Posts Tagged ‘Crown Point’

My World # 33

May 26, 2009
My boyhood home on Court Street. July, 2000.

My boyhood home on Court Street. July, 2000.

This is my post for the My World meme.  It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, Louise and Fishing Guy.  Last week there were 100 people sharing their worlds.  To see more of our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

The house in the picture above is the first house I remember from my childhood.  It’s on Court Street in Crown Point, Indiana.  This picture is a scan from a slide made in 2000, but we moved from that house when I was six.  I was amazed to find that it was still standing.

When we lived in the house there were two large trees in front between the sidewalk and the street.  Mom, Dad, my little brother and I lived on the second floor.  Another couple with two children the ages of my brother and me lived on the first floor.  During good weather we would all play together in front of the house and on the porch.

The kindergarten that I attended was on Court Street and my grandmother also lived on that same street.  So Court Street was a major part of my world for a few years.

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Posted in My World | 9 Comments »

A Covered Bridge

February 2, 2009
The Covered Bridge at Lake County Fairgrounds. July, 2002.

The Covered Bridge at Lake County Fairgrounds. July, 2002.

My blogging friend Tarolino gave me the challenge of opening my fourth picture folder and displaying the fourth picture.  This is a tag that many of you have played, but I have never played this particular version.

The picture above is the covered bridge in the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown  Point, Indiana.  The picture was taken in July, 2002, when I took Betsy to visit my hometown.  The bridge, which was built in 1878, was constructed in southern Indiana, but moved to northern Indiana in 1933.  It’s been in the fairgrounds ever since.

When I was growing up I was in 4-H and exhibited livestock at the fair for several years.  I often crossed the bridge when I was exhibiting.  The pavilions in the background are more recent additions and were not there when I exhibits at the fair.

The Lake County Fairgrounds covered bridge. July, 2002.

The Lake County Fairgrounds covered bridge. July, 2002.

The bridge was (and is) in a wooded setting and is quite pretty.  This second picture (which was number 5 in the folder) gives a better perspective of the bridge’s setting in the fairgrounds.

I’m not going to tag any one.  If you would like to participate please do so.

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Posted in Travels | 31 Comments »

My World 13

January 12, 2009
The South Ward school building, Crown Point, Indiana. July, 2002.

The South Ward school building, Crown Point, Indiana. July, 2002.

This building was an important part of my world in 1947, since I attended kindergarten there.  South Ward in Crown Point, Indiana, is the school shown above in a picture taken in July, 2002.  The picture may be enlarged by clicking on it.

South Ward was on the same street (Court Street) as the house where my family lived.  The house was about three blocks from the school.  When I started kindergarten, my Mom walked to and from school, but after she became convinced that I knew how to cross the streets she let me walk without her.  Most of my classmates also walked by themselves — it was a different world back then.

My class was in the front of the building on the first floor.  It has the windows to the left of the front door.  We had low tables and chairs, too low for adults to use.  If I remember correctly there were four places at each table.  There was also a place in the room for our daily nap time.

Sometime in the last few years the building has been converted to condominiums.  The parking lot is where the playground used to be.  I have not been in the building since it was converted.

One other thing — South Ward used to be South Ward High School.  That was the high school from which my Dad graduated.

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Posted in American Life | 30 Comments »

Was I Really This Young?

January 5, 2009
The boys of Crown Point YMF with their church model. 1953

The boys of Crown Point MYF with their church model. 1953

My friend Jerry sent me the above picture.  It was taken in the Spring of 1953 when I was eleven years old.  The picture shows the boys in our MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) with a model of the new church building that was then being proposed for our congregation.  We built the model using blue prints the architect of the proposed building had drawn up.

In those pre-Politically Correct days, the boys and girls of MYF had different activities.  The little girl to the right in the picture is the daughter of Mr. Neidigh, our advisor.  The picture was taken in Mr. Neidigh’s home, where we did most of the work on the model.

Our church building at that time was next door to the Lake County Jail in Crown Point, Indiana.  A wall separated the church from the jail, but prisoners on the top floor of the jail could look out of their windows and see people entering or leaving the church.  Usually the prisoners just looked (we kids looked back) but the situation did give rise to funny feelings every once in a while.

The Lake County Jail was rather famous (or infamous) in that part of the country.  John Dillinger, the notorious bank robber, escaped from our jail using a ‘pistol’ he carved out of wood and blackened with shoe polish.  Lake County had a woman sheriff at the time of Dillinger’s escape — I’m not sure there has been another woman sheriff since!

The last time I was back in Crown Point the old jail was being  remodeled into a museum.  The new church building is still there, several blocks down the street from the old jail.  The model was destroyed by fire several years ago.

Incidently, Mr. Neidigh is standing on the left in the picture and Jerry is in the back in the middle.  I’m standing in the back between the two of them.

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Posted in American Life | 19 Comments »