Chatham Street

I used to know the people who lived in both these houses many years ago when drug dealers invaded our neighborhood and we joined together to try to get rid of them while the mayor only cared about his own neighborhood which he cleaned up at our expense.

623 Chatham St

City Assessor's 1936  1951

Anna Porter holds the warranty deed and A C Porter holds the land contract.

1920 U S Census: pg 358,line 19
Porter, Anna head, owns house, 84 years old, widow, immigrated 1845, naturalized, b. Germany
Porter, Anna daughter, 50, single, b. Michigan (the balance is very hard to read)

1900 US Census,
Porter, Anna C head, b. Jan 1836 mother of five children, 2 living, parents b. Germany, owns home free and clear
Porter, Anna daughter, b. Jan 1870 father born New York, dressmaker
 

About 30 years ago, the owner then told me that this was the oldest house in the neighborhood and had the only well so neighbors came and filled their buckets in the yard. A side note here - I knew a very old man who lived near Hall St SE and he told me his mother would send him up the alley to the only neighbor who had a well to fetch water. He even told me right where the well had been but I have forgotten.

617 Chatham St NW

City Assessor's   

1920 US Census: pg 180, 5 Jan 1920, line 43
Catherine Ratajczak, second family living at 839 Jackson Street, head, rents, 46 yrs old, widow, immi 1882, alien, b. Russian controlled portion of Poland, speaks Polish, parents born same,

I just really liked this house. When permits are pulled copies were sent to the assessor's office. There used to be a complete record of every permit ever pulled but now with a computer they don't keep track so closely. Just push a button and a mistake disappears. There is a note "rear porch rebuilt and extended. New front porch steps and chimney".

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Last modified: 08/05/11