Hi Folks,

I am trying to find the demolition date of a building on the West Side near Garfield Park at 3825 W Madison Street (fuller address is 3813-29).

Built in 1921 as Dirscoll's Danceland by Woltersdorf and Bernhard, later known as the Golden Pumpkin cabaret lounge, and most recently (and for the longest amount of time) known the Cascade Bowling Alley, on this site now stands an Aldi grocery store. The last scrap of info I can find on this building ends in 1986 and at that point it was still a bowling alley. Does anyone have any insights or memories of when this building may have been torn down??

Here's a photo of it from the 1950(?)'s


Thanks for your help!

hi Ichipps what a great topic! I wish i could help you. I don't know anything about Dirscoll's Danceland but i wish i did. Look forward to reading more of it.

According to the book "That toddlin' town: Chicago's white dance bands and orchestras, 1900-1950", by Charles A Stengstock, Driscoll's Danceland went through a number of name changes until in became the Golden Pumpkin Chinese restaurant in 1930. It later reopend in the late 30's as a dance hall named the Park Casino. After it was converted to a bowling alley years later, it lay dormant until it was destroyed by fire in 1990.

The Stengstock book has a wealth of information concerning the era of dance halls, cabarets and clubs in Chicago during the golden age of the big band, from around WW I to the 1950's...Thanks to WGN Radio, Chicago became a major attraction for all the premier orchestras and band leaders of the era.

Back in the day, the big band leaders, and even more so, the lead vocalist of the big band were like the current day rock or rap stars. Frank Sinatra, Dorothy Lamour, Doris Day, Lena Horne and many others certainly spent time in Chicago and all began their careers as big band singers.

Thank you so much for the info, Captain54! This is exactly what I needed.

btt