Supermarkets Now Gone


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Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: fleurblue (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: June 13, 2010 02:52PM

I got to thinking about the many supermarkets that have come and gone which offered a nice choice of grocery shopping year ago. One site here mentioned the passing of Elliots on Montrose.

I remember Mayflower on Elston and briefly on Addison and Central. Is Butera still in business? Of course A&P and National Tea have been gone for years and were the Jewel and Dominicks of the day, although on a much smaller scale.

Thompson's was a popular full-service store in Park Ridge. I loved shopping there even when it meant driving a bit. A friend said she drove from Oak Park to shop at Thompson's. They had a large bakery and their own ice cream brand.

Many of these stores were one of a kind, and privately owned; not part of a chain. That seemed to enhance their appeal.

I remember a store called Lilac Farms at Devon and Milwaukee in the '60s. It was a convenient place to buy pop and other picnic supplies before heading to Caldwell Woods across the street.

Another store I remember but can't place is Estelle's. Maybe on Peterson?

Stop and Shop was popular downtown on Washington St. west of State and also Hillmans in the basement of the six-corners Sears. What a great store--my grandfather ordered Easter hams there for the whole family. Are the Treasure Island stores all gone?

Happy Foods is a small (Centrella, I think) store still operating in Edgebrook and Edison Park. A nice sized store to get in and get out of when you are in a hurry.

And there was Farmer's Market on Elston for produce and garden supplies. Still there?

My aunt used to shop at a place called Hoog's on Montrose. A neighbor owned Belmont Foods on Belmont and Monticello.

These long gone supermarkets didn't stock everything, but they had enough. And you often knew the butcher, the stock handlers, and the cashiers.

The newer European delis and fruit markets now replace these stores; Wally's, Caputo's, etc.

Do you remember other favorite stores from the past?

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: Artista (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 13, 2010 03:47PM

the "NEW*APOLLO" at 1536 N. Pulaski. When i was a boy, Mom sent me out to the Apollo for milk many many many many many times ,,lol. The building is still there with the original store's name inscribed at the top Check it out on Google.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=pulaski%20and%20north&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2010 03:48PM by Artista.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: shoreline (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 13, 2010 05:37PM

I remember a small local grocery on Devon about one block west of McCormick called the Milk Pail. They had all the basics and some ethnic foods as well.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: cadelew (---.om.om.cox.net)
Date: June 13, 2010 05:40PM

I also remember High & Low stores, along with Food Basket and the grocery store in the basement of Gately's.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: fleurblue (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: June 13, 2010 06:43PM

Shoreline, that's the one I was thinking of when I thought "Estelle's". I think it had a milk pail or a large clock circled with neon lights. Always wanted to go inside.

Thanks.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: the_mel (---.arm-bsr1.chi-arm.il.cable.rcn.com)
Date: June 13, 2010 07:03PM

Butera is still around - there is one at Nagle and Gunnison (kiddy corner from the former Elliots) and another at Cumberland and Montrose. The Cumberland location used to be an Eagle. I believe there are several other locations in suburbs.

My parents met when they both worked at a National Tea - the one on Ashland I believe.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: 222psm (---.br.br.cox.net)
Date: June 13, 2010 11:15PM

There was a Butera on the South east corner of W. Montrose and N. Kedzie. It was a National first then a A&P and finally a Butera. A few blocks south on Kedzie there was a Jewel and a Osco back to back.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2010 11:19PM by 222psm.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: June 14, 2010 12:43AM

Artista, you mentioned before that you lived on Harding. Now I see that you mention that you lived near North Ave. What exact block did you live on?

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: Johnny Sauganash (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 14, 2010 01:42AM

In Lincoln Square and North Center:

On Lincoln Ave, across from Welles Park was Del Farm, which was later a Vietnam Vets resale/thrift store. Then the building was town down to make way for the Sulzer Regional Library.

On Lincoln between Belle Plaine and Warner, west side of the street, a National grocery store. Before the building was torn down to make way for condos, it was a location of the Unique Thrift Store chain. When the UTS sign was removed at some point, an older vintage sign was revealed (probably from the building's original construction),,, It was an A&P.

On Lincoln at Belle Plaine, a Hi-Lo grocery store. In the 1970s, it was converted into an Osco drug store, likely as a companion to the new Jewel store that opened a couple of blocks north on Lincoln around the same time.

On Damen just south of Montrose, a Certified grocery store. Now a martial arts school.

On Lawrence, between Leavitt and Hamilton, a Pleasing Supermarket.

Further east, almost to Damen, a Jewel store. Now a city senior center.

Another Jewel on Montrose, west of Western, Closed when the Jewel on Lincoln opened. Has been an Aldi since that time.

A third Jewel on Lincoln at Foster. Now a Walgreens.

On Lincoln at Grace, a Butera. Building also housed a laundromat in the southern end. Reconfigured after Butera closed to become CB2 roughly in the old Butera space and Trader Joe's in the laundromat space.

On Roscoe near Leavitt, an independent grocery--possibly a single name (Tom's?). Replaced with condos.


Further north on Lincoln beyond Lincoln Square: Treasure Island at Lincoln Village shopping center.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: WayOutWardell (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: June 14, 2010 01:46AM

Lilac Farms! It was abandoned by the time I was around, but I do remember the empty hulk being demolished for a Dominick's.

Treasure Island is still around; they recently took over the old Hyde Park Co-Op.

