By Elinor Schoback Lynch, Palm Desert, CAMy father, Louis Schoback, was propri-etor of a tailoring business at 2144 South Clarence Avenue in Berwyn from 1927 through 1948. I was just a year old when he leased a store and started the business in a recently built two-story building at 22nd Street (Cermak Road) and Clarence Avenue, housing several stores, apartments and professional offi ces. It was a good loca-tion for a business – near the Douglas Park “L” line which ran from Oak Park Avenue, the end of the line, all the way to downtown Chicago.

Dad had arrived in this country in September 1913, at the age of 20. Born in what was then Austria-Hungary, he left his family home at the age of 14½ to be apprenticed to a tailor in the city of Zagreb, now the major city in Croatia. He received room and board from the master tailor and his wife, but no wages. However, he learned the trade which would serve him well during his lifetime. In the four years of Dad’s teen-age apprentice-ship, he was able to go home to visit his family at Christ-mas just twice.

After completing his apprenticeship he heard

from other young tailors-to-be of opportunities in European cities and eventually joined one of his friends in moving to Vienna, and ultimately to Zurich, Switzer-land, securing employment with a busy tailor who made

in this issue

The Craft of a Berwyn Tailor 1From the Workbench 321st Antique and Collectible Sale 5Berwyn’s Centennial Oral History Project 6

Update on World War I Memorial 6BHS Membership and Donations 7In Rememberance... 7Renew your membership! 8

c O n T I n u e d O n Pag e 2

w I n T e r 2011 • v o l u M e 30 • n u M B e r 3

The Craft of a Berwyn Tailor

Avenue, housing several stores, apartments and professional offi ces. It was a good loca-tion for a business – near the Douglas Park “L” line which ran from Oak Park Avenue, the end of the line, all the way to downtown

Dad had arrived in this country in September 1913, at the age of 20. Born in what was then Austria-Hungary, he left his family home at the age of 14½ to be apprenticed to a tailor in the city of Zagreb, now the major city in Croatia. He received room and board from the master tailor and his wife, but no wages. However, he learned the trade which would serve him well during his

his apprenticeship he heard from other young tailors-to-be of opportunities in

L e f T : L O u I s s c h O B a c K ,

B e r w y n Ta I L O r , 1927 – 1948

B o T T o M : f o r T h o s e w h o M ay

h av e n e v e r s e e n a r e a l

Ta i l o r ’ s T h i M B l e – w h i c h i s

O P e n aT T h e f I n g e r T I P .

i M ag e s p r o v i d e d B y w r i T e r .

Our Mission is to preserve, protect and promote architectural and historic resources in Berwyn through advocacy

and education.

The Berwyn Historical Society was formed in 1979 to save the Berwyn train station. Its purpose is to preserve the history of Berwyn.

The Society is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization whose membership is open to all individuals, families, community organizations

and businesses. Our office is located in the North Berwyn Congregational Church,

1241 South Oak Park Avenue. Membership in-cludes educational programs, invitation to special

events and quarterly newsletters.

B oa r d M e M B e r s

Reverend David Olson PresidentKristine Dillon Vice President

Diane Mastny TreasurerSabine Krauss Secretary

Tammy Clausen Matt Schademann

Josephine Tucci

Kristine Dillon Graphic Design Sabine Krauss Layout

Past-Times is a publication of the BHS. Copyright©2011

We welcome replies to the information contained in this newsletter. Article

contributions are also welcome. Please call or write us at the above address. The Past-Times

newsletter is a membership benefit of the Berwyn Historical Society.

T h e c r a f T O f a B e r w y n Tay L O r c O n T I n u e d

2

uniforms for the waiters on the French Riviera. He loved the lively tempos of both Vienna and Zurich, especially Zurich, where he said he was paid in gold. But his two older brothers who were already in Amer-ica kept writing him to join them, and Dad decided to go to America.

After arriving in America and going through processing at Ellis Is-land, he boarded a train to Gary, Indiana, to the home of his married brother Andrew. One of the first things he did was to register for evening school to learn the English language. He had become flu-ent in German in Austria and Switzerland but believed in learning and speaking the language of one’s adopted country and he attended classes for about two years.

