Last minute Christmas shoppers in Chicago's Loop in December of 1952.

Last-minute Christmas shoppers caused a traffic jam in the Loop in December of 1952 as thousands converged on downtown stores, including Mandel Brothers (background) at the corner of State and Madison Streets.

Christmas trees piled up for sale at the Peter Doretti & Company in Chicago.

Peter Doretti & Co. has Christmas trees piled up in front of his produce store at 714 West Randolph Street in Chicago for sale. The banner reads, "Fancy Spruce & Balsam Christmas Trees." Date unknown.

Opening of the Ogden Park bicycle program in Chicago, 1956.

Dr. Paul White riding in the front of the tandem bicycle and Mayor Richard J. Daley riding on the back. 1956

Sheridan Road (now Lake Shore Drive), north of Belmont Avenue, includes an early Chicago lakefront bicycle path.

This stretch of Sheridan Road (now Lake Shore Drive), north of Belmont Avenue, includes an early Chicago lakefront bicycle path. The path is the small roadway next to Lake Michigan, then to the west is a pedestrian path and further to the west, and the largest of the 3 roadways is for vehicles; horses, wagons, and motorcar traffic. (c.1900)

CTA Rapid Transit System direct access to Chicago department stores.

The first and most famous such entrance led from the Madison and Wabash CTA station into Carson Pirie Scott & Co., which was the "Schlessinger and Meyer Department Store" in 1900 when the bridge was built. Some referred to it as the “crystal bridge." Architect Louis Sullivan made the bridge every bit as ornate as the store, which of course he also designed.

This is the direct entrance into the 2nd floor of the Marshall Field’s State Street store from the Wabash Avenue elevated 'L' station at Randolph Street. There was also a subway entrance to Field's into the first basement level on the State Street side.

Entrance from the North-South (Red Line) subway to the Pedway and Marshall Field's.

Other department stores and buildings in Chicago's Loop had dedicated entrances from the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) elevated or subway rapid transit stations including Goldblatt’s, Woolworth's, and Sears & Roebuck.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D. 

National Trailways Bus Depot, 20 East Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois.

Downtown National Trailways Bus Depot, 20 East Randolph Street, Chicago. ca.1950s

Downtown National Trailways Bus Depot, 20 East Randolph Street, Chicago. ca.1950s

From 1936 until 1987, the various Trailways companies used this downtown terminal, across the street from the Marshall Field store. Trailways never had the major presence in Chicago that Greyhound did, and its terminal was accessed via regular downtown streets.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D. 

The Rise of Baseball in the Rogers Park community of Chicago.

In the mid-1900s, as the bustling city of Chicago expanded northward, the community of Rogers Park emerged as a haven for baseball enthusiasts. While professional baseball held sway with the renowned White Sox and Cubs, Rogers Park nurtured a vibrant semi-professional scene that captivated local fans. 

The Rogers Park Baseball Club played its first games in 1906 and entertained fans at the Rogers Park Baseball Grounds near the corner of Devon Avenue and Clark Street in Chicago. The Club rose to prominence within this landscape, becoming a beloved institution for the residents of many Chicago Northside communities until 1916, when the ballpark closed.

Rogers Park Baseball Club

The Rogers Park Baseball Grounds was located at approximately 1600 W. Devon Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. More specifically, it was situated just north of the Clark-Devon Hardware store on the east side of Clark Street.

The Rogers Park Baseball Grounds: A Field of Dreams

The heart of the Rogers Park baseball experience was the Rogers Park Baseball Grounds, located near the intersection of Devon Avenue and Clark Street. While not as grand as the professional stadiums of the era, the grounds exuded a certain charm and intimacy that drew in dedicated crowds. While uneven in places, the field bore the marks of countless games, each adding to its storied character. Wooden bleachers lined the field, offering spectators a close-up view of the action. The crowd's buzz, the bat's crack, and the shouts of encouragement echoed through the grounds on game days.

The Club: A Local Institution

The Rogers Park Baseball Club was more than just a team; it symbolized community pride. The players, mostly local men with day jobs, embodied a spirit of dedication and passion for the game. Local businesses often sponsored the team, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared identity within the community.