Here's a photo of the Farmers Market store on Elston:

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/zeusofhollywood/3374349343/]Farmers Market[/url]

I think the garden center across the street still goes by that name, but the main store became a Butera. My mother used to shop at FM and at the Kohl's on Elston and Kimball.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: Artista (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 14, 2010 03:49AM

Hi Frank, that's correct I did grow up on Harding. 1530s block~one half block south of North ave. Pioneer Bowling alley was directly across the alley from us and Apollo was/is across the street from Pioneer bowling alley.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: June 14, 2010 04:21PM

Cool. The reason I ask is because I have a buddy that libved and still owns a building on 18th & Harding. He also had one on 17th & Harding that I sold for him a few years ago. I have a VERY cool real photo postcard of the 1600 block of Harding circa 1909.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: captain54 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 14, 2010 05:07PM

222psm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There was a Butera on the South east corner of W.
> Montrose and N. Kedzie. It was a National first
> then a A&P and finally a Butera. A few blocks
> south on Kedzie there was a Jewel and a Osco back
> to back.

I'm always intrigued by the former smaller grocery store/department store type stuctures, that probably go back the 30s/40s/50s....and the current usages of them..one such example might be Marie's Golden Cue @ 3241 W Montrose..a billiard hall
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20205384@N03/4700882260/" title="Marie's Golden Cue, 3241 W Montrose, Chicago by captain54_01, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4700882260_94a61028ed_b.jpg" width="965" height="697" alt="Marie's Golden Cue, 3241 W Montrose, Chicago" /></a>

the marquee at one time read (and may still read) "We have smooth shafts and clean balls"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2010 05:08PM by captain54.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: tseals (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: June 14, 2010 06:39PM

Captain 54:

The golden cue has been there as long as I can remember. Your probably right that it may have been a grocery store before. I remember it as the Golden Cue in the mid 60's.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: captain54 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 14, 2010 07:55PM

tseals Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Captain 54:
>
> The golden cue has been there as long as I can
> remember. Your probably right that it may have
> been a grocery store before. I remember it as the
> Golden Cue in the mid 60's.

there was a similiar thread on "corner grocery stores' awhile back addressing this issue..The golden cue building is listed as being erected in 51', but the white terra cotta facing dates back to the 30's..this type of structure though, would have been very typical of a "JEWEL TEA" pre-60's...there are any number of these building still around, an almost identical one to Marie's on Bryn Mawr, a block east of Pulaski..now an asian supermarket.

the folks here claim Marie's was in fact, a former Jewel Tea

http://achicagosojourn.blogspot.com/2010/03/former-jewel-food-stores-part-2.html

the parking issue had a big part in the move away from the neighborhood Jewel storefront shops.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: Artista (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 15, 2010 03:17PM

Frank,, i did see that pic that you had mentioned. Very very cool. Yes i lived much further north of that locale.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: 222psm (---.br.br.cox.net)
Date: June 15, 2010 04:05PM

captain54 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 222psm Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There was a Butera on the South east corner of
> W.
> > Montrose and N. Kedzie. It was a National first
> > then a A&P and finally a Butera. A few blocks
> > south on Kedzie there was a Jewel and a Osco
> back
> > to back.
>
> I'm always intrigued by the former smaller grocery
> store/department store type stuctures, that
> probably go back the 30s/40s/50s....and the
> current usages of them..one such example might be
> Marie's Golden Cue @ 3241 W Montrose..a billiard
> hall
>
>
> the marquee at one time read (and may still read)
> "We have smooth shafts and clean balls"

Boy did you bring back some memories Captain, I used to play the pin ball machines
and space invaders back in the late 70's at Marie's Golden Cue. There was or is a jewelry store across the street, my parents brought my first watch there.
I remember this being a grocery store but for the life of me I can't remember the name.

<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;source=embed&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=Chicago,+IL&amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;sspn=35.273162,56.513672&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois&amp;ll=41.850033,-87.650052&amp;spn=0.003877,0.006899&amp;z=14&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=41.961236,-87.705326&amp;panoid=9oUpey_aTAwjTXne3vlI7g&amp;cbp=12,329.95,,0,4.16&amp;output=svembed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;source=embed&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=Chicago,+IL&amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;sspn=35.273162,56.513672&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois&amp;ll=41.850033,-87.650052&amp;spn=0.003877,0.006899&amp;z=14&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=41.961236,-87.705326&amp;panoid=9oUpey_aTAwjTXne3vlI7g&amp;cbp=12,329.95,,0,4.16" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

It's in the 3000 block of W Montrose near N Albany

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: seod (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 15, 2010 04:31PM

If you lived in the ghetto how about Buddy Bear?

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: daveg (---.lightspeed.joltil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: June 15, 2010 08:19PM

Grocery Land on 26th and St. Louis. Long gone.

Jewel on 47th and Kilpatrick.

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Re: Supermarkets Now Gone
Posted by: Elf Odin (---.mc.net)
Date: June 21, 2010 08:32PM

Johnny Sauganash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In Lincoln Square and North Center:
>

> On Lincoln between Belle Plaine and Warner, west
> side of the street, a National grocery store.

Not supermarkets, but: to the south of the National was Evergreen, a head shop of sorts (at least in the late '60s). And on the northwest corner of Belle Plaine and Lincoln was Sun Drugs.

> On Lincoln at Belle Plaine, a Hi-Lo grocery store.

High-Low, store #5. Had a part-time job there from 1970 to 1975. Left when the company union was voted out, replaced by Retail Clerks International, and all of the part-time hours were reduced to 12 per week maximum. Usually worked 35 hours per week, before then.

> In the 1970s, it was converted into an Osco drug
> store, likely as a companion to the new Jewel
> store that opened a couple of blocks north on
> Lincoln around the same time.

That happened after High-Low went bankrupt in late '75 (see my previous comment about Retail Clerks International). They couldn't handle the wage increases demanded by the union.

The site of the High-Low was the location of the former North Center Theater, which was demolished in late '68/early '69.

From '63 to '75 I lived at 4143 Damen, where the townhouses now are. Yeah, my childhood was redeveloped. :)

Ed.

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