222psm Wrote: > Thanks, that explains it very well, when a > community looses 50,000 residents in 30 years > that's what happens. Which begs the question..Why? In 20 years, the area’s white population had plummeted from 51,583 to 818. Has anyone really ever honestly addressed that issue? How could people (and I mostly mean government) just let a once vibrant, thriving neighborh
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Is it just me, or do the 48' street cars look cooler in a retro sort of way, more modern,and more streamlined than the current buses the CTA has on the streets today?
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

here's a fairly good explanation of what happened in Englewood http://www.chicagoreporter.com/index.php/c/Sidebars/d/A_Brief_History_of_Englewood
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Here's a before and after of the intersection of 63rd and South Loomis...looking west down 63rd Street...can't decide if this is interesting, or just heartbreaking...or maybe simply stomach turning.. 1948 view <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20205384@N03/4304417417/" title="63rd and Loomis 1948 by captain54_01, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Here's a view of the Klee Building in 1938 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20205384@N03/4304356069/" title="Six Corner's ... Chicago....1938 by captain54_01, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4304356069_553cdc3f74_b.jpg" width="1024" height="840" alt="Six Corner's ... Chicago....1938" /></a&g
Forum: General Discussion

must have been an old timer because it's in the 1938 view
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

shoreline Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Davidson's had bakeries that were near the L on > both Howard and Morse Ave. On Devon, in addition > to the 2 you mentioned was Leonard's,a bakery > still in operation in Northbrook. Davidson's also had a bakery in the Loop on Madison, west of LaSalle, across from the old LaSalle hotel. It was on the gro
Forum: General Discussion

I grew up in that area, but moved out in the late 60's. As a kid we spent a lot of time in Sherman Park, and had to go to the Sherman Park Library to do homework assignments. The library was on the 5400 block of South Racine, about the middle of the block, in the park, on the west side of Racine. I do vaguely vaguely remember a bigger office type building or apartments in a weird configuratio
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I was able to get the Google view tight enough and at the right angle enough to see a very faint wash of white on the side of the "billboard building"...I'll have to take a walk by there one of these days to confirm. I actually have the book "Old Chicago Neighborhoods, Remembering Life in the 40's" that the cover picture is from...It's loaded with old pix..I'll have to sift
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

I think you may have nailed it, 2. Was there a vacant lot between the billboard building and the brick two flat @ 2032 W Irving? Could be, if you look closely, there looks like there was a small tree or large bush directly under the "lemonade" billboard.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

never thought you were questioning my knowledge. I must say though, this thread has really peaked my interest about the Northcenter area, with the Damen/Irving/Lincoln intersection seemingly being at the center. The activity back in the day must have been bubbling, with the two theatres, restaurants, bars, etc.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Demolition almost complete of Standard Bank, 95th and Western, Evergreen Park..built in 1962 as Lawn Savings, it was a great example of post War/Modern space age suburban commercial structures, complete with space age entrance and lobby <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20205384@N03/4294625198/" title="Standard Bank Evergreen Park, IL by captain54_01, on Flickr">
Forum: General Discussion

Getting back to the original thread... It was the Bugg Theatre...owned by Charles Bugg...opened in 1917...the original address was 3940 N Robey..(Damen was once named Robey Street)...they installed a large theatre organ in the 20's, and the Chicago Tribune reported in 58' that it was going to be demolished....in the mid 50's they installed the Cinescope technology to try to compete with televis
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

222psm Wrote: the one next door to wa-mu is from > 1965, witch replaced the white building in the > picture from the 40's. the one closest to the > alley has a building from 1952, > that replaced a dark building covered by the > trolley car. Ok, 2, you are right..the building next to the Wa-Mu building, now Alps East Restaurant, is listed as being built in 65'.. the buildi
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

couple of things are not clear to me a) was the "billboard building" torn down and new structure built there in 56'? b) when was the small one story commercial brick structure directly west of Wa-Mu building built? this might clear it up...the first is an aerial view of the area in 1962...the area under discussion is center and a bit left <a href="http://www.flickr.com/
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