The Club competed in semi-professional leagues, facing fierce rivals from other Chicago neighborhoods and nearby towns. These games held the allure of intense competition played out on a familiar stage. Rivalries were fierce as the Rogers Park team locked horns with other semi-pro clubs across Chicago. Teams like the Logan Squares, the Gunthers, and the West Ends provided formidable competition, resulting in thrilling battles that kept fans on the edge. Newspaper accounts would detail nail-biting plays, spectacular catches, and clutch hits, vividly depicting the action.

The Heyday (1900-1910s)

The early 1900s through the 1910s marked the golden age of the Rogers Park Baseball Club and its grounds. Fans flocked to the ballpark on Sundays and holidays, creating a festive atmosphere. Children chased foul balls, families shared picnics, and neighbors rooted for their local heroes.

The Rogers Park Baseball Club enjoyed considerable success during this period, claiming several league championships and producing a few players who even caught the eye of professional scouts. One such player was the speedy outfielder and shortstop Lou Gertenrich, who even had a brief stint with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1901.

The Club and its home grounds played a pivotal role in the growth of baseball in Chicago. The popularity of these semi-pro teams fueled a broader interest in the sport, with amateur leagues and youth teams springing up throughout the city. The ballpark hosted the home team and became a hub for community baseball at all levels.

In a historic moment, Rogers Park etched its name into baseball lore by hosting one of the first successful night games under artificial lights in 1910. This exhibition match between the Rogers Park team and the Logan Squares demonstrated the potential for expanding the game beyond the limits of daylight.

The Demise and Legacy

Sadly, the Rogers Park Baseball Grounds met their demise in 1916. Changing demographics, a decline in the popularity of semi-professional baseball, and the pressures of urban development led to the ballpark's closure. The land where thrilling games were once played was repurposed, leaving only memories in its wake.

Though the physical embodiment of the Rogers Park Baseball Club and its grounds faded, their legacy endured. The era fostered a love of baseball within the community, passed down through generations. The stories of the Club and its players, the rivalries, and the thrilling victories became part of the fabric of Rogers Park.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D. 

The White Birch Forest at Lunt and Ashland in 1900, Rogers Park, Chicago, Illinois.

Rogers Park News-Herald, June 29, 1900.

By the turn of the 20th century, a lot of Rogers Park lakefront was still Birch and Oak Forests which, not surprisingly, gave its name to Birchwood Avenue. The subdivision of Birchwood Beach extended from Birchwood Avenue south to Touhy Avenue for about 1/2 mile and west to the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad tracks (today's CTA Red Line) in the Rogers Park community of Chicago.

At the rate the native birch trees are dying out and getting cut down it won't be long before the great forest will become extinct.

The Birch Forest extended from about Birchwood Avenue south to Touhy Avenue, about 1/2 mile, and west to just west of where Sheridan Road is today, in the Rogers Park community of Chicago, ca.1900.

Dr. Ward Green Klarke, interviewed in November of 1927.
While I did not come to Rogers Park to live until 1906, I remember coming to the district as early as 1884 to hunt. Ducks found Rogers Park a good lighting place and we came here for the excellent hunting to be found. At that time there were no cross streets between Pratt and Touhy Avenues. I remember when Carter Harrison was mayor and Sheridan Road was improved from a sandy stretch to a cinder path. That was in 1894 and the time of the bicycle craze, and people riding their bikes used to venture north of Devon Avenue because the wooded land was beautiful.

White Birch Woods in the Rogers Park community of Chicago, Illinois.

Then the Birchwood District was covered with white birch and now (in 1927) you cannot find one in the whole of Rogers Park.

Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D. 
Accounts from Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society 

Looking North at the Clay Pit from the top of the natural gas tank at Albion and Albany Avenues, Chicago. Circa 1945

The Clay Pit looking North from the top of the natural gas tank from about Albion and Albany Avenues, West Ridge community, West Rogers Park, neighborhood, Chicago (1945). 
CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE

The “Clay Pit” was a multi-acre wildlife area that served in the 1930s as a source of material for making bricks. It seemed gigantic, stretching eight blocks north to south and several wide, defined by the streets Whipple (east), Pratt (south), Kedzie (west), and Touhy (north). The Entrance to People's Gas, Light, and Coke facility was on Whipple Street. 

