Maywood / Broadview Neighborhood Organization

Remembering Maywood''s Special Past! Conversations Continued

10th Ave. in the 1950's Plain spoken people Heart of Maywood

As I sit here trying to explain what what was so special about 10th avenue. It feels rather ridiculous to me that all Maywoodians don't really know what that means. I will try an recreate some unique 'things', that may shed some light on a truly wonderful, wonderful time and place that Maywoodians thus far have failed to properly explain to the generation that lives here now.

In the 1950's I was known on 10th ave. as Junior. And we were considered the poorest, yet happiest kids in town. The 600 block of 10th avenue in Maywood was the heart of Maywood for a whole lot of black folks. On the corner of Washington and 10th was Andy & Helen's grocery store ( that store is legendary to lots of people, and it should have been preserved by Maywood, as well as the building behind it where Mr./ Mrs. Arther Shedd lived. Two very great Maywoodians that never get mentioned these days. In the garage on the alley the, little white garage has a history that is sort of like Fred Sanford & Son. In the early 1950's Mr.Art Cox, rented that Garage and all the local old-timers like Big Memphis Slim, Charlie Mack, and other legendary long talked about Maywoodians, used to hang around,go fishing, cook fish, turtles, and fix cars and just really share time with each other in a way that does not happen, that much these days.

That area on Washington 10th to 9th was a very active place.

On the northeast corner, that house, which still looks similar, was the home and candy / grocery store of a little old white lady ( we all had great reverence for her )and we use to call her the milk lady. She always seemed like she came out of Judy Garland's movie. You could have put her picture on Ma Brown's jelly jar.

On the other side of the street (northwest corner there lived a family and they had a tall pretty blond teen age girl, and she would put on her bathing suit and suntan right there on the grass. Now in those days the bluebird bus ran down washington all the way to the loop. But, you know in those days it was o.k. because people just automatically were better behaved, and there was a level of person to person respect that, I'm sure many folks just can not conceive of today. But, that's why I must attempt to inform today's Maywoodian's that this community was one of the best symbols of how people should treat each other in this country. Now, don't go misunderstnading what I'm saying.

But, it is an absolute fact, that regardless of typical racial problems, this community had some really decent, fair white and black people to grace this area in the 1950's. So, you see, I just want us to recognize that we really do have a wonderful legacy of extrodinary African-Americans( and a number of white Americans ) who we ought to talk about.

There are few people alive today, who you will give respectful attention. And that's understandable. But, I need to inform those who are reading this article. There was always a certain sense of fairness that was a part of doing business in Maywood, in those days. And we ought to talk about that sensibility in order to recognize how to retrive it!

I can assure you of one thing. And that is this. In, future articles written here, myself and other willing oldtimers are going to tell you about colorful, funnymen, town storytellers, local town watchers, First great athletes, outstanding women, actually many of the really outstanding people were just plain folks. And I don't know if many of you are feeling me, when I say that. But, that is really where I'm coming from. You see, in those days it was expected that one would at least try to live in a more harmonious way.

Therefore it becomes vitally important that we examine what the original African-American Maywoodians and fair minded white folks thought, said and did as it relates to 'Maywood's Special Past'.

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13th & Randolph Was Black Maywood's Social Gathering Spot 50's/

In the late 1950's the corners from 12th to 13th on Randolph was Maywood's 'in spot', and you could find Bruce Plummer and kent Bogan sitting on the hood of Bruce's 50's style ' hot rod chevy ', in front of Andrenna Byrd's house. And lot's of guy's and girls congregating or going in and out of Mr. Bergen's drug store. In those days a drug store like mr.bergen's supplied a whole community, in a personal sort of way. Mr. & mrs.Bergen were an elderly couple who ran the drug store for many years.As soon as they retired it was never the same, again.

But, black folks cherished that corner in the 1950's. It was alway's a source of black pride that Dr.Morris had his office in the same building as mr.Bergen's drug store. And just a half block down the street Dr.Ware lived in the 200 block. Incidently, a lot of historically significent Maywood families lived in that block. The Hurst Family, Mr.John Burnette's family, the the Montgomery's, Oscar Travis's folks, Rev. Montgomery's church,James and Lorraine Hurd, and I know I'm missing some folks, but the point is that, there is a whole lot of Maywood's African American history that begs to be put straight. Those were incredibly productive years ( I'm coming from a social perspective here ).In those years Maywood had some real giants of common sense. There many, very intelligent people whose presense caused Maywood to spawn truly gifted people all over this country and the world. One of the greatest scientist / Dr's that the world has known, lived on the northwest corner at Oak st. & 14th avenue. That was Dr.Percy Julian. If you were to go into the basement of his former home today, you will see how he designed certain elements there. Attorney Chuck Allen came to me, a couple of times over the last 2 years, trying to figure out how to get it sold ( maybe to the village ) so as to restore it back to it's former glory days. You would think that supposedly, civilized educated blacks in this village would have, could have come together to purchase this property. And put Dr.Julian's true status and presence on display for the world ( tourist ) to see and appreciate. I guess, that's why I'm writing and recalling this history. Because Maywoodians in the past 35 years have demonstrated that they have no real understanding of how important these things are. But, I will comment on that oversight in the future.

