Enrollment wise, I think Lane Tech holds the crown ( 1950s - early 1970s), but from s sheer size standpoint I believe it's CVS by a wide margin.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I know this is splitting hairs, but Simpson's logo is a shamrock (three leaves), not clover (four leaves). There's always been plenty of Irish in the Chicagoland construction business and the shamrock is an often used symbol of that.
Forum: General Discussion

I remember your dad's meat market well. As a boy my mother sent me to his 69th. Street location and as an adult I bought my own sausage from his Kedzie location. Since then I've been buying sausage at S&T in Mt. Greenwood or Gios in Bridgeport. I'll give Russo's a try.
Forum: General Discussion

I cannot remember it's name, but there was a good-size bowling alley and billiards hall on the second floor of the building that also housed the Highland movie theater on the NE corner of 79th & Ashland.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

In the early 1970s I commuted on the Rock Island commuter train getting off at the old LaSalle Street station behind the Chicago Board of Trade, where I worked. Interstate train travel was coming to an end, but the Rock, IC, and Pennsylvania were still operating out of this station. Next door, on the SE corner of LaSalle & Van Buren was the Fort Dearborn Hotel, which once upon a time had been
Forum: General Discussion

A relative of mine moved into the Old Irving Park area about 20/25 years ago at a time when that area's real estate was starting to take off. He and I were in a neighborhood tavern back then that had a mixed crowd of 20 something's, off duty cops, firemen as well as a small group that I would describe as older southern gentlemen who clearly were regulars. They seemed a bit out of place in Chicago'
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

There is an active Illinois Bell building (AT&T) on the far southwest side located between Vanderpoel and Prospect on 99th. Street in Beverly. It's an older but attractive and well maintained building. I know that back in the day it was full of switchboard operators. Not what they do in there now.
Forum: General Discussion

I know the 69th street Loafers thought they were tough, but in my experience they usually needed to have numbers well in their favor before starting trouble. I remember in 1970 or 71 a few of them ganging up on a black mailman in retribution for an earlier altercation with a few of the "new kids on the block"
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

It's almost funny now to think back about how my Dad used to say the Catholic Church was wealthy because of all the property it owned; churches, schools, convents, rectories, etc. Now much of that property is pretty much worthless. Actually, it’s not funny.
Forum: General Discussion

there is another Former Bowman Dairy building on the far south side at the NW corner of 103rd Malta. this 3 story building served in the 60s and 70s as Monarch Cleaners. Since then it's been a variety of things. The Bowman signage at the top of the building re emerged a couple of years ago after a windstorm blew off the plywood that had been covering it for decades. The cover has since been replac
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Back in the early seventies one of the most popular "sports" attractions in town were the Friday night pro wrestling cards held at the Amphitheater. Those of us old enough will remember that Bob Luce was the promoter and among the wrestlers always featured were the Bruiser, Crusher, Verne Gagne, Pretty boy Bobby Heanen, and a local favorite, Moose Cholak. The top priced ticket (around $
Forum: General Discussion

Swede, I worked as a physical instructer at Oakley Playground in 1969/70. Oakley didn't have much of a field house and most of my time was spent passing out sports equipment in good weather and board games in bad weather. I recall that most of the neighborhood kids were essentially good - tough, but good. there were a few bad apples, but I liked most of them. they came from hard working parents. I
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I had a Southtown Economist route in the early to mid-sixties. I had over 200 customers, but back then the Southtown was Wednesday's and Sunday's only. I collected once a month. At first the cost was 40 cents per month and most of my customers gave me 50 cents and let me keep the change (this added up quickly. A kid could get a lot done with three or four bucks back then). Unfortunately, Southtown
Forum: General Discussion

I remember seeing nasty looking houseboats docked in the Chicago River at Wolf's Point at least until the early seventies.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I stand corrected. The Pennsylvania right-of-way has been converted to a trail called the Major Taylor Trail. It is labeled as such on Google maps.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

I'm not aware of any efforts to turn the right of way into a bike path. Truth is those tracks went through what are now some very high crime areas. I'd love to know who and how someone was able to build on the right-of-way along Beverly avenue. I suppose it was possible to buy it out of the Penn-Central bankruptcy, but I was always under the impression that right of ways reverted back to the gover
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

