Valvoline / Pure Oil at Lake and Sherman in Evanston

Here's another series of photographs on eBay that will probably only be of interest to other local history geeks. (I won't be bidding on them this week, so don't worry about outbidding me and hurting my feelings.) From the auction description:

This combination of photos represents 2 generations of stations at a Pure Oil Company service station at the intersection of Lake and Sherman in E--, IL. All photos are black and white.

Photos 1 and 2 - 3X5 of the station when it was owned by someone else...circa 1920s based on the vehicles.

Photos 3 and 4 - 3X5 after branded Pure Oil. You can see the Pure Oil sign...circa 1920s based on the vehicles.


Photos 5 and 6 - 8X10 of the traditional Pure Oil cottage design constructed primarily in the 1930s...Circa 1930s based on the vehicles and gas pump design. Both photos have some very small tears in the border and some very slight creases but are generally in very good condition.

The seller, LibraryFriendsFund, has many other interesting and unique photos for sale. I absolutely love this kind of stuff, seeing how the neighborhood has changed over time. Here's what the Lake and Sherman intersection looks like today: (Well, not really today, silly people. Today it wasn't rainy and overcast. Or summer.)

Theodore Roosevelt Visits Our Town, 1903

All we've done on The Box House the last few days is clean, clean, clean, continue to try to find new homes for stuff left by the previous owners, and interview possible tenants for the second floor unit. We've had maybe a dozen inquiries over the last few days, and a few who took applications. There are more appointments scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday, and a couple more who want to take a look over the weekend. I think we'll find a decent enough match (touch wood).

But man, what a weird situation to be in. Here I am, judging these people the entire time I'm showing them around, and they're doing the same to me and the building. When it comes to the end of the tour, a gut impression has already been formed--and I'm insulted when somebody I liked doesn't ask for an application or another appointment. What's wrong with my house? Why aren't you jumping at it? Others are overly eager, praising the unit up and down and already envisioning where they're going to put the sofa. Some take applications, relaying elaborate explanations for what we'll find when we pull their credit. Each tour ends with a Box House family meeting where we share our overall impressions. Even the dog seems to weigh in with an opinion, having wagged her tail at some, barked her head off or whined at others. Don't laugh, I take her opinion seriously as well. Maybe she senses something we don't.

I'll be glad to have the whole process behind us.

Anyway, one of my ways to de-stress is to surf the Library of Congress digital collection. I'm such a geek, I know. Tonight I stumbled upon a series of images from a 1903 visit Teddy Roosevelt made to our town. Living in a post-Kennedy assassination world, it's strange for me to see a political leader so open and vulnerable. And really, I wish everybody still decorated with good old-fashioned bunting like that. I think I'll look for some to put up this Fourth of July.

Greetings from ...

When Ted and I lived in Uptown Chicago, we obsessively collected vintage postcards of the neighborhood. I've begun to collect ones for here, too, which we'll frame and hang...oh...somewhere. Eventually. I'm great at gathering art, photos, images to hang and not so great at getting them framed.

From time to time, I'll feature some of them here. Many of the ones I hope to find for myself showcase the terrific architecture of 80-100 years ago.

Update: This one is also available as a poster.

Evanston Postcard History Book

There seems to be an Arcadia Publishing book available for every Town, District, and Hamlet across America. I love these books--sometimes they're the only regional history book you'll find for an area--and now there is one coming out for Evanston: Evanston by Mimi Peterson is part of Arcadia's postcard history series.

I'm sure the book will show the Francis Willard home (below), but will it also feature Samantha Baker's residence from Sixteen Candles, which was filmed, in part, in northwest Evanston? When the weather warms, and when I buy a new bike, I'm going to take my new bike on down to see the "Molly Ringwald" house for myself. I loved that movie, and I'll still watch it if I catch a glimpse of it while channel surfing.

Home of Francis Willard (1839-1898), American educator, suffragist, and president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. This image is from the 1920s; I think the house is being decorated for the Fourth of July.

From the promo literature for Evanston:

Book Description
Enjoy a trip through historic Evanston. See how Davis Street and Sherman and Orrington Avenues appeared around the beginning of the 20th century. Learn how Fountain Square has evolved and how the Merrick Rose Garden is connected. See Northwestern University as it was founded, along with early Evanston’s lakefront, city hall, library, and post office. Many of the buildings shown in this book are still standing, while others have been demolished. In some postcard views the stately elm trees of later decades are seen as saplings. The Library Plaza Hotel, North Shore Hotel, and Georgian Hotel are here as well, along with the historic schools, churches, train depots, and, of course, Grosse Point Lighthouse, which all helped shape the city in its formative years.

About the Author
Mimi Peterson is a longtime Evanston resident and community activist. She is cofounder of To Rescue Evanston Elms (TREE), the organization that spawned preservation of the city’s historic elm population. Peterson creates a visual essay using nearly 200 vintage postcards to share a unique snapshot of Evanston in the early 1900s.

A Brief History of Evanston Illinois

This is adorable. I found it while surfing online for more information on the history of our town; it's playing on YouTube. Click on the arrow in the middle of the image to play or so straight to YouTube to see this and other videos by user JohnsonBrand2000.