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East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
Sit and Stew
(---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: August 02, 2013 03:14AM
Good Evening,
First off, I am a new user that was drawn to this site after reading some posts from a gentleman named Berwyn Frank in regards to Lawndale (North and South) as well as the great city of Cicero, IL.
I am trying to find some information on a neighborhood that many may not know about. Grandparents on my dad's side lived in a small enclave east of Cicero avenue of 47th Ct at around 16th st. The area is bordered by AMD, Churchill, Abraham's auto repair, and strip mall that was built a few years ago with an Advanced Auto Parts. This area was unique in that it was the easternmost part of Cicero before one went under the viaducts into North Lawndale. From what I was told, they had the home built in the real early 1920's when there were only a few homes on 19th at the time, and of course they were Western Electric employees.
Would any of you know where I could obtain photos or info of what used to be in this area/along the Cicero Ave strip? When I was a teen, there was the Towne Revue and a place where Lorena's Market is where there was prostitution going on up until the early or mid 90's. Any help is appreciated,and it is a pleasure meeting your acquaintances.
Matt
PS: I also had family in South Lawndale around 27th and Komensky. There was a corner candy store there and my Grandmother's family lived on the 2nd floor :)
First off, I am a new user that was drawn to this site after reading some posts from a gentleman named Berwyn Frank in regards to Lawndale (North and South) as well as the great city of Cicero, IL.
I am trying to find some information on a neighborhood that many may not know about. Grandparents on my dad's side lived in a small enclave east of Cicero avenue of 47th Ct at around 16th st. The area is bordered by AMD, Churchill, Abraham's auto repair, and strip mall that was built a few years ago with an Advanced Auto Parts. This area was unique in that it was the easternmost part of Cicero before one went under the viaducts into North Lawndale. From what I was told, they had the home built in the real early 1920's when there were only a few homes on 19th at the time, and of course they were Western Electric employees.
Would any of you know where I could obtain photos or info of what used to be in this area/along the Cicero Ave strip? When I was a teen, there was the Towne Revue and a place where Lorena's Market is where there was prostitution going on up until the early or mid 90's. Any help is appreciated,and it is a pleasure meeting your acquaintances.
Matt
PS: I also had family in South Lawndale around 27th and Komensky. There was a corner candy store there and my Grandmother's family lived on the 2nd floor :)
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
Berwyn Frank
(---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: August 16, 2013 12:12AM
Hi Matt, I know of the neighborhood. It's like a little isolated island! Unfortunately I don't have any photos of it.
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: August 16, 2013 10:17PM
[b]I worked for WE in the 50's and I am 77 yeaars old .What;s thier names ,see if I knowthem.[/b]
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
Lance Grey
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: August 17, 2013 07:19PM
I'm a couple blocks away but the mystery acronym 'AMD' has me stumped.
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
b.a.hoarder
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: August 17, 2013 11:38PM
Must be Archer Midland Daniels, a food processing company and a big player in ethanol production for gasohol.
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
Sit and Stew
(---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: August 18, 2013 08:18AM
From what I can gather, this is just one of the surrounding neighborhoods directly impacted by the great Western Electric.
My Dads side of the family lived in the 1600 block of S. 47th Ct. Our family still owns this parcel of land. The only people around are fake Ashland Vikings from 20th.
My Dads side of the family lived in the 1600 block of S. 47th Ct. Our family still owns this parcel of land. The only people around are fake Ashland Vikings from 20th.
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
Sit and Stew
(---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: September 02, 2013 12:24AM
The AMD factory isn't Archer Daniels Midland, it is a small local company. Behind that, there is Churchill cabinetry which used to make pinball machine cases and other entertainment related. To the north, there is an Auto Repair center and a disused printing warehouse.
Someone told me that there was a Hallicrafters shop nearby, and I am trying to trace where this is...
From what I can gather, these homes all sprung up from 1907 onwards, the older homes being on the south end of 47th. The homes in the 1600 block are circa 1920-1922...
Someone told me that there was a Hallicrafters shop nearby, and I am trying to trace where this is...
From what I can gather, these homes all sprung up from 1907 onwards, the older homes being on the south end of 47th. The homes in the 1600 block are circa 1920-1922...
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: September 02, 2013 12:36AM
The Hallicrafters plant is on the corner of 5th Ave and Kostner. It's recently been turned into a furniture distributor after being vacant for a long time.
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
Sit and Stew
(---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: September 04, 2013 01:18AM
Way Out Wardell:
Cicero had a Hallicrafters plant circa 1966: I have spoken to a couple elderly residents that remembered it, and if you watch the SNCC/CORE B/W video of the Cicero Civil Rights Housing Riots, they march right by it. The beginning of the video starts from just east of the RR Viaduct about 4500 W on 16th St. They go from there all the way to 24th/Cicero WE gates.
The furniture distributor at Fifth and Kostner was empty for quite some time, or at least they didn't do any maintenance whatsoever. The whole Greek Revival look was creepy, especially when it wasn't painted and it was empty.
Cicero had a Hallicrafters plant circa 1966: I have spoken to a couple elderly residents that remembered it, and if you watch the SNCC/CORE B/W video of the Cicero Civil Rights Housing Riots, they march right by it. The beginning of the video starts from just east of the RR Viaduct about 4500 W on 16th St. They go from there all the way to 24th/Cicero WE gates.
