Highland Park Historical Society

10/15/2026

#1926 The Highland Park Woman's Club, led by president Nellie Martin Seyfarth (1878-1928), hosted the Better American Homes Exposition at their clubhouse. For three days more than 4000 souls visited the Clubhouse (now the Community House) to view fifty exhibitors, listen to music by violinist Agnes Knoflikova (1898-1931) and view a spectrum of "Better Homes" ideas and examples.

The "Better Homes" movement brought together a diverse group of local and national and public and private organizations. The high school's Boy-built homes represent local initiatives related to the movement; the first example being "Sunbeam Cottage" on Centerfield Court. (The local school effort continued into the 1950s.)

Artist Tom Milton Wilder (1876-1956) created this woodcut for the 50th anniversary of the Highland Park Woman's Club. His spouse, Edna (née Higman) (1881- 1943), was also an artist, a violinist. She was a charter member of the the Ravinia Woman's Club and the Highland Park Music Club.

The entire Sunbeam Cottage fold-out postcard can be found on the Digital Library of America and Illinois Digital Library.
List image credit "Guidebook of Better Homes..." via National Agricultural Library.

10/04/2026

Bob O'Link Golf Club Hullabaloo, 1926. E E Andrews, Robert Smith, Theodore Butz and Howard Smith were founders of the club that opened November 25, 1916 .

Five years later, a two-thirds majority of club members voted to make Bob-O-Link men only "much in the nature of Old Old Elm.*" Golf Illustrated captioned aphoto, "The Bob-O-Link Club joins the Eveless Eden Class."* Various reasons in a spectrum of publications and manuscripts cite an emphasis on golf rather than social activities or that the women golf too slowly as reasons for the change.

A 1926 article is Hotel World** about the Fourth Chicago Golf Tournament states, "Its members are rough, tough and full of cockle burrs for they won't let a woman inside the front gate."

Other photos: Excerpts from Club 1918 Yearbook ; The Architectural forum v.28 n6, 1918.
*Golf illustrated, v16, n3, 1921. **Hotel World. Chicago, Ill, v103, n10, 1926.

10/02/2026

Briergate Station construction and statue, 1926 .

The North Shore Line Skokie Valley Route operated 1922-1963. The electric "interurban" tracks route ran roughly parallel to the current tracks where the Skokie Valley bike path is. The route was meant to be faster and more seamless than the (original) Chicago Milwaukee to the East. The Company called it a "high-speed cutoff."*

The building included housing for the station master. New housing developed in the newly annexed area concurrently, including Nixon Gardens and Sunset Terrace.
The building still stands on Old Deerfield Road although it is no longer a commuter rail hub.

*Transit journal, v24, 1924.
Photo credits: Railroad Collection, Henry X Arenberg Collection, Railway signaling, v19, 1926, p. 290.

09/27/2026

Highland Park Diamonds, 1889. From left Fred Crosby, Clinton Spencer, Harry "Fatty" Simons, Jonathan "Win" Carver, Anson Morgan, Parul Starrett, Frank Rodky, Charles Warren, Clarene "Cad" Downs.

Charles Warren (1869-1950) is notable in that he founded the store that became the beloved Garnetts. He also represents a link to the founding Baptist Church and community in the village of Ravinia where he taught Sunday School.

In 1904 or 1905, Warren founded the Chas. H. Warren Store at the southeast corner of First and Central Ave. in new construction along the hotel. He added several partners before dissolving the company and selling to J. B. Garnett. He also worked for the Highland Park Bank and Trust as a cashier. Previous to founding his store, he worked in sales for the Nonotuck Silk Company.

As a toddler, Warren emigrated from England with his family. There were five brothers. Edward Augustus Warren, Jr. (1863-1941) became involved in local government elected as alderman (1895, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1907, 1908) and city clerk (1911-1927).

His wife, Annie Rhees Hammond Warren (1863-1912), was the great-granddaughter of the Welsh Baptist Minister, Morgan John Rhees (1760-1804), who fled persecution for his "radical" beliefs in the French Revolution, abolition of slavery and self-determination. This is another tie to the early Baptist community in Ravinia.

Their 1896 wedding announcement described Warren as an "unassuming, modest young man and an earnest Christian worker."* Annie died after a long illness in 1912. Her mother Mary Rhees Hammond (1839-1913), who lived with them, died a few months later. Two other children had died in infancy and adolescence.

Warren remarried twice, eventually moving to Florida.

*per a Hammond family history citing the "Highland Park Gazette."

09/18/2026

Jun Fujita: Behind the Camera
Link to youtube video is in the comments.

Presented by author and grand-nephew Graham Harrison Lee via Zoom.

Ground-breaking Japanese-American photographer, Fujita (1888–1963) photographed SS Eastland disaster, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the Chicago Race Riots of 1919, and and many other events for the Chicago Evening News.

A contemporary of local photographer Jesse Lowe Smith (1869-1935), Fujita photographed the local flora and fauna, especially the Indiana Dunes.

His photographic work in Highland Park has been discovered recently.

09/18/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNiaGxjATSw

"Jun Fujita: Behind the Camera" Presented by author and grand-neph...

09/15/2026

Please join us Thursday, September 17, 7 PM via Zoom.
(DM or email for link and log on.)

Jun Fujita: Behind the Camera", presented by author and grand-nephew Graham Harrison Lee.

Ground-breaking Japanese-American photographer, Fujita (1888–1963) photographed SS Eastland disaster, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the Chicago Race Riots of 1919, and and many other events for the Chicago Evening News.
A contemporary of local photographer Jesse Lowe Smith (1869-1935), Fujita photographed the local flora and fauna, especially the Indiana Dunes.

His photographic work in Highland Park has been discovered recently.

Photo credit: Richardson, W. Eldred;. "Jun Fujita, photographer at work, Bloomington, IL 1940." McLean County Museum of History Pantagraph Negative Collection, 1940-1945 via Illinois Digital Archives.

09/14/2026

1752 : American colonies woke up from September 2 to September 14 when the American Colonies (and Great Britain) jumped from the Old Style Julian to the Georgian calendar.
The "Flag of New England" and similar variations were flown by the colonies in the mid-eighteenth century The cross of St. George, the patron saint of England, continued to appear on flags into the early days of the American Revolution.
Jesse Lowe Smith (1869-1934) use photography of flags, including this one, to illustrate the history of the United States.

09/11/2026

Found last week, at an estate sale in the Highlands, HP, where I grew up. Wayne Thomas Elementary School, Mrs. Miller's class (she was my teacher!) early 70's.
"City", a kindergartener's first school project. read to the end.

Remembrance and memories, today and every day

09/07/2026

Happy and safe Day This photo of the 1957 Labor Day Regatta features #110 Pete Weinert and #55 Bob Knight of the inside the breakwater.

A front page notice in the 1941 Highland Park Press advise safety!

Photo credit: Childhood at North Shore Yacht Club in the 1950s. NSYC, records.