My father loved to tell everyone he was a very lucky man and he really was. He considered himself the luckiest man in the world to have been married to my mother. But his “lucky list” was long and included much more than my mother, though she was the most important. His lucky list included Melody Terrace, the house in Long Beach which he and my mother bought during what my mother considered our “Midwest Exile.” We all loved Melody Terrace–every inch of it, inside and out. Oh, did we love Melody Terrace and still do in our dreams!
The community of Long Beach was founded in the 1920s as a resort town. Families, primarily from Chicago, spent summers there. Long Beach is just north of Michigan City, Indiana. A description of Michigan City in a 1938 city directory explained the appeal of the area.
“Michigan City is so situated on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan at the southeast extremity of the lake amidst the famous Indiana dunelands that its summer temperature is generally about ten degrees cooler than inland cities of the same latitude. In the winter, the extreme cold is also tempered due to its location on Lake Michigan. For this same reason Michigan City is an exceptionally healthy community. The same natural principles that govern air conditioning today are responsible for the clear and clean air that is hourly washed and blown over the city from the lake.”
By the time we moved to Long Beach, it had become a year-round community. For a small and remote place, Long Beach has attracted some interesting residents. Chief Justice John Roberts grew up there. John Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright, lived in Long Beach and designed some of the homes. Alice Waters, American chef and restaurateur, spent some of her youth in Long Beach. Siri founder, Dag Kittlaus, lived in Duneland Beach right next door for part of his childhood.
Little did we know when we moved into Melody Terrace that it had once attracted a very interesting person. We learned bits and pieces of the history of Melody Terrace from repairmen who came to the house to work on the furnace or the roof and shared what they remembered. Construction had begun in 1928 so men who had been part of the original crew were still working in the mid 1950s; and, of course, their buddies also had stories to share.
The workmen told us that the house had been built for a newspaper reporter from Chicago, a man named Alfred “Jake” Lingle. They said that Lingle would show up during construction, make changes to the plans and pay for the changes on the spot in cash. They explained that Lingle would pull out his wallet and peel off hundred-dollar bills. This was curious for a humble reporter for the Chicago Tribune who was earning $65 a week.
But Jake Lingle never lived in the Long Beach house. One story was that the Lingles were waiting for the patio to be completed before moving in. The workmen believed Lingle planned to move in with his wife, Helen, and their two small children, Alfred and Dolores, in mid-June of 1930.
On June 9, 1930, Lingle and his family planned to visit their new home. Helen had packed their bags. She made a last-minute trip to the dressmakers. When she returned home, she learned that Jake had been gunned down gangland-style while walking in the crowded Michigan Avenue underpass to the Randolph Street train station in Chicago.
Murder was not unusual in Chicago. There was a murder a day at that time. But a gangland-style murder of a non-mobster was a first. Lingle had been shot in the back of the neck right below the rim of his straw boater. It was a professional hit.
The newspaper world was outraged and believed Lingle’s killing to be an attack on the Fourth Estate. Seven Chicago newspapers, including Lingle’s Tribune, joined forces and offered a $55,000 reward for the capture of his killer.
Jake Lingle was an unusual target for the mob. His byline rarely appeared. An eighth– grade dropout, he probably couldn’t write a story. He was a “leg man”. He ran crime stories down all over the city of Chicago. Then he found a pay phone and called the stories into re-write reporters who sat at typewriters and wrote the actual articles.
A native of Chicago and a reporter for 18 years, Lingle seemed to know everyone. It was well known he had infiltrated the highest ranks of “Scarface Al” Capone’s syndicate. At the time of his killing, he was wearing a diamond belt buckle, later confirmed to have been a gift from Capone. At the same time, he had made powerful friends at City Hall and in the police department.
Because of his murder, his personal life was thoroughly investigated, especially his finances. The amount of money going into his accounts was startling particularly during the depression. The bank reported deposits averaging more than a thousand dollars a week. Even more amazing than the amount of money was the variety of sources. Lingle was “making” money for police protection (businesses paid him money to be protected from gangsters) and police promotions (policemen paid Lingle to arrange for promotions). There was a very large deposit from the publisher of a racetrack newspaper. It was even said that he was setting the price for beer in The Loop, Chicago’s central business district. It very quickly became apparent that his connection with the mob was much more involved than simply the stories he gave to the Tribune. Incredibly, he even had brokerage accounts held jointly with the Chicago Police Chief, William Russell.