Getting back to Randolph. The way that Maywoodians came and went from Mr.Bergens drug store was an orderly and patient experience in small town living ways. People were polite when they had to stand behind one another. By the way, Mr.Bergen's drug store was 'THE' drug store long before....Porter's drugs became popular, Tyk's, Kopecky's,etc. Mr. Mueller was popular on 19th and St.Charles and even the drug store on 5th and main was not open in the 50's. You should try an put yourself back in a 1950's frame of mind, to truly appreciate how we lived and interacted in Maywood in those days. There was an interesting kind of social, economic commerce that went on in between 12th & 13th and Randolph back then.

There were social ways that many Maywoodians today would not understand, yet they are wonderful insights into how we just enjoyed being around each other in Maywood in the 50's.

Here's an important example of what I mean. At any given time of the day, you would always see certain men or women just walking around town.Few of these people were what folk's today would call sucesses, yet almost all of these people, when you stop to think about it, were a colorful, vital link to Maywood's Special Past. People like: Butch McCants, Buckley or Reb, Hazel 'Lucille' Allen, Mrs.Florina, Levi Grace, Joe Friday, Pipeline, and I will recall others later. These folks loved to walk all over Maywood and all the kids knew them as well as the adults did. And were taught to respect them as much as any big shot. And that kind of respect is what made Maywood soooooooo, special. What was that ' flavor', that caused us to interact with the whole community, in such a loving and respectful manner. ( I invite your opinion!)

At some point I'd like to share with you some of my early jazz influence's growing up in Maywood 1950's.

Until next week
sy bounds
June 19, 2005

Maywoodians Who Always Stood Out.......When I Was Young!

In the early 1950's in Maywood.The African American community was a very, very special kind of place. Unfortunately, no one since has been able to really explain it's pure essence. Honestly, for those Maywoodians who were living here or those whose families came here from the south or else where. They all will attest that Maywoodians in those days were really some fine, plain spoken and down to earth people. And that included some colorful people who were not black.

The Maywoodians whom I want to discuss now, are the young men and women, whom I looked up to. In those years, society didn't separate people too often, by calling some role models and acting as if other people didn't really matter at all. Each and every person in the family was counted. And other than really exceptional personalities, professors, doctors, or 'educated folks', most every one in the neighborhoods looked out for one another. I was always immpressed by the caliber of integrity that those people stood for in those days. People I recall like: Morris Sykes, he used to always look out for me and other little guys. Other cats, who were always town big brothers were: Hershel And Cornel Pearson - Philip and Junior Neal - Foster Earl Furguson - Bobby Carswell - Willie Long - Walter Stinson - Gene Moore - Frank, Bodie, Clyde, James ( breeze ), Curt - Johnny - David - Red - Bey-Bey Grace. There are a lot more too, but I would like to name some of the young ladies who were part of the Maywood family who would go out of there way if you were in trouble or they would pop you up side the head if you got out of line: Marie Huggins, Montrose Lumpkin ( my personal favorite ) Esther Graham - Aleen Hurd - Gloria and Billy Jean Brown - Ruby Jean Jackson - Preatha Chatman - Lottie Mae - Teresa Parks - Shirley Howard ( she took me to see, Joe Louis & Frankie Lymon in the Bud Bilikin parade around 1954. I'll never forget her white navy type pull down hat and how she wrapped out hers arms around me ( I was one happy little boy ), as we watched Joe & Frankie go by. In those days in Maywood, if anybody had a car, and they said they were going to the southside to the parade, the big kids would have to try squeeze as many little kids in as possible. And everybody from the neighborhood would go. They better not, leave any of us behind. That's why it's has always been, extremely useful and wise to pass on that kind of knowledge. Far, too many of our race, failed to recognize how, wonderful that enviroment and those times were. I suspect that, because so many of Maywoodians in those years were just leaving the south. They didn't want to remember, first coming up here. Once, things got better in the 60's. It's really very sad, that these names that I'm mentioning are foriegn to most of you. But, hopefully, we can shed more light on probably our finest period in this country. I will recall more, names, events as we go. Check back often!

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