In the early 70's we'd ditch school and drink beer there on warm spring days. The place is full of beautiful and interesting headstones and monuments. It was like walking through an outdoor museum. Often there were fresh flowers placed at the monument to Confederate soldiers. I always wondered who would do this more than 100 years after the war and so far north of the confederacy.
Forum: General Discussion

I actually worked at Onesti's in the early 70's but cannot recall the name of the owner. It was Italian, but not Onesti. He lived just east of 71st and Western and was into stock car racing.
Forum: General Discussion

My comments from an earlier topic on pizza..... On the southwest side there was Buddy's at 79th and Hermitage and Onesti's on 71st just east of California (still there, but undoubtedly under different ownership). Back in the day, virtually all neigherhood pizza on the southside was thin crust. I don't recall ever having deep dish until I got old enough to drive and would take a date to Gino East,U
Forum: General Discussion

Tommy, thank for clearing that up. I will see my 80 year old aunt for Christmas and will tell her about Lynn Burton taking over Louie Georges in the early 70's. I had always thought that Louie Georges closed went that neighborhood went south. My grandmother was one of the last to move off the 6800 block of Wood in 1976.
Forum: General Discussion

Michael Kirby's at 75th and Loomis (as I recall). We used to meet the girls there when I was in high school. Good memories
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I remember Herb's Grill well. I had a lot of meals there in the late 60's and early 70's. Herb's remained open for many years after that area changed. And Gossage Grill also had a location just north of the Highland theater at 79th and Ashland
Forum: General Discussion

Was Brent's Grill on the northeast corner of 69th? I seem to recall there was also a grill on the southeast corner. If so, I remember sitting in the diner on the NE corner with my Mother probably around 1957 or 58. On the wall of the booth was a doorbell, which you rang when you needed your server. My sister and I kept trying to ring the bell and my Mother had her hands full trying to keep us away
Forum: General Discussion

When I was a kid in the late 50's early 60's, there seemed to be as many Henry's as McDonalds in Chicago, although I don't know if Henry's was ever a national chain. They had similar menus and architecture; with Henrys have green extensions from their roof similar to McD's golden arches. There still is at least one Henrys in the Midwest, just outside of Benton Harbor, Michigan. It was an original
Forum: General Discussion

I know that at least until the 1980's many parts of Hegewisch were still receiving water from individual wells. This is understandable when one considers its extreme distance from the rest of the city. I'd be surprised if this is still the the case today.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Don't forget about Old Dutch. Not sure where they were located, but I know it was on the south side.
Forum: General Discussion

Was Little Eva's the name of the beef stand located on the SW corner of 69th & Marshfield, just west of the bus barn or was that a different business? In the late 60's and early 70's I probably ate here once a week. Beef, meatball or sausage sandwich was around 60 or 70 cents. And when I was broke I could get a pepper sandwich for a quarter. I have new favorites, most notably Pop's, but to thi
Forum: General Discussion

It was a long time ago and a different world. I recall being only 5 or 6 years old and my Mother would send me for groceries with a list and an envelope with about $3.00 to cover the cost of peppers at Ambrozino's (sp?), bread at Naples Bakery and Italian sausage at Sarli's. All were located about two blocks from our house. You could never allow a child to do that in today's world. FYI, for those
Forum: General Discussion

Does the Woodlawn include 79th street near the Sears store? My father's family lived at 80th and Kimbark and I seem to recall everyone referring to the neighborhood as Woodlawn. My Dad and his brothers hung out at a tavern on the NE corner of 79th and Avalon called that Chatavon (sp?) and during the Christmas season they sold trees in the empty lot on the NW corner of the same intersection. The l
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Alexander's was located on 79th street as Far East as the 79th street bus would take us. From there we walked to Rainbow Beach (late 1960's). Alexander's remained in business until not too many years ago. I seem to recall driving that way about 10/15 years ago and was surprised to see it still standing and open. However, I drove by that way just a few months ago and it was gone. I worked as a busb
Forum: General Discussion

Is there anyone out there from the great old Italian neighborhood that ran roughly from Ashland to Damen and 67th (Marquette) to 71st? The area was anchored by St. Mary of Mount Carmel church & school. Although Catholic, St. Mary was not part of the Chicago archdiocese. It was a Carmelite mission staffed by Carmelite priests and nuns many, if not most, came directly from Italy. I attended scho
Forum: General Discussion

To best of my recollection (1950’s/1960’s), the grocery store located on 99th street, east of Beverly Avenue was Longwood Certified, although I concede it may have been a High-Low before that. The owners were Art & Tom. They closed that store and re-located just a few blocks further west on 99th street near Longwood Drive, just past the Rock Island station. Their older location has been ma
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

There are still a few "old" eateries left in the south loop. The Italian Village on Randolph probably deserves the title as the Loop's oldest restaurant since Berghoff closed a few years ago, then re-opened with a new staff and modified menu. Then there's Miller's Pub and the Exchequer Pub, located just a couple of blocks of each other on south Wabash. Others include Boni Vino's Pizza on
Forum: General Discussion

I saw a Polk Brother's Santa on a house in Canaryville this past Christmas season. It was the first one I'd seen in many years. There cannot be many left. That promotion offered the choice of Santa or the less popular Frosty the Snowman. In regards to Steinberg-Baum, they had a store on 79th just east of Western. Of course, it's been gone for at least 40 years. Illinois Bell built a facility on t
Forum: General Discussion

On the southwest side there was Buddy's at 79th and Hermitage and Onesti's on 71st just east of California. Back in the day, virtually all neigherhood pizza on the southside was thin crust. I don't recall ever having deep dish until I got old enough to drive and would take a date to Gino East,Uno's or Due's. In fact, to this day thin crust remains far more common and popular out south. Fox's, Rosa
Forum: General Discussion

While in high school in the late 1960's, I traveled on the B&O to Michigan. My Mother dropped me off at a station located one block east of the 62nd & Western Sears store. The station, an old-fashioned 19th century type, was east of the Sears parking lot and is long gone, but the last time a traveled that way the tracks were still there. As another writer mentioned, as the train traveled e
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I know this is an old thread, but I came along it while browsing the site and have some info on the subject. When I last visited the museum a few years ago, the chains were still in their original location flanking the exterior steps to the old north entrance. During a boyhood visit (early 1960s) we were told that the links were part of a longer chain used as a river blockade during the war of 181
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)