Every year for the past three years, I have donated my time to create a documentary film for the Downers Grove Historical Society. Within this process, I have learned about our Village’s fascinating and up to this point, unknown to me, history. The documentaries first focused on the Main Street Cemetery and then on John and Doris Mochel and Main Street’s Mochel Hardware. The current film showcases the Johnson Family and their beloved movie palace, the Tivoli Theatre which still operates on Highland and Warren Avenues in Downers Grove.

This time and effort has culminated into a series of short films titled “History Happens Here” co-produced with Amy Gassen and Greg Elisha of the Downers Grove Historical Society.

It was a cool morning last September when we sat down to conduct the first of our preliminary interviews with Willis, Shirley and Chris Johnson, the current family/owners of the Tivoli Theatre in Downtown Downers Grove. We sat down in the empty theatre lobby at the Tivoli and began a conversation that would eventually take over nine months, consisting of more than 12 hours of filming, and over 200 hours of editing and postproduction to complete. Within that initial conversation, I learned so many things about this wonderful family, a family that accidentally became proprietors of the Tivoli, and how that single theater screen changed the trajectory of their lives — leading to them operating 137 screens and, becoming Classic Cinemas, the largest movie theater business in the state of Illinois and 39^th largest in the US.

Since 1928, that magical screen at the Tivoli Theatre has changed Downers Grove and the way our villagers spend their recreation time. This project started in the late 1920s and was the vision of Gustav and George Bunge who incorporated the architecture of Van Gunten and Van Gunten and the prominent Downers Grove builder J.T. Schless Construction Co. to create The Tivoli Theatre, which was only the second theater in the country to be purposely built for the showing of sound-sync film, or “talkies” as they were referred to. Interestingly, this wasn’t the first movie theater in Downers Grove; it was the third, and this documentary explores the history of film and theaters in Downers Grove and explores the life and childhood of Willis Johnson and his son Chris, the Downers Grove residents who eventually became proprietors of the theater in 1977.

There will be a single opportunity to screen the film at the Tivoli Theatre, on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at 6 pm. Willis and Shirley will also be honored as "Historians of the Year" by the Downers Grove Historical Society. The admission is $5.00 (DGHS members are free) and all proceeds will go to funding the Downers Grove Historical Society efforts, which is a 100% non-profit and volunteer organization. To register, click here.

In creating this film, and the stories before it, I discovered documenting family history in the form of a documentary film; linear storytelling has become a passion for me. I also learned that more families want to commit their collective history to a more permanent and viewable record, an artifact to pass down to their next generation. If you are interested in connecting to discuss your family’s historical documentary project — let’s connect. You can reach me, and also see my other work at www.jimtoth.com.

 

If Art Chester was a contemporary figure the boldness of his exploits could not be captured by a social media platform. Born on December 15, 1899, Art Chester was part of a generation that forged a new technological landscape in America. Almost exactly 4 years later December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers would make the first powered flight in North Carolina. With that, a pioneer began to blossom in the shape of Art Chester. Art would, not only become an accomplished aviator, but he would also become a virtuoso of airplane engineering and design.
 
Growing up in Downers Grove at the turn of the 20^th century was a much different experience than it is in 2023. Art lived in a Downers Grove of seemingly endless farm country and open fields. His love for mechanics and engineering was apparent at a young age. Art and his brother Ed enjoyed building and riding motorcycles throughout the country landscape of Downers Grove. At that time there were no highways, stop lights, strip malls, or apartment complexes. It was rural America and farm country. People living in the city would come out this way to get away from the hustle and bustle.
 
Art truly was a self-made man. No one in his family had experience flying. The family was not wealthy. Art willed his aviation ability into existence. His persistence, perseverance, and passion drove him to greater heights over time. Art and his brother Ed started out their interest in mechanics by building their own mini cars and motorcycles and riding them around town. According to “The Art Chester Story,” (John W. Caler with John Underwood (Author) 1968), Art would have his first experience with aviation at the old Cicero Field in Chicago around the age of 13. This would prove to be an invaluable experience for a dare devil such as Art. His appeal to adventure would only grow with age. Art soloed a journey on his motorcycle from Chicago to New York and back at the age of 17. This was no small feat for a teenager in 1916.
 
Art’s eyes were firmly set on airplanes from that young age. He dropped out of high school as a sophomore to take a drafting job - later becoming a junior engineer - at International Harvester. In 1917 there would be a change in the arc of Art’s journey as the U.S. became involved in World War I. Both Art, and brother Ed would enlist. Art hoped to be involved with aviation in some capacity either designing or flying. He would not get that chance but his passion for aviation never faltered. After the war he would go back to work for International Harvester. It was time to make good on his passion for flying. Art would save enough money to start flying lessons in the spring of 1921. Thus, an aviator, adventurer, and engineer were born all at once.
 