As a bachelor he was free to travel to various cities where he always found work – Pittsburgh, PA, Youngstown, OH, Dubuque, IA, and Chicago, IL, which proved to be my father’s definitive move because there he met and married my mother. Mother and Dad later were em-ployed by Hart Schaffner & Marx. Although Dad’s goal was to be a de-signer, with that company he was told he was too young. So he decided to go into business for himself, and Berwyn was chosen because it was a vital, growing community. Mother, who had been born in Chicago, frequently assisted Dad in the new shop with some of the basic tasks. As the business grew, he employed an extra tailor from time to time.

While Dad’s real satisfaction came from creating garments, he also accommodated his customers who wanted dry cleaning service, using the best company he could find in Berwyn, the Pershing Road Clean-ers, to do an expert job. He even bought a fur machine and turned outdated women’s fur coats into stylish updated coats and jackets with beautiful new linings, pleasing many who did not realize that such a thing could be accomplished. Working with fur skins was a demand-ing but profitable task, and very interesting to observe.

The samples of Scottish woolens in Dad’s Berwyn store were in-triguing to me as a child. There were beautiful tweeds, twills and wor-steds. Everything was made of wool because synthetics or blends did not exist at that time. The swatches, or samples, arrived each season on rectangular white sample cards from his supplier who represented a company in Kilmarnock, Scotland, and from them, Dad chose bolts of woolen fabrics that he felt might be popular with his customers, displaying them in a showcase and also showing them as samples. Lin-ings, buttons, spools of silk thread, and other necessary items needed in his trade for making men’s suits were called “trimmings.” He drove into Chicago to purchase them, and I accompanied him frequently.

It was interesting to see the progress of a suit from Dad’s careful cutting with his special tailor’s shears on a large oak table through the progressive phases until it was time for the customer to come in for a first fitting before the long mirror. If additional corrections were

c O n T I n u e d O n Pag e 3

T o v o l u n T e e r o r f o r M o r e i n f o r M aT i o n , c o n Ta c T u s :

email: info@berwynhistoricalsociety.org phone: (708) 484-0020 or mail: Berwyn Historical Society,

PO Box 479, Berwyn, IL 60402

w w w. B e r w y n h I s T O r I c a L s O c I e T y . O r g

c O n T I n u e d O n Pag e 4

3

needed they would be noted with chalk and careful mea-surements were taken. Eventually the finished garment was complete and ready for delivery. Dad always used the words “garments” – never just “clothes” – and to him, it was a “suit of clothes” – never just a “suit.”

Custom tailors who make suits of clothes which fit per-fectly are now almost a thing of the past, and those expert tailors are treasured by those who can afford to patronize them. I believe that the Welsh author, Richard Llewellyn, writing about the craft of Welsh tailors in his classic work,

How Green Was My Valley, said it best:

“Every man to his business, but indeed the craft of a tailor is beyond all doubt as noble and as secret as any in the world. To take a bolt of cloth and work with such simple tools as chalk, needle and thread, scissors and hot iron, and bring from them a suit to fit every little bump and crevice of the body, without ugliness, is a royal mystery indeed, and ancient beyond the knowledge of man, for all mankind has had joy to deck himself, right from the beginning, and none shall say when that was”. ‡

T h e c r a f T O f a B e r w y n Tay L O r c O n T I n u e d

w w w. B e r w y n h I s T O r I c a L s O c I e T y . O r g

By Matt Schademann I believe it goes without saying that one of the crown jewels of Berwyn is the awesome collection of bungalows. The unprecedented prosperity of the roaring 20s paved the way for a torrent of homebuilding in which innovation was paired with high quality craftsmanship and an abundance of resources. A good two-thirds of our city was built during this time. According to a study by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Berwyn has the most significant collection of bungalows in the United States.

So what is it about the housing from this era that appeals to so many people? Is it the style? Floor plan? Structural fortitude? Building materials? My answer is ‘yes’. My own exhausting search for a home began three years ago; I was looking for an affordable vintage house with proximity to the Loop, and my search eventually led me to Berwyn. A native of the Northwest side, I’ve lived, worked and played along the “Bungalow Belt”* and have always admired vintage homes. My search criteria were set: If I could find a house that had not been irreparably altered from original design, I was up for the challenge of

restoration. When I came across one that also had such valued features as stained glass windows, subway tiles, a fireplace and oak trim, I knew I was hooked!

On the other hand, what was I getting into? I’m not a craftsman by trade, I’m a photographer. One hour after closing on my house, I rushed in with my new set of old keys, a pry bar, work gloves and a utility knife, and began the process of ripping up the 40-year-old carpeting to get to the hardwoods underneath. I couldn’t wait! It should only take me a half hour to pull it all up, right? Or so I thought. Four hours later I realized that nothing about restoring the house was going to be fast or easy. It was going to be a daunting process that would discourage and overwhelm me time and again. I quickly learned this was to be a marathon, not a sprint. I also learned that planning and research would be vital to any project I’d tackle in my new domain. At the very worst, damaging something was not an option and at best in error, I would have to redouble my efforts if I was not careful.

My dad was a painter, paperhanger and wood refinisher for several decades, and has amassed a wealth of knowledge in this time. I’ve picked up technique and

This is The firsT arTicle in a series dedicaTed To The homeowner who loves vinTage housing. maTT schademann will explain how many of The original feaTures of our

Berwyn homes were consTrucTed and inTended To funcTion, and he’ll share Tips for resToraTion, reTrofiTTing and mainTenance so you can remain faiThful To The original

design of your house.

From The Workbench

* a T e r M T h aT r e f e r s T o T h e c r e s c e n T s h a p e , f o r M e d B y T h e

n u M e r o u s B u n ga l ow s T h aT s u r r o u n d T h e c i T y o f c h i c ag o .

procedural workflow from him over the years, just as he had from his father. From out of state, Dad’s been able to make it to my house several times a year. We agreed from the start that he would not do the work for me, but rather, demonstrate how he approached a task. From him I learned how to dismantle molding and framework, strip woodwork, remove nails, stain, sand, patch and prep. I also gained a respectful understanding of the nature with which vintage homes were constructed and how building materials behave when you do “X, Y, and Z” to them. Once dad got me started and was confident I could work on my own, his departure fueled my desire to work on my projects with my newly acquired skills. If you had asked me what the goal was for my house when my agent sealed the deal, I would have shouted without hesitation, “To bring it back to 1927!!” Three years later I’m on my way to achieving that. But wait, they didn’t use polyurethane in the 20s! How much of a purist can I be with modern materials at my disposal? It would be almost impossible to completely restore a house from this time period back to its original construction. Light switches and wiring would not be up to code, lead pipes are out of the question, and lead paint has been banned from existence. I now realize

that we do the best we can within these constraints, and any restoration undertaking is going to be a hybrid of old and new materials, even styles. Beautifully well-preserved vintage light fixtures can be bought, in many cases for less than new ones, and reproduction push-button switches are readily available. So many of the working functions in these intelligently designed homes can be brought back to life without replacing (hinged storms, sash-window ropes, etc.). Unfortunately, original features in many vintage homes have been removed over the years in favor of “new and improved” versions, when without too much effort, they could have been restored and saved.

I believe this is a new era, an awakening and hunger for a much greater respect for the craftsmanship of these homes. Numerous books have been written about them, and there are countless websites for enthusiasts looking to retrofit a house, and of suppliers providing the tools to do so. Even if you are not of the mindset to restore your entire house all at once (and believe me that is a precarious mindset to be in once you start), you may be thinking “what if?” or “I’d love to tackle that one day.” With big dreams or baby steps, this column is dedicated to you. ‡

4

f r o M T h e wo r k B e n c h c o n T i n u e d

w w w. B e r w y n h I s T O r I c a L s O c I e T y . O r g

By Sabine Krauss “Bungalows & More” Committee Chair

Thanks to the BHS’s “Historic Berwyn’s Bungalow Tour” I feel like a Berwynite or a Berwyner, as some t-shirt says. Thanks to this event I am involved in my community and have met, and am meeting, many won-derful and interesting people.

