Thanks for posting this link to these great photos! Join Forgotten Chicago today, Saturday, April 6th at Noon for an entertaining presentation on Chicago’s Shoreline Motels in general, and in the Edgewater community in particular. We’ll be sharing rarely seen images of these motels, as well as giving a sneak peak at the fourth and final installment in this series. No RSVP necessary; we ho
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Join Forgotten Chicago this Saturday, April 6th at Noon for an entertaining presentation on Chicago’s Shoreline Motels in general, and in the Edgewater community in particular. We’ll be sharing rarely seen images of these motels, as well as giving a sneak peak at the fourth and final installment in this series. No RSVP necessary; we hope to see you there! More information is at http://fo
Forum: Announcements

The architects of this building also did a series of storefronts for the Chicago-based shoe store chain Feltman & Curme. The original rendering of the storefront at 4710 North Sheridan may be found here: http://forgottenchicago.com/articles/five-years-of-forgotten-chicago-part-2-research/. This firm also did storefronts for Feltman & Curme in Evanston and Phoenix. Forgotten Chicago is p
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

The mystery of this long forgotten restaurant chain deepens. On March 20, the Forgotten Chicago research department went to the Newberry Library to go through Chicago white and yellow pages from 1925 to 1959, looking for “Snappy Service System” restaurant locations. The Snappy Service System restaurant recently revealed at 1141 North Ashland was curiously not listed in any of the phone books e
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Tickets for Forgotten Chicago’s first out-of-state bus tour are now on sale, exploring the lesser-known Calumet Region of Illinois and Indiana. Besides visiting one of the most impressive industrial areas of the U.S., we’ll take a look at retail relics, an unusual (and threatened) housing development from the 1910s, and some virtually unknown architectural landmarks. More details and tic
Forum: Announcements

What an awesome find! Great photo too. I was not familiar with this chain; thanks for posting it to the Forum.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Harry Weese’s remarkable 1959 State Bank of Clearing visited on FC’s July 2012 Clearing tour has been included to Preservation Chicago’s 7 Most Endangered List; the full list may be seen here: http://www.preservationchicago.org/chicago-seven/2013/
Forum: General Discussion

We announced today (March 7) FC's exciting 2013 tour season! With 10 of our 11 tours never offered before, there is something for just about everyone ... check it out at http://forgottenchicago.com/events/2013-tour-schedule/
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Thanks for posting - presentations by the Clear-Ridge Historical Society are always very interesting!
Forum: General Discussion

Thanks for posting this map of the Greyhound station. In the FC article describing our party last year celebrating Chicago's 175th birthday, we discussed an unbuilt 1949 tower by SOM over the station: http://forgottenchicago.com/articles/review-of-fc175-our-chicago-birthday-party-on-march-31-2012/
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

If you haven't already read it, you may find the 2009 FC article on the Ogden Avenue's extension and removal interesting: http://forgottenchicago.com/features/the-extension-and-removal-of-ogden-avenue/ Also, some of the research links listed on the FC Links page may be helpful: http://forgottenchicago.com/resources/research-links/research-links/
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

We hope Forum readers enjoy the latest article on Chicago's Shoreline Motels, this time focusing on properties from Ontario Street on the north to 13th Street on the south. We dug deep in the FC archives and found some little-seen and unexpected images, including what may be the most literal restaurant entrance in Chicago history. We also explore a little-known connection between a former Shor
Forum: General Discussion

FC's Jacob Kaplan was interviewed on NBC Chicago's 4:30 PM newscast on the Bridgeport fire - segment may be repeated at 6PM tonight!
Forum: General Discussion

Many thanks to Greg Borzo for presenting at our recent Forgotten Chicago Haymarket event on January 15; we had a large crowd enjoying his presentation. Yesterday, on January 24, Greg also presented to hundreds of people at the Harold Washington Library Center, along with FC Editor and Co-Founder Jacob Kaplan and Gary Johnson, President of the Chicago History Museum, in a lively discussion of Chica
Forum: General Discussion

