The Western Springs Historical Society

Share Your Memories

The Western Springs Historical Society believes that you, our community,  are one of our greatest historical resources. And we'd like to hear from you. If you have a memory of Western Springs, please submit below. Feel free to ask a question as well. Our team of archivists and historians will be happy to help. 

The Society first put forth the call for your memories in 1985. To commemorate the 100th birthday of Western Springs, the Centennial Commission asked village residents to contribute their memories of life in Western Springs. The scrapbook entitled Reminiscences of Life in Western Springs contains letters from residents with wonderful descriptions of town life. A selection can be downloaded here, and the entire book is available for viewing at the Tower Museum. 

In connection with the Thomas Ford Project, Don Kennedy submitted this detailed memory of growing up in Western Springs in the 1930's and beyond. You can download Mr. Kennedy's memories here.

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Current Memories

Memory (2/9/2008)

Added by Peggy Kunatz-Woodruff on 11/30/1999

I loved reading everyone's great memories of Western Springs..I lived there from 1958 until I got married in 1968 where my husband and I got married at the Methodist Church across from Field Park Elementary. I so remember Kirschbaum's Bakery where I got my first job (I believe Lillian hired me). My sister and I purchased a memorial brick from Grant Dixon in memory of my dad, hat is placed under the big clock that faces Kirschbaums on Burlington. Kirschbaum's was my dad's favorite bakery. I don't know if any of you remember, but my dad was part of the musical group "Captain Stubby and the Buccanneers"..a popular local group of musicians who appeared on the variety show "Beat the Buccs" in the early 60's.
I too, remember the small delicatesen near Gilbert and Burlington..my friend's and I used to also buy our "dot"candy, popsicles, licorice there...The store was then called Lillians...I lived right across the tracks from her store in the duplex on the corner of Hillgrove and Harvey Ave. Great memories of the swim club, too. Coach Max was the greatest and some of my best memories are of hanging around the pool with my friends and family each summer.
This spring I am bringing my daughter and her husband to Western Springs for a "tour". .We all now live in Atlanta, GA, but my heart is still in Western Springs...my daughter loves hearing the stories of this wonderful village. She once visited a few years ago with me when my folks still lived there and she still talks about it to her friends and how she wishes she could live and raise her children in such a beautiful town

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Growing up in Western Springs (circa 1976)

Added by Bob Ruhe on 11/30/1999

I have far too many memories of Western Springs but will share just one for now. I remember spending virtually every summer day of my youth at the WSSC pool. Back then the worst words a kid my age could ever hear came from Max Armer, ?Alright, let?s have a 15 minute adult break! Children and teenagers out of the pool? adults only for fifteen minutes!?

Our eyes would roll around in our heads in agony. Adult break! Fifteen minutes!? Aw man! We?ll be DRY by then!

The lifeguards would stand up in their chairs whistling any of us slow pokes to hurry it up and get outta the pool. Then we?d do our time sitting around the pool while maybe three or four moms would take their babies into the pool for some peaceful swimming. Some of us would even dare to slink back in to cool off. But you had to be fast.

Those 15 minute adult breaks lasted for ever.

But just before our brains would finish baking off inside our heads, Max would offer relief, ?Guards up! Guards take your stations!? If he was feeling particularly chipper that day ? meaning if the Cubs were winning ? he?d play it up a bit. ?The enemy has been sighted! Guards take your battle stations!? Droves of kids would line up all around the pool and at the diving boards waiting for that signal ? when would it come? Are they gonna say it? Sometime this century, MAX! Wait, lookit those little kids by the office. Yep here it comes!

(Max would sometimes let a bunch of the little kids scream the magic words into the microphone):

Bombs Away!

And about ten thousand little kids would kersplash back into the pool and the summer would continue.

I call those the Salad Days and I never realized just how much I would miss them.

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Crossing Gates (About 1957)

Added by June Hofmann on 11/30/1999

Our boys would make two round trips across the tracks on Central Ave. each day to go to Spring Rock Park. Being worried about a train hitting one of our children, I counted all the kids each day for a week coming and going across the tracks. I contacted an executive at the Burlington Railroad and sent him the survey. Two weeks later gates were installed. When I see the gates I think of our young sons and smile. Western Springs was a wonderful place to raise a family, the park program, pool and other activities were ideal.

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