Hello!

I'm preparing for a Fall trip to Waukegan, and I was wondering if anyone has done any research in regards to the setting of The Halloween Tree. It is my belief that the setting for the story is Bradbury's fictional "Green Town." I would like to try to focus in a little more and try to locate the actual places he may have been referencing as he was writing, ie the haunted house of Moundshroud, the ravine( could it be the same one as in Dandelion and Something...), and any other places that are referenced that I'm forgetting. Any thoughts or previous research would be appreciated.

Thanks All!

Hi cbg8, and welcome.

I don't know about HALLOWEEN TREE-specific locations, but I have blogged about the real Waukegan vs. the fictional Green Town several times. If you use this link, you will be taken to a blog post of mine which includes links to my Google Map of Waukegan, and a link to another blog post where I compare the layout of Waukegan with the layout of Green Town.

http://bradburymedia.blogspot....eturned-from-my.html

Thank you, Phil. I will check out your blog and start there.

Phil,

In the post below, Walloom mentions the house the was the inspiration for the Elliot Mansion in From the Dust Returned. Do you know if this house is still standing?Can you find anything on the address?

Thank you,

Chuck


Walloon
posted 29 December 2005 12:49 AM Hide Post
• Picture postcards of Waukegan.
• Waukegan Lighthouse. (Hopefully with a Fog Horn.)
• 1920 map of Waukegan. The year of Bradbury's birth. As you can see, not a large town then, only about 1.5 miles from north to south, and a mile from east to west. The Carnegie Library is on the northeast corner of Sheridan Road at Washington Street, on a bluff overlooking the railyards and Lake Michigan. Ray's great-grandparents' home, the inspiration for Doug Spaulding's grandparents' home in Dandelion Wine and the Elliot family mansion in From the Dust Returned, was just across Sheridan Road. Ray's parents' home was seven blocks west. Between the two: The infamous Ravine!
• Ray's great-grandfather S.I. Bradbury, mayor of Waukegan in 1882.
• Oakwood Cemetery, with Lake Michigan in the background, is quite pretty — by day.
• Lake County Courthouse, 1878-1968.
• Downtown redevelopment plan.
• Waukegan trolley lines. Remember the last ride in Dandelion Wine? Another picture.
• The Waukegan River. Another pretty view. Unfortunately, the Ravine has become a garbage dump for some.
• 1854 Greek Revival mansion, demolished on 19 April 2005.
• Growing up in Waukegan in the 1930s.
• The Karcher Hotel was the tallest building in Waukegan in the 1920s and 1930s. It later became a shelter for homeless men.
• Urban blight in Waukegan.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Walloon, 01 January 2006 07:32 PM

Posts: 103 | Location: Madison, Wisconsin, USA | Registered: 24 August 2004

Sorry to say many if not all of the magnificent Victorian mansions are gone, but if you PM me your address I can send you a map featuring highlights!

quote:

Originally posted by cgb8:
In the post below, Walloom mentions the house the was the inspiration for the Elliot Mansion in From the Dust Returned. Do you know if this house is still standing?Can you find anything on the address?

Thank you,

The Carnegie Library is on the northeast corner of Sheridan Road at Washington Street, on a bluff overlooking the railyards and Lake Michigan. Ray's great-grandparents' home, the inspiration for Doug Spaulding's grandparents' home in Dandelion Wine and the Elliot family mansion in From the Dust Returned, was just across Sheridan Road. Ray's parents' home was seven blocks west.

I've been there, and the only things across from the library are an apartment building and (further down) a parking garage, so I reckon not.

I emailed a scan of the Waukegan map to you.