The Clay Pit at Touhy and Kedzie, looking southeast. Circa 1950

Its wilderness-like atmosphere included swamps and ponds with reeds, brush, trees, birds, squirrels, skunks, snakes, frogs, and fish. 

By Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D. 

Four photographs of North, South, East and West View of Devon & Western Avenues in 1914 Chicago, Illinois.

A Brief History of Devon Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
Devon Avenue was originally known as Church Road. It was renamed in the 1880s by Edgewater developer John Lewis Cochran after Devon station on the Main Line north of Philadelphia. 

Initially known for its cabbage and truck farms and greenhouses, North Town, as it was then called, began to attract residential and commercial development in the early 1920s. Developer Henry B. Rance opened the area’s first real estate office in a frame shack at the corner of Devon and Western Avenues.

Western and Arthur Avenues, Chicago, 1920s.

 

CLICK THE PICTURES BELOW TO ENLARGE THE IMAGE.

This is Devon Avenue in 1914, looking East from just East of Western Avenue. The people (from L to R) are B.F.'s Great Aunt, his Mother, Grandmother, Uncle, and another Grand Aunt. They were walking from Angel Guardian's Church (the steeple is barely visible in the background on the far right-hand side, just above the tree line) back to a Truck Farm on the S.W. corner of Rockwell and Devon, where B.F.'s Grandparents worked.

Additional Reading:

Many Early Chicago Areas Were Called "The Cabbage Patch."

The Intertwined History of Rogers Park and the West Ridge Communities of Chicago.

Photographs of Devon and Artesian Avenues, West Ridge Community of Chicago, Illinois. (circa 1950s)

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Over 200 Pictures of Ghost Signs found in Chicago, Illinois.

What is a ghost sign? 
A ghost sign is an old hand-painted advertising sign that has been left untouched on a building or billboard for an extended time. These signs are usually uncovered when a neighboring building is demolished, exposing the sign.

The sign may be kept for its nostalgic appeal by the building owner to avoid the costly removal of the paint on brick or the cost of whitewashing the sign.

Captions contain all the information available. The location in the caption is from the location of the sign, not the business the sign is advertising, unless the sign is on that business' building.

---

Ghost sign: 7●UP 1747 E 75th

Ghost sign: 7●UP 624 W. Ashland

Ghost sign: 7●UP 6922 Stony Island

Ghost sign: 7●UP Lawrence at Tripp

Ghost sign from 1946 for Monarch Beer Co., located
at 1090-1118 West 21st Street, Chicago

Ghost sign: STP, The Racers Edge, 13th, and Wabash

Ghost sign: 230 East Cermak Ford, Indiana and Cermak

Ghost sign: 523 Plymouth

Ghost sign: the 900 block of West Cullerton

Ghost sign: 1100 block of W 18th St

Ghost sign: 1200 block of Grand Ave

Ghost sign: ABC Anderson Bros Fire Proof Storage Damen and Lincoln Aves

Ghost sign: Champion Spark Plugs 4100 block of W Roosevelt Rd 

Ghost sign: 4100 block of W Roosevelt Rd 

Ghost sign: Flash Auto Parts 5000 W Lake St 

Ghost sign: Coca-Cola 5438 N Clark

Ghost sign: A & P Harlem and Higgins 

Ghost sign: A Moving Co 4700 N Western Ave 

Ghost sign: ABC Anderson Bros

Ghost sign: Ability Adco 

Ghost sign: Advertise Here Fulton Market North of Morgan 

Ghost sign: Ajax Auto and Tire Supply, North Ave at Kedvale 

Ghost sign: Alliance National Bank, 808 N Oakley 

Ghost sign: American Family Insurance, 1880 N Hoyne 

Ghost sign: Amys Motel Dukes Show Lounge, 119 E 79th

Ghost sign: ABC - Anderson Bros Fire Proof Storage, Damen & Lincoln Aves.

