chicagology

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The Original Guest Book has been transferred to this page. Please feel free to post any general messages or enquiries on this Page.

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  3. I grew up on the Northwest side and recall burning leaves on Mango street in fall prior to the ban on that. The year must have been 1970 at the latest. And I remember the tinkers who came through periodically in summer with their cart and they would sharpen knives and the like. We never used them and they always struck me as peculiar and an oddity but I guess they made some money. They were the last of their kind- anybody else recall them? Jonathan Paris

  4. Anniversary of Chicago Fire approaching on the 8th 1871. How sad was that but a boon in the long run. And nobody ever mentions the worse calamity in Peshtigo Wi that killed from what I have read 1,900 or more denizens of that area. The telegraph line was down so that left those folks in the dark literally!

  5. Too bad Hettler lumber company is defunct near the Chicago river. My mothers friend was a maid for them and lived in their mansion which is still close to lake front. Designed by Lyman Silsbee she recalls any night of merriment and Charlie Grimm hanging out of the Chicago Cubs playing his banjo. Those were the good old days. How many of that family is still alive?

  6. To Whom it may concern:

    Hello,
    My name is Michael Speers, my grandmother told me once that my Great-Great Grandfather was a Police Officer when Chicago had employed the KeyStone Cops. I am currently trying to locate a roster that might list his name. Do you have or could you possibly direct me with the sorce to which I may find. I do not know his name only the last name of “Speers”. Any help you could give me or direction you could steer me in would be greatfully appreaciated.

    Thank you for your attention.

  8. I am writing the first spreadsheet from the American point of view about 19th century rotunda panoramas. These were the biggest paintings in the world, 50 x 400=20,000 square feet, housed in their own rotundas which were 16-sided polygons. Chicago in 1893 had 6 panorama companies and 6 panorama rotundas. Info to share genemeier@frontier.com

  9. Interesting seeing the original placement of the station. Where was the Clark Street Dock where the Christmas Tree ship used to come in relation to the original CNW station? And was the original bridge used by the railroad to cross the river the one that got later traffic to Navy Pier? I grew up in Chicago and so much has changed!.

  12. I have the cow bell from Mrs. Murphy’s cow that kicked the lantern that started the Chicago Fire.

  13. Greetings. I am going through my mother’s estate and i ran across a litho entitled “View of Rush St. Bridge & c.”

    The litho has been folded but it has not yellowed. We are hoping to sell the litho but want to check out to see if there is any interest.

    Thanks,
    Mike

  14. We are looking for information on two figures that were mounted on each end of a fireplace in one of the bars in the last Sherman House hotel. They are of Napoleon and Josephine. Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated. They are in our possession now and we are trying to determine what we have. Thank you.

  15. Recently found a booklet advertising Edelweiss , schoenhofen , Chicago. It features the Toy Boys, The FunnyLittle Sports. Copr. 1918. Is it valuable?

  16. LeNola Jean Willis, Collectibles are only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. While your advertising booklet might be “rare”, rare does not mean valuable. I, for example, am a retired advertising executive as well as a Chicago historian. While that piece is intriguing, I would not pay more than $10 for it. Your best way to find its true market value is to place it on eBay and see what price you will get

    Good luck.

  17. I grew up in a marvelous bungalow at 5656 N. Moody — a wonderful neighborhood then and now. I do indeed remember the scissors sharpener, walking along with his cart and the attached bells which played a jaunty little 6-note phrase. Time frame: 1949-50. I can still recall that tune today!

  18. Hi. I have hat is left of two Yellow Cabs. There is not much of either one, but I really want to build a Yellow Cab truck from the rust. Any help with leads on parts, pictures of trucks or any other info will really be helpful and very much appreciated. Thanks.

  19. Hey Terry,
    Great site! ESPN is interested in using the picture you have on your side of Wrigley Field in 1906.
    you titled it >West Side Park #2, 1906 World Series.
    I was wondering if you own this picture and if so could you grant us permission to use this picture?
    Or if you don’t own it, do you know who does?

