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Hessville Visit
Date: 03-30-2007
By: Mark Miller
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A few weeks back I was driving from my home in Madison, Wisconsin to visit my folks in New Jersey. I was one of the many who listened to Shep on WOR. So I went through Chicago and just started down RT. 80 East when I saw the Kennedy Ave. Exit for Hammond. I happened to be in the correct lane so I took the exit and headed up Kennedy North. I drove until I saw Cleveland on the right and made the turn. There in that very distinctive intersection was Shep's childhood home along with the weird house on the left. I continued down Cleveland to the Warren G. Harding school. I had seen pictures of all this stuff but wanted to see it in person. I drove around the neighborhood a bit and also drove down the alley behind.
So, I decided enough was enough and headed back on my journey. When I got back to Kennedy I decided to see Flick's Tap. I hung a right and there on the right it was. What the Heck, i parked and went in for a beer. I was sitting there downing a cool one when all the sudden I got the spooky feeling that I was stalking a ghost. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I swallowed the last of the beer and I headed out.
Back down Kennedy, past the Jean Shephard Community Center and onto RT. 80. I wonder what Shep mght have thought of RT. 80 so close to his house and how if you follow it east you end up in New Jersey. The Garden State, where he spent so much of his life and regailed us with his views on it. I think he is right. It is the most American of all states. I guess Hammond and Jersey are connected in more ways than one.
Mark MIller |
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