Ghost sign: Antique Mart, 1000 S Michigan 

Ghost sign: Apex Batteries 

Ghost sign: Apples Sport Bar, Lake St West of Canal St 

Ghost sign: Ashland Brewery, 674 W Ashland 

Ghost sign: Atalanta Ham on Touhy at Rockwell (Old Kohl's Grocery Store Billboard in the parking lot). 

Ghost sign: Atlantic Bank Building, 168 N Michigan Ave 

Ghost sign: Atlas Prager, 6141 S State

Ghost sign: B and B Ceramics, 3393 S Archer 

Ghost sign: Bachia Bootery, 1741 W Ave 

Ghost sign: Bank of Ravenswood, Rogers Park Neighborhood 

Ghost sign: Beer

Ghost sign: Bell Bread, 4814 W Augusta 

Ghost sign: Best Polish Sausage in the World - Pilsen Neighborhood 

Ghost sign: Billard Hall on Milwaukee Ave 

Ghost sign: Billiard Parlor, Fullerton and Southport 

Ghost sign: Binks Manufacturing Company on Carroll East of Kedzie

Ghost sign: Borden Dairy Evaporated Milk on Milwaukee Ave South of Lawrence Ave 

Ghost sign: Boss Hand Car Wash, 25 S Western Ave 

Ghost sign: The Boston Store 

Ghost sign: Bowmanville National Bank, Devon Ave and Western Ave

Ghost sign: Bressler Ice Cream, 4010 W Belden

Ghost sign: Bright Metals Finishing in the Hermosa Neighborhood 

Ghost sign: Bryn Mawr Theatre 

Ghost sign: Burhop Paper Co 1071 N Division 

Ghost sign: Calumet Baking Powder, 7339 S Halsted St

Ghost sign: Canfield Portside Lounge, 9035 S Ashland Ave

Ghost sign: Canfields Beverages & Nate's Drive-In; 1065 W Taylor St

Ghost sign: Canfields Soda 1736 E 79th St 

Ghost sign: Canfields Soda 347 E 79th St

Ghost sign: Canton Hand Laundry

Ghost sign: Cappas Brothers Liquors and Tavern, Archer and Western

Ghost sign: Carbit Paint Shipping and Lab 

Ghost sign: Cartage Contractor Boarding Stable, 1315 S Fulton Market

Ghost sign: Cedar Hotel 

Ghost sign: Ceresota Flour, 1515 W Devon Ave

Ghost sign: Champion Spark Plugs 708 N Ashland Ave

Ghost sign: Champion Spark Plugs 2002 W 18th St

Ghost sign: Champion Spark Plugs 2417 S Wabash Ave

 

