The Nymph Fountain in Chicago, Illinois. (1899)

The Nymph Fountain was installed in June of 1899, under the darkness of night, on the south lawn of the Art Institute by students of Lorado Taft, Chicago’s foremost sculptor in that time period.

Lorado Taft never built a permanent version of the Nymph Fountain because Chicagoans were "shocked" and vandalized the fountain.

The forty-foot-diameter fountain featured eight larger-than-life nude female figures in sensuous poses. The work was a class project, made of temporary materials, but Taft hoped to build it in “imperishable bronze.” Given the reception the work of art received, that would never happen.

The Nymph Fountain created a stir and attracted crowds that at times required police to manage. It became the “talk of the town,” with politicians, editorialists, and religious figures weighing in. “The nymph is not an intellectual goddess... [and] stands for nothing related to high or noble intellectual accomplishments,” said the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.

Such negative reactions left Chicagoans open to ridicule. The New York Times opined, “Preachers, or some of them, think the nymphs should have been provided with mackintoshes [raincoats], while even the most ultra of Chicago’s art cliques would not resent a shirtwaist as a sop to the prudish majority of the city’s population.”

Not everyone in Chicago objected. Mayor Carter Harrison Jr. “trundled down to the lakefront on his bicycle... to take a look at the fountain” for himself and proclaimed it “not in any sense objectionable,” according to the Chicago Tribune. Nevertheless, the prevailing sentiment was shock. Within a few weeks, vandals had “practically ruined” the Nymph Fountain, the Boston Evening Transcript reported. “Nearly every figure in the fountain had been mutilated, and many nymphs had their hands and arms broken off.” The article did not specify whether upright or uptight citizens did the damage.

No, nineteenth and twentieth century Chicago was not like Paris, despite Chicago's efforts to elevate itself out of the mud and burnish its reputation built on butchering hogs. In another instance, a fountain created in 1908 by Leonard Crunelle that featured a nude boy was initially welcomed as part of an art show in Humboldt Park organized by the Municipal Art League “to forward the beautification of the city.” The handsome sculpture was “set like a jewel” in Humboldt Park, said the Tribune. “It’s evident at a glance that the scene is improved by the statue, and that the statue is set off by the scenery without the slightest incongruity.”

But after the exhibit, Crunelle’s piece was installed in an alcove on the north wall of the Sherman Park field house near 52nd and Throop streets, where it troubled the Felician Sisters who worked across the street at Saint John of God Church. They objected to the subject’s frontal nudity. The park district removed the sculpture, which has since disappeared. The alcove and basin are still there, the latter used as a planter.

Similarly, in 1887 the commissioners of Lincoln Park ordered that the private parts of Storks at Play’s Merboys (Mermen are mythical male equivalents and counterparts of mermaids) be covered with fig leaves. The coverings were later removed.

The original design of the 1893 Rosenberg Fountain in Grant Park portrayed the Greek goddess Hebe, topless. Hebe is a cupbearer to the gods, and myth holds that Apollo dismissed her after she indecently exposed her breasts while serving drinks. The fountain’s sculptor originally portrayed Hebe topless, but the executors of benefactor Rosenberg’s will selected a safer design out of deference to public taste. The fountain, which still stands at Michigan Avenue and 11th Street, depicts Hebe wearing a clinging diaphanous gown and exposing only one breast - a design the Tribune dubbed “Hebe the Second.”

By Greg Borzo
Edited by Neil Gale, Ph.D.

First Subscriber to the Telephone Exchange in Homer, Illinois, 1899

Dr. G. L. Williamson, who is always quick to take advantage of modern methods and the latest practical way of doing things, was the first subscriber to the White Telephone Exchange.

Homer, Illinois' First Telephone Exchange. Circa. 1900

The doctor took a phone first because he believed the telephone would be beneficial to his business. And now since he is receiving from one to five calls for professional services over the phone daily and as high as three in one night, he feels that he did not err in his judgment. What the telephone had done for the doctor, it will do for all other lines of business in Homer. The telephone is not only a great labor and time saver, but a business bringer as well. No business man should think of doing business without one. 

Homer Pilot, Homer, Illinois
October 25, 1899 

O'Hare Stadium Midget Car Racing in Schiller Park, Illinois. (1956-1968)

O’Hare Stadium, part of the Chicagoland racing scene for 13 years, was located just southwest of the corner of Mannheim and Irving Park Road in Schiller Park. The speedway, which operated between 1956 through 1968, was initially surrounded by farm fields and was situated just south of Chicago’s famed O’Hare International Airport.

Records show that the track, which for a number of years was in the planning stages by a group which included former midget racing ace, Bob Muhlke, opened its gates for the first time on June 17, 1956, with stock cars and midgets on the inaugural card.

Chicago Tribune Ad - Opening Day, June 17, 1956.

