Mysterious Tree?
Date: June 25, 2010 12:10AM
Okay, in history class, when I was in grammar school and we were discussing Chicago history, my teacher told us a lot of stories about Chicago, and one stuck in my mind some 15 years later. She told us this story that I think took place sometime in the 1880-1890's about a woman who had a large tree in front of her house and the city was expanding, and eventually the city workers would have to tear down the tree so the street could be laid. So this women, everyday would bring lemonade and cookies to the workers, and when they came up to tree, they conveniently curved around the tree, thus making the street curve, and then curve back to avoid the tree. Has anyone ever heard of such a story or was Catholic school filling my head with lies?! lol. Someone once told me they think the tree in question was the "Lombard Tree" which is why there is a section west of Garfield Park named Lombard Tree but I'm not sure about that. Any takes on this question?