I'm not exactly sure.
Forum: General Discussion

The original poster of this thread and I were there this afternoon. You won't believe the way this place looked inside. We got some pics I will post later. Absolutely amazing and a crying shame that it's going to be torn down. The family lived here for at least 50 years and were very involved in the African American community of the near west side.
Forum: General Discussion

Sold Street Sign Update S. Michigan Av.- $521.00 *****Wow! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage1950s-Chicago-Street-Sign-S-Michigan-Ave-/320992281801?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&nma=true&si=UT%2B5yw43MB4QrVdJojVtJr9X66o%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc S. Carpenter St.- $289.99 http://www.ebay.com/itm/c1951-26-PORCELAIN-s-CARPENTER-st-CHICAGO-STREET-SIGN-2-SID
Forum: General Discussion

The house looks totally ancient. It's really a shame that it's going to be torn down. Here is a photo to get a better idea.
Forum: General Discussion

cmyski, I tried to figure out your mystery but had no luck. There was a Frank Mercl (I think that's how it was spelled) was was an undertaker in 1929 at 1610 S. Crawford (Pulaski) but that doesn't sound like Morell. Dunning, the no 17th St. phenomenon extends from Western Ave. (2400 W.) all the way through to Harlem Ave. (7200 W.) in Berwyn. I too have always wonderd why this is.
Forum: General Discussion

LOL, wow, thanks!
Forum: General Discussion

How cool is this? One of the family members sent me these pics. This is looking at the front doors from the inside. Look at those doors with the old shades. I can also see that the floors were still wood although dusty and worn and can make out the address painted on the glass above the doors. This place really should have been photographed and documented by serious architectural buffs before
Forum: General Discussion

I am afraid I have some bad news. I wrote a letter to the Horejsi family inquiring about their historic past on the 3200 block of S. Hoyne Ave. I was written back by a descendent of the family mentioned above and she told me that the family sold the store a few months back to a developer who unfortunately tore the building down. Very sad but they did what they had to do. Another forgotten piec
Forum: General Discussion

For those interested I wrote an article in Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery's fall 2012 newsletter this month about a Bohemian Chicago police officer who was killed in the line of duty in 1919. Check it out. http://www.friendsofbnc.org/newsletters/vol9no2.pdf
Forum: General Discussion

Wow, Cool! Thanks!
Forum: General Discussion

Wow, we are living in the technical age....you read my book on your kindle! Cool! Thanks you and Dave for the nice comments! Frank
Forum: General Discussion

No Richard, there was an actual ground level CTA "El" line, basically an extention of the current Pink Line that runs out to 54th Ave. & Cermak Rd., which ran all the way out to Oak Park Ave. (6800 West). The line ran along Cermak Rd., just a few feet north of the street, until it was dismantled in 1951. Look at this google map to get a better idea. http://maps.google.com/map
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Hi Nordsider, I also wrote an Arcadia book about the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. Before my book there hadn't been anything written more then a page or two about the neighborhood's history. I found that to be more challenging and exciting that I was pretty much the first to take on writing about the neighborhood's history. That's the great thing about the Arcadia series, they allow a
Forum: General Discussion

Dave, the farthest west The El ran outside of Chicago (near Brookfield, I know the O'Hare line also runs west) is the Desplaines Ave. stop in Forest Park which existed for access to the cemeteries back in the old days. Actually closer to Brookfield was the old Douglas Park El, later the Blue Line, now called the Pink Line that actually had stops all the way to Oak Park Ave. (6800 West) just off o
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Thanks!
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

There was a thread where someone asked about Sokol Town of Lake and a club called the Robeys. I made a reply answering some of the question and it's gone. What happened?
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Wow Dave, that's neat and would have been way cool if you would have actually seen the signs! Also, thank you for your service!
Forum: General Discussion

A couple of other neat street sign related items. This is a cool Welcome to Bridgeport sign that a guy is selling on e-bay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Welcome-to-Bridgeport-Street-Sign-Mayor-Richard-J-Daley-60s-Chicago-/271060704422?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1c7a1ca6 Here is a neat photo of soldiers in Viet Nam putting up State & Madison street signs there in 1966. Mayor
Forum: General Discussion

