This is depressing. I grew up in Hammond in the 50's and 60's. Remembering riding the bus downtown on Saturday afternoons to the Parthenon with friends. I think with 25 cents I was even able to buy a box on Milk Duds at the matinee! Also shopping at Goldblatts with the elevator operators and the cage closing before the doors. Man am I old.
I Think You did a Phenomenal job. Thank you for inviting into your family for a while. I think we may have crossed paths and are very much alike. You did not stump me on any of the pictures or video. I knew where you were at all times. I love my city. Cavalier Inn polish & kraut, the best . Aurelio's Super Six pizza Greatest EVER. Occasionally meet Chicago Bears players would eat at Aurelio's in the 80's Shakeys Manager would let us in for free since I was dating her daughter. We would eat till we puked, then eat again! Reliable Grocery store Shopping with Mom by Douglas Park. Never allowed to swim there, but ok to ice skate there. Playing Homerun derby at Hermits field, then parking with girls at Hemits in the evening. My Mom lived on Clark Ave, so it was easy to get home fast. Stealing candy from Zayre's. My mother buying liquor at Ribordy Drugs store. I would get those sprinkled butter cookies from the Sibley Street Almira's for breakfast before class at Lafayette for 4th & 5th grade. My grandma lived on Wolf lake, so we'd be at the park smelling Maizo or Cerestar. The Drive in 41 Theatre first movie was in a station wagon watching "Orca". I walked thru Vogels about 20+ years ago. it gave me the creeps like "The Shining". Phil Smidts best perch. 21:14 I worked in that building to the left. I think Goldblatts turned into a flea market for a while. My Mom told me that as a teen she was shoved onto Robert Kennedy's lap in '68 by the crowd when he was exiting the car to greet. He and secret service assisted her up. He also got caught by a train and demanded the city build an overpass on Hohman. It was decades late. Nick and Georges Closed in Jan '21. I had carry out there 3 days a week for 19 years. Steak Sandwich, Turkey Club, Or the BeltBuster Burger with a V8 drink. Closing broke my heart. Bonus: Picking up an order there for lunch couple some years back, Mark Hamill was dining there. 2nd booth, facing the window. we knew it as soon as we opened the second door into N&G's. We told the waitress and she had no clue who Mark Hamill or Luke Skywalker was. Watching Grandma Flo in whiting make Nut Roll, Poppy roll, Kolaczki, kolachy & Roczki cookies was the best time Sitting at Wahala Beach, looking at the Chicago skyline while eating three Arnie's Chicago style polish. OHH the sound of pin crashing while playing pool at Stardust. Wrights barnyard, Roller dome. Nicely done. You covered a lot more that I have done and I can go on for another hour, but I will spare everyone. Thank you for the journey.
Thank you so much for this. I was born and raised in Hammond, but work has taken me all over the United States. If I'm being 100% honest, no place ever feels like home. When I come back to Hammond for a visit, it's like I can breathe again. There's no other place like it.
Thank you. Had me crying one minute and laughing the next. I was at St Margaret's Hospital in 1967. Grew up in Highland but didn't alot of time up in N Hammond. Living in the north GA mountains now.
Thank you so much for this nostalgic video of the city I was born and raised in (South side) until the age of 12. After high school I married a policeman from the North side and resided in Hammond again for 12 yrs. your Aunt Lottie was an excellent cook! I was married in St. Caz and she did the cooking, with Adeline, for my wedding. My husbands uncle was “Uncle Bruno”, the janitor at St. Caz and the family belonged to this parish, including me and my husband for a time. I remember so many of these places and all the glorious food (we were also friends with the owners of The Cavelier Inn), boy did this video bring back so many memories! My mom was raised in Robertsdale as well, so I’m very familiar with both sides if Hammond. My ex father in law had to sell his home on Hanover to make way fir the new train project you mentioned, and so many places and people are now lost to time, but will always remain in our hearts. So, thank you again for this wonderful video and all the sweet memories it brought back to me. Gosh Bless, Theresa Rees
Outstanding video of our area. Thank You for making this video. Including the personal stuff about your family and their stories brought back strong memories and emotions. I live in Robertsdale. If we could only ditch the current mayor and elect people with actual dreams to better the place and bring it back to a thriving area.