With so many “business dealings”, it is unlikely Lingle’s killer will ever be known. Someone was arrested for his murder, but no one seriously believed the person to be the killer. Possible killers included a member of a rival gang led by George “Bugs” Moran. Meantime, Lingle had a big state funeral with military escorts and bands and, supposedly, 25,000 mourners. It was said the funeral procession was 12 blocks long. The funeral included a high requiem Mass attended by all the big Chicago politicians and not by gangsters. One of those attending was the Cook County Assessor and owner of a big house, Beach View, on Lake Shore Drive in Long Beach.
The Lingle family never lived in the house that Jake was having built. Instead, on March 2, 1931, Edgar and Elizabeth Smith bought the property. He was the retired president of Kimball Piano in Chicago and so the Smiths named the house Melody Terrace.
At that time, Long Beach was primarily a summer community. The Smiths must have set a new standard for summer homes. An article in the local newspaper, The Billows, in July 1931 gushed in its description of Melody Terrace—every room, including one of the bathrooms, was described in the grandest terms.
“This home, in addition to being one of the most complete and beautiful of the many lovely summer homes in Long Beach, is surrounded by one of the most colorful flower gardens and rock gardens in the hills. A beautiful home, standing majestically back among the trees, foliage of all colors, and wide sweeping lawns form a regular cross stitch pattern of loveliness and beauty. The gardens and background of this place are in themselves worthy of especial note, the shrubs, gardens and landscaping being of the most perfect pieces of work in this region of the country. Every variety of flower from the wild daisy to the most treasured cultivated flower finds its selected spot in Mrs. Smith’s garden, and that lady lives in a home that is a “Melody Terrace” of exquisite architecture, design, and furnishings. If it were not for the gentle wind which rustles the trees and flowers in the gardens, one would almost be tempted to imagine that he were looking at a picture, painted by an artist.”
This language was over the top flowery, but Melody Terrace really was a lovely home. It is impossible to know who deserves credit for some of its more unusual features. It sat on the east end of an acre of landscaped property; and was sited so the public rooms looked out over the gardens and toward the lake. This must have been Jake Lingle’s vision or the design of the original architect. The above article indicates that Mrs. Smith was responsible for the very lovely gardens. But the Smiths lived in Melody Terrace less than eight years. They sold Melody Terrace to Elizabeth and Thomas Casserly before 1938. The Casserlys lived in Melody Terrace at least 15 years. Mr Casserly died in 1952. In 1954, my parents bought the property from Mrs. Casserly, who had moved to Chicago. My father’s description of Mrs. Casserly suggested she, too, would have made a lasting impression on a home!
Perhaps credit must be given to all the owners for creating a very special place indoors and out. Today decorators design “outdoor rooms” in landscaping. Melody Terrace had outdoor rooms way ahead of the times.
Opposite the front door sat a stone barbecue with a semi–circular stone wall around a patio built into a low rise in the land. The placement of the barbecue area on the more formal side of the house was interesting. It must have been an entertainment area. In fact, grills today are located in much the same way.
Walking east from the barbecue were steps leading up to a somewhat secluded garden area with a lovely bench for resting–something my father never did.
Walking west from the barbecue was what we called the Summer House. The Summer House was round and screened in. It must have been at least twenty feet in diameter as it accommodated a couch, a glider which easily sat 3 people, various chairs and a refrigerator and stove combination unit. All around the ceiling were menus from restaurants around the world. Can you imagine a more perfect spot for children in the summer? Or a more perfect spot for raising a baby robin which my sister did one spring!
By exiting either the front or back door and following the stepping–stones west, we reached a generous patio surrounded by hedges. Walking down a stone stairway west from the patio led to a small, shallow pool once used for fish. Adjacent to the stairway was a rock garden which became a labor of love for our parents.
In the spring, the rock garden was filled with tulips and daffodils in addition to all the rock garden perennials. In front of the rock garden was the most beautiful pink dogwood. In the summer, my parents filled the rock garden with petunias, all shades, where the bulbs had earlier bloomed. My parents had many conversations about the arrangement of colors. My mother preferred like colors to be together whereas my father believed God would have planted flowers without such organization.
Exiting the kitchen on the north side of the house, we crossed a little bridge to walk to a tool shed designed to look like a child’s playhouse. All along the bridge were lilacs. In May, the lilacs bloomed in shades from the whitest white to the deepest purple. My mother would bring armloads of lilacs to decorate the altar at Notre Dame Church.
