it was the steel mills in so. chicago. so. chicago lost its importatance over 20 yrs ago as the mills closed. I grew up there. can you believe it. just by chance have you ever heard of "The Shell", a bar and tavern VERY POPULAR owned and run by croatians??????? by the way the Shell ran a boarding house upstairs...................... ----- Original Message ----- From: sarmar1 Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2002 1:58 AM To: CROATIA-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [CROATIA-L] Torrence Ave., S. Chicago Doug, The area you mention is located on the southeast side of Chicago. It is a neighborhood in an area of the city where many Croatian and Serbian immigrants have settled since early in the 20th C. and possibly even late in the 19th C. It would have been considered quite a distance from the stockyards early in the 20th C., and, the closest thing we have ever had to mining in Chicago is the subway. (just a joke, I'm not being sarcastic.) I guess there is a possibility immigrants were gathered in the area by agents who shipped them to areas in northern Michigan and Minnesota, but I am not aware of it. I do know, however, the area was adjacent to the Great Lakes port of Chicago which began to develop late in the 19C. but has lost much of its importance over the last 20 years. It was also an important industrial area. For many years beginning very early in the 20thC, its primary employers were a number of steel mills. My grandmother, a Croatian immigrant from Severin in Gorski Kotar, ran a boarding house in that general area. My great-uncle, an immigrant from Sibenik in Dalmatia, owned a tavern on the same block. Today, there is still a substantial 2nd generation Croatian and Serbian population in the immediate area that you mentioned. There is a book available at Borders Bookstores in Chicago, "Chicago's Southeast Side revisited" by Rod Sellers that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the neighborhood. It is part of a series, "images of America". I don't know if that particular book of the series is available outside of the Chicago area, but you might be able to find it online. If gives you a real "feel" for the history of the neighborhood. The Croatian Ethnic Institute might be able to help you also. Unfortunately, something has happened to their website, www.croatian-institute.org. You can access a picture of the monastery where it is located, but, currently, there is no place to go from there. You might want to try writing: Ljubo Krasic, Director Croatian Ethnic Institute 4851 S. Drexal Blvd. Chicago, IL 60615 Hope this helps. Sarah Mueller (nee Basetich) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug H." <hecimovic@ev1.net> To: <CROATIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2002 3:35 PM Subject: [CROATIA-L] Torrence Ave., S. Chicago > In studying the Ellis Island manifests I frequently find passengers from the > Perusic area giving 10702 or 10718 or nearby addresses on Torrence Ave. in > S. Chicago as their distination upon arrival. > > Can anyone tell me something about this? > > I am guessing that is was a Croatian community and these were boarding > houses. Maybe even owned or operated by the stock yards or mines that were > encouraging the immigration. > Doug > >

I know where you're from - Hegewisch! My family had gatherings in a place called the Golden Shell. A tavern with a restaurant attached. I think we're talking about the same place. Located between 102nd and 107th and Avenue N or O. I'm having trouble remembering the exact intersection, but it was across the street from what, I think, was an abandoned ship yard. ----- Original Message ----- From: "SHAWN FOGARTY" <fogdryer@msn.com> To: <CROATIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2002 5:36 PM Subject: Re: [CROATIA-L] Torrence Ave., S. Chicago > it was the steel mills in so. chicago. > so. chicago lost its importatance over 20 yrs ago as the mills closed. > I grew up there. can you believe it. just by chance have you ever > heard of "The Shell", a bar and tavern VERY POPULAR owned and run by > croatians??????? by the way the Shell ran a boarding house upstairs...................... > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: sarmar1 > Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2002 1:58 AM > To: CROATIA-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [CROATIA-L] Torrence Ave., S. Chicago > > Doug, > > The area you mention is located on the southeast side of Chicago. It is a > neighborhood in an area of the city where many Croatian and Serbian > immigrants have settled since early in the 20th C. and possibly even late in > the 19th C. > > It would have been considered quite a distance from the stockyards early in > the 20th C., and, the closest thing we have ever had to mining in Chicago is > the subway. (just a joke, I'm not being sarcastic.) I guess there is a > possibility immigrants were gathered in the area by agents who shipped them > to areas in northern Michigan and Minnesota, but I am not aware of it. > > I do know, however, the area was adjacent to the Great Lakes port of Chicago > which began to develop late in the 19C. but has lost much of its importance > over the last 20 years. It was also an important industrial area. For many > years beginning very early in the 20thC, its primary employers were a number > of steel mills. > > My grandmother, a Croatian immigrant from Severin in Gorski Kotar, ran a > boarding house in that general area. My great-uncle, an immigrant from > Sibenik in Dalmatia, owned a tavern on the same block. Today, there is > still a substantial 2nd generation Croatian and Serbian population in the > immediate area that you mentioned. > > There is a book available at Borders Bookstores in Chicago, "Chicago's > Southeast Side revisited" by Rod Sellers that will tell you everything you > ever wanted to know about the neighborhood. It is part of a series, "images > of America". I don't know if that particular book of the series is > available outside of the Chicago area, but you might be able to find it > online. If gives you a real "feel" for the history of the neighborhood. > > The Croatian Ethnic Institute might be able to help you also. > Unfortunately, something has happened to their website, > www.croatian-institute.org. You can access a picture of the monastery > where it is located, but, currently, there is no place to go from there. > You might want to try writing: > Ljubo Krasic, Director > Croatian Ethnic Institute > 4851 S. Drexal Blvd. > Chicago, IL 60615 > > Hope this helps. > > Sarah Mueller (nee Basetich) > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Doug H." <hecimovic@ev1.net> > To: <CROATIA-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2002 3:35 PM > Subject: [CROATIA-L] Torrence Ave., S. Chicago > > > > In studying the Ellis Island manifests I frequently find passengers from > the > > Perusic area giving 10702 or 10718 or nearby addresses on Torrence Ave. in > > S. Chicago as their distination upon arrival. > > > > Can anyone tell me something about this? > > > > I am guessing that is was a Croatian community and these were boarding > > houses. Maybe even owned or operated by the stock yards or mines that were > > encouraging the immigration. > > Doug > > > > > >