Sentimental Sunday: Houses My Nana Grew Up In, Chicago, 1910-1924

In my last post, I talked about the "Big House" at 7000 N. Ridge Boulevard in Chicago's north side, where my Massmann great-grandparents lived from at least 1927 to at least 1932 (and possibly as long as 1920 or 1924 to 1936).  

One of my cousins asked if that was the house our Nana (grandmother) Elizabeth Florence Massmann Pape (1902-2000), grew up in.  It wasn't, but the houses that she lived in from at least 1910 to just before her marriage to my grandfather (on September 3, 1924), were all in the same area as 7000 Ridge, three of them within three blocks of it.

On the 1910 Census, my great-grandfather Frederick Henry Massmann (1875-1948), his wife Elizabeth Camilla Dienes Massmann (1876-1946), son Alfred John Massmann (1901-1964), and daughter Elizabeth are living at 1938 W. Morse Avenue in Rogers Park, in a house built somewhere between 1883 and 1887.  Frederick owns the house, and is a superintendent in the grocery industry.

Above:  1938 W. Morse Avenue, Rogers Park, Chicago - Massmann home in 1910.

Below:  Modified image of the 1910 Census for the Fred Massmann family, to include the headings. The red line marks a section that has been clipped out as Fred Massmann appears on line 28, just below the red line.

"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRJJ-WFZ?cc=1727033&wc=QZZ7-7JJ%3A133640201%2C135332401%2C141121301%2C1589218903 : 23 June 2017), Illinois > Cook > Chicago Ward 25 > ED 1037 > image 29 of 50; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

When he filled out a World War I draft registration card (pictured below) on September 12, 1918, Frederick gave 2082 W. Estes Avenue, (also pictured below), as his address.  This house was constructed in 1911.

"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G14J-XKJ?cc=1968530&wc=9FCF-VZ3%3A928312901%2C928978601 : 14 May 2014), Illinois > Chicago City no 60; A-Nelson, Charles G. > image 4345 of 4757; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Below:  2082 W. Estes Avenue, West Ridge, Chicago - Massmann home on September 12, 1918.

By December 1919, according to the Rogers Park Directory, the Massmanns had moved to 1833 W. Morse Avenue, to a house built in 1910.  The family is still in this house in the 1920 Census.  Even though Frederick is the general manager in the wholesale grocery business, he rents half this house, probably one floor or the other, based on the balconies at the end, from the owner.

Above and below:  1833 W. Morse Avenue, Rogers Park, Chicago - Massmann home in 1919-1920.

Above:  Frisbee, Hugh C., publisher. [from old catalog], The Rogers Park directory, June [December?} issue, 1919, page 52, entry for F. H. Massmann highlighted, available at the Internet Archive, https://archive.org/stream/rogersparkdirect00frisb#page/52/mode/1up/search/massmann

Right:  Engagement announcement for Elizabeth Massmann, from the August 26, 1924 issue of the Chicago Daily Tribune.

When Elizabeth's engagement is announced, in the August 26, 1924 issue of the Chicago Daily Tribune, she and her parents are living at 7731 Eastlake Terrace, at the very far northeast corner of Rogers Park and Chicago, right on Lake Michigan.  This townhome building, pictured below, was constructed in 1923.

Above and below:  7731 Eastlake Terrace, Rogers Park, Chicago - Massmann home in 1924.  7731 is on the left side in both pictures.

Lakeside parks on either side of the townhouse row where 7731 Eastlake Terrace is located:  Juneway Terrace Park (above) to the north, and Rogers Avenue Beach (below) to the south.

I took all of the previous building and park photographs on visits to Chicago in August and September, 2017.


© Amanda Pape - 2018 - click here to e-mail me.