Castaway Kid by r.b. mitchell

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People and Places

In Order of Introduction

Chapter 1:

Swedish Covenant Hospital, 5145 North California, Chicago, Illinois
The Chaplin, Reverend Alfred Johnson, helped raise the Children’s Home secretary, Helen, who typed all the notes during my 14 years there. She came to the Home before I did and left the following year. As she said in an audio recorded review of the first part of the book: “I remember these events well because I typed the notes you sent me!”

Covenant Children's Home

 

The Covenant Children’s Home (pictured above,) 502 Elm Place, Princeton, Il was founded in 1921 and closed in 2001. Harry Ekstam was the director upon my arrival in January of 1958.

GigiGigi lived off of North Ridge Avenue a few blocks from where Howard Street divides Chicago from Evanston. The current landlord was unresponsive so the exact street address is being withheld since permission hasn’t been granted.  (Photo on right)

The beautiful Union Station is still a vibrant Chicago train station and the California Zephyr still runs.

Chapter 2:

Nola was at Oak Hills Christian College, Bemidji, MN. She is retired.

Chapter 5:

The Palmer House is still beautiful and at 17 East Monroe St, Chicago, Il.

The rat hole apartment landlord also was unresponsive but it was located off the Bryn Mawr El stop, one block towards the lake, then left. Our apartment was El level back.

John was my case worker 1961-1963 and is retired after a lifetime of working with at-risk kids.

Chapter 6:

The post-kidnapping evaluations were conducted at the then Covenant Counseling Center, 3417 W. Foster Ave, Chicago, Il with caseworker notes signed by Truman Esau, MD and Richard Cox, Ph. D.

Little Boys - Covenant Children's Home

Chapter 9:

Mitchell Motors Oldsmobile and Rolls Royce was sold sometime after Great Uncle Arnold (one of Grandfather Mitchell’s eight brothers) died. The actual location I think was 350 W. Peachtree St. NW but was demolished for some of the Atlanta public transportation network.

Interestingly enough, it was referenced in both the movie and play: Driving Miss Daisy. Play by Alfred Uhry, 1987, Theater Communications Group, Inc. ISBN 0-930452-88-7.

Chapter 10:

Several legal letters from Uncle Mack are in my copies of Children’s Home files.

Chapter 11:

Guilford College, 5800 West Friendly Ave, Greensboro, NC.

Marv became my case worker in the mid 1960’s and has remained close. He is semi-retired.

Chapter 12:

I don’t know how Gigi knew attorney Gilbert T. Graham, originally from Tennessee, I believe. After I went to college in 1972, he ceased being my custodian and I lost track of him.

Chapter 13:

Caseworker notes say mother was under the care of the Charles F. Read Zone Center at the time, after being released from the Elgin State Mental Hospital.

Chapter 14:

Jim has died. Swaney remarried after Anna died and he and his neat wife Jan have two adult daughters and we stay in touch. I found a neighbor of Bob’s in the Northern woods but he has chosen to be a recluse. I did find one of the boys from the elk hunt who verified the memory and added some details I forgot.

Chapter 16:

Dave eventually became the Executive Director of the Home, sadly having to be the one to guide it through the painful decision to close it after 80 years of service. We remain close. He remains a working professional in child services and he and his wife made it to our daughters’ wedding in 2006.

Chapter 17:

Covenant Harbor Camp was originally part of the Borden’s Milk Family estate and the Covenant church obtained it in 1947. It is still a vibrant year round facility on 51 acres at 1724 Main Street, Lake Geneva, WI.

Chapter 23

The missionaries were from the Evangelical Covenant Church, World Missions, 5101 N. Francisco Ave, Chicago, Il.

Chapter 28

Nat Green Home closed several years later due to lack of funding.

Chapter 36

Gigi passed away at St. Paul’s House. The last address for her final bill was 3831 N. Mozart Avenue, Chicago, Il.

First United Methodist Church is still active in China Grove, NC.

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