OK...to clear up some confusion...I've been referring to the "pitched roof" buildings as the smaller one story structures more or less adjacent to the Washington Mutual commercial structure...my bad.. Yes, I believe the two "pitched roof" two story structures survived throughout the 60's and according to the historic aerial view, 73' shows them both, or at least one down...o
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

the oldest Historic Aerial view where there is any clarity is from 62'.. the 1962 view shows the two pitched roof buildings next to the alley gone and the newer, current one story bricks in place. So I'm guessing the newer buildings (judging from architecture) were built some time in the 50's. Moving west along that block, is shows pretty much what the 1940 picture indicates..a smaller buildin
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

I'm pretty sure that's a new facade on the same building in the 40's view. It looks like it could have been extended because of the angle of the newer view, but its not. We only see the length of the older 40's version up until about where the "Washington Mutual" sign and logo begin on the current version
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Here's the current view of the Lincoln/Damen/Irving intersection looking west. Similiar to the 40's pix on the book cover, only slightly more west and ground level. Looks like the pitched roof buildings next to the alley on the right side are long gone and a newer, one story brick has replaced them. Other faves from that area are the Masonic Temple building where Byron lofts are now at the
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

On the cover of the book "Old Chicago Neighborhoods, Remembering Life in the 40's, there's a picture of the intersection of Lincoln/Irving and Damen in the early 40' http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Old-Chicago-Neighborhood/Neal-Samors/e/9780972545600 It looks to me like the picture is taken from the roof, or one of the windows of the upper floors, or the fire escape of the old Lin
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

here's a link to some billboard footage from the 40's http://www.nscalelimited.com/2009/03/14/vintage-film-1940s-chicago/
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

From Cecil Adams of "The Straight Dope" Home delivery of ice continued for a long time — in the 1920s apartment buildings were still constructed with ice doors opening into each kitchen. In the 30s, though, electric refrigerators replaced iceboxes in most city households. Some nonelectrified rural areas relied on ice deliveries until the 50s
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

> > Lastly I don't quite know the history but the > property that was Martha Washington Hospital, on > Irving Park, may have had some kind of home for > mentally disabled patients. Martha Washington Hospital originally began in the mid 19th century as the Washingtonian Home, an organization dedicated to the treatment of the drunken and alchoholic Their facility was at Ma
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

tseals Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I was in the old neighborhood (California & > Montrose) today and trying to remember the old > haunts. > Kaufman's Bagels & > Ada's delicatessen. The N/E corner of Kedzie & > montrose was a drug store. The National T grocery > store on S/e corner of Kedzie & Montrose. Was that a
Forum: General Discussion

a historic aerials search shows from a 1952 view that the machine shop was one of the only structures on the block. That explains why is seems odd that is was planted there. It was there before many residence on that block were built. Also, the Irving Park area near the north branch of the Chicago River was a popular site for industry after 1900 until the 50's. the 52' view shows the machine
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I didn't grow up in the area...I lived with my girlfriend at Sunnyside and Troy until a few months ago..we used to walk all over the neighborhood checking out different locations.. the aerial view is great, gives you everything but the front of that building....which was very unique to me...I found it odd that a machine shop would be planted smack dab in the middle of a residential area, across
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

You totally rock, 222! thanks so much a machine shop, yes, that's what I thought. Built in 43'.. outstanding. now if I could only find a pix of the old building, it would the final piece of the puzzle. My friend and I use to go out of our way to stroll past this building, it was so intriguing...
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

222psm Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm almost sure that was a restaurant/diner on > the northeast corner of Montrose and Kedzie. > but I may be wrong. Any one remember Jim Lee's > chop suey? on Montrose between Albany and Whipple? > man that was some good food! there's still a restaurant/diner at that intersection, but on the NW corne
Forum: General Discussion

I've noticed an old small shop/factory at approximately the corner of Belle Plaine and California for a few years. It had an unusual Art Deco-ish/Bauhaus type design...even more unusual was that is was obviously a commercial space smack dab in the middle of residential area....more recently, I noticed it abandoned and falling into disrepair...I always thought this could have been converted into a
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

davey7 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > I'm also one of the few people who thinks that the > State Street Mall was way better than the faux > beaux arts dreck we have now with too narrow > sidewalks. the Mall took the charm out of what was a busy, bustling lifeblood of the Loop.. by cutting off traffic they shut off the main artery in an
Forum: General Discussion