As Forgotten Chicago is more about architecture and infrastructure than personal stories, I'm hoping to get my sister in here as soon as she recuperates from her trip. She remembers more of the important points, (such as; Kimbark Avenue dead ended in our front yard on 50th Street, and that our house was built in the nineteenth century post The Fire).

Here's what I remember about the house on 50th Street - very little:
The front lawn sloped, and I loved rolling down it. In the back yard, we had a swing set with two swings and a slide. I loved the swings but wouldn't attempt the slide unless Mommy was there to catch me at the bottom. My sister had a playhouse that she allowed me to enter if none of her friends were around. There was a huge fence and gate out into the alley, (having read here about the Wood Block Alleys, I wish I knew how ours was paved). I remember empathizing with Peter, (of Peter and the Wolf fame) for we were regularly admonished not to go through the gate and never, never, never enter the shade shop across the alley. I was a biddable child and not as brave as Peter, but my sister was. She not only went through the gate but entered the shade shop as well. That, however, is her adventure, so I will let her tell it if she will.
I remember these things about the inside of our house: Our bedroom had four poster beds. We'd drape our bedspreads over those posts and pretend the were ships, or tents, or castles. We'd jump from bed to bed being very careful not to fall into the monster infested water between them. We had a radio that my sister liked to listen to at night - spooky programs - "Who knows what evil lurks...? The Shadow knows." And the Lava Soap ad - "L-A-V-A" backed by the sound of heavy stomping. Ooooo! I stuck my fingers in my ears and my head under my pillow. My favorite part of the room was the closet - it had shelves - where Kewpie, and Nancy Ann and her "Frock-'O-The-Month" clothes, and The Carrot were kept. The Carrot? That's a tale for another time.

P.S. If big sister appears, she'll probably tell you Elmer's horse's name was "Mike" not "Johnny". She's probably right - maybe.