Tom Remembers Living on Latrobe, 1918-1929

Excerpt from "Notes About Things I Remember" by Thomas A. Sullivan, March 4, 1996.

Move to Latrobe Avenue

18 N. Latrobe

"When I was 10, the City announced they wanted to buy my grandmother's [Bessie Thompson Madigan's] house to expand their ward storage yard. She sold and bought a home on Congress Street.  Father had about $1,000 in the bank and bought a two-flat in Austin, at 18 N. Latrobe Ave., a nice area on the far west side of Chicago.  Helen - who was about 5 at the time - and I were fascinated for some reason with a large closet with two doors.  We lived on the second floor, mother died there 48 years later.

"Our tenant downstairs was Mr. Hutchinson.  He was a school teacher and loved to work with his hands as did my father.  The two of them did a lot of work modernizing the house.  I can't remember the details.  He taught shop at Crane High School and was very against my buying a clunker of a touring car for $20.  "I wouldn't even buy it for junk for my students to work on at school."  I ignored his advice and we loaded it up with friends and went for a ride one Sunday, after that single day it broke down and never ran again.  We pushed it out in the street and the City finally towed it away.  My Mother then bought me a model T Ford Coupe for $25 and it lasted about 5 years and started breaking down while I was rushing Margaret to the hospital at 2 a.m. for Tommy's birth.  But, the car DID make it to the hospital with Margaret and Tom.

"During those earlier years I lived on my bike, a second hand one that I liked to take apart.  We would ride other kids on the handlebars and do tricks like standing on the seat, etc.  We would ride out to the Des Plaines River, about 4 miles, for variety.  I walked a lot along the river also, I think it was with my Father.  When I say we, Eddie Peterson was my buddy.

"In St. Mel High School I played football sophomore through senior year.  It's now Providence-St. Mel, a highly rated Black school.  At home there was a group of about 5 boys and 5 girls who spent lots of time together.  Strangely we didn't pair off but escorted different girls as the occasion presented itself.  We didn't drink but spent lots of time at the piano singing.  My memories of my teenage years come flooding in, but they are of no general significance.  Suffice to say that both Helen and I got married from Latrobe Avenue, and after the Hutchinson moved Helen and her family moved in.  My bedroom was empty so Elaine slept there for convenience and privacy, making more room downstairs for Larry Jr.  When Mother died Helen sold the house and moved to Lake Shore Drive - a smart decision."