Ghost sign: Champion Spark Plugs 5627 W Irving Park Road 

Ghost sign: Champion Spark Plugs 5914 N Milwaukee Ave

Ghost sign: Champion Spark Plugs 8623 S Vincennes Ave

Ghost sign: Chevrolet, Indiana Ave and Cermak Ave 

Ghost sign: Chicago Motor Club in Uptown

Ghost sign: Chicago Tanning Co, Bucktown Neighborhood

Ghost sign: Chicago Theater Entrance

Ghost sign: Christensen & Olsen Foundry Co., 218 N Racine Ave 

Ghost sign: Cigars 1428 S Kedzie Ave 

Ghost sign: Cleaners Drive Up Window, 1138 W Taylor St

Ghost sign: Cobey True Value Hardware, Logan Square Neighborhood

Ghost sign: Coke Cola 7949 S Racine Ave

Ghost sign: Continental Window and Glass on North West Side 

Ghost sign: Corner Grocery on S Carpenter and 83rd St

Ghost sign: Cream of Kentucky Whiskey 1643 N Milwaukee

Ghost sign: Cuban, 6638 S Ashland Ave

Ghost sign: Daily News 105x N Ashland Ave

Ghost sign: Daily News 1927 N Halsted St

Ghost sign: Daily News 2314 S Leavitt St

Ghost sign: Daily News, 3145 South May

Ghost sign: Daily News, 3329 S Aberdeen

Ghost sign: Daily News

David Storage

David Storage

Ghost sign: Delivery Wagons

Ghost sign: Diversey Inn, 2854 W Diversey St

Ghost sign: Double Bubble & Michelob on Tap, 6036 N Broadway

Ghost sign: Douglas Coal Co on  Archer Ave

Ghost sign: Dr Pepper Original, 75th St and Jeffery Blvd

Ghost sign: Drewrys Beer 3507 N Cicero Ave

Ghost sign: Drewry's Beer 4200 block of W Roosevelt Rd

Ghost sign: Drugs–Drink Coca-Cola–Cigars at 1363 W Shiller St

Ghost sign: DW Bostel

Ghost sign: Edelweiss Beer, 5508 W Fullerton Ave

Ghost sign: Ednas Restaurant 19 S Kedzie Ave

Ghost sign: Edward Hines Lumber Company on Clark St

Ghost sign: Elliots Paint

Ghost sign: For Your Pleasure

Ghost sign: Foremost Liquor Stores

Ghost sign: Foremost Liquors on Broadway

Ghost sign: Fox Deluxe Beer 1056 N Ashland Ave

Ghost sign: Fox Deluxe Beer 1629 N Ashland Ave

Ghost sign: Fox Deluxe Beer 3144 W Fulton St

Ghost sign: Fox Deluxe Beer 4457 N Kedzie Ave

Ghost sign: Fox Deluxe Beer 5038 Archer Ave

Ghost sign: G and Z Reataurant and Bar, 235 N Ashland Ave

Ghost sign: Gast Monument on Clark St

Ghost sign: General Furniture Co, 5927 W Chicago Ave

Ghost sign: Glenway Restaurant & Old Style Beer, Edgewater Neighborhood

Ghost sign: Godfather Video on Pulaski and Van Buren St

Ghost sign: Gold Dust Wash Powder, Irving Park Road and Wolcott Ave

Ghost sign: Gold Medal Flour, 1015 N Noble St

Ghost sign: Gold Medal Flour, 1901 N Bissell St

Ghost sign: Gold Medal Flour, 1917 W Armitage Ave

Ghost sign: Gold Medal Flour, 7341 S Halsted St

Ghost sign: Good Food, 1201 W 71st St

Ghost sign: Gossard Corsets, 1006 S Michigan Ave

Ghost sign: Great City Living

Ghost sign: Grocery Market, 7157 S Ashland Ave

Ghost sign: Gösser Beer imported from Austria

Ghost sign: HC Gasoline on Chicago Ave near Leavitt St

Ghost sign: Heating Company

Ghost sign: Hobbies Magazine, 1006 S Michigan Ave

Ghost sign: Hotel Cedar

Ghost sign: Hotel Somerset

Ghost sign: Howaniec Furniture

Ghost sign: Inter Seal Company

Ghost sign: Iron Fireman

Ghost sign: Jimmy Smith Budweiser, 6251 S Western Ave

Ghost sign: John Fass and Son Grocery and Market, 2101 N Kenmore Ave

Ghost sign: John Marshall Law School, State St and Van Buren St

Ghost sign: Keysters on N Pulaski and Berteau

Ghost sign: Kimbell Trust and Savings Bank, Armitage Ave Logan Square

Ghost sign: Kimbell Trust and Savings Bank, Diversey Ave

Ghost sign: Kimbell Trust and Savings Bank, W Fullerton Avenue

Ghost sign: Kopicki Funeral Home, 1701 W 21st St

Ghost sign: Koppers Coke, 9021 S Ashland Ave

Ghost sign: Koppers Coke, Belmont Ave near Harlem Avenue.

Ghost sign: L. Fish Furniture, Madison St and Karlov Ave

Ghost sign: Lang Ice Company 3600 W 59th St

Ghost sign: Lerose Coal Co.

