The Real Story of Minky's Bicycle Shops in Chicago.

Seymour (Shim) Nimerov (born in 1917) opened "Minky's Hobby & Sports Store," at 3330-32 West Roosevelt Road in 1938. His parents owned the large apartment building with retail stores on the ground floor including Minky's. Shim incorporated his business as "Seymour Nimerov and Company," but did business as (dba) "Minky's Hobby and Sports Store."

Milton (Minky) Nimerov (born in 1915) was Shim's older brother who 'pushed' the name of "Minky's" on Shim claiming Minky's was a catchy name and would be easily remembered. Shim obviously thought so too. Besides bicycles, they sold sporting goods, hobby and crafts merchandise, toys, and were a Lionel train dealer.  

Oil painting of Minky's Hobby & Sports Store at 3330-32 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago.
Sent to me by Shim's Granddaughter, Denise Kase-Nabat.

Shim was the business owner, Minky took care of new bicycle assembly and mechanical repairs, and Charley Nimerov assisted Shim in the sales and management of the Roosevelt Road store.

Minky's Hobby & Sports Store, 3330-32 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, Illinois

You could rent a bicycle for 25¢ per day from Minky's.

Left to right: Unknown, Minky, Shim, and brother Charley (who helped Minky run the Roosevelt Road store).

Shim advertised to purchase stamps collections.

Chicago Tribune, January 16, 1944.

Shim opened a second Minky's Bicycles & Toy Store at 2840 West Devon Avenue around 1954.

Minky's Bicycles, 2840 West Devon Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

My sister and I bought our Matchbox cars from the Devon Avenue store, which Shim always had the newest models in stock, and would order any available Matchbox car models for customers. Minky's store had a large variety of kid pranks, i.e. whoopie-cushions, fake vomit, hand-buzzards, etc., and sold Spalding "Pinkie" high-bounce balls mostly used to play the game called "Pinners."

Chicago Tribune Ad, February 24, 1958.

Bicycles were shipped in boxes and assembled at the dealerships. Many bike shops around the country had their own