Read this if you are over 25

[boppinvinnieb]

Backyard carnivals, "forts" in the woods, tree houses, bicycles, actually taking Barbie and Midge to your girlfriend's house (or vice versa) complete with the wardrobe carry along cases to trade doll clothes.  Heaven help us, the Easy Bake Oven, Mom telling us to "go outside to play, and blow some of that stink off yourselves" (and she didn't get arrested for saying such things!).

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder was pretty much non-existent, because we had a fresh bowl of fruit on the table at home, and sweets were for lunch, which happened to occur just before recess when we would run it off.  School nurses did not dispense Ritalin in school for Attention Deficit Disorder.  Being grounded improved our attention span.  Having free time was restricted until we brought our grades up. 

I prefer having grown up in the 60s.  You MAYBE got to watch cartoons for a very short period of time on Saturday morning before breakfast (unless you lived on a farm as some of us did, and then you did some chores before breakfast and got the farm going full swing after breakfast).  The cartoons were not these ugly things that we have today either.  After breakfast you helped with some chores and went out to play. 

Silkie, I can identify with just about all these things (except for Barbie and Midge; substitute Matchbox cars and G.I. Joe. I did actually ask for an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas one year. When my mother said no because it was a girls' toy, I said, "Yeah, but food comes out of it!") My buddies and I built forts in the woods, rode bikes, and were generally pretty active. Sure, we got into our share of trouble but nothing injurious or destructive.

These days I see so many parents with a "don't bother me, kid" attitude. When I grew up, not only did my parents discipline me, but so did my friends' parents! And teachers, the principal, etc. I still recall the "Board of Education" in my principal's office. It was a very large, hand-crafted paddle that got used quite often! (Not on me, of course!  ) I saw a survey not long ago that said in the 1950s the biggest issues in the schools were things such as throwing spitballs and talking out of turn. In the 2000s it is guns and knives, rape, teen pregnancy, etc.

[gr8oldies]

A couple of other random things....I never would have thought of calling my parents' friends by their first names. (Exception if they became "honorary" aunts or uncles). We had, tragically, a couple of kids who passed away (accidents, suicide) while I was in high school, and we didn't have to have a platoon of couselors parachute onto the school grounds..we kinda talked it out in class. And yes, you'd get disciplined by your friends' parents and the community at large too.

Well, sonny, back in my day...............

[Dave]

Yes, Jarts was the brand name for lawn darts.  I still have a set for posterity.

I grew up in Hobart, In, and three sets of train tracks crossed through, the Pennsy, the Nickel Plate and the EJ&E, sort of converging as they approched the Chicago region.
There was always a train coming through somewhere.  My cousin ran the interlocking switch tower where the EJ&E crossed the Pennsy.
I'd hang out, throw the mechanical switch levers that ran rods 500 feet down the tracks just to see if I was strong enough.
We used to explore the underground tunnels at the site of the old brick factory.  Much more fun than a video game, and REAL.

My Dad grew up at 8th and Carolina in Gary, and I suspect as a boy he used to play a lot  over on the "High line" that ran east and north over into the pipe mill.

When I worked at US Steel in Gary, I had time enough to explore a few of the "mothballed" ( abandoned ) old facilitiues there,
and examine the old South Shore Railroad cars that got parked in the closed own facilities for a few years in the mid-late 80's.

Did Dixie Dairy ever run pictures? It seems like they did.  My long bones are primarily built of calcium from the Dixie Dairy,
as it was the milk in Hobart schools in the 60s and 70s.

I used to ride my bike near the old Pennsylvania Railroad track once in a while in my late teens early 20's.  By that time though, the line was abandoned.  The EJ&E line was already torn out.  I did go by the track near Cleveland ST & around Colfax when it was used.

My Maternal Grandmother came to Gary from New Mexico during the depression, and lived at the 4400 block of Carolina Street until she was married in 1946.  I don't know where she lived at between 1946 & 1950.  She has lived in her current house for 59 years on W 42nd Avenue in the 2900 block.  She is the original occupant, as the subdivion was new at the time, and most houses are 3 bedroom ranch style houses.  My maternal grandpa was born & raised in Gary in the Glen Park neighborhood.  I don't know what part of Glen Park, but I do know that his childhood home is in decay.  When his parents died in the 60's, none of his siblings wanted the house, and my grandpa was cut out of both wills for marrying a catholic, and later converted to catholicism.  So the house sat vacant.  The house my grandma lived in is still standing, and still in the family, but not for much longer.  Since my great Aunt Lucy died 12 years ago November 16th (ironically, she died exactly 7 years on this date as my grandpa did), my Great Uncle Albert is the last sibling of my Grandma that inherited the house, and plans to move to Arkansas in another year or 2.

As for Dixie milk; I completely forgot about Dixie brand milk.  I remember my mom buying that brand whenever it was on sale.  My grandma always preferred Pleasant View milk.  I went to Crown Point, Merrillville (hate this school system to this date, and don't ask, long story), and Lake Ridge Schools, and all 3 served Pleasant View milk.  I'm not sure if Dixie brand is still available around my immediate area.  I know Deans, Centrella, Pleasant View, & Golden Guernsey are what I see in stores.

[Tom Wells]

I used to ride my bike near the old Pennsylvania Railroad track once in a while in my late teens early 20's.  By that time though, the line was abandoned.

The Pennsy was only abandoned for about 8 years.  The Norfolk-Southern bought that line so they'd have full two-way trackage into Chicago.   I don't know exactly where they connected it up in Whiting/Hammond. They only restored one set of the 2 Pennsy tracks.

[Dave]

I used to ride my bike near the old Pennsylvania Railroad track once in a while in my late teens early 20's.  By that time though, the line was abandoned.

The Pennsy was only abandoned for about 8 years.  The Norfolk-Southern bought that line so they'd have full two-way trackage into Chicago.   I don't know exactly where they connected it up in Whiting/Hammond. They only restored one set of the 2 Pennsy tracks.

The line was only restored from Fort Wayne to Hobart when Norfolk Southern acquired the line.  Then from Hobart to Gary, just north of 11th Avenue was restored, and then it goes west along the CSX line (former Conrail/NYC line).  The part from 11th Avenue north of the CSX line to Whiting/Hammond hasn't been restored.  That line (at least the Lake County portion) is used by CF&E (Chicago, Fort Wayne, & Eastern), along with the stretch that goes from Portage to Crestline Ohio.  I don't know if Norfolk Southern still uses the portion between Hobart & Fort Wayne.  Their main track has become congested in the last few years in the Black Oak neighborhood of Gary.  That track is mostly 1 track.  In Hammond, it's 2 tracks, and can deal with congestion a bit better.  Hobart has a railyard to allow up to 2 trains to stop, and allow another train to go thru.  But from Portage and somewhere past Valparaiso, it's 1 track.  As for the track that CF&E owns, that was Conrail's doing.  I don't know why Conrail decommissioned many multi-tracks to just a single track.  I noticed that along many former Pennsylvania & New York Central lines, where tracks were knocked down to just 1 track.

[Tom Wells]

I don't know why Conrail decommissioned many multi-tracks to just a single track.  I noticed that along many former Pennsylvania & New York Central lines, where tracks were knocked down to just 1 track. [/color]

I'm pretty sure it was taxation.  If you "unimprove" the property, the tax goes down.
It was cheaper to pull the rails out than pay taxes on the "improved" property.