This northern edge of the property blended into the beautifully maintained gardens of our neighbor, Mrs. Vail. She was an inspiration to my parents and taught them most of what they knew about plants and flowers, shrubs and trees. My parents were very willing pupils and Mrs. Vail a gifted and caring teacher. Having been apartment dwellers all their lives, my parents had much to learn and they did in a hurry.
The inside of Melody Terrace was just as fascinating as the outdoors. The living and dining rooms were very large. The living room was so large that it had two separate seating areas; and the dining room held an imposing table at which we enjoyed rather formal dinners on the weekends. In addition, there was an enclosed porch downstairs, my father’s favorite room, used for entertaining. Upstairs was another indoor porch used by the family.
There were mirrors between the windows in the dining room. This made an already large room even larger. Did the Smiths or the Casserlys install the mirrors? Even the main bathroom upstairs was dramatic. It was green, yellow and black with a very ornate wrought iron light fixture. Walking into that bathroom felt like being transported to the Middle East or a movie set! The bathroom could have been designed by Jake Lingle!
Other curious features in Melody Terrace included a back staircase which led from the kitchen to my bedroom. Every time I climbed that staircase, I imagined myself part of a mystery novel! My bedroom was separated from my grandmother’s bedroom by a dressing room. This arrangement was perfect because I was very close to my grandmother. My sister and I shared a bedroom briefly until my tales of a golden ghost in the closet had my sister so upset that we had to be separated!
Even the basement level had features designed for children. There was a shower room and an adjacent dressing room no doubt for returning from the beach. We soon converted the dressing room into the most wonderful doll room for my sister. She had everything for her dolls…beds, refrigerator, stove. She so loved her doll room. In complete contrast, I converted the shower area into an office with bookshelves, a desk, paper and pens.
Melody Terrace was the perfect house for every season. There were mountains of leaves to play in and to burn in the fall. In the spring and summer, my parents worked tirelessly planting and tending to the gardens while we played, bicycled and swam from morning til night. But Christmas was the most magical of all the seasons. My father loved Christmas and decorating. We believed our home to be the most beautifully decorated in the whole world! He also loved entertaining and we always had a big Christmas party.
My father was a very lucky man to have found Melody Terrace. Our family was so blessed to have had such a special, warm and inviting home in which to live for ten years. So it is that to this day when my sister and I think of Melody Terrace, the thought makes us happy and we smile…
And to think it all started with a gangster!
Stodola, Barbara. “Sands of Time: Duneland Stories.” The Beacher, 29 July 2003, pp. 18–19.
“Color Scheme in ‘Melody Terrace’ Gives Reason for Naming Imposing Structure in Musical Terminology.” Long Beach Billows, 24 July 1931, pp 11, 15.
M’Laughlin, Kathleen. “Widow and 2 Children Mourn Lingle; Reporter for 18 years.” Chicago Tribune, 10 June 1930, pg. 2, https://www.newspapers.com/image/354981163/?terms=Jake%2BLingle.
“Gunman Slays Lingle in I.C. Subway.” Chicago Tribune, 10 June 1930, pg. 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/354981146/?terms=Jake%2BLingle
“Officials Pledge War to the Finish Against Gangs.” 10 June 1930, pg. 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/354981146/?terms=Jake%2BLingle
Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line], Michigan City, Ind. City Directory for 1931-1932, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011, pg. 172.
Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line], Caron’s Michigan City, Ind. City Directory for 1938-1939, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011, pg. 333.
“‘Racketeers’ and Officials Lent Lingle Big Sums.” St. Louis Post Dispatch, 26 June 1930, pg. 1, https://www.newspapers.com/image/140028750
This post is a charming remembrance. I would love to have walked around the gardens with you, particularly Lilac Bridge – and I almost feel like I have. I can see why whenever you need to “whistle a happy tune”, you think of Melody Terrace.
Memories are made of this. But please write a book!
My first question is why did we not go to Long Beach when we went to Lake Michigan?!! I want to see a melody Terrace in person. Your childhood sounds like something right out of a storybook. Fascinating! Keep the stories coming.
I did not know that this house was for you like a fairy tale castle! I also am wondering when this all will be published, it is amazing!
What a great story and great pictures you found of the house.
Wonderful story & memories.
Lovely story about the house, I had never heard it before. Despite Jake’s conflicting allegiances and activities, I did feel a little sad that he and his family never got to spend any time in their Dream House. I wonder how many families have lived there.
This is altogether wonderful. There is something unutterably British about the exterior of the house, the gardens, the views… and especially the photos. What memories. What happy memories….