Dunning1 - I definitely remember "The Prairie" and those old street lights on Oak Park Ave. My father would always comment on how that street was "like a washboard" and how dim the lighting was before it was "improved." I never knew Konrad's had been a hobby shop, though. Interesting! Glad to be able to reminisce about the old neighborhood with another "Dunning-i
Forum: General Discussion

Dunning 1 - Your recollections brought back lots of (nearly the same) memories for me. I grew up on Normandy and attended Locke Elementary School so I'd walk past the intersection of Belmont & Oak Park nearly every day. The only things I might add would be to ask if you remember the Harczak's Sausage shop (there is still a Harczak's on Higgins) on the same side of the block and just east of Th
Forum: General Discussion

Dunning 1... Yes! That was the name, Marcoe Pharmacy. I also remember Bruce & Ken's on Addison very well. Thanks so much for sharing all your great memories. One of my best friends in high school worked as a waitress at the Walgreens snack shop, that was at the south end of Harlem Irving Plaza when it was still an outdoor mall.
Forum: General Discussion

Welcome back, Artista! Glad to have you back in the FC gang!
Forum: General Discussion

Hoyne Savings, with its main office on the corner of Milwaukee and Lawrence, is another neighborhood institution that is family-run and is still in operation.
Forum: General Discussion

Richard, below is a link to further information on the subject. The first location Preston Bradley used for services was on Sheffield Ave. in 1912. Then subsequent locations were used, all on the north side as far as I can determine, until the present building, designed by J.E.O Pridmore, was built in 1926. I wish I could help more with the church you remember from the near south side. Do you reme
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I was baptized by Dr. Preston Bradley. The Peoples Church is still located at 941 W. Lawrence in Uptown. Below are a couple of links that might be of interest to you. Peoples Church Site Short History of Preston Bradley Also found this... 1972 - WGN Preston Bradley Interview (scroll ~ 3/4 down the page then click on "Special -The Preston Bradley Story.....")
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As a member of my grammar school's Junior Safety Patrol back in the mid 70's, we used to get a "free day" to attend one Cub's game per year. Usually this "free day" was very early in the season so we sat in the stands and drank lots of hot chocolate trying not to freeze our butts off! But it was great to have the day off from school and get into Wrigley Field for free.
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Trolleybuses.net has so many awesome images which reveal lots of historic signs and long-gone places in the backgrounds of the bus photos. Read this post and remembered seeing a couple of photos of IS Berlin Press on it somewhere in the archives of the trolleybuses.net site. Here is one... I. S. Berlin
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

There was a Barry & Narragansett Cities Service station (The precursor to CITGO) listed as located at 3100 N. Narragansett in a few ads from the late 1950's and a Citgo/Firestone ad from 1966. Also, historicaerials.com shows an empty lot in 1951 but in the 1962 view there is a building on the site and in the 1972 view it shows the library building there.
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It was called the Harlem Avenue Outdoor Theater at Forest Preserve Drive & Harlem Avenue near Irving Park Rd. Drive-Ins
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Great photo, Clif, and a great find!
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

fraser3823: Here is an ad from 1959 (from the Chicago Tribune Historical Archives) which shows the various locations of High-Low Food Stores with one at 7008 S. Halsted. High-Low Ad
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Vern; I haven't had any luck so far in finding out much about that building on on Northwest Hwy. I'll keep digging, though.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Jazzman; There was a dime store, an S. S. Kresge, west of Central at 5626-28 W. Belmont. It burned down in June of 1976. Both Dayan's and Kresge's were wonderful old stores with well-worn wooden floors you just don't see any more these days. I remember after that fire that the Goldblatt's store, which was just a few doors down from Kresge's, smelled like smoke for ages afterward.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

My family actually liked the old Logalbo's at 6111 W. Belmont. :-) However, our neighbors preferred Frank's, which is still located at 6506 W. Belmont. We also used to get an awesome stuffed pizza from a place called Mangia (which is now closed and a different pizzeria has opened in its place). They were on Addison just west of Oak Park Ave. then moved to 6944 W. Belmont.
Forum: General Discussion

Don't know if this is helpful or not but I found a reference to, using the Chicago Tribune Historical Archives, a food store located at 5032 N. Long. In a 1957 article it lists the store as Woji's Midwest Food Mart and an ad from 1970 as well as an article from 1973 lists the name as Long Foods or Long Food Mart.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Nordsider, That is really a wonderful example of how one person or a few concerned people can make a positive impact on the future of a neighborhood and on future generations. I wish there were more people in this world like your mother and am glad you are here to tell the story!
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Nordsider, You are most welcome! Thank you for sharing your memory of your walk down Larrabee. The history of this area of Chicago is fascinating. I must also clarify, from my earlier post, that John H. Bauler was Mathias (Paddy) Bauler's brother. Paddy was the 3rd Bauler brother to sit on the City Council. Herman Bauler served 3 terms as alderman until his death. Then John ran for the off
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Nordsider, The 1935 Sanborn Fire Map shows a bake shop in the rear of 1949 Larrabee. :-) 1949 N Larrabee
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Nordsider, I also find, by looking at Chicago Tribune articles from the 1930's, that 1764 Larrabee was also at one time called Schultz' Arena and wrestling matches were held there. A search of Fritz Koch turns up some information on him owning several taverns in the area besides the one on Larrabee. One was at 643 W. North Avenue and another at 1329 N. Clybourn. And an article in the Chicago
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Rustymuscle, And thank you for providing another clue to the puzzle... There was, indeed, a Koch Hall at 1764 N. Larrabee. It was a dance/event hall in the back of Fritz Koch's tavern. Fritz Koch was the father of one time wrestler, turned wrestling promoter, Fred Kohler.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Nordsider, I checked the Sanborn Fire Maps from 1906 and from 1935 and found a dance hall located at 1764 N. Larrabee. However, that address is right at Menomonee and not half-way between Willow and Menomonee so I'm not sure if that is the place you remember. In the 60's there was a place called the Tap Root Pub located at 1762 Larrabee which used the then vacant lot at 1764 Larrabee as its beer g
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Here are a few articles from the Chicago Tribune about the change from Robey to Damen which happened in 1927. (To open the following, click on the link then click on the "download your file now" button to open the file). Robey/Damen Name Change Voice of the People Article Name Change Battle
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

So sorry to have missed the tour. Looks like everyone had fun! Thanks for posting photos.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

In Dunning/Schorsch Village there was a National (now an empty banquet hall) at 6725 W. Belmont Avenue and a Jewel at 6850 W. Belmont (now Avenue Food Mart). My family lived closer to National but for some reason my mom preferred Jewel so she and I would walk down to "The Jewel" and haul our groceries back home in a wheeled wire shopping basket. :-)
Forum: General Discussion

Thanks, Bowler! Nice article. Sad, though, that it doesn't really look good for saving the building.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

You're very welcome! I'm not really that good, just very persistent! :-)
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Here's an interesting little blurb in Chicago's Health, January 1916 publication (Google Books), Pg. 153 in the upper right column, about a John Matusik being fined $5.00 for failing to properly label caps on milk bottles. I thought perhaps having the last name might help you in your search. John Matusik
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

What an interesting post! I looked up that area in the old Sanborn Fire Maps and found, in Volume 13 from 1925 (section 50), that there was a milk depot located at 4631 Laflin. The earlier map/version of Volume 13 gave no indication of any dairy or milk depot at that location. I then looked up the Cook County Assessor's records on the 4631 Laflin building which shows it to be approx. 101 years old
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings