From the November 5th Chicago Tribune "Homes fell, the Kennedy rose' by Richard Wronski.
Fifty Years Ago, expressway changed the face of city. Chicago, that is.
Not everyone appreciates the construction of the Kennedy Expressway. Hundreds of homes were taken by the city, torn down and paved over. The Kennedy is an eight-lane marvel, 400 feet wide and 16 miles long.
At 11 am on November 6, 1960, Governor William Stratton, Mayor Richard J. daley and Cook County Boar President Dan Ryan officially opened the Northwest Expressway as it was then called. So, that's where we got the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Governor Stratton called it "the greatest highway in America." The Congress Street Expressway (now called the Eisenhower) had already opened a few weeks earlier.
Three years later, the Northwest Expressway became the Kennedy Expressway, a week after he was assassinated on November 22, 1963. During Kennedy's three visits to Chicago during his presidency, hundreds of thousands had lined the Northwest Expressway to watch his motorcades from O'Hare.
More to Come. --RoadDog
RoadDog's RoadLog Blog: Being my travels down those great two lane highways of this nation as well as news I learn about them from media sources. Since I'm also very interested in historic preservation, there will be a lot of that as well.
The Shamrock Court Motel in Sullivan, Missouri. It can be yours for $125,000. Lots of possibilities. Actually, now you're too late. Missouri's Roamin' Rich bought it.
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