I know! I even know how to pronounce it.
This is the first time I’ve even heard of Dolton. It would absolutely nothing to me if someone said that’s where they’re from.
It’s okay – I’m sure there’s plenty of people in the Chicago area who have never heard of Dolton (though a little more difficult these days with their former mayor being in the news a good bit.) I’ve been here for about 45 years of my life and I still discover suburbs relatively close to the city I had never heard of before.
I lived in the north and northwest suburbs, and then the North side, for 22 years, with cousins in Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn, and had never heard of Dolton until Leo.
When I first moved to Chicago nearly 25 years ago I assumed I would quickly and naturally grow familiar with the names and locations of all the surrounding suburbs. It’s taking longer than I thought!
I think preserving a house that has acquired historical significance is a valid example of the common good. If somebody, for example, had bought Martin Luther King’s childhood home and was planning on tearing it down to put up an office building, I would support the local government using eminent domain to protect the house. That said, I agree the owner of the property should receive fair compensation.
IME, I tend to be more familiar w/ burbs in a certain direction, or that I have some specific familiarity w/ due to a friend living there, or having attended an event. Chicago is very long, and the S side/burbs is quite different than the N. I’m pretty familiar w/ most of the N and W burbs - but as you get further NW, I just know they are “up there somewhere.” My familiarity w/ S burbs is very spotty.