Tag Archives: Duff Peterson

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Winter Wonderland

When Winnetka Was the World Capital of Sledding By Duff Peterson Originally published in the Fall/Winter 2014 Gazette Before organized activities came to dominate the lives of Winnetka children, one pastime in particular enjoyed immense popularity here: sledding. Winnetka’s long winters and steep terrain provided ideal conditions, and along with skating on the Park District’s […]

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Eliot and Fairfield Porter, American Artists from Winnetka

By Duff Peterson Updated July 2022 Photographer Eliot Porter (1901-1990) and his brother, painter Fairfield Porter (1907-1975) – two important American artists of the twentieth century – grew up in Winnetka, IL at 1085 Sheridan Road atop the ravines. Eliot Porter first gained nationwide recognition as a nature photographer in the 1960s, due in part to his work with the […]

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Up Against the Wall: A Brief History of Wilson Street

Gazette Article by: Duff Peterson Appeared in the Gazette: Fall/Winter 2008 For several years following the construction of the North Shore electric railway line in 1899, the present Wilson Street was an unpaved and unnamed alley running alongside the tracks. It was often impassible because of mud and debris, and was rarely, if ever, used […]

The Short, Heroic Life of Philip Comfort Starr

Gazette Article by: Duff Peterson Appeared in the Gazette: Spring 2010 Editor’s Note: Not all of Winnetka’s streets are named after trees. If you’ve ever wondered about the stories behind the familiar street names in Winnetka the following article takes us back to World War I, and is particularly timely in light of our upcoming […]

A Tiny Oasis on Hubbard Place

Gazette Article by: Duff Peterson Appeared in the Gazette: Spring 2010 One of Winnetka’s least-known and most charming “pocket parks” is a small tract of native woodland on Hubbard Place just east of the Hubbard Woods train station, Dunbaugh Park. The park was dedicated to the memory of Franklin P. Dunbaugh (1930-1953), who grew up […]

Who Was Lady Elgin?

Gazette Article by Duff Peterson Appeared in the Gazette: Fall 2010 Lady Elgin and Winnetka are forever linked in history. The Lady Elgin had a checkered history long before she came to grief off Winnetka. In August 1854, she hit a rock off Milwaukee and limped into Manitowoc, only to sink at the dock.  In […]

George Higginson, Jr. House, WHS 2971

George Higginson, Jr. and the Making of Winnetka

Gazette Article by Duff Peterson Appeared in the Gazette: Spring 2011 Higginson Lane is a short street running at an angle between Sunset Road and Birch Street. It is named after George Higginson, Jr. (1864-1936), a prominent citizen of Winnetka in the early 20th century. Higginson was a member of the Village board from 1907-1911, […]