Tom Croft, wheeling a 1950 Mercury, won the 25-lap stock car main event on opening night with Ernie Zartler capturing the special 15-lap midget event. Other stock car drivers in competition during the inaugural program included Red Swanberg, Tony Venturini, Howard “Marblehead” Thome, Vince Rizzo, Jack Holbrook, and Ben “Shorty” Michonski.

Gene Marmor claimed the track’s late model stock car championship that first year, which also saw modified stock cars in competition. Marmor and his Chevy topped Tom Cox and Fred Lorenzen in the final standings in ’56.

Under the promotion of Bill Cherney and Tex Wooten, the speedway would see Marmor win the late model title again in 1957. Marmor in a ’56 Chevy again bested Cox, who was trailed by Kenny Paulsen.

1958 saw Lorenzen, a 23-year-old Elmhurst resident, win the track championship.  Lorenzen, who would later go on to fame in NASCAR Grand National racing, captured 17 feature races that year in his Talarico Brothers 1957 Chevrolet. Lorenzen finished ahead of Bill Lutz and Arnie Gardner in the standings.

1958 O'Hare Stadium Program Cover.

Lutz, who commuted from his home in Louisville, Ky., was Lorenzen’s chief rival in ’58 and the overall champion of the three-track “Chicago City Series” that included top drivers from O’Hare as well as Raceway Park and Soldier Field in a series of three special feature events.

Lorenzen, who would also capture the 1958 and 1959 USAC “National” stock car championships, won the features at both O’Hare and Soldier Field. Lorenzen came home fifth in the Raceway 100 lap chase that was won by Raceway regular Bill Van Allen and his ’58 Studebaker Hawk late model. Lutz and his 1956 Chevy finished second in all three races and missed winning the finale at Raceway when a rear tire exploded with one lap to go.

Lutz was the late model track titlist in 1959, taking season title laurels over Marmor and Lorenzen.

NASCAR sanctioned the late model racing at O’Hare in 1960 and 1961.  Roy Czach was the man to beat in ’60 and ’61, winning back-to-back titles. Czach, who won six feature races in his Hollywood Automotive-sponsored ’57 Chevy, was crowned the 1960 Midwest NASCAR Champion ahead of Skippy Michaels and Lorenzen. Czach was again O’Hare’s NASCAR late model champ in 1961, winning seven main events and topping the points over Erik Johnson and LeRoy Roberts.

Johnson, in his Reno Martinelli-prepped ’61 Chevy “hardtop” No. 7, was the champion in 1962. Johnson won a single-season record 18 features during the campaign and finished ahead of Lutz and “teammate” Martinelli in the standings.

Erik Johnson is joined by Miss Chicago and starter Art Kelly after a big win at O'Hare in 1963.

During 1963, 1964 and 1965, O’Hare rules, under the guidance of Frank “Ham” Lobaza, called for all late models to be strictly convertibles. Marmor and his ’63 Chevy “ragtop” garnered this third title in 1963 over Johnson and Lutz, while Lutz repeated his title-winning efforts in 1964 in his Grand Car Wash-sponsored ’63 Chevy convertible. Lutz bested William “Whitey” Gerken and Bob Urban in the final standings. Martinelli was the champion in 1965, defeating Lutz and Czach.

From 1962 through 1966, the speedway, now under the sanction of the American Racing Organization, would host the O’Hare American 500 each year with the 500 lapper being the longest contest in the area. Lutz, with two victories, along with Gerken, Johnson, and Martinelli, were winners of the 500 lap grinds.

Teammates Johnson and Martinelli would dominate the track’s late model action in the speedway’s final years. Wheeling their “Pride of Half Day” mounts, the duo would claim the final four-track titles with Martinelli and his red and white ‘64 Chevy convertible winning it in 1965 and 1966 and Johnson capturing back-to-back titles in 1967 and 1968. Johnson used his Martinelli Brothers-owned, Wing & Wheel Café-sponsored ’68 Chevelle to grab the ’68 crown.

1964 O'Hare Stadium Poster.

With property values rising, the track, which also featured cadet (sportsman), figure eight, Volkswagen and midget racing over the years, was demolished weeks after the final race program on September 7, 1968. Martinelli was the winner that night of the late model 30-lap feature.

April of 1968 saw Jerry Kemperman (left) drive Dave Roulo's "full-size" Chevy to the victory in the opening night late model feature at the O'Hare Stadium in Schiller Park, Illinois. Joining Kemperman after the win is Art Dexter, who lettered Kemperman's Raceway Park championship car.

Longtime officials, in addition to Lobaza, included starter Art Kelly, assistant starter Jack Minster, scorer Elmer Steinbeck, timer Keith Switzer and pit steward John Stanek, along with public relations man Bud Booth. The announcing chores were handled mainly by the legendary Ed “Twenty Grand” Steinbock and Art Hellyer. Don Theobold provided the laughs as “T-Bone” the Clown.

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Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.