Shadows of the Half Moon, John Kisselburgh’s memoir about growing up on Brick Row in the early twentieth century, offers a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of the neighborhood a hundred years ago. You can read some of it here.

beginnings: "Everything came from the river ..."

tongue twisters: English speakers adjust to italian names

things shared: "only one room in our house was heated ..."

skating: Ponds "smooth as glass"

buggy rides: "it was a real treat for us"

odds and ends: shotguns, muskrat pelts, spelling bees

mother's rocking chair: "money was a scarce commodity ..."

neighboring: "games were a-plenty ..."

days of yore: house-by-house

itinerants: "Besides the pedlars, there were tinkers ..."

sounds of life: day and night sounds of brick row