Such a great story you did there I lived in Hammond all my life I'm 66 years old now I don't think I'll ever leave but watching this video is something else and your family you should be proud to have a family like that God bless you and God bless your family and thanks for the great video
great video i grew up at146-142nd my grandfather grew up in the same house heard all the stories about the neighbor hood from my grandfather i can remember the lunch time whistle from taylor chain everybody went to mr joes shure has changed alot .the last time i was home even the house i grew up in still love hammond region rats rule
Loved it. You showed not only what you grew up remembering but also, some things that were before your time that made the neighborhood what it was (and to a certain point, still is). Enjoyed hearing the stories from your 2nd cousin. That made it more personable. Thank you for posting it.
My Grandfather was the Maintenance guy for "St.Caz" for Many Decades. He had to have known "Lottie" personally. Grandparents lived on Johnson Ave. Their parents were right from Poland .
Is this comment from Kelly? I was just wondering. I used to be married to Bobby Jakubczyk and Bruno was my ex husbands uncle. Even though we’re divorced I get along nicely with the family, nice people. Small world.
My godfather was Bruno. He was married to my dads sister, my aunt Mary. Uncle Bruno was an amazing person, electronic repairman, excellent carpenter,he built his entire garage by hand and helped me build my workshop in our garage. My name is RONALD WISNIEWSKI,
Thank you Alex for this film! Brough back many memories of growing up in North Hammond. I'm a bit older than you (58 in 2021) but many of the same memories you share I remember as well. I grew up on the 140th block of Sheffield, just across from the Carmelite home. Memories I will never forget.
thanks for doing this documentary about hammond i was born and raised here also as a young kid growing up in the 70s and 80s hammond was the place to be lots of jobs places to go things to see .i look at hammond now and always ask myself what the hell happened.?? hammond looks like crap so many jobs lost buildings rotting away it looks like gary ,ind.but its also happening in highland and so fourth but its not just in indiana its going on all over u.s.a. its really sad to see this happen will they rebiuld and bring hammond back .i dont see it ever happening at least not in my life time.do you remember all the trains that would run on 165th straight thru 174th place by gavit school god i miss that it was great watching all those trains . nothing but memoires now its just sad really sad .
Love the walk down memory lane 💖 I was born and raised in East Chicago (The Harbor) I remember ditching school in the 70's and going to Hammond, eating at the Walgreens restaurant, hanging out at Goldblatts and enjoying the day. Thank you for posting this 👍
Well Done! I think this is by far the most accurate video about growing up in Hammond. I was born there in 1960, and lived there until my late 20s, but have had to return several times since then, and as the narrator quotes, that each time I return, I also recognize it less and less. To sum it up, Hammond to me, is like the death of a dear old friend, you have great memories, but I realize that they are never coming back. I highly recommend to anyone who has grown up in Hammond, to definitely view and share this video.
Well done, I lived on Cameron Ave and played at Hermits Park when they’re was one field, my coach was Ed Bragel , his brother owned the corner bar I think you showed in your film… thanks for the memories!🤙🇺🇸
Thank you for sharing such a heartwarming video of Hammond,. Hammond will always be home for me. I have the best memories and enjoyed all 45 years I lived there before being forced to move across the state due job opportunity. The pictures and historical images are awesome!! Thanks again?
Thank you for your story of Hammond . I greew up in Gary in the 60's and my Aunt and Uncle lived in Hessville having visited there so often .Thanks for rekindling so many of my memories with your lovely family.
I lived on Johnson Ave. literally a stones throw from St. Casmirs, went to Lincoln Elementary just past the playground and spent hours on the witches hat. I also was seen going on one of the roofs of the school to retrieve a baseball. The police came to our house because one of the priests recognized my brother and I. Incredible memories. Never realized how much fun I had while growing up there.
Tremendous job! I grew up in the Woodmar area, my mom worked at Armstrong's Jewelers in the mall for many years, and your video really hit home many times. Thank you for doing this.
Excellent and well done. My Grandpa At 21:09 on the milk truck. I am guessing you got that from my Aunt Joyce. She was only a couple doors down on Dearborn.. I see her red house at the start!
So sad to see such a vibrant, historic community disappear like this.. I’m from Indianapolis and drive this area with my job almost everyday and always been fascinated with the history of NW Indiana
Thanks for your video it was very interesting! I went to st. Casimir church and grade school from 1961, until 1969. Very very many memories this brought back many thoughts of my childhood! I lived on Henry Street right next to the South shore line and then I think it was b&o line. We played many baseball games across the tracks! there on Henry St. Where the B&O tracks are, one manhole cover was was home plate, first base was a railroad signal! Second base was the other manhole cover which I'm sure is still there today and third base was the other signal light! We had to stop at least every 10 or 12 minutes for a train! I remember going to Queen Ann candy outlet store that was right at the end of Henry Street on the south end where it ended where there was a steel mill they had an outlet for second quality Queen Ann chocolates there. My dad's favorite restaurant of all was Mike Speises (not sure of spelling) we are of Italian descent. My dad played in many bands there in those days he played the drums.