  21. We are seeking permission to use one of your graphics, that of the Schuttler wagon, in our publication, Emeritus Voices, published by the Emeritus College at Arizona State University. this is a nonprofit educational publication with limited circulation, although the journal does appear on the College’s website. Please advise of conditions. Note that we have a small time window before we seek an alternative graphic.

    R. Jacob
    Editor, Emeritus Voices

  22. Great information. Would like to see the modern insides of the transmitter house. So I take it that the tower has been there since 1939. I pass the site quite regularly. Now I know what to look for. Thank you.

    73,

    KC9WXN

  23. Hello I have a RLStevenson treasure Island book that was published by your company. It is the only treasure island book published by your company im trying to find out the value. It has no date on it. and its the first treasure island book that doesnt have a tot;e to it.

  24. Love this site. I remember reading Injun Summer in the Tribune every year as a kid and looking for Indian ghosts during late afternoons on warm, sunny autumn days. Alas, I never saw any, but not for lack of trying. Thanks for the memory.

  27. Have the post cards with the historical paintings by Lawrence c Earle. Haven’t been used not in mint condition but fine condition. What would be there value missing one car of the collection.

  28. A wonderful webpage, full of rich history. Thanks for making this available to all. My father and his father were born thee.

  29. I found a folding yardstick with Chicago Daily News printed on it ,it has address and phone number on it, can you tell me anything about it.

  30. Typical North Sider: no mention of 2005 World Series. Down the memory hole. We have always been at war with Eastasia.

  31. I have a vintage Chicago Automobile License badge and would like to know if it has any value. It is identical to the gold one with the blue center that is on your site but it bears the number 1074. I would also like to know if there are any records of who owned these badges and their addresses at the time.

    Thanks.

  32. Thank you for all your efforts on this website Terry. It is one of my favorite stops when wanting to expand my Chicago knowledge.

  33. Great website. I grew up in the western burbs, but did graduate from Northeastern college on the north side in the 70’s. Had some great city history lessons from a course taught by Warner Saunders, an active participant in Chicago’s social development. Hardly a week goes by that I am not reading something new and exciting about this great city, and your site helps focus and round out the details in a very friendly format.

    Frank

  34. Great site. We left Chicago in 1957 and I only wish you had more articles and info into the 1950s, I managed to spent a week visiting Chicago this year and I keep finding out how little i know about my hometown!

  35. @Bonnie Hackner. I think I went to grade school with you at O’Keeffe Elementary, on Merrill Av. Regards if that is yourself.

    Nice site here.

    (anyone have pictures of 120 so Halstead Street, where my father’s popcorn machine plant (Krispy Kist Korn Machine Co.) was located, now demolished and a shopping center.) Thanks

  36. Absolutely amazing site!! Thank you so much for putting it all together.
    One correction you might consider: In the pre-fire chapter there is a very good aerial photograph identified as Chicago in 1870. However, in this photo there are several buildings that were erected after the fire (e.g., the Board of Trade and Custom House/Post Office). Based on the image, I’m guessing the photo was taken from atop the Isabella bldg (Wabash and Van Buren), as the view is from quite high up, and probably dates from about 1890.
    Keep up the great work! Thanks

  37. Greetings! Does anyone have an idea where I might find the names of the people who performed as the “Leon Brothers” circus/vaudeville act in the latter part of the 1800’s in Chicago? There is a family story that our last name of “Leon” was taken from this act when my 2x great-grandfather and his brothers were part of the act! I know that this act performed at the Adelphi post-1873, as indicated in several Chicago Times articles. I’d really like to see who made up that act over the years. My 2x gg is William Anthony “Tony” Leon (1852 – 1916). Thank you!

  38. Thank you for this site. I came to it through its entry for the Field Building. Wonderful original drawings and documents. I was struck by remarks that the Field Building (1931) was the first building in the Loop with air conditioning — the basement and first four floors — and that it was the first Loop building with AC electricity. Apparently, the entire loop was wired for DC electricity.