Art would spend the rest of the 1920’s building up his flying experience. He would spend a lot of his time joy riding and doing air stunts for cash. Art was quite a gifted engineer and worked as a mechanic on both cars and planes during the time he was bolstering his flying experience. As much as Art was concentrating on the design of airplanes, he was also just as much an adventurer. Art was inching closer and closer to becoming an air racer pilot. It seemed he would do anything to achieve his dream. He even jumped out of a plane with a parachute for money; not a common practice in the 1920’s.
 
The Curtiss OX5 was the airplane of air racers in that day. Art knew it well and worked on this engine quite often. It would lead him to owning his very own plane. He would spend a few years in Downers Grove working as a mechanic and flying on the side during the summer and weekends. As Art’s flying career took off, he would traverse the country going everywhere from Cleveland, to L.A., to Spokane, to New York, to Denver for races. He won trophies, set speed records, and was heralded for his superb technique.
 
During this time Art would meet his wife Trudy, a college professor. Trudy became an integral part of Art’s aviation career. Trudy and Art had a son named Tommy. The family spent time together flying and running the family businesses. By the end of the roaring 20s everything fell into place for Art to become an air racer. By 1929 Art had a new OX5 plane and had opened an airport near Joliet. He would offer flying lessons and rides to people who were daring enough.
 
Art’s career eventually took him out to Los Angeles, California where the family settled. There was much more flying experience to be had there because of weather conditions. Art spent the 1930s upgrading, working, and designing planes for races while continuing to race all over the country. Then, in 1939 with the onset of WWII the racing scene slowed down to a halt. By the time WWII was in full swing in the early 1940s Art had been commissioned for a job with North American, an aerospace contractor for the government.
 
While Art’s flying career would be enough of a legacy to leave for any person, he wasn’t done leaving his mark. Art was eventually put in charge of designing everything forward of the cockpit for the P-51 Mustang during WWII. This fighter plane was a key component for the allies’ success in the air wars of WWII. Art not only would oversee design, but he also manufactured a key part of the propeller for the P-51 Mustang. Upon finding out how much they were paying for the part, Art claimed he could make it much cheaper. He erected a manufacturing plant in Inglewood, CA with the help of wife Trudy and began making the spinner – a conical fitting for the propeller.
 
Eventually Art’s daredevil tactics would catch up with him. After the war he started racing again. In January of 1949 there was an exhibition in San Diego. This race was setup as a mile long straight away race. Most races were setup in a triangle or rectangle shape. This meant that the turn the racers were to take would be much tighter. Tragedy struck as one of the racers got caught in jet wash and plunged to his death. Art was the President of the association of racers for this event and had to make the tough decision to continue with his flight. It would turn out to be a fatal decision. Art followed in the previous racer’s path. He got caught in a jet wash on the turn and would crash, leaving behind a wife and child.
 
There are not many living contemporaries who had the privilege of knowing Art Chester. However, both his nephew Craig Chester and niece Sue Chester Brixie still remember their pioneer uncle and his remarkable life. Sue Chester Brixie lives in Downers Grove. She and Craig both remember living on 2^nd street across from Pepperidge Farm and seeing their uncle Art pull up to the house with his airplane in tow. He would be off to some race in Cleveland, or Spokane, or somewhere adventurous. Craig remembers Art being a good man who was family centric. Craig remembers Art taking his father up joy riding ensuring the passenger seat would not fall out of the plane when Art pulled a fantastic maneuver. Sue remembers that Art was a wonderful artist in addition to his aviation skills.
 
The siblings attended the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) induction ceremony on March 6-7 of this year in Daytona Beach. Art and other famed racers were inducted. Art was recognized for his contributions. Among those are winning the 1930 National Air Races and setting a world speed record of 237 miles per hour.
 
Time has a way of washing away the memories of the past. For many people 1949 seems like a lifetime ago. For many it is. Still, the accomplishments of the past are all links in a chain that brought us to where we are today. The experiences we enjoy as Americans, and “Downers Grovers”, are all possible because people who came before us forged a path for us to tread. None of us can know what it was like to live in Downers Grove at the turn of the 20^th century. However, history can tell us a compelling story about the people who lived in our town and changed the world. Recognizing the accomplishments of former citizens like Art Chester can be an inspiration for generations to come. When you’re young and adventurous Downers Grove may seem like just another town in middle America. Yet, it’s important to remember where you came from as you venture out into the unknown. That place is a piece of what make you. Art Chester always had a piece of Downers Grove with him as he conquered the aviation world. Downers Grove, for that matter, will always have Art Chester as a homegrown aviation hero. Congratulations to the Art Chester family for his Hall of Fame induction.
 
For a more detailed account of Art Chester’s life, you can read “The Art Chester Story,” by John W. Caler with John Underwood. It is available at Amazon and other digital retail outlets.