The furniture distributor at Fifth and Kostner was empty for quite some time, or at least they didn't do any maintenance whatsoever. The whole Greek Revival look was creepy, especially when it wasn't painted and it was empty.
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: September 04, 2013 02:15AM
Ah yes, right you are...a directory from '66 has the 5th Avenue headquarters, a plant at 4500 W. 45th in Chicago and a plant at 4700 W. 16th in Cicero, which is still there. Is that it?
The 5th Ave. building was designed by the Epstein & Sons firm and until recently still had the Hallicrafters logo on the front.
The 5th Ave. building was designed by the Epstein & Sons firm and until recently still had the Hallicrafters logo on the front.
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: September 04, 2013 11:16AM
[b]Hallicrafters made radio equipement for WW2 then madae Ham Radio stuff then moved to west suburbs and made Lowery Organs.[/b]WayOutWardell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Hallicrafters plant is on the corner of 5th
> Ave and Kostner. It's recently been turned into a
> furniture distributor after being vacant for a
> long time.
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Hallicrafters plant is on the corner of 5th
> Ave and Kostner. It's recently been turned into a
> furniture distributor after being vacant for a
> long time.
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
Sit and Stew
(---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: September 04, 2013 02:35PM
Thank you Richard!
And Hallicrafters really made a good product in it's heyday. As a ham radio operator/short wave listener, their early stuff was quite good, almost on par with Hammarlund in some cases. However, I noticed that at some point in the mid to late 1960s they must have started having their stuff made in Japan as I have some later stuff of theirs that wasn't as solid.
Up until a few years ago, there was an outfit selling Lowrey organs out of a storefront on Fairview Avenue in Downers Grove. They moved out, a Cash For Gold huckster moved in for a few weeks and it has been empty ever since.
And Hallicrafters really made a good product in it's heyday. As a ham radio operator/short wave listener, their early stuff was quite good, almost on par with Hammarlund in some cases. However, I noticed that at some point in the mid to late 1960s they must have started having their stuff made in Japan as I have some later stuff of theirs that wasn't as solid.
Up until a few years ago, there was an outfit selling Lowrey organs out of a storefront on Fairview Avenue in Downers Grove. They moved out, a Cash For Gold huckster moved in for a few weeks and it has been empty ever since.
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: September 05, 2013 09:18AM
Sit and Stew Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank you Richard! KB9FWG
>
> And Hallicrafters really made a good product in
> it's heyday. As a ham radio operator/short wave
> listener, their early stuff was quite good, almost
> on par with Hammarlund in some cases. However, I
> noticed that at some point in the mid to late
> 1960s they must have started having their stuff
> made in Japan as I have some later stuff of theirs
> that wasn't as solid.
>
> Up until a few years ago, there was an outfit
> selling Lowrey organs out of a storefront on
> Fairview Avenue in Downers Grove. They moved out,
> a Cash For Gold huckster moved in for a few weeks
> and it has been empty ever since.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank you Richard! KB9FWG
>
> And Hallicrafters really made a good product in
> it's heyday. As a ham radio operator/short wave
> listener, their early stuff was quite good, almost
> on par with Hammarlund in some cases. However, I
> noticed that at some point in the mid to late
> 1960s they must have started having their stuff
> made in Japan as I have some later stuff of theirs
> that wasn't as solid.
>
> Up until a few years ago, there was an outfit
> selling Lowrey organs out of a storefront on
> Fairview Avenue in Downers Grove. They moved out,
> a Cash For Gold huckster moved in for a few weeks
> and it has been empty ever since.
Re: East Hawthorne Neighborhood Info, Cicero IL
Posted by:
Sit and Stew
(---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: September 07, 2013 02:06AM
Richard Stachowski Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sit and Stew Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thank you Richard! KB9FWG
> >
> > And Hallicrafters really made a good product in
> > it's heyday. As a ham radio operator/short wave
> > listener, their early stuff was quite good,
> almost
> > on par with Hammarlund in some cases. However,
> I
> > noticed that at some point in the mid to late
> > 1960s they must have started having their stuff
> > made in Japan as I have some later stuff of
> theirs
> > that wasn't as solid.
> >
> > Up until a few years ago, there was an outfit
> > selling Lowrey organs out of a storefront on
> > Fairview Avenue in Downers Grove. They moved
> out,
> > a Cash For Gold huckster moved in for a few
> weeks
> > and it has been empty ever since.
73 OM DE W9ASS .-- ----. .- ... ... :)o
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sit and Stew Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thank you Richard! KB9FWG
> >
> > And Hallicrafters really made a good product in
> > it's heyday. As a ham radio operator/short wave
> > listener, their early stuff was quite good,
> almost
> > on par with Hammarlund in some cases. However,
> I
> > noticed that at some point in the mid to late
> > 1960s they must have started having their stuff
> > made in Japan as I have some later stuff of
> theirs
> > that wasn't as solid.
> >
> > Up until a few years ago, there was an outfit
> > selling Lowrey organs out of a storefront on
> > Fairview Avenue in Downers Grove. They moved
> out,
> > a Cash For Gold huckster moved in for a few
> weeks
> > and it has been empty ever since.
73 OM DE W9ASS .-- ----. .- ... ... :)o