Ghost sign: Lincoln Park Federal Savings

Ghost sign: Liquor Wicker, Park Neighborhood

Ghost sign: Lou's Sandwich Shop on Western Ave and Addison St

Ghost sign: Lyon and Healy Music Store Adams and Wabash

Ghost sign: Maher, 6572 N Sheridan

Ghost sign: Mann Draperies and Interiors, Grandville 'L' Station

Ghost sign: Marigold Margarine on Lincoln Ave and Lawrence. Thomas Cusack Co.

Ghost sign: Marlboro

Ghost sign: Meister Bräu Lite, 3636 S Western Ave

Ghost sign: Merit Truck Parts & Wheel Co., 1638 S Wabash Ave

Ghost sign: Midas Muffler, 6040 N Broadway

Ghost sign: Mourad Cleaners

Ghost sign: Nabisco Uneeda Biscuits, Jackson Blvd and Wells Street

Ghost sign: National Survey Service

Ghost sign: Gadzooke, North Broadway and Bryn Mawr

Ghost sign: North Oak Furniture

Ghost sign: North Side Cleaners on Broadway

Ghost sign: O'Hanley Undertaker, 6535 S Cottage Grove

Ghost sign: Old Style Beer 1401 W Devon Ave

Ghost sign: Old Vienna

Ghost sign: Overalls Shirts Pants

Ghost sign: Pago Pago

Ghost sign: Pawlansky Brothers Meat Market, 1235 N Damen

Ghost sign: Peck and Hills Furniture Co., 1000 N Ogden

Ghost sign: Peer, 46th St

Ghost sign: Pepsi

Ghost sign: Pillsbury on Southport Ave

Ghost sign: Prescription at Montrose and Pulaski

Ghost sign: Rent A Car

Ghost sign: Rival Dog Food California Ave and Granville St 

Ghost sign: R.J. Rous Inc Wholesale Milk and Cream

Ghost sign: S & H Green Stamps, Ingleside and 75th St

Ghost sign: Sakrete Ready to Use

Ghost sign: Schlitz Beer, 2645 W 79th Street

Ghost sign: Schlitz Beer, in Wicker Park

Ghost sign: Schulzes Butter-Nut Bread 18th and Damen 

Ghost sign: Seipp Conrad Brewing Co,. 89th and Commercial Ave

Ghost sign: Simmons Hide-A-Bed on N Ashland Ave

Ghost sign: St Adalbert Hall Bingo Wednesday Nites, 1641 W 16th St

Ghost sign: Stanley Bafia Funeral Home, 200x W 18th St

Ghost sign: Studebaker

Ghost sign: Sunny Brook Whiskey, Ogden Avenue at St Louis

Ghost sign: Swap O Rama Flea Market

Ghost sign: Swap O Rama Flea Market

Ghost sign: Taqueria El Milagro, 26th St and Albany St

Ghost sign: The Decorators Showroom

Ghost sign: The Fair, Logan Square Neighborhood

Ghost sign: The Old Fashioned Neighborhood Bank, N Clark St and North Ave

Ghost sign: The Rogers Park at Pratt Blvd and Sheridan Rd

Ghost sign: The Sunday Tribune on Chicago Ave

Ghost sign: Three Sisters, Roseland Neighborhood

Ghost sign: Tobacco the Old Standard, 33xx N Clark St

Ghost sign: Toots Ice Cream and Hot Dogs on Central Ave and Addison St

Ghost sign: Travel and Tours, Edison Park Neighborhood

Ghost sign: Universal Auto Parts, 2703 S Loomis St

Ghost sign: Unknown in Logan Square

Ghost sign: Unknown

Ghost sign: Unknown

Ghost sign: Unknown

Ghost sign: Vulcanizing, Logan Square

Ghost sign: Waste Marketing, 9441 S Ewing Ave

Ghost sign: West City Savings Bank, Belmont, and Central Ave

Ghost sign: Westmont Engineering Co., 4244 W Lake St

Ghost sign: Yellow Cabs

Ghost sign: Royal Messenger, 3517 S Indiana

Ghost sign: Mexican Inn, 95th & Ewing, sign on the back of the restaurant.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.