‘It was a better place to see back then’
I recall downtown Waukegan and seeing the trolley car traveling on the red brick streets on Genesee, right down the street. They would run by and people on the car would wave and say hi.
Now, down on the lakefront, or maybe I should say below the bluff just east of Sheridan Road, was the train station with locomotive trains with steam engines standing next to the station house. Just east of there was the coal yard for the city and Lake County residents.
I remember the coal truck cominng to the home in the winter. Looking out the window, I would watch the one man shovel a load of coal down the coal shoot to our basement. What hard that was — one big dump truck.
Downtown Waukegan was the place to go, walking along the sidewalk. The store fronts had their window canopies down to block out the noon sun. Those awnings had many different colors.
At the corner of Washington and Genesee was the news stand and a man with a bundle of paper in his arm yelling, “Get your paper.” Some called him a news boy. He looked very old to me and he talked funny.
At the corner of Washington and West streets was Sears, my favorite place to go during the Christmas season. They decorated that place — it looked like a gift just for you. This was the place to go see Sanda and the elves.
Yes, there were many other good places to shop downtown. It was a better place to see back then, 50 to 55 years ago. Many good memories of long ago.
Edwin Bieda
Waukegan
Downtown shopping
My first memories of downtown Waukegan were visiting my grandmother who worked at Neisner’s. It was always a special visit as she allowed my sister and myself to be in the staff room to see others she worked with. And then she allowed us to pick out something special for a dime! I felt like a princess with those visits.
When I was old enough to take the bus from North Chicago to the downtown area, I always went into the Globe. I loved riding the elevator and going to the second floor to visit the millinery department and looking at all the beautiful hats. Perhaps that’s why I’m a member of the Red Hat Society today. I also loved going to Sears at Christmas time. Our yearly visit to sit on Santa Claus’s lap there was greatly anticipated. It just wasn’t Christmas without our Sears visit. I also met my first boyfriend shopping at Sears. Downtown Waukegan will always hold a special place in my heart with many happy memories.
Susan Jakimiak Aloisio
Clarksville, Tenn.
She was Waukegan’s first woman police officer
Having spent most of my adult life in Waukegan, meeting Jack Benny on the stage at the dedication of Jack Benny Jr. High School, experiencing the race riots down on south Genesee Street. Loving Walgreens downtown, Neisner’s, Woolworth’s, The Times, Genesee, Rialto, Sears, Lanathan’s, Globe, Montgomery Ward and the Waukegan Skating Rink and many many more, but the largest impact on my life was being a member of the 58 people who were fired from the Waukegan Police Department. I spent 12 years doing the job that I dearly loved. I was Waukegan’s first woman police officer. I finally vote for whom I want, since we were forced to vote the way we were told to vote.
Carol J. (Preder) Buchta
Honoring Central School
I was the last president of Central School PTA before they tore the school down. I presented the bronze plaque that hangs where you entered the library, given to the librarain that stated “Former site of Central School, 1889-1964. It was such an honor to present this plaque. Yet many memories were left behind — such a wonderful school and the many wonderful teachers there.
Nancy Pataky, Wadsworth