My involvement started with a flyer I saw in a store in 2006, the year of the first tour. I was a docent for all 4 tours, and last year, I was involved early on in the planning where I learned a great deal from Kristine Dillon and David Olson, as well as other board members who had been involved in past tours. The BHS has many things planned for 2011, and I am dedicated to having the 5th “Bungalows & More” tour take place this year. However, the tour could never take place without YOU, the volunteer.

We need help at every step of the way, with planning, searching for houses, putting up posters and flyers, publicity, researching house histories, writing text for docents to share, set-up for the event, being a docent, just to name a few, all culminating in an event that presents the unique homes and the city of Berwyn in an engaging, professional and positive way.

If you have not come forward yet to offer your help, I hope this little plea will give you the push you need. If you know someone who may be willing to help, please tell them to contact us. If you have or know someone with a beautiful house to showcase in the tour, please email us at info@berwynhistoricalsociety.org or call my personal cell phone at 708.743.2428.

Let’s make it happen!

Do you want a 2011 “Bungalows & More” tour?we do and we need your help!

By Kristine Dillon Antique Show Committee Chair

On Sunday, April 10, 2011, the Berwyn Historical Society (BHS) is holding its 21st Annual Antique Show from 9 am to 3 pm. As the chairman of this year’s event, I’d like to share how our show began, a bit about antiques and the treasures you may fi nd for sale.

Jackie Wawrzyniak-Kveton, a long-time board member of the BHS, introduced the idea of an antique show as a way to raise money for the organization. At the time, Jackie sold antiques at the Kane County Fairgrounds during the weekend. It was logical to assume that other members of the BHS would also enjoy antiques, after all, many people who enjoy history also enjoy the objects that pertain to it. Th e fi rst show was held in the basement of the church where the BHS is currently housed. As the event became more popular and the need for more room increased, the venue was moved to the Pavek Community Center, where it is held to this day.

So what is an antique? Th e web site “Wikipedia” gives this explanation: “An antique (Latin: antiquus; old) is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age, beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features. It is an object that represents a previous era or time period in human society.” In the 1930s, the U.S. Customs Offi ce determined that an antique is an item with at least 100 years of age.

For those who like antiques, what makes them so ap-pealing? I’d answer this question by telling you I love the beauty or charm of a bygone era that antiques possess. I

am intrigued by the stories they whisper about a person, a place, or a specifi c time in history. A fellow board member who strives to live a “green” lifestyle loves the notion of “recycling” and is very keen to give an old treasure a new home. Another board member is a purist and is restoring his home; he is on the lookout for the “real McCoy” so to speak. He has hunted down authentic period light fi x-

tures, a thermostat, even tile for his bathroom fl oor. My friends Mary and Gail love the look of colorful Bakelite jewelry and are often seen wearing mul-tiple pieces. Mary shared that Bakelite jewelry was favored by the famous fashion designer Coco Chanel, who was known to have worn numerous bracelets at a time.

Much of what is sold at our annual sale falls under the category of “smalls.” Th e term refers to objects that can be picked up by hand and easily transported. While I doubt you’ll fi nd a chair by one of the great 18th Century New England cabinet makers, you’re very likely to fi nd a treasured object like your grandma or great-grandmother

used and loved.

I hope you’ll attend the show. Admission is still only $2.00. If you’re not a fan of antiques, then stop by to see some “old friends” and say hello. We’d love to see you.

Th e antique show will feature a bake sale and raffl e drawing which will be held throughout the day. If you wish to have your lunch while shopping, we’ll be selling crumbly burgers, chips and soda pop until supplies run out. ‡

5

21st Annual Antique Show – Save the Date!

w w w. B e r w y n h I s T O r I c a L s O c I e T y . O r g

M y fav o r i T e f i n d f r o M a B h s a n T i Q u e sa l e , a n

O L d d u T c h T r a n s f e r wa r e B Ow L c I r c a 18 78 .

vintage linens/beddingbakelite and costume jewelryart potterybooks/bookendsvintage Christmas/holiday

vintage clothingdepression glassephemeracoinshatsprints

Here are some of the items commonly found at our sale.

