Venue Information

Catholic church in Chicago, Illinois

Our Lady of Victory Church was organized on September 10, 1906, as a mission of St. Edward parish. Rev. Martin M. Lennartz CS (Viatorian) cared for the small Catholic community, and celebrated Mass in a hall on Milwaukee Avenue, on the southeast corner of Lawrence Avenue. On August 18, 1906, a "Lawn Social" for the benefit of the new Catholic church in Jefferson Park" was held on the lawn of the J.S Dietchert home. At that time, there were wooden sidewalks, wooden block streets, and streetcars which operated to Lawrence and Milwaukee Avenues only in the summertime. The Milwaukee streetcar going South went to Armitage. The people then transferred to a cable car which took them to the loop by means of the Washington Street tunnel. The cable cars were identical to those used in San Francisco today.

   Horse drawn carriages and surreys with the fringe on top could be seen on the streets. Every now and then a horse ...