NOBLE Chicago Celebrates Black History Month

Some Little Known Black History: The Negro Motorist Green-Book

The Negro Motorist Green Book was a publication released in 1936 that served as a guide for African-American travelers. Because of the racist conditions that existed from segregation, blacks needed a reference manual to guide them to integrated or black-friendly establishments. That's when they turned to "The Negro Motorist Green Book: An International Travel Guide by activist Victor Green and presented by the Esso Standard Oil Company.

Originally provided to serve Metropolitan New York, the book received such an alarming response, it was spread throughout the country within one year. The catch phrase was: "Now we can travel without embarassment." The Green Book often provided information on local tourist homes, which were private residences owned by blacks and open to travelers. It was especially helpful to blacks that traveled through sunset towns or towns that publicly stated that blacks had to leave the town by sundown or it would be cause for arrest.

Also listed were hotels, barbershops, beauty salons, restaurants, garages, liquor stores, ball parks and taverns. It also provided a listing of the white-owned, black-friendly locations for accommodations and food.

The publication was free, with a 10-cent cost of shipping.

As interest grew, the Green Book solicited salespersons nationwide to build its ad sales. Inside the pages of the Green Book were action photos of the various locations, along with historical and background information for the readers' review. Within the pages of the introduction, the guide states, The Green Book printed its last copy in 1964 after the passing of the Civil Rights Act.

Here is the 1949 book in its entirety.
http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Race/R_Casestudy/Negro_motorist_green_bk.htm

Reflections of Chicago's Riverview Theme Park

Before today's Mega Theme Parks, there was Riverview Park in Chicago.
Year Opened: 1904
Year Closed: 1967.
It was located at Western and Belmont Avenues (from Western Ave. to the Chicago River; from Belmont to Lane Tech High School, which still remains.)

This was the "Silver Flash"... a small train traveling on a wooden track trellis.No safety belts or padding, just a "grab bar" ....and you did!!!

Note: Not even a fence between the River and the Park grounds.

From the top of the "Shoot the Chutes"... a twenty foot wooden boat that went down a forty foot high slide into a small lake! Again, just a grab bar for safety.

This was the ride up on the "Pair-O-Chutes"... the seat was a single plank of wood with chains to keep you in place. You rose 65 feet in the air and then dropped until the chute filled and brought you down to the ground. To this day, the single scariest ride I ever went on.

A walk along the midway... the "Flying Turns" in the background. The roller coaster car went free rolling in an open topped chute. Again, gravity was your safety harness.

The Merry-Go-Round is the only ride that still exists. It now is at Six-Flags in Atlanta , Georgia.

Aladdin's Castle (Fun House)

You Might Be From Chicago If:

1. The 'living room' is called the 'front room'.
2. You don't pronounce the 's' at the end of Illinois . And, you become irate at people who do.
3. You measure distance in minutes (especially 'from the city'). And you swear everything is pretty much 1/2 hour away.
4. You have no problem spelling or pronouncing ' Des Plaines '.
5. You go to visit friends, or family, down south and laugh when they complain about the traffic.

You know this was not the Greyhound bus station

6. You understand that no person from Chicago can be a Cub fan AND a White Sox fan.
7. It's 'Kitty corner' not 'Katty corner'.
8. You know the difference between The Loop and Downtown.
9. You eat your pizza in squares, not triangles, and you never refer to it as 'pie'.
10. You own celery salt.
11. You understand that the primary is the official local election.
12. You have drunk green beer on St. Paddy's Day.
13. Stores don't have sacks, they have bags.
14. You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: 'Where's my coat at?' or 'Can I go with?' My English teacher had fits with this one.
15. Your idea of a great tenderloin is when the meat is twice as big as the bun, 'everything' is on it and a slice of dill pickle is on the side.

You know 'The Bob s' was not plural for Bob

16. You carry jumper cables in your car.
17. You drink 'pop', not soda.
18.. You understand that I-290, I-90, I-94, and I-294 are all different roads.
19. You know the names of the interstates: Steve nson, Kennedy, Eisenhower, Dan Ryan, and the Eden's.
20. You call the interstates 'expressways'.
21. You refer to anything South of I-80 as 'Southern or Central Illinois '.
22. You refer to Lake Michigan as 'The Lake '.
23. You refer to Chicago as 'The City'.
24. 'The Super Bowl' refers to one specific game in January 1986.
25. You have two favorite football teams: The Bears, and anyone who beats the Packers.
26. You buy the 'Trib', not the 'Tribune' or the 'Times', not the 'Sun Times'.
27. You know that despite being on the lake, there is no such place as the Waterfront.
28. You think 45 degrees is great weather to wash your car.
29. You picnic or ride your bike in the 'forest preserve'.
30. You cried when Bozo was canceled on WGN.

You know this was 'The Silver Flash', not the 'L'

31. You know what goes on a Chicago style hot dog.
32. You know what Chicago Style Pizza REALLY is.
33. You know why they call Chicago 'The Windy City '.
34. You understand what 'lake-effect' means.
35. You know the difference between Amtrak and Metra, and know which station they end up at.
37. You have ridden the 'L'.
38. You think your next door neighbor is a cousin to Tony Soprano.
39. You can distinguish between the following area codes: 847, 630, 773, 708, 312, & 815.
40. You have, at some time in your life, used your furniture...or a friend's body, to guard your parking spot in winter.
41. You respond to the question 'Where are you from?' with a 'side'. Example: 'Westside,' 'Southside or 'North Side.
42. You know the phone number to 'Empire Carpet'!
43. You know what a 'garache key' is!

The "Pair-O-Chutes" (two people, one seat, one chute)... the little car on the cable was "the Sky Ride" and was the last ride built in the park in the early sixties. "The Rotor" was a round room that spun until centrifugal force pinned you to the wall and the floor dropped away!

This was the barrel inside "Aladdin's Castle"

I hope you enjoyed your journey back in time to the Chicago I remember!!!!!

Pass this along to people you know who grew up in Chicago.