That overpass was property of the Pennsylvania, later the Penn-Central RR. It's trains ran along Beverly Avenue and bisected the Rock Island Tracks at 103rd. & Vincennes. The Pennsylvania tracks are long gone and houses were built along its Beverly Avenue stretch at least 30/35 years ago.
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

Broker's Inn, located on laSalle between Jackson & van burden, was famouse for its fish sandwiches. It's location was torn down for the CBOT expansion in the 1990s. However, the owner of broker's Inn also owns Ceres, located in the CBOT lobby, and the lines are still long on Friday for their famous fish sandwich.
Forum: General Discussion

By your description it sounds like you could be thinking of what is now known as Heaven on Seven, located at 111 S. Wabash 7th floor. It's gone by this name for at least 20 years, if not longer, and is known for its Cajun Creole menu. However, before it went by this name, it was a traditional diner whose name escapes me. Back in the day there were several upper level diners or cafeteria style rest
Forum: General Discussion

Up until some point in the late 70's or early to mid 80's, most soda and beer bottle purchases required a 2-cent or 5-cent (quart bottles) deposit. This was to encourage their return so they could be washed and reused by the bottler. It was common practice for kids in our neighborhood to scrounge for a few empty pop bottles, which you would return to the corner store and redeem for some penny cand
Forum: General Discussion

Lang and Jefferson are two local companies with a long history in the coal & ice business. I know that Lang still makes ice in its Southside location, but I'm not sure where Jefferson is located. And I believe there still are locations where you can buy block ice vending machine style. I know that Town Liquors at 100th & Western sold both blocks and cubes that way, although I don't know if
Forum: General Discussion

Bleeker's Bowl in Evergreen Park is now a (very busy) Binny's liquor store.
Forum: General Discussion

As a former member of the CFD, I spent many hours in those projects in the late 70's and early 80's putting out garbage chute fires and getting people out of stuck elevators. There were the occasional apartment fires, but even those were mostly what we called "meat on the stove". Not many two-parent families in those days. Amazingly, we rarely ran into trouble in the State way buildings,
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Thanks Tommy. I forgot about the tavern on the n.e. corner. Occasionally, my father would take me with him to Whips and I remember on the wall behind the bar there was a mural of a tavern scene, but with dogs instead of humans sitting on the stools and tables. Wish I knew why I remember a detail like this after 50+ years, but forget where I left my cars keys just about every day!
Forum: General Discussion

I may be wrong, but I think the Abe Lincoln bust on Wolcott was installed as part of the depression era WPA (Works Progress Administration). I can recall from my childhood that several corner side street parkways in that neighborhood had flag poles sunk in a star-shaped concrete base with the initials WPA and I think Abe's bust may have those initials as well. My Mother used to walk us from home a
Forum: General Discussion

In answer to the spider web question, that restaurant would be Miss Muffet's, a 24-hour Greek diner located on the NE corner of 79th & Western. Back in the 70's this was THE place to cap off a night of partying. He served a huge breakfast and the place would be packed from late evening well into the A.M. I had way too many omelets there. It remained open until 10/15 years ago when it was torn
Forum: General Discussion

Prince Castle - home of the squared iced cream scoop. They had their own version of the rainbow cone and it was served in stacked cubes. There were a couple of locations on south Western. One was just outside the Evergreen Plaza at about 97th, and another at 127th & Western in Blue Island. The latter location is now the home of Beggar’s Pizza (or thereabouts), itself a long time Southside in
Forum: General Discussion

I attended at St. Margaret of Scotland grammar school in the 60's. Not only were TVs in every classroom, the school had its own TV studio. Some classes such as art and other extracurriculars were broadcast simultaneously to several classrooms.
Forum: General Discussion

King Castle was a knock-off of White Castle - little square hamburgers and all. I recall a couple locations in the 60's and early 70's, but none before or since. There was one located on Van Buren behind the Chicago Board of Trade. I cannot recall if it was on the SW corner of VB & LaSalle in the old Rock Island Station or on the SW corner of VB & Clark. Another was located in south suburb
Forum: General Discussion

The Rock Island Railroad had a massive freight facility in Blue Island just east of Western Avenue at 127th street. In fact, to this day Metra as well as a short haul rail company still use part of it. I lived in this area in the mid-70s and recall police in Blue Island as well as nearby Dolton and Riverdale would occasionally announce the discovery of another wild growing marijuana (hemp) field.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)