By David Olsen President

A Berwyn Historic Landmark designation for the World War I Memorial, mentioned in the Fall 2010 edition of Past-Times, is being sought by Lucile Evans and Don Pec-hous. As local history enthusiasts, the two were largely responsible for re-discovering and restoring the memo-rial, which had fallen into a state of neglect. Th e memo-rial was rededicated in November 2010, with more than 400 people in attendance. It is located at 34th Street and Ogden Avenue.

Evans and Pechous have fi led the Historic Landmark nomination with the city of Berwyn, based on the crite-ria of “architectural, cultural, economic, historic or social signifi cance.” Th e Berwyn Historic Preservation Com-mission will meet on Feb. 17 to make their recommenda-tion, and the Berwyn City Council will make the fi nal determination shortly thereafter. ‡

6w w w. B e r w y n h I s T O r I c a L s O c I e T y . O r g

By Tammy Clausen In the century following its incorporation on June 6, 1908, the City of Berwyn fl ourished under the leadership of 22 men who served in the Offi ce of Mayor. In celebration of our city’s 100th Anniversary, June 6, 2008-June 6, 2009, members of the Berwyn Public Library’s Oral History Committee, chaired by the then library board secretary Eileen Pech, sat down with our fi ve living mayors and talked about the events that shaped Berwyn’s political history over nearly four decades (1977 – 2009). Highlights of those interviews are featured in a DVD and preserved in the Time Capsule commemorating Berwyn’s Centennial Year.

Th e creation of this fi lm was sponsored by the Berwyn Public Library in cooperation with the Berwyn Historical Society and Morton West High School. Th e fi lm features music provided by the Morton West High School Band. Eileen Pech conducted the interviews at the library, Craig Schumacher created the raw video coverage, and

Morton West’s video class, under the tutelage of teacher Robert Moriarty, created the DVD with music and photo inclusion.

Th e material selected for the DVD presents a human portrait of the fi ve mayors who shaped Berwyn in the latter part of its fi rst century. Th e featured mayors were Th omas Hett (1977-1981), John Naughton (1981-1981), Joseph Lanzillotti (1981-1993), Th omas Shaughnessy (1993-2005), and Michael O’Connor (2005-2009).

As the centennial year drew to a close, citywide elections brought a new mayor into offi ce. Th e DVD opens with the swearing in of Robert Lovero, Berwyn’s 23rd mayor, a testimonial to the orderly transfer of power that has sustained our city over the last 100 years and an indication of the changes to come as Berwyn prospers and grows in the century ahead.

Copies of the complete and unedited audio and video recordings of these interviews are being preserved at the Library and Berwyn Historical Society. ‡

Berwyn’s Centennial Oral History ProjectinTerviews wiTh five living mayors

Update on World War I Memorial

f r o M T o p : d o n p e c h o u s a n d l u c i l e e va n s aT T h e c e r e M o n y

p h o T o g r a p h y B y M aT T s c h a d e M a n n

f r o M T o p : d o n p e c h o u s a n d l u c i l e e va n s aT T h e c e r e M o n y

7

The Bhs Thanks our memBers who renewed Their memBerships, and welcomes iTs newesT memBers. we also exTend a special Thank you To Those who made donaTions.

BHS Membership & Donations

w w w. B e r w y n h I s T O r I c a L s O c I e T y . O r g

Our sincere condolences to the Shaughnessy family and friends on the passing of Thomas Shaughnessy

who died on December 21, 2010. Mr. Shaughnessy was Berwyn’s 21st mayor from 1993 to 2005. Prior to becoming mayor, Mr. Shaughnessy served as city clerk. He was a long-time member and supporter of

the BHS. We’re saddened to say good-bye to a dear friend.

In Remembrance...

Ellie & Bernie Babka

Jim & Char Bala

Dorothy Bastian*

Robert Baumruk*

Lawrence Bell*

Laura Wacker Benak*

Ronald Benes

Dolores Benes-Duy

Tom Brandsness

James Bratager

Debbie & Steve Busch*

Ed & Ursula Carroll

Gloria Chance*

Mildred Chromcik*

Tammy, John, Max, Grace Clausen*

Deborah Cullen

Gene Czajka

Elaine De Luca*

Lorraine DeBartolo*

Ruth Ehle

Lucile Evans

Fred Fairchild

Roxanne & Douglas Faulds

Robert & Sandra Fejt New!

