traffic and safety program, a new public library, promotion of neighborliness by group meetings and cultural exchanges, additional playlots and playgrounds, new beaches, and the paving of unpaved alleys.

Each member of the steering committee was given the assignment of suggesting names of residents who should be invited to become members of the new organization. The organizing meeting was held June 15th at the Sovereign Hotel at 8:15 pm. Presumably, it was at this meeting that committees were formed and provisional chairman were elected, because the June 28, 1960, issue of the Edgewater-Uptown News announced the following committees and their chairmen: Rev. Curtis; financial: Rev. Nicholas Lotz: Anthony Murray, 1442 Norwood; membership: Frank Nichols; public relations: Leo Flanagan.

Interestingly enough, in light of subsequent developments over the years, the first issue of controversy was the southern boundary of the area to be covered by the organization. As originally planned, the Edgewater organization had Foster as its southern boundary. The Uptown Chicago commission, already in existence for several years had Bryn Mawr as its northern boundary. Thus, the area between Bryn Mawr and Foster would be claimed by two organizations. The June 28th article announced that a meeting between members of the steering committee and officials of the Uptown Chicago Commission was to take place “this week”. There was no subsequent mention of the meeting in the next issue, so it is uncertain whether the meeting was actually held, and if it was, whether anything was resolved at the time. Apparently it wasn’t, for the issue came up again in the fall.

The official inception of the organization was Sunday, November 27, 1960. At an evening general meeting in it’s headquarters office at 6163 N. Broadway, by-laws were adopted and officers were elected. The Edgewater-Uptown News covered the event before and after. In the November 22, 1960, issue, the chairman of the steering committee, rev. C.J. Curtis, of Immanual Evangelical Church was quoted as follows: “A small group of men have been meeting for several months, attempting to lay the Foundation for a strong and lasting foundation that will inspire active participation among the community.” “This organization will truly be a community council because it specifically makes a place for those with every type of interest, regardless of race or creed, and regardless of whether they are tenants, property owners or businessmen.”

Post coverage of the event was front page and extensive under the headline: “Edgewater Community Council Gets Off Gound, Elects Hollb.” According to the account 400 People attended the meeting, at which professor Kermit Eby of the University of Chicago’s sociology department, gave the keynote speech.

When the bylaws came up for ratification, the southern boundary questions came up again. It was decided to defer action on the article addressing the boundaries of the new organization until the next meeting and to adopt the remaining articles. This was done unanimously. Discussion revealed the rationale for proposing Foster as the southern boundary: St. Gregory Church had requested it, so it could become a member of the organization. It was pointed out “that if the southern boundary were Bryn Mawr from the from the lake to Clark, and Foster from Clark to the railroad tracks, there would be not overlapping of territories with the Uptown Chicago Commission and St. Gregory’s would be included.

The following officers were elected: President: Charles M. Holleb, Jr., 5848 N. Kenmore, and attorney who has been acting as legal counsel to the organization committee; Vice-President: Pastor C.J Curtis, Frank Nichols, and Rabbi Herman Schaalman:Treaurer: Ellis Shaffer; and Recording Secretary, Thomas Geary. The new board included the ministers and rabbis of 22 churches and temples, representatives of 4 grade schools, Senn High School, Mundelein College, 7 businessmen in Edgewater, 12 property owners, and 10 individual and family members. The meeting closed at 10:30 p.m. with benediction by Paster Ralph Pomeroy. Fortunately, a photograph was taken of the new officers; remarkably it was preserved and is reproduced here.

Commentary

Several things are interest about the beginnings of the Edgewater Community Council:

Despite the key role that women would play in the organization beginning in the late seventies, no women apparently were involved in the organizing effort. And all the first officers were men, even the Secretary, which in many organizations of the time was an office allotted to women, reflection no doubt the business environment.

While the clergy of Edgewater took an active lead in the organizing of the Council, that extensive personal involvement was not long lasting. By the middle 60’s the role of the clergy had declined, with the leadership clearly in the hands of individual residents. While the religious institutions continued their moral and financial support for many, many years-the personal involvement of so many individual clergymen never again reached the level it did during the organizing effort. At most no more than 4 clergymen served on the Board at any one time. And alone of the founding clergymen, Pastor Ralph Pomeroy served on the Board beyond the first few years. He in fact, served until his death in 1977.

The southern boundary question, which was an issue from the very start, was apparently not resolved soon after the first meeting. Since at least 1972, the ECC by-laws have shown Foster as the southern boundary, and during the 1970’s it was a matter of dispute between the two organizations. Research into the history of Edgewater in the middle of the 1970’s showed that there was a historical rationale for initially defining Foster as the southern boundary, as it was the southern boundary of Edgewater’s first subdivision. The 1980 City of Chicago designation of Edgewater as a community area distinct from Uptown, with a southern boundary of Foster appears to have finalized the dispute.

–from an undated, unsigned document found in the ECC collection