As part of our coverage of Flossmoor’s centennial, the Chronicle has conducted interviews with several of the village’s long-time residents to add their stories to the village’s story.
Al Wagner has lived his whole life in Flossmoor. He was raised at 2709 Flossmoor Road, a house built in 1889, which was his family home and later his real estate appraisal company. It is considered the oldest commercial building in the village.
During his long career, Wagner was involved in many organizations, including local charities and business boosters.
The following is an excerpt from an interview Wagner did late last year with the Chronicle.
What are your favorite memories of growing up in Flossmoor?
Here’s a famous person, Cornelius McGillicuddy, known as Connie Mack (pointing to a photo in his study of the legendary coach and owner of the Philadelphia Athletics who retired in 1950). I’ve got four baseballs signed by him. In seventh or eighth grade, I had them as show and tell, brought them over to the Leavitt Avenue School and gave a presentation at lunch hour.
How did you happen to meet Connie Mack when you were that age?
The nephew of Connie Mack lived in Flossmoor. So when Connie Mack would come into Flossmoor … he would visit them either on the off day or at before games. I have pictures of me in the backyard with my fielders mitt and he’s giving me a lesson on how to pitch a ball.
A couple of years ago, you donated your family home and former business location, 2709 Flossmoor Road, to the village. It is now home to the Foundation for the Preservation of Flossmoor History. How did that happen?
It was bought by my grandmother in 1925, and I’ve got pictures of a for sale sign on it.
I met with (Mayor Michelle Nelson) … and I showed her the old building, went through it. At that time, I’m selling the property. It was my intention. I needed the money for retirement. So Michelle came over and we’re walking down the drive here, and I said, “Michelle, are you still interested?” She said she’s talked to the trustees and there is an interest. And I got shivers in me. As I’m walking, I said, “Well, I changed my mind. Instead of selling it, I’m going to donate it.” So they then started the foundation.
Why do you value local history enough to make this kind of contribution, and before that in spending the money to preserve the building?
The money I spent because I wanted a history of Flossmoor. Maybe it’s my appraisal background. We had to do a neighborhood description and the city description. You give what the history is and how the neighborhood fit into it. That was always part of my narrative appraisals.
Not only is it me, we have other citizens that have history of Flossmoor. It’s been handed down. They don’t know what to do with it.
I think history is important that you know where you came from, whether it’s your family or where you’re living. You can be proud of where you live. If you’re in Flossmoor, the histories of the successes of the people that live here are unbelievable.
I know when I was sixth, seventh, eighth grade we were too poor to belong to Flossmoor or Olympia Fields (country clubs). I caddied at Flossmoor those three years. The people that I caddied for were either presidents or chairmen of the boards of national companies.
Your family had a big impact on Flossmoor. The little house at 2709 Flossmoor Road was one end of the spectrum. The Civic Center was at the other end. What was your family’s role in Flossmoor’s most iconic building?
My dad designed the Civic Center. His parents asked him, after graduating from the University of Illinois, to join them in Europe for a trip as his graduation present. My dad designed it from what he saw a building in London when he was there.
The cornerstone on the Civic Center was December 1929. The (stock market) crash started (followed by the Great Depression). They got it to the first floor. My uncle (Percy Wagner) says, “I want to stop right now. Stop. We put a roof on.” My dad said, “No, it’s going to be finished.”
The 4th of July celebration was started by my father. It was founded by the American Legion. He was commander of the Post. In 1932, that’s back to when the Civic Center was now built. And (the celebration) was the introduction.
Golf is an important element of Flossmoor history. What are some of your favorite golfing memories?
(Flossmoor Country Club pro) Dave Ogilvie III was made national PGA Pro of the Year (in 1986). We were very good friends. We were going to just honor him at the first dinner, I said, “No, let’s have a special event for him.” I bought a golf cart specially made for him. He had MS (multiple schlerosis). The cart had a place to put his crutches, had a radio in it and it was all black with gold lettering that said “David Ogilvie III, National Pro of the Year.”
I was chairman of the event. The first person I asked to help me was Bob McCall, who was the best golfer in Flossmoor. I said, “Bob, I’m been made chairman of this event to honor Dave. I wonder if you’d like to be on my committee.” He says, “I’ll call him tomorrow.” (McCall was one of golf great Arnold Palmer’s best friends.) That’s what I was gonna ask. Bob and I picked him up at the airport.
I got a putter that he gave me that he used. It says “Arnold Palmer” on the bottom. He was a surprise guest. Ogilvie did not know.
Flossmoor is 100 years old, and you’ve been part of the community your whole life. What do you think makes the village special?
As an appraiser, the first thing you do when you go to an area you don’t know, you look and see what automobiles are there. Are they junk? Are they trash? How’s the landscaping? You are looking for the community pride of ownership. And that gives your opinion on what the future of that community is and how your appraisal can look at a pending sale as a realistic sale.
If you read the newspapers you think everything is bad in our country, but there’s a lot of good there. And the good will survive. The good will bring in the people that are on edge. I am so impressed with Flossmoor.
Make sure your schools are good. Make sure they’re safe. Support your police, support your schools.
I believe education brings all races together to the common denominator. It doesn’t split you. Being brought up in Flossmoor, which was a very WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) town at that time, going to Bloom (High School), going in there and seeing Italians and blacks and Polish people that I’d never seen before. And the different dialects. I was scared to death.
I was very friendly with the kids in the Heights, the different cultures there. In high school, I got in an argument with a bully. I’m out at the bus stop. He comes up and he hits me and knocks me down. A Black kid that was an acquaintance there, he came up and he shoved that kid and he knocked him down to save me. That’s how life should be. And that’s how it really is. If you can accept each other and not be negative. But in talking to several of my Black friends, there is a fear. And you can see it’s two way. I saw it when I tried to get Black members on the Focus Council.
You were an advocate for Flossmoor and the South Suburbs during your long career as an appraiser. What initiatives are you proudest of?
The (South Suburban) Focus Council was one of my big things. “The South Suburbs are the Wasteland of Declining Economy.” That’s the headline in the (Chicago) Tribune (in 1977). So that’s when Focus Council says, “No, we’re not.” That was a spark of forming the Focus Council.
It was to preserve the assets of living, working and doing business in the southern suburbs. We had PR because we presented the truth and we were fighting for everybody.