The stereotype of Indiana outside of NW Indiana being homogeneous well that depends where you go, central Indiana is a bit more diverse than the rest of the state outside of NW Indiana but I get what you’re saying. And the so called traditional Indiana foods I’ve never eaten in my life lol
Thank you for the memories and taking the time to compile this video. This was my old stomping grounds of Hermits- when it only had one diamond, and the north side of where I grew up and lived on Dearborn near Patricia Bengert on the south side of Gostlin - home now gone. And the dinners at St. Casmir's were the best. Went to many weddings and events there. I still compare any polish food I eat to Lottie's. Very well done, Bravo!!
My Dad's cousin, his Grandfather (Frank L. Kaminski) was the Mayor of Calumet City from 1945 until 1953. The film mentions that Grandma married the Mayor, I wonder who the Mayor was?
Thank you so much making this video , you did an outstanding job , beautifully done . I was born in Hammond in '61 and lived there until the middle '80's . I miss those days , places and people . Looking back on it now , we really had it all ,everything we needed was in Hammond ,Indiana . Although at the time , most of us didn't realize how good we actually had it . Again , thank you for this trip down memory lane .
P.H. Mueller Hardware founded 1887 on Sibley Avenue, is a still standing place to note that was not mentioned in this video. Operator Dave Mueller has kept this gem of downtown Hammond active since its conversion to a gallery and music venue space in 2007.
Born in Gary 1954, moved south Lake County as a teen, then to Lansing/Cal City/Hammond border by 1978, married with children.. Back across the state line to the South side of Hammond 1999 and been here ever since. This film is excellent. I love homegrown history lessons such as yours. I'm a regionite through and through. My mother was Polish and I identify with your family dynamics. As far as memories they come with age. As far as change it is inevitable. To remain the same is to stagnate. Effort is always being made to make something good out of bad in the region. We cannot just abandon the region to the 4 winds - eventually TPTB will get it right. 🙂
Absolutely loved this presentation Alex! I have shared the link with so many friends and family ... including "Wally" from Cavalier Inn. Wonderfully done!! I hope you will one day consider making another video .... about baseball in the region.
I was raised in highland in the 80s. this brought back so many memories. places I remember my parents talking about from their own childhood. plan to watch this with my son and my parents at family dinner next week. ☺️. my inner child enjoyed every bit of this film.
I believe that the clip of the roller dome that was shown that that’s my mother, Julia Zurzolo. Just searching around RU-vid about Northwest Indiana and i find an old video of my mother. I grew up in Munster, now not even close to Indiana. She was known for being a great skater, thanks for showing her skills in your video!
Loved this video. I've lived in Hammond most of my life and in 2000 I bought a home from Sophie Jez and her family in North Hammond. My wife and I still live there, it just has a good warm feeling.
Great video, thanks. I was born in St. Cath Hospital and raised in Whiting/Robertsdale near Wolf Lake. I worked at the old Sterk's grocery store. I graduated from Clark HS in 1989. I've lived in CA, after the military, since 1993. I still visit family almost every year around Perogi Festival time. I plan to retire back to NW Indiana in a couple of years.
Great video. I grew up in East Chicago on the border of Hammond and East Chicago (Roxana). I went to Bishop Noll and Calumet College. I loved looking back at Goldblatts. My mom's friend, Earl, was the maintenance guy there and would always let me work with him at the store. I remember the ladies working in the elevators and the boiler room and the candy and toy sections. I ate at Cam Lams often. I remember the time spanning the 60's and 70's so I remember so much of the old city and watched it deteriorate. My ex-wife got her senior portrait done at a photographer in the old Indiana Hotel Building. I was in a rock band and we rented a run-down storefront across from the old Minas' building in 1974 and 1975. We called it Visual Studios, across from Bolsega's music. A crazy old guy named Henry ran the music store at the time. I will say that at that time, Hammond was an intersection between the 50's and the 70's where we got to experience a great and rich time of the past. I still wear my 'Region Rats' shirt proudly down here in Tennessee where people just don't understand the wonderful experience of growing up in 'The Region'. Sans trains...
Thanks for bringing back some fond memories. After graduating from Hammond Tech around 1973 I joined the military and never returned except for a couple of months around '78. Lived in Whiting right across the street from Wolf Lake Park. The entire area is unrecognizable. Thanks for preserving some of the old images and helping to recall some great memories.
