This is Plate Number "12273," taken by an employee of the MWRDGC ("The Sanitary District of Chicago" at that time) on November 3, 1925 of the property and house on Lot # 42. This was on Highland (or 63rd) Ave and was a package deal including Lot # 41 (also owned by the same couple), so extended to the south east corner of its intersection with 41st Street; both lots, among others, were purchased by the SDC (or Sanitary District) in January of 1926 (see BLUE squares with 41 and 42 on our Lot Number Map here). There is a chicken coop behind the house with various chickens clearly roaming the property. The man with a hat in a full length coat is an SDC employee most likely explaining to, apparently the lady of the house, why they were taking photos of all the properties in the area, and was also being closely inspected by the family dog. Curiously, your Editor recalls the same chicken coop on the property decades later; the author’s parents having kept chickens there as well. A garage was added some time after the photo was taken, in which I clearly recall my grandfather listening to a baseball game one night out there, cheering in support, most likely for the Cubs (or possibly the White Sox).

These two lots were noted on page 57 of the 1926 Proceedings... as:
"(k) Lot forty-one (41) — to be purchased from Charles W. Lanzel and Louise Lanzel, his wife, for the sum of $975." and:
"(l) Lot forty-two (42) — to be purchased from Charles W. Lanzel and Louise Lanzel, his wife, the sum of $925 to be paid for said lot and $3,400 for the improvements thereon, consisting of a 5-room frame cottage and a frame garage, a total of $4,325."

RETURN to Chapter 4.

Note: You can also see in this photo two substantially larger homes in the background; as well as a dozen utility poles. The house and property on the left (north side of Lot # 61) was later purchased from "George A. Benson" on April 22, 1926 for $3,250 (see page 239 of the 1926 Proceedings...). The house on the right (the south 55 feet of Lot # 61) was taken from "Vid Nemcic and Maggie Nemcic" for the sum of $6,100 on 28 OCT 1926 (see page 1050 of the 1926 Proceedings...).

        This photo is used by permission of its copyright holder, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (or MWRDGC) and cannot be displayed anywhere without their official permission: