Fascinating article. I grew up in South Shore in the 1950s, when it was mostly Irish Catholic and Ashkenazi Jewish with a sprinkling of Protestants. I’m of Jewish and Eastern Orthodox descent so naturally I went to the First Unitarian Church in Hyde Park. There were zero Catholic kids in my grammar school; they all went to St. Philip Neri parochial school. I only met Catholic kids in high school and college, although almost all my grammar school teachers were Irish Catholic (there were rumors about which of them had been kicked out of the convent). So many different Chicagos!
Did your “bid” at catholic school 😆. My wife is from Munster. The parish identifying was foreign to her. I lived in St. Matthias parish but went to Chappell therefore I identified with Winnemac Park as my grow up turf. Another identifier back in the day was the phone book you had. Ours was Edgewater. You didn’t want the Uptown phone book because that meant you were from the wrong side of the tracks-literally. The Metra along Ravenswood. I couldn’t afford to live there now! 🥹
I think yellow vests for girls and white shirts and black ties for boys? Not sure because I was a public school rat 🐀 I do remember clearly Gordon Tech orange. Those guys chased me all the time because my hair was long 😂
Fascinating article. I grew up in South Shore in the 1950s, when it was mostly Irish Catholic and Ashkenazi Jewish with a sprinkling of Protestants. I’m of Jewish and Eastern Orthodox descent so naturally I went to the First Unitarian Church in Hyde Park. There were zero Catholic kids in my grammar school; they all went to St. Philip Neri parochial school. I only met Catholic kids in high school and college, although almost all my grammar school teachers were Irish Catholic (there were rumors about which of them had been kicked out of the convent). So many different Chicagos!
Thanks for sharing!
Excellent piece.
Thanks!
Did your “bid” at catholic school 😆. My wife is from Munster. The parish identifying was foreign to her. I lived in St. Matthias parish but went to Chappell therefore I identified with Winnemac Park as my grow up turf. Another identifier back in the day was the phone book you had. Ours was Edgewater. You didn’t want the Uptown phone book because that meant you were from the wrong side of the tracks-literally. The Metra along Ravenswood. I couldn’t afford to live there now! 🥹
What were the shirt colors at St. M's?
I think yellow vests for girls and white shirts and black ties for boys? Not sure because I was a public school rat 🐀 I do remember clearly Gordon Tech orange. Those guys chased me all the time because my hair was long 😂