Richardson's hamburger heaven. Great root beer. They were still open this summer. But I here rumors about it closing every year.
Forum: General Discussion

Hand pumps typically use a 1-1/2" or 2" pipe driven into the ground for a casing. There is no real reason to cap them off when they are abandoned. Chicago has no real restrictions except that they can't be used for potable water anymore. As recent as the '90s there was one at 2130 W LeMoyne. It had once been the water supply for the neighborhood. They put a house on it in '98. I
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Ok That's probably not it. But articles in the tribune archives puts it at Maplewood and Wabansia. 1638 N. Maplewood I think Maplewood park stands there now. It was still in use in '31 when it's enrollment got too low. Then they used it as a branch of Tuley High.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

No specific info, but a couple of years back, I walked up Artesian from North Ave. A crew was cleaning out some rubble for some new construction. The rubble consisted of giant sections of stone columns and capitals. It was on the west side of the street around 1608 n. I have some photos somewhere. I think the guy might still have one in his yard as art. I never figured out what they we
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Here, in Wicker Park, they have shot so many movies that we are all pretty jaded about seeing actors. They shot Last rites of Joe May in the apartment across the gangway from mine, and the dressing room trailers were parked right in front of my building. When ever people asked what was going on, I told them that Dennis Farina was cr@??ing in the street in front of my house. But my favorite s
Forum: General Discussion

Cases of Huber beer in returnable quarts, those were the days. I don't think there was any specific date. The bottlers just stopped as their bottle supply ran out, or their distribution area got to big to be able to get them back. According to this article: End of the line for returnable Coca-Cola bottle the last returnable 6.5 oz Cokes came off the line this Oct. in Winona.
Forum: General Discussion

They were intended to be starter homes. In those days you might put a 50% down payment on a fairly short (10-12 year) loan. You bought what you could afford and expanded, moved, or made do, as the need arose. Room sharing between the sexes, hide-a-beds and sleeping porches would all have been pressed into use. My folks 1941-42 era cape cod had only one bedroom and an unfinished attic they
Forum: General Discussion

WayOutWardell Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > There were a number of 'orange-rated' houses > nearby from the 1870s that were demolished in the > '90s...this one looks older than any of those. > Wow. > > I gather the house with the interesting porch one > door west is now gone? It's still there in Google > Street View. In t
Forum: General Discussion

Lance Grey Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > off the top of my head, PKDickman, I think that's > Animal Kingdom on Milwaukee. > (Famous home of Ray Rayners' Chelston the Duck?) The Slowik Hall reference came from several old want ads. Animal Kingdom was a little farther south. By Central Park, Next to Kurowski Sausage. And I think the duck was n
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Tropical fish were all the rage back then. My brother was a fish nut and always wanted to go to these auctions, but we never did. Fish clubs would raise fish and auction them off as a fundraiser. I rummaged around the internet, and 2 places show up a lot for fish auction venues. Most common is Slowik Hall at 3210 N Milwaukee. Belmont and Milwaukee. It is a long 2 story building on the cor
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

WayOutWardell Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Really cool! > > The Wikipedia entry for Maywood mentions 1940 as > the date when the 33rd Tank Company of the > Illinois National Guard became Company B of the > 192nd Tank Battalion. > The former armory is visible via Google Street > View at the SE corner of Madison at Greenwood. T
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

it's a Kaiser Darrin.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Those are cute. There used to be a National guard armory with a Tank battalion right next to there. Those were probably shoehorned in for officers quarters.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Sure it's not Eggers Grove ? Down by the Calumet river.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Let me address this in two parts. First the gray. My porch (3 story, first built in 1909) Still has a few original boards. In spite of the fact that the Dept of Buildings makes a beeline to my door every time a porch collapses in the city. Stratographic analysis of paint chips shows Ochre, dark brown, white (might be white lead primer), several layers of grays, dark brown, gray and finally the g
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

dell Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > LOOKING FOR INFO, ABOUT AN OLD TOOL AND DIE ( MOLD > MAKING ) BUSNIESS IN MELROSE PARK, YEAR OF > OPPERATION WOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND 1930"S THRU, > EARLY 1960"S > > THE BUILDING WAS KIND OF LONG AND SEEMED TO BE > CLOSE TO THE SIDEWALK WITH LARGE SQUAR WINDOWS I > THINK IT WAS A YELLOWI
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