Absolutely the best Hammond video I've seen. Your aunts are precious. As I child I lived with my Polish-immigrant grandparents in the 4300 block of Sheffield, and attended church at St. Caz until moving to Hessville. I moved to Montana 50 years ago, but visit the Cal regularly and always stop at the church. This is a keeper.
What a charming beautiful video....my mom is from east chicago Indiana...and remember she used to talk about goblatts n other stores....the best video ive seened... beautifully narrated...using your family experience was excellent...it help tell such a great story....of the region....northwest Indiana is so unique...many people will never understand
My dad was born in East Chicago but he was raised in Hammond. I maybe wrong, but if I remember correctly, he grew up near Holman, Ave, and went to Hammond High. I know my paternal grandfather who was a first generation Irish American worked for the railroad delivering mail and later for the Standard Oil Company. One of my aunt's worked at the Hammond Times. He passed away in 2016, from Alzheimer's but I know he would have remembered this streets had he seen your video, so thank you for the memories of my dad's stories, and the smile, I needed it!!!
The Epic back in the 1950's,60's,70's was called Jo Jo's Club owned by Joe and Mary Zralka,phone number back in 1957 was MI 6-2217,there was a huge Rooster statue on the roof.
Grew up in South Hammond by Gavit HS area. I used to think of Robertsdale/North Hammond as part of Whiting! Still in the area (no, I'm not a Region Rat!), 72 years old, but remember many locations as seen in the film clip - THANKS!
I remember riding a bus from Olcott Avenue to Goldblatt's with my mother. We would come back with bags of cashew nuts and chocolates and eat quite a few on the bus. I remember the big blizzard of I think '67. Sadly, I don't have many happy memories. Catholic school was brutal, and my home life growing up was very abusive. But I hold onto little things like a beautiful cherry tree in bloom on Knickerbocker Parkway, kindergarten at Porter Elementary school and being a little ballerina in Porter's Halloween parade.
I grew up in Calumet City. Wonderful childhood. We went to Hammond to shop and as a child we were thrilled to shop at Goldblatt's. One of my grandmothers lived in Hammond. Loved visiting with her. I miss family gatherings at my Polish family in Calumet City. Unfortunately, I think River Oaks helped the decline of Hammond's downtown.
Thank you so very much for the walk down memory lane. I was born in 1943 and lived on the 4300 block of Towle until my senior year. Many of the places shown are very dear to me. Again, Thanks so much!
My family arrive in Hammond during the 1870's and 1880's to work as cops, carpenters and home builders/land developers. The swank neighborhoods for the wealthy started by Harrison Park just south of Downtown. That's where I grew up and stayed away from North Hammond since it already looked junky by the 1960's and smelled bad thanks to the industries on Chicago's Southside. Spent a lot of my time in the nearby Cook County Forest Preserves in Calumet City since one couldn't hear traffic and trains in the woods. Used to walk Downtown to kill time going to the funky stores/curio shops on State Street between Hohman Avenue and State Line. The Greasy Greeks' Cancer Clinic was on the corner where one could get a New York strip steak, scrambled eggs and hash browns with biscuits & gravy for a very reasonable price. Hammond was an OK place to grow up but most kids never returned after graduating from college. I fled for Texas in 1977 once it became obvious that the Region's heavy industries were going to shut down for good. I now visit using Google Street Views since everyone that stayed there has moved away long ago. The city has been slow about clearing out the dumpy downtown and neighborhoods for new housing developments to attract professional workers that live in Chicago since they've been flocking into Whiting and points east where they can catch the South Shore to the Loop and back. It's proposed southern extension will run down the former Monon/L&N main line with the 173rd St. station being located at the former Monon yard. Hammond was crisscrossed with main lines and tracks to all sorts of industries scattered thru out town so one had to become familiar with switching schedules and when trains rolled in to the switchyards.
Incredible video. A Highland resident all 72 years of my life, graduated from Bishop Noll in 1968. I spent my formative teen years constantly visiting Hammond, with Goldblatts, the Paramount and Parthenon, Wayne's Trick Shop, and so many of the other places showcased here deeply etched into my mind. I'm happy to have experienced the golden era or Hammond! Thanks for organizing my disjointed and faulty memories into something coherent that I can truly embrace and enjoy.
Gotta be very careful in North Hammond nowadays! It's definitely not a place to be walking at night! It's so sad watching this video and living here witnessing the great decline of the entire region!
