by Robert Long October 5, 1998
My father, C.B. Long (my mother is Hazel Long now living in Sun City Center, Florida) was a career (45 years) employee of Swift & Co. (edible oils division) and was transferred to Chicago in the spring of 1950. I was nearly 7 years old, my older brother Chip was 9 and my younger brother, Bill, would be born in January, 1951 in a Chicago Heights hospital. We moved directly into an apartment at 161 Park Road. (As I recall, their were no houses for a couple of years thereafter.) In 1954 we bought a new home at 448 Shabbona Dr. and lived there until my father's transfer in the summer of 1960. For me, it was a wonderful place to spend the formative years (between ages 6 and 17 in my case).
by James L. Garretson March 19, 1998
Elaine and I and our then four children came to Park Forest in November, 1949. I had been in Cook County since early 1949 and had made the acquaintance of one Park Forester, Tony Scariano. Soon after our arrival, he and his good wife had all of us to their house for dinner. We occupied our then new townhouse until May, 1990 -- for over 40 years. I was 49, almost 50, when we moved in and 80 when we moved away. Elaine was three years younger.
Park Forest--Dreams Past and a Dream Reborn by Alan Fried December 29, 1997
When you walked through certain neighborhoods in Park Forest, the air would grow breathlessly still and the sunlight would shimmer in a strange and almost magical way. Almost magical, because Park Forest is not a product of fantasy but of science fiction. And I always thought of those quiet places as a doorway into another dimension, what Robert Heinlein called the door into summer. When I was growing up there in the 1950s, I thought it was the Village of Tomorrow, I remember I was getting a free cookie in the Park Forest Bakery, located across from Wayne Howorth's music store, when I first heard about Sputnik being launched. For the rest of America, the launch of Sputnik meant American kids would begin getting an education in science and math. But not for Park Forest schoolkids like me. We were already getting a great education.
by Judge Henry X. Dietch (Retired) December 10, 1997
When I came back from serving overseas in World War II, there was, in fact, no place we could rent to start up our civilian life again. My wife was living with her parents and our small amount of furniture was in storage. Thus, when Park Forest townhouses became available to war veterans, we eagerly applied and were fortunate to rent a two-bedroom apartment. Several years later, we built our present home where we continue to live today even though our children are all grown up and have children of their own. Our house is really too big for two people. However, I continue to be a "big frog" in a "small pond." In addition, Park Forest represents our life for almost 50 years and we continue to enjoy the company of old friends and Park Forest's wonderful conveniences.
