Ogden Ave story


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Ogden Ave story
Posted by: adgorn (---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: February 12, 2008 03:22PM

I am a Chicagoland history buff and have made several contributions to Earlychicago.com. Recently I volunteered to become the Archives Manager at the Western Springs Historical Society. I am really happy to have found your website.

Your article on Ogden Ave is excellent. I grew up on the north side near the lake and about 17 years ago moved out here to Western Springs, which is along Ogden Ave. So when I need to get back to mom's house, I often take Ogden instead the Eisenhower "Expressway." I never gave much thought to why Ogden justs ends abruptly unil I saw an old postcard on ebay for the North Park Hotel on Ogden and Center st. (perhaps now Lincoln Park West?) in Lincoln Park. Lincoln Park... but how could that be I wondered? (btw this hotel is clearly visible in your top photo on http://www.forgottenchicago.com/ogden2.php at the bottom of the photo, so thanks for showing that and help clearing up this mystery! And now I can see on maps.google that it is still there.)

Then, while studying some old organized crime locales, I learned about the hit on 5/25/1925 on Angelo Genna that occurred at Menominee, Hudson...& Ogden. Ogden again ...how could that be?

So then I dug into the aerial photo site at http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/nsdihome/webdocs/ilhap/county/cook.html and was able to
pinpoint one of old Ogden. That showed how the old street went all the way in which explained alot.

FYI: I learned more from a Gaper's Block artice dated May, 27 2006 called "Ogden Avenue and Urban Renewal in Old Town" By Alice Maggio, AND this website: http://condor.depaul.edu/~lincoln/index.htm.

Last summer I finally went to the Buddhist festival at the Midwest Temple on Menominee. When I got there, I realized I was on the remnants of "Ogden" and at the spot where Genna was blasted, to boot! We also walked down to old St. Michaels, which looks like it was on Ogden too.

So your article completes the picture for me and I am grateful. Now I just wish they'd reopen Ogden to Clark St again so I could get mom's a little faster!

Alan Gornik

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: Serhii (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: February 26, 2008 04:01AM

I always say "If I were to become mayor, the first order of business would be to put Ogden back in." I would be terribly unpopular, but hey, its a missing link.

I came across both the Genna incident and Maggio's website while researching my article. Her website doesn't really have any good stuff on Ogden, although it does have a couple good photos of LP/OT in the 80s. Like this one with the great caption "evidence of sanitation problems." Haha! Way to sound academic. The Laugh Inn Lounge at the corner of Lincoln/Wells is now a Bar Louie, and the area shows little evidence of sanitation problems.

Also, this one of the Menominee Club was photographed by Cushman http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cushman/results/detail.do?query=willow+chicago&page=1&pagesize=20&display=thumbcap&action=search&pnum=P03776
way back in 1947 when it was still a bowling alley. You can still see the stained glass bowling alley sign on the front (in person).

Anyway, what I wanted to say before I got distracted with all that - the best article about Ogden was written by Greg Beaubien for the Reader. Its called the Disappearing Thoroughfare, or something similar. Its listed as a source for my article, and is available on the Reader's website.

Long. Winded. Sorry.

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: adgorn (---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: February 26, 2008 11:35AM

Thanks for the followup. I got the Reader article.

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: paw (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 28, 2008 01:39AM

A bit off topic. Another classic area on Ogden were the old steel bridges in Cicero. They were where Ogden, 26th, and Cicero meet

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: adgorn (---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: February 28, 2008 02:33AM

This old rail turnaround is just north of that intersection: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM60D

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: paw (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 29, 2008 12:59AM

Can you see that from Ogden?

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: tomcat630 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: March 04, 2008 03:01AM

In old maps, the Ogden name disappered from US 34 in Naperville where it bends south.

At least since 1985, US 34 is called Ogden all the way into Aurora and Kendall Co. In Oswego is the end of the name, ;-/

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: paw (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: March 07, 2008 07:19PM

Then the name just sort of disappears before 30. Kind of random.

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: curtis (---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: April 21, 2008 05:18PM

The ride over the Ogden Avenue Bridge at Goose Island and Division was awesome and terrifying (especially when riding your bike and it was wet!)

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: tomcat630 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: May 24, 2008 08:18PM

Yes, after US 34 leaves the Aurora city limits, it's not called Ogden anymore.

Since I was a kid, I like tracing city street names and how far they continue.

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: tomcat630 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 03, 2008 11:31PM

In the Historic Aerials site, the early 70's view shows the street closed but not all filled in, yet.

Now, in that section, there are some parts that are zig zag walking paths, and can see newer buildings next to old ones.

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: emellis (---.hfc.comcastbusiness.net)
Date: March 17, 2010 06:33PM

Great 1990 photoset of Ogden Avenue in the Goose Island area. I think this was just a couple years before cement chunks started falling off of it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwilson1949/sets/72157619331260678/comments/#comment72157623640377756

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: Jeff_Weiner (---.sub-70-194-99.myvzw.com)
Date: January 14, 2016 02:50AM

Btt.

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: Dunning1 (---.dhs.gov)
Date: January 14, 2016 12:24PM

BTT

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Re: Ogden Ave story
Posted by: Jeff_Weiner (---.sub-70-194-98.myvzw.com)
Date: January 30, 2016 03:35AM

BTT!

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