Goodbye, WPA Street #2
This block-long section of street, Wells between 46th St. and 46th Pl., was installed by the WPA in the 1930's.
It and the WPA streets around it were here when we moved here in 1956. The consistency of the paving material caused it to turn soft in hot summer weather, to the point where tires treads of parked cars would leave marks in the pavement. There was a 1960's hair comb embedded in the pavement, and permanent tractor tread marks from when the nearby Dan Ryan Expressway was being built in the early 60's.
As the streets around it were resurfaced over the years, it remained, patched and repatched and, after the Blizzard of '79, when the city started plowing residential streets, endlessly scoured and salted.
This tiny section of WPA street was a huge part of my life. I spent many contemplative hours over the last 50-plus years washing the '68 Impala, '70 Toyota Corona, '74 Triumph TR6, Caprice and the Fiero, all while parked under that giant maple tree, and even though I've been advocating for it to be resurfaced for the last 30+ years, I'll miss it.
Goodbye, WPA Street #2
This block-long section of street, Wells between 46th St. and 46th Pl., was installed by the WPA in the 1930's.
It and the WPA streets around it were here when we moved here in 1956. The consistency of the paving material caused it to turn soft in hot summer weather, to the point where tires treads of parked cars would leave marks in the pavement. There was a 1960's hair comb embedded in the pavement, and permanent tractor tread marks from when the nearby Dan Ryan Expressway was being built in the early 60's.
As the streets around it were resurfaced over the years, it remained, patched and repatched and, after the Blizzard of '79, when the city started plowing residential streets, endlessly scoured and salted.
This tiny section of WPA street was a huge part of my life. I spent many contemplative hours over the last 50-plus years washing the '68 Impala, '70 Toyota Corona, '74 Triumph TR6, Caprice and the Fiero, all while parked under that giant maple tree, and even though I've been advocating for it to be resurfaced for the last 30+ years, I'll miss it.