Notice the Speedway Wreckers sign in the 1951 Mecca photo. I didn't know they've been around that long. What's always interested me about the Michigan Garden Apartments is that the northeast corner of the block is comprised of older apartment buildings that were incorporated into the newer complex. In his autobiography, Quincy Jones has a photo of his mother sitting in the courtyard of the
Forum: General Discussion

Interesting...a Google search of Kimbell Candy pulls up an article from 1948 in, strangely, Billboard Magazine that mentions the 'new' coconut candy bars being made there.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I asked my mother if she remembered Luigi's, since she lived on Maplewood and LeMoyne; she did, and said she remembered it being a small restaurant and pizzeria located closer to Western Avenue that eventually grew into the banquet hall facilities. She moved from the neighborhood in '62 so she doesn't recall the dances at the hall.
Forum: General Discussion

A recent ghost sign showed up in Skokie on the northeast corner of Dempster and Bronx Ave., on the east wall of the corner building. It's in great shape.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Yes I do! I can't remember the name, but it was on the corner of Caldwell and Le Mai, and yes, there are two houses in its place now.
Forum: General Discussion

There's an article in today's Tribune about the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy, with a small section of photos: Kennedy Expy Article
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Wow. 110 years on the same block - they've got to be the only ones left in the city with that distinction. Frank, have you come across others with that much time in a house or on a block?
Forum: General Discussion

daveg Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > WayOutWardell what is the location of the DePaul > Lewis Building? It's at 25 E Jackson, on the SW corner of Jackson and Wabash.
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This is from the St. Elizabeth's Church (41st St) website: 'St. Elizabeth Church was organized to serve Irish Catholics who settled in the area. On November 19th 1881 - the feast day of St. Elizabeth of Hungary - a frame structure which had served for many years as St. Anne Church was rolled from 55th and Wentworth to a new site on Dearborn near Root St and 41st by Rev. Daniel J. Riordan who p
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

If freight elevators count, DePaul's Lewis Building has (had?) a manually-operated open cab that looked original. Also, the former Douglas plant/USAF building #4 at O'Hare, (two stories, visible from Higgins and Mannheim), has one that dates to 1942.
Forum: General Discussion

Great sleuthing yet again, Frank! I've been by that house a few times and noticed its patina but never gave it much thought after that. I wonder what the inside looks like. When the Palm Tavern closed, Gerri Oliver moved to a friend's place nearby. It was an enormous five-bedroom, five bath apartment, and her friend had lived there since the early 50s. It looked like a museum. Everything w
Forum: General Discussion

captain54 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > just curious as to whether or not they rerouted > part of the Dan Ryan to avoid the path of > St.Annes'...like was the case with the Kennedy and > St Stan Kostka and Holy Trinity...would be ironic > if that was the case, seeing that it is now gone You might be on to something...it passes by St. Ann
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Tim Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > glassgypsy Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > In addition to all the things previously > > mentioned, YES, there were indoor drag races > > there. Believe it was twice, was in 1963, and > Yes, > > I raced there. Was like racing on ice, and the >
Forum: General Discussion

I'll have to take a look at that Archdiocese book the next time I'm at the library, for sure. The courtyard sure did change, although the rectory looks pretty much the same; too bad the porch disappeared. As fate would have it, today I stumbled upon this photo on Flickr while looking for something completely unrelated: Dan Ryan & St. Anne's I like that the steeple mirrors the Distric
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

shoreline Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Steve B. Wrote: > > There was huge Standard station on 95th > Street > > between Western and California on the north > side > > of the street. In the late 60s, they had what > > they called "Elek-Trak" that would diagnose > your > > car problems using a comput
Forum: General Discussion

Have you been to the Fuzzy Memories website? It's an incredible archive of old television broadcast clips, mostly from Chicago (the site's based here). You might try searching there for station sign-offs, but be warned, you'll stumble on tons of other things and end up watching those too. Museum Of Classic Chicago Television
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Does anyone have a photo of St. Anne's Church, on the corner of Garfield and Wentworth? I remember often passing it on the Ryan and noticed the visible holes in the roof. Not long after, there was a Tribune article about its pending demolition that had nice photos of the ruin inside. The rectory and school building are still standing, but nothing's gone up on the lot where the church stood.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I found these two postcards: New Lawrence Hotel Viceroy Hotel <--cool vantage point
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Update - the slate sidewalk on 65th has been removed as of this morning, being replaced with concrete. Actually, a lot of the older concrete walks are being replaced in that area as well. I don't recall seeing any sidewalk stamps as most of the walks being replaced were in terrible shape (except for the slate one, go figure). Some of the old walks held clues to where old buildings once stood; a
Forum: General Discussion

Wow, great photo! I was over there recently (there's a good restaurant just south of the old bowling alley on Pulaski) and the corner of that lot has the remnants of a red tile floor, like those you'd see in a McDonalds or some sort of fast-food place...
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I stopped by the sidewalk in question today; it does indeed appear to be slate, since the corners that are broken are showing layers. It has an interesting texture to it; somewhat sandy and grey in color. The adjacent house (torn down in 2005) looked as though it was built before Woodlawn's pre-fair building boom of the 1890s, so that could also approximate the date of the sidewalk. Thank you
Forum: General Discussion

Great photos! Slightly tangental to this topic, there's a very old sidewalk that's made of stone on south side of 65th St. between Minerva and University (actually, the half-block between Minerva and the alley). You can see it in an aerial view - the color is different than the other walks around it. I've yet to see another like it in this area, and I'm not sure what kind of stone it is. So
Forum: General Discussion

It's briefly mentioned in the Encyclopedia Of Chicago under the entry for Schiller Park: 'The rich soil of the Des Plaines River basin drew farmers, hunters, and trappers. In 1881 William Kolze purchased 105 acres of land and built a house that became an inn called the White House. He served as honorary mayor of the unincorporated town, which was known as Kolze.'
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Yeah, that's definitely the Mart @ 4:58. It looks like the Civic Opera Building on the far right of the frame.
Forum: General Discussion

Ask and ye shall receive! Thanks, Captain!
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Thanks for those locations, Captain. I'll have to see if the Beverly one is still around. I wonder when Borden moved out and Dad's Root Beer moved in. They sure went crazy with the neon signs when they took it over.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Purely speculation, but I suppose this would have been the first show about cops & criminals to be filmed in locations filled with real cops and criminals. Skid Row was a great location for obvious reasons (the Starr Hotel is where Speck holed up and tried to kill himself in '66) and Division/Western was Panczko Brothers territory.
Forum: General Discussion

Every now and then you'll run across an old phone booth in out-of-the-way places like diners and dive bars. Gianinni's Tavern (later the Tiny Lounge on Addison, now gone) had a wooden one next to the jukebox, and DePaul's Lewis Building had the tandem wooden ones (complete with outdated phone books) in some less-traveled hallways.
Forum: General Discussion

Considering that the show was filmed guerilla-style with no permits, it took a lot of nerve to film in front of a police station! I like that in the photo of Ballinger walking toward the E&E, there are folks in the doorways watching the filming.
Forum: General Discussion

Fantastic photos once again. It's too bad Lt. Ballinger wasn't around to straighten this out: Division & Damen Rioting, 1966
Forum: General Discussion