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

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The Old Friends Society Church (All Saints Episcopal Church) (1955)

Added by Allan Lammers on 12/31/1969

The Old Friends Society Church was erected in 1885. In 1907 the All Saints Episcopal Church started using the building and later possessed it in 1924. During the 1950s, I served as an acolyte (one who assists the clegy during a service) in that building during my grade school and high school years. The design of the building was odd in that to attend a church service members of the congregation had to climb what seemed to be a mountain of old wooden and uneven steps to the top floor where services were held.

A special memory for me was serving as an acolyte during a Christmas Eve service, singing Silent Night with the congregation, and looking out the window and seeing snow starting to fall. Walking in to the church there had been no snow on the ground. Upon completion of the service and leaving the church, there was already about two inches of that wonderful white fluffy stuff everywhere. We all listened and marveled at the midnight sound of quiet. It truly was a beautiful white and memorable "silent night" in Western Springs.

Just a few years later the building was razed and a new modern church was built on that spot. The old wooden building is long gone but my memory of it and that amazing Christmas Eve will remain with me forever.

(For a picture of the old church refer to the 10" plate painted by Vickery produced in the 1950s)

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Western Springs in the 1970s ()

Added by Mary Sands on 12/31/1969

I lived in Western Springs in the mid-1970s and then La Grange after that. Those years, my teenage years, are not rivaled by any other in my life, except current/settled happy years.

We lived on Johnson Avenue. My best friend Amy lived a block over on Wolf Road. I was looking at historic homes on this site, and was surprised to see hers! None of her family lives there now, but it was quite a trip down memory lane to see that old house I spent so much time in when younger.

My favorite memory of Western Springs is ice skating at Spring Rock Park. They used to (and maybe still do) flood and freeze ice rinks in the parks. One particular morning, my friend Amy and I decided to go down to the rink at 4:00 a.m. The silence, the beauty, the sun just starting to glint in the sky -- it was really a nice time as we quietly drifted around the rink. It was very cold, and we didn't stay out for too very long.

I'm living in Canada now, and can't find a decent place to skate. It's actually not cold enough in Vancouver to freeze over park areas.

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