tomcat630 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I read the little newspaper clipping and Brennan > did say that State and Madison was commonly used > as a 'referance point for directions, so use it > for the base lines'. It also says that they used the "Base lines and section lines being those laid down by the old government survey" In fa
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

mphansen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > A typo on my part. My address was 2027 West > Evergreen NOT 2020 West Evergreen. You will then > see an empty lot with boards around the front I > believe. Ok, It is pretty much the sideyard for 2025. I am surprised it hasn't been built on. It is actually a wide lot.
Forum: General Discussion

Rikki Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why did the Brennan address numbering system begin > at State and Madison, rather than somewhere else, > for example Michigan Avenue and Lake Street? > > > Rikki Chunn Go to Rationalization of streets There is a scan of a page from Edw Brennan's scrap book of newspaper clippings. Zoom
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

------------------------------------------------------- > For Kchi: I too remember going into that same > meat market. There was saw dust on the floor. I > was with my baby sitter that particular day and > Milwaukee Ave was sooo crowded that I got lost. I > was only 5 but I started wandering down Damen Ave. > Good old CPD saw me and took me to the North > Avenue Po
Forum: General Discussion

Berwyn Frank Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I also wanted to add that Jan Cermak who had the > saloon at 2257 S. Troy St. was the treasurer of > the Karel Havlicek Building and Loan Association > in 1914. I assume that it was located very close > by because the president, Vaclav Tesar, lived a > half block away at 2231 S. Troy St. >
Forum: General Discussion

Berwyn Frank Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > By the 1920s, several buildings have been > purchased from 2243-2257 S. Troy Street, to house > the California Manufacturing Company which made > window frames. Unfortunately I am not sure how > long the business lasted, however, I'm sure that > some sort of manufacturing continued there since
Forum: General Discussion

PKDickman Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I grew up out there, and every summer from the > time I was 16 until I got out of college, I walked > into all the factories and warehouses and filled > out a job application. None of them were burger > king. > In fact, I think the nearest BK restaurant was a > couple of miles away. > >
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I grew up out there, and every summer from the time I was 16 until I got out of college, I walked into all the factories and warehouses and filled out a job application. None of them were burger king. In fact, I think the nearest BK restaurant was a couple of miles away. I think that what you see is an old billboard from before they put up the water tanks. I was going to make a mother's da
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Rustymuscle Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > PK, nice bit of work! I need to watch the movie, > but wasn't her apartment the building right next > to the small street parallel to the tracks? The > location now appears to have a very old, small > house there, which would have been there when the > movie was filmed. What are your thoughts?
Forum: General Discussion

adgorn Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > 12) Wanda’s apartment – As documented here, it > can’t be 725 N. Honore. But in the book > “Hollywood on Lake Michigan” the author said > "One of the film's most gripping scenes was > actually filmed at Walush's (Wanda Skutnik in the > movie) apartment at 725 S. Honore Street." 72
Forum: General Discussion

A sort of update, This just in on the Landmarks Commission May agenda. Proposal: Proposed reface of the existing non-historic illuminated rooftop “Santa Fe” sign with new illuminated “Motorola” copy on existing structure, detailed in plans dated 3/12/12. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Committee find that the project, with the following condition, meets t
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

rjmachon Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My father was a union baker and worked for Burny > Bros. Bakery on 4600 West Chicago Avenue in the > 1960's and 1970's until the close of the company. > Here is a website showing the plant and the > products they made. > > http://burnybros.blogspot.com/ > > Burny Bakers was the wholes
Forum: General Discussion

nancybc Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > OH my gosh! > PKDickman and Rustymuscle. > Big hugs and bouquets of thanks to you! > The 1430 Winona is new to me. I wonder if my > grandfather owned two buildings- but I don't > remember anything about it- The 1430-32 building is a six flat. The '29 Polk shows them as the owners and residents.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

1430 Winona Weiss Jos (Mary) as well as a Jos Roth and the Sterns Mose and Fanny According to the '29 polk crisscross directory.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)