Ray Bradbury Forums
Where in Green Town?

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11 January 2008, 03:02 AM
Davo62
Where in Green Town?
I have a question for those who know more of Green Town or Waukegan than I have been able to glean from Ray's books or from the resources on the web.
Where in Green Town/Waukegan did James Nightshade and William Halloway live?
We meet them first far up a gentle slope and I had rightly or wrongly put them on the lake side of the ravine. Certainly this seems a different neigbourhood to Douglas and Tom in Dandelion Wine (which there is a handy map to)
Was it covered in the literary walk?
I'm working on modelling Green Town for an n scale railway layout. The trolley from Dandelion Wine and the train from Something Wicked. At the moment I'm thinking one half of the model will be in Summer the other in Autumn. With the main street in the middle.
I'm currently in the research stage, while I start with some of the buildings I'll need. What I'll no doubt end up with is a little Green Town, a little Waukegan and a fairly large bucket of licence. But in these early stages as I plan to model streets I have run down so many times in those Para Litefoot tennis shoes, I want it to be as true to the source as possible. I would appreciate any direction this forum can offer. Thanks
11 January 2008, 04:00 AM
philnic
Davo62, welcome! What a fascinating project!

I don't know the answer to your question, but I have a little information about the layout of Green Town on my website here. This will also point you to further links on this message board. I hope this helps a little.


- Phil

Deputy Moderator | Visit my Bradbury website: www.bradburymedia.co.uk | Visit the Center for RB Studies: www.tinyurl.com/RBCenter
11 January 2008, 04:20 AM
Davo62
Cheers Phil.
I may have already visited/borrowed/raided your excellent site. And spent quite a bit of time mooching about Waukegan on GoogleEarth. Oh for a time machine to turn the focus of those satellites back to 1928. Your site helped more than a little when I found it.
11 January 2008, 08:23 AM
philnic
Davo62, not much help but here are some more web images and info:

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/waukegan_il_1920.jpg

http://www.chicagochildrenstheatre.org/blog/2006/10/dandelion-wine-design.html

Some curious watery charts:
http://historicals.ncd.noaa.gov/historicals/histmap.asp...state=IN&type=&year=


- Phil

Deputy Moderator | Visit my Bradbury website: www.bradburymedia.co.uk | Visit the Center for RB Studies: www.tinyurl.com/RBCenter
11 January 2008, 09:33 AM
Doug Spaulding
Whenever Phil says "I hope this helps a little", or "...not much help but...", it's usually a great deal of help - good job!

A good project, Davo. We members of "The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club" had produced maps of Mayberry some years ago.

Fun projects, eh?


"Live Forever!"
11 January 2008, 01:20 PM
philnic
The Andy Griffith Show is barely known on this side of the pond. It falls into the same category as Gilligan's Island - a show most Brits have heard of, but never seen. The only reason we know about it (and Gilligan) is because so many other TV shows have made reference to it.


- Phil

Deputy Moderator | Visit my Bradbury website: www.bradburymedia.co.uk | Visit the Center for RB Studies: www.tinyurl.com/RBCenter
11 January 2008, 02:56 PM
Doug Spaulding
quote:
Originally posted by philnic:
The Andy Griffith Show is barely known on this side of the pond.

One demerit for Great Britain!


"Live Forever!"
11 January 2008, 03:09 PM
Doug Spaulding
quote:
Originally posted by philnic:
It falls into the same category as Gilligan's Island.

Wow!

It is amazing to we Yankees that dreck like Gilligan's Island (although enjoyable dreck) is being categorized with the greatest American sitcom ever. University classes are taught here on this programme. It's a beautifully shot series, and will stand the test of time. It doesn't age.

Gilligan's Island indeed!


"Live Forever!"
12 January 2008, 04:21 AM
Davo62
I remember both programmes screening here in New Zealand when I was growing up. Not sure if I can fully concur that Andy Griffith was the greatest sitcom of all time, but it was certainly head and shoulders above dross like Gilligan's Island and it's predecessor Dusty's Trail. Even in those days I was much more attracted to Rod Serling's Night Gallery and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. And there was another I can't remember the name of hosted I think by A Family Affair's Sebastian Cabbot.
And of course Dr Who. Always Dr Who. Now that was a sit com. Particularly the John Pertwee era.
But I digress and I'm no closer to finding the homes of James and Will. Reread most of Something Wicked when I took my youngest daughter to the pool today (33 degrees here). No real enlightenment other than Green Town being much simpler than Waukegan, with Main Street doubling for Genesee and Sheridan and a couple of other streets in between. There is a passage where Charles can turn from facing the Court House to the Library.
12 January 2008, 10:32 AM
Doug Spaulding
quote:
Originally posted by Davo62:
And there was another I can't remember the name of hosted I think by A Family Affair's Sebastian Cabot.

That was Ghost Story, also called Circle of Fear.

New Zealand, eh? One of my favourite countries - beautiful!


"Live Forever!"
12 January 2008, 10:32 AM
Doug Spaulding
Dross is a good word.


"Live Forever!"
12 January 2008, 08:58 PM
dandelion
Your project is to be highly commended, and please post pictures when completed.

I'd recommend going to the Waukegan Public Library's website and contacting them as to sources of street maps showing the general layout of the town with specific Bradbury references.

I have a city map marked by Bradbury himself with sites of interest. Maybe with help I can figure out how to scan and post it here, but I've had very little luck with projects demanding high tech skills.

I'd also recommend a topographical map and aerial and other photographs to make sure the ups and downs of it are right.
15 January 2008, 11:28 PM
Davo62
Thanks Phil
Your link to the curious watery charts was an absolute godsend. What a thrill when I finally downloaded the Waukegan map (I'm still on dial up) and I found the whole town in topographical detail and also the trolley tracks marked out. I was grinning for hours after that. Cheers.
16 January 2008, 08:06 AM
biplane1
And to think that Jim Backus was also Mr. McGoo!
16 January 2008, 08:15 AM
fjp451
quote:
Gilligan's Island (although enjoyable dreck) is being categorized with the greatest American sitcom ever. University classes are taught here on this programme.


...but Shakespeare is no longer a required study for an English degree is so many colleges. There is more than one way to burn the books.