Chicago Mid 50s


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Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: parmour ()
Date: November 24, 2011 12:25AM

Hello,
My grandfather loved Chicago. I found these pictures in his belongings and was wondering if anyone knows what streets these photos were taken on or anything about the pictures of note.
On the backside of the picture that has him standing next to a car it is written "Outside the Mid West Cafe" I see in the background is Sheehans Tavern. So there are two reference points to find out what streets or part of town this picture was taken. I cannot find Sheehans Tavern or Mid West cafe references on the net.
I have posted the pictures on photobucket but the link does not seem to work. If you send me your e-mail address I will send to the two pictures to see.
http://s1096.photobucket.com/albums/g339/parmour/
If anyone can tell me what I am doing wrong with trying to give a link to photobucket I would appreciate it.
Let me know,
Thanks,
Parmour
parmour1@comcast.net



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2011 09:14PM by parmour.

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: Mornac ()
Date: November 24, 2011 01:37AM

I'm afraid I can't help you parmour, but I was amused by the fact that Sheehans had a "family entrance". I suppose it had a dinning room and allowed diners to enter directly without having to traipse through the barroom.Western civilization was such a wonderful thing.

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: Berwyn Frank ()
Date: November 24, 2011 02:28AM

The "family entrance" or "ladies entrance" was not so much to give patrons an easier way into establishment, but because to some people entering through the front door of a saloon or tavern was "unseemly," especially for women. Up until the about the 1950s, it was not proper for a woman to be in a tavern without the company of a man.

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: parmour ()
Date: November 24, 2011 12:53PM

Hello,
Thanks for your responses. How were you able to get to the pics in photobucket to work ?
It would not work for me.
Thanks,
Phil



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/2011 12:54PM by parmour.

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: Brule Laker ()
Date: November 24, 2011 05:47PM

My grandmother's brother-in-law and sister owned the Clyde Hotel (in the background of the first photo) but it was on S. Clyde Ave., just north of 71st St. on a residential block. This does not look like that area. Perhaps the photo is not from Chicago.

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: WayOutWardell ()
Date: November 24, 2011 07:05PM

The first photo was taken in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Clyde Hotel and the Vegas Club were located at 514 and 516 Central Ave., respectively, and in the background is the marquee for the Paramount Theater at 616 Central.

The only thing I could find for a Sheehan's Tavern in Chicago was that they had a puck-bowling-machine league that took second place in a tournament ($200 prize) mentioned in a 1950 issue of Billboard Magazine. Unfortunately, it gave no further information. Looking at the photo, the building appears to be on a six-corner intersection.

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: parmour ()
Date: November 25, 2011 04:09AM

Thanks Brule Laker.
Looks like you were right.
WayOutWardell knew exactly where this picture was taken.
Thanks,
Phil

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: parmour ()
Date: November 25, 2011 04:13AM

Wow !
Thanks WayOutWardell !
How in the world did you know about Hot Springs Arkansas and the Clyde Hotel ?
Thanks for helping me find out about the pictures.
You know, It makes me think that the other picture might very well not be Chicago as well.
Later,
Phil



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2011 04:27AM by parmour.

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: Rustymuscle ()
Date: November 25, 2011 03:58PM

There was a Sheehan Tavern on South Wentworth, but the buildings have been demolished. Also, the address isn't near a six-corner intersection. I've found no other references (phone books or Tribune historical), so I'm wondering if the photo is from another city, too.

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: parmour ()
Date: November 25, 2011 04:24PM

Hi Rustymuscle,
Thanks for checking the picture out for me.
I am not sure at all now where the picture is from.
Probably not Chicago.
I will start where the other one was located. Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Thanks for your help.
Later,
phil

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: Rustymuscle ()
Date: November 25, 2011 05:08PM

One thing I considered was that this tavern is not necessarily "Sh" eehan's. I don't see a definitive "Sh" in the name, so could be something else. When I get some time will check that too.

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: Mornac ()
Date: November 25, 2011 05:51PM

Meehan's?

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: zorchvalve ()
Date: November 25, 2011 05:59PM

Parmour, Try the museum of history on clark and north ave.to see old photos of where you think that the mid fifties photo was taken. They have an extensive collection there.