Sold Sign Update. Some of these were bringing pretty good money. E. Congress St. -$372.69 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1950s-Chicago-Street-Sign-Congress-St-Porcelain-Yellow-Black-/140842260183?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&nma=true&si=t6%2FiUt%2FBH3sKc09YnlVQksvmho0%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc S. California Av. -$304.99 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vin
Forum: General Discussion

luganrn, Sokol Town of Lake was a Czech Sokol (gymnastic and fraternal) organization which was located in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood. The organization was founded in 1916 and was housed in the C.S.P.S. or Česko-Slovanský Podporující Spolek (Czech Slavic Benevolent Society) Hall on 48th & Honore. It had about 350 members around 1940. I believe that the organization merg
Forum: General Discussion

Guys I'm not sure who the Oldsmobile Dealer was. Holiday Olds prehaps? Chipast, here's an image from my collection circa 1963 showing Ben Geller Chevrolet which was located at 3651 W. Ogden Ave. (between Lawndale & Millard Aves.) in the Lawndale neighborhood near Denemark.
Forum: General Discussion

Yes Vern. It was either Burr Ridge or Oakbrook.
Forum: General Discussion

Dunning, Joseph Bergl's wife was allowed to sell the dealership to Bergl's long time trusted manager, George Pavlicek. Pavlicek started with Bergl in 1929, and by 1937 became general manager. Pavlicek owned the dealership from 1950-1978 when he retired to Naples Florida where he died in January 1991 at 82 years old. I know a guy that GM was trying to work out a deal with to sell him the deale
Forum: General Discussion

Although not Robey, this apartment building on Maypole and Kostner has 44th Ave. on the side of the building. I have a circa 1908 image in my collection showing the building with the caption Park Av. W. of 44th Av. Park was later changed to Maypole and after the Brennan system 44th Av. became Kostner. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=kostner+%26+west+end&hl=en&ll=41.884499,-87.735572
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Wow, the porch in the photo is really bad. If the address is in the article expect the building department to come a knockin'. Ever since the Lincoln Park Porch Collapse several years back, basically every wodden back porch is in violation if it was built before this event. I was recently told this by a friend that got smacked with a violation for his Hermosa neighborhood three flat (three fu
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

The telephone exchange being used in Chicago area phone numbers, ex. BI7-9696 (Bishop exchange-Little Village neighborhood), was used much later the 1963. I have a Berwyn phone book sitting right here from 1977 with half of the numbers printed the old way. I would say that the practice went away by the very early 1980s. As far as the ILL. state abbreviation, I would say that was also used into
Forum: General Discussion

More sold street signs: W. 53rd St.- $112.50 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&item=271020403926&nma=true&rt=nc&si=thgC3ASJfedNvpnOvVwCq1RgfHo%253D&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc N. Clybourn Av.- $212.50 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&item=200795235567&nma=t
Forum: General Discussion

Ok, this is not a Chicago street sign, but a Chicago sign none the less. For the past few years I have been trying to track down a "vintage" Vienna Beef sign after seeing one in the Blues Brothers movie as a kid. If you remember the scene in the soul food cafe on Maxwell Street, there is one on the back wall of the counter. That one however, advertises Polish Sausages (which I pre
Forum: General Discussion

jak378 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > And the king of the family owned Savings and Loan > Associations was of course Ben Bohac's Talman > Savings and Loan which survived longer than most. > It grew from a small store front at 55th and > Kedzie to encompass nearly both sides of the 5500 > block of Kedzie. I think the only thing they >
Forum: General Discussion

Sold sign update. W. Foster Av.- $202.50 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&item=160840255539&nma=true&rt=nc&si=DM8sm4dL0Ul%252FJHT7RylbXnkvPEw%253D&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc W. Winona St.- $137.50 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&item=160840256941&nma=tru
Forum: General Discussion