Time Capsule Property
Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: b.a.hoarder (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: April 04, 2011 11:21PM

OK Chi, I spoke to my mother-in-law and got the scoop on the whole corner. I assume you were referring to the building on the NW corner when you asked. In a previous post Frank told us that the Horejsi family lived there (at 3258) until 1910 when they moved across the street to 3261 and opened their grocery. I don't know what was there right after the 1910 Horejsi move but in later years it was a tavern. My MIL was around the age of 12 or so, this would have been in 1940, and she would go there to get three quarts of beer for her Aunt. Three qts. for a buck and all the pretzels or peanuts she could eat while she waited. The SE corner was Havalcek's (sp.) candy store that had the usual penny candies, an ice cream fountain, etc. Havalcek later sold out to a Mrs. Rice who had the same type of operation but later Mrs. Rice closed the shop and the garage in the rear was used by a local alley mechanic. Today that is a fenced empty lot. Kitty-corner from the Horejsi grocery was the competition. Two corner groceries at the same intersection, but my MIL doesn't remember the other grocers name, they always stayed loyal to Horejsi.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: StrayKitten (66.28.242.---)
Date: April 05, 2011 12:30PM

kgamb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is one of the most interesting threads I've
> ever read! Wow. Just Wow. Thank you Berwyn Frank
> for starting this research and for those who added
> to it. I learned a lot and it's a completely new
> concept (my husband is Italian and saves
> everything, but to think that this family kept
> their family store for so many years)! Simply
> amazing and a wonderful story. Thank you!

I agree with kgamb! Just fascinating! Great research everyone!

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: daveg (130.36.62.---)
Date: April 05, 2011 01:21PM

Let me add that this is one of the best, if not THE best, sites I visit on a regular basis.

I've met some of the people that contribute here, Frank being one of them, and hope to meet more of you as time marches on. The staff that run FC are a great bunch of people with a passion for all things Chicago.

I try to make the FC events as best I can and look forward to them. I've learned a lot about the city I was born and raised in since I started visiting here.

Thanks everyone.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: April 05, 2011 02:30PM

Wow, great info B.A.! That area must have been a little Bohemian enclave. Horejsi, Havlicek (pronounced Have-li-check) or it could have been Hlavacek. Does your mother in law remember the tavern owners name?

I am VERY fascinated with these small corner stores and how they made these little neighborhoods self sufficient. You didn't need to go anywhere else back then, you had it all in your own little neighborhood.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: b.a.hoarder (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: April 05, 2011 10:30PM

Not a positive ID, but the name of the tavern keeper across from Horejsi's might have been Kalina.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: April 05, 2011 10:59PM

Cool, another Bohemian! I just checked the 1929 Polk Chicago directory and 3258 S. Hoyne was John & Bessie Kalina. The other corner grocery kitty corner to Horejsi was Joseph Kupka, another Bohemian.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: chipandkathy (---.hsd1.ga.comcast.net)
Date: April 12, 2011 07:17PM

I went to the assessor's website but didn't see where you can find the owner's name for a property...

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: April 12, 2011 08:09PM

It's a secret:)

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: PKDickman (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: April 12, 2011 08:27PM

chipandkathy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I went to the assessor's website but didn't see
> where you can find the owner's name for a
> property...

The assessor doesn't list the names.

You get the PIN number from the assessor, then either look up the pin at the county recorder


http://www.ccrd.info/CCRD/controller;jsessionid=ABE62536060DD1E2CDE68B53BCB9E605.CCRDAPSRV1which will show any transactions of mortgages after 1984.

or look it up at the county treasurer.

http://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/payment.aspx?ntopicid=3

Which will show you the current taxpayers name.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: April 12, 2011 09:30PM

Or you do it the easy way and just look it up on blockshopper.

http://chicago.blockshopper.com/cities/chicago-little_village/streets

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: waltk13 (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: June 01, 2011 10:18PM

Re: time capsule property on 33rd & Hoyne

I grew up down the block from this building in the 1960s. This building housed our neighborhood grocery store, it was called Horaschi’s (spelled phonetically) after the family that ran it. It was run at that time by two elderly sisters and their brother; the sisters ran the main counter and the brother the meat meat counter at the back of the store. It had an old, long, arched glass display case for penny candy, a glass fronted square box with small slots for foot long stick pretzles and the cash register may actually have had a crank. The north and south walls had well made dark wood shelf units that went to the ceiling. It remained open I believe through most of the 1970s. When the last of the siblings passed away in the early 1980s their heirs cleaned out the store and the garage, which has it's own basement and it looked like an antique mall being emptied, or so I've been told as my aunt and uncle still lived catty-corner from the store, next to the restaurant at the time. They even pulled out a large wheeled “bone-chrusher” bicycle from the 1880s. The living quarters were at the rear and accessed from the door seen in the long shot on 33rd with the 3261 address on it. Across the street (west) was a tavern called Kalina’s (also phonetic) at the time and across from the tavern (south) The Coffee Nook restaurant, patronized by the drivers from the trucking terminals that dominated the neighborhood.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: June 06, 2011 01:53AM

AMAZING info Waltk. Stuff like this really fascinates me. The whole concept of a family owning their little store/home for over 110 years is just amazing.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: davem60612 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 09, 2011 06:47PM

Berwyn Frank,
That place you stood in front of to grab a brick and a pic on Loomis is a prop house. I worked here years ago, props rented here have been in just about every video, movie and tv show shot in Chicago for years. Did you find yourself around here to shoot the Wrigley plant?

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: June 12, 2011 02:35PM

Dave, I was actually visiting Zap at the prop house.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: October 16, 2012 03:55AM

I am afraid I have some bad news. I wrote a letter to the Horejsi family inquiring about their historic past on the 3200 block of S. Hoyne Ave. I was written back by a descendent of the family mentioned above and she told me that the family sold the store a few months back to a developer who unfortunately tore the building down. Very sad but they did what they had to do. Another forgotten piece of Chicago now forever lost to history. I am glad that I documented this story and took the pictures when I did.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/2012 03:56AM by Berwyn Frank.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: Mornac (---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: October 17, 2012 12:16AM

Berwyn Frank Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
I am glad that I documented this story
> and took the pictures when I did.

--I'm also glad you did Frank. I enjoyed following this one. Thanks.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: 222psm (---.no.no.cox.net)
Date: October 17, 2012 09:44AM

So sad, I also enjoyed the story behind this one, glad you got it before it was gone! Thanks Frank.

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: October 17, 2012 11:23AM

How cool is this? One of the family members sent me these pics. This is looking at the front doors from the inside. Look at those doors with the old shades. I can also see that the floors were still wood although dusty and worn and can make out the address painted on the glass above the doors. This place really should have been photographed and documented by serious architectural buffs before it was torn down. I am so sad to see this place gone.





Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: Lance Grey (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: October 17, 2012 07:10PM

If This forum / thread had a "Like" button it would be worn out! :-D

Re: Time Capsule Property
Posted by: Berwyn Frank (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: October 18, 2012 01:16AM

LOL, wow, thanks!

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