    In the late 1980s, I worked at the Elfman Sandwich shop on State Street in the building immediately north of the Chicago Theatre. I learned from an older couple running a hat blocking shop in this building that the building was still running DC circuits on the upper floors with AC-to-DC converters in the basement. Certainly, AC circuits powered the sandwich shop on street level.

  39. I’m the son of Walter Martin Peulecke. I have an ID Card that shows him being a constible in Chicago in 1924. How would I go about verifying that this is true? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    James M. Peulecke

  40. When I grew up we lived two blocks from the train station in the upper MIchigan and we could hear the Chicago northwestern “400” come through town early in the morning

  41. Loved reading this article. I am a descendent of the Whistlers of Fort Dearborn. My grandmother Loretto ( Whistler ) Browne was invited
    to Chicago sometime in the 1970’s for a meeting of remembrance held for the fort. I wish that I could remember all that she talked about
    the subject, but I don’t. I really enjoyed the history presented here, it was exciting to read. Thank you.

  42. Thanks for the bicycling article – nicely written and illustrated.
    Chicago has a great cycling history

  43. Greetings,

    It was my Emigrant GGG Grandfather Paul Gerold that Emigrated from Germany to the U.S. His wife passed away suddenly, on the ship Norma and J E Grosse
    Port of departure :Bremen, Germany Arrival Date:18 Aug 1852 Port of Arrival : New York, New .

    He arrived in the U.S. with his 5 sons and 4 daughters, It was two of Paul’s sons Charles & Albert that started the Gerold Bro’s piano company. Their other brother Herman is whom i’m descended from. Paul eventually remarried and had 3 daughters..no sons.

    Herman had just one son, Clifford that was not involved in the company. By Cliff’s adulthood yrs the company was dissolved. My family has one Gerold Bro’s piano brochure from 1897. I’ve never seen nor touched a Gerold Piano. Now you know the true origin of the Gerold Piano.

    Can’t get anymore Americana then that.
    https://youtu.be/6jD0irclL_Q

  44. Hello,

    A picture of the Jay Pritzker Pavillion in the back of Drive magazine got me searching for details of its two predecessors, the Grant Park band shell and the Petrillo Music Shell. Thanks for the information on both. I moved from the Chicago area in the early 1980’s; with all the naming rights on public spaces of late, it’s difficult to learn what’s new vs what just has a new name. I’ll be adding your site to my browser bookmarks.

  45. Am reading Candice Millard’s DESTINY of the REPUBLIC, about the election and assassination of James A. Garfield. Got to page 36 and its reference to the Interstate Industrial Exposition Building, site of the 1880 Republican convention. Millard describes it as “made of gleaming, fire-resistant glass and metal. Curiosity got the better of me — just had to see this unusual building before I could read further. Thanks for all the information and wonderful images of the building. Now I can proceed for what is seeming like a very good read.

  46. A few years back I had found a big lot of old deeds from the Chicago Union Transfer Railway Company from when they were buying up land for the Rail Yard, dated between the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. I found them interesting, but could never find much info on the C.U.T. Railway company. I just stumbled upon this site tonight, and the amount of info on the subject was awesome, a lot more than I have found up to this point.

  48. I read a comment from
    Mel M on February 26, 2017 regarding a vehicle badge from Chicago Automotive? My father in law Andrew “Andy” G Frontzak Sr. Owned and operated Chicago Automotive Supply and Repair on the corner of Milwaukee Ave and Pensacola in Portage Park. He ran it with his 2 sons Andy Jr. and Danny. They also had several other businesses around the area.

  50. I was born in Chicago 3 days prior to the April 16, 1948 article. Great historical stuff. I was surprised to read that 21 night games were scheduled to be televised from Comiskey Park that year.I’m not disputing that, but I can say emphatically that when I watched daytime Sox games from roughly 1953/1954 up to the late 1950’s I yearned to see night games, but they were not televised. The night they won the pennant in 1959 and Mayor Daley turned on the Air Ride sirens, the night game from Cleveland was televised. So they must have begun picking up the night games again, maybe that year or 1958.

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