Jon Fey*

Carol Frankovic

Margaret Lee Fullmer*

John Gariffo

Beth Gawron

Frances Geyer

Wayne Gottwald*

Gary Greene

Charles Gremp

Charles & Linda Gutfeld New!

Doraine Harris

Thomas R. Heyduk

Rita Heyduk

Bruce & Carolyn Hilk

Vera Hlavacek

David Hoogakker

Brian Strand & Marie Hovi*

C. Cutler Humiston

James Irmis

William & Marian Istenik

Denise Jacob New!

Marilyn W. John*

Carol Kala

Eileen Kash

Paul & Carol Knuti

Marian Konecny Vavrik

Thomas Koppes

Ted Korbos*

Ludmilla Kovalsky

Carol Kovarik West*

Ron Krueger

Alan & Kelly Kubicz

Viola Kuehling

George R. Lacina

Virginia Lamana*

Carolyn Norris & Gary F. Langer*

Gary W. Miller & Lorene R. Lederer-Decatur

Arlene Lencioni

Thomas & Gail Lofgren

Elinor Lynch*

Lin Mayer & John Lynch

John & Deborah Lynch

Edwin E. Lyons

Frank & Elizabeth Magallon

Jo Ann Marciszewski*

Elinor Marciszewski

Frank & Diane Mastny

Marge Matyaszek

Victor Mazylewski*

LesLea McGuire*

Terry, Liz & Zoe McManmon

Lawrence Meyer*

Don Miller

Gary Lilly & Diane Minarik

Genevieve C. Misek

Tony Molinaro

Mary & Ken Mottet

Therese Motycko

Donald & Barbara Novak

LaVergne Novak

Kathryn O’Connor*

Dorothy Ondracek*

Ted & Joyce Orland

Margaret E. Otto

Pat Paolicchi*

Donald Pechous

Mary F. Peranteau*

Karen Quinn

John & Carol Raia

Alexander Rassogianis

Doris Remp

Laurie & Jon Richter

Linda & Ed Rios*

Jaime & Margarita Rivera*

Helen & Albert Rodig*

Joan Rossi

Ivan Salinas

Matt Schademann New!

Sabine Krauss & Leighton Shell

Thomas & Ald. Michele Skryd

James Stella

Charles & Lois Sterba

Gregory Suchan*

Shelby Sulin

Ruth Svestka*

Paula & Phil Swasko

Lucille Szura*

Rick Toman

David Olson & Rick Torres

Josephine Tucci

Blanche Vedral*

Bruce Viner

Ken Visek*

Jessica Vlack

Doug Walega

Beverly & Trent Weable

Richard Wenc

Ann Zabransky*

John Zaremba*

Joanne P. Zendol

* d O n O r s

P . O . B Ox 4 7 9

B e r w y n , I L 604 02

antiques ✵ vintage treasures ✵ great fun!

BHS Annual Antique Show

Sunday, April 10TH 2011 9am to 3pm

Pavek Recreation Center 6501 31ST Street, Berwyn

(Between East Ave. and Gunderson)

If you would like more information regarding this event,please contact the Berwyn Historical Society:

708.484.0020 info@berwynhistoricalsociety.orgwww.berwynhistoricalsociety.org

App l icAt ion for MeMbersh i p/Volunteers

Name ___________________________________________

Address __________________________________________

City/State/Zip ____________________________________

Phone ( ) _____________________________________

Email ____________________________________________

❑ please contact me about volunteer opportunities.

❑ Senior Citizen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10 .00❑ Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10 .00❑ Individual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15 .00❑ Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 .00❑ Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30 .00

❑ I would like to contribute a donation of $ . . . . . . . . . . .

❑ Please don’t mail a thank you note to me, I wouldprefer the Society saves on resources and postage .

p leAse MAke your check or Money order pAyAble to : berwyn h is tor icAl soc iety

MA i l to : Berwyn Historical Society P .O . Box 479 Berwyn, IL 60402