Thank you so much for this detailed information on this striking building! We have undated the article on the first five years of FC research to include include your contribution. We've also updated this article with a recently discovered ad for the former Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, along with with what may be the Chicago area's most forgotten enclosed mall, Meadowdale Mall in Carpentersvill
Forum: General Discussion

The article on the first five years of Forgotten Chicago has been updated – a Forum user has correctly answered the trivia contest, and we’ve added two new research finds. The first research find is another long-forgotten Stanley Tigerman project, this one a strip shopping center in Palatine which FC staff found just yesterday (December 9); this project is still standing, with some original
Forum: General Discussion

We have a winner! The building was indeed the (first) addition to the Chicago Historical Society (now Chicago History Museum). We've updated the article with the contest answer, as well as a schematic we found showing the 1988 Holabird & Root addition. which completely covered this building. BobHerm, contact patrick@forgottenchciago.com when you'd like to schedule your complimentary FC w
Forum: General Discussion

Speaking of JoJo's, in my research I found four examples in the suburbs: the first was in Des Plaines and opened in 1971, as well as one each in Morton Grove and Schiller Park. By 1977, there was a JoJo's at the NW corner of Mannheim and Madison in Hillside - according to Google Street View, the building remains, although it appears empty. JoJo's built very distinctive buildings - does anyone kno
Forum: General Discussion

Speaking of retail in the area, the FC Six Corners tour in September 2012 visited the basement of the former Klee department store (the six-story former store north of Irving Park Road now mostly converted to apartments). We visited the basement, where part of the original floor remains. We also visited the 1940 former Straus & Schram store (later a Spiegel store). Photos may be found here: h
Forum: General Discussion

Not technically a video arcade, but in my research I came across the "Pinball Palace" at 5200 West 11th Street in Oak Lawn. Not sure when it opened, but by 1982 this distinctive pyramid-shaped building housed a deli. According to Google Maps, this building appears to no longer be extant
Forum: General Discussion

Yes, it's a very well done documentary and well worth watching. Definitely in the "forgotten" category as it's a film most people had never heard of until very recently. Thanks for posting this in the FC Forum!
Forum: General Discussion

Forgotten Chicago recently concluded its fifth season of tours and we're taking a look back! Illustrated with over 30 photos, most never before published, we hope our loyal Forum users enjoy this comprehensive review of our tours and discoveries since 2008. This article also includes a sneak peek at FC’s first contest, which will be open only to Forum members.
Forum: Announcements

Nice photos of an awesome event, even with the drippy weather. Thanks for posting!
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Great post - thanks! Watch for an upcoming walking tour of Bridgeport, information coming soon . . .
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Good detective work! These homes are very intriguing. My initial thought is they are not Standard homes for the following reasons: 1) At least in Melrose Park, these homes were staggered on their lots to break up the monotony of homes in the same position on their lots 2) The floor plans of the Standard Homes in Melrose Park featured offset doors and front windows with set close to the
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

If anyone else is interested in the location of these homes, the great blog PrairieMod has a post today on the location of these homes here: http://www.prairiemod.com/prairiemod/
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Sorry you weren’t able to join us today – we wish we could have accommodated everyone, but we had a huge demand for this tour. You are actually very close – actually, on the right block – but the house you found was built after 1950, and is not part of the original 1939 Goldberg Standard Homes. If you send an email to FC175@forgottenchicago.com we’ll send you the 1950 fire insuranc
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Mike Stephen of the outstanding Outside the Loop Radio spoke with Forgotten Chicago again today, this time about the upcoming Corporate Kings of the Suburbs & Stern Pinball tour. This week's show is typically interesting; the FC interview starts at 19:57 and lasts about 10 minutes. Warning: some tour secrets are revealed! Enjoy: http://www.outsidetheloopradio.com/2012/08/16/otl-episode-30
Forum: General Discussion

There is a fascinating (and exhaustive) overview of gas station brands at the outstanding forum Pleasant Family Shopping: http://pleasantfamilyshopping.blogspot.com/2011/03/golden-age-of-gas-stations.html
Forum: General Discussion

Sounds interesting - all the presentations I have attended at the Clearing Library have been very informative.
Forum: General Discussion