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: Rustymuscle ()
Date: November 25, 2011 07:09PM

Okay, I found it! The Midwest Cafe is listing as "Midwest Lunch" and was located at 2053 W. 35th. The building directly across the street is where Sheehans was located (or whatever the name is). This is the six corner intersection of Hoyne, 35th and Archer. The Midwest Lunch building is gone; the streetview jumps when you go east on 35th, so this is the best view we can see of the building.

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/52922702@N03/6401821017/] [/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/52922702@N03/6401821017/]1950schicago[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/52922702@N03/]Rustymuscle[/url], on Flickr


<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=2053+w.+35th,+chicago&amp;aq=&amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;sspn=24.317017,59.150391&amp;vpsrc=0&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=2053+W+35th+St,+Chicago,+Illinois+60609&amp;ll=41.830118,-87.677393&amp;spn=0.000064,0.028882&amp;t=h&amp;z=14&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=41.830404,-87.677646&amp;panoid=0QGGf8MOkaTcswOUhLXDnw&amp;cbp=12,90.93,,0,1.14&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=2053+w.+35th,+chicago&amp;aq=&amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;sspn=24.317017,59.150391&amp;vpsrc=0&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=2053+W+35th+St,+Chicago,+Illinois+60609&amp;ll=41.830118,-87.677393&amp;spn=0.000064,0.028882&amp;t=h&amp;z=14&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=41.830404,-87.677646&amp;panoid=0QGGf8MOkaTcswOUhLXDnw&amp;cbp=12,90.93,,0,1.14" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2011 07:12PM by Rustymuscle.

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: WayOutWardell ()
Date: November 25, 2011 07:50PM

Fantastic job!!!

It's still a tavern; the address is 3479 S. Archer - looks like the place later became Red's Lounge and is now El Toro Loco. The 1928 Polk Directory doesn't list that address as being a tavern (although Prohibition was in place so it might have gone by a different name, or just became a tavern later), but Mid West Lunch is indeed listed on 35th St.

Re the Hot Springs photo - here's a photo of the movie theater in the background:
[url=http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=arkansas&catpagesize=25&ProductID=23407]Paramount Theater, Hot Springs[/url]

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: PKDickman ()
Date: November 25, 2011 07:55PM

Rustymuscle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Okay, I found it! The Midwest Cafe is listing as
> "Midwest Lunch" and was located at 2053 W. 35th.
> The building directly across the street is where
> Sheehans was located (or whatever the name is).
> This is the six corner intersection of Hoyne, 35th
> and Archer. The Midwest Lunch building is gone;
> the streetview jumps when you go east on 35th, so
> this is the best view we can see of the building.
>

Excellent!!!

I had actually picked out this building by scanning google maps of 6corner intersections in neighborhoods I thought had the right architecture.

I was looking around for some other evidence when I saw your post come in.


Paul K. Dickman

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: parmour ()
Date: November 25, 2011 08:06PM

Hi Rustymuscle,
Thanks for finding this. (I had pretty much given up on locating it.)
I really appreciate you taking your time to look for this.
The buildings that housed the Midwest Lunch look to have all been torn down. But you absolutely found the bar across the street from it.
I went to the "Chicago Bar Project" online site and looked up the El Toro Loco bar to see if they had any history on the bar and it decribed the bar as a "McKinley Park Mexican Dive Bar that used to be called Reds Lounge"
Here is the picture they provide. ( I have not figured out how to link these yet)

<a href="http://s1096.photobucket.com/albums/g339/parmour/?action=view&amp;current=ElToroStreetShotSP.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g339/parmour/ElToroStreetShotSP.jpg" border="0" alt="El Toro Loco Bar."></a>

Once again thanks,
Phil

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: parmour ()
Date: November 25, 2011 08:51PM

Hi WayOut Wardell,
Thanks for the link to the Paramount in Hot Springs. Shows the picture from the opposite direction.
Thanks for your help.
Later,
Phil

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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: parmour ()
Date: November 25, 2011 08:56PM

Hi Paul,
Thanks for all the time you spent trying to help me with these pitures.
I appreciate your help.
Later,
Phil



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Re: Chicago Mid 50s
Posted by: diannaP ()
Date: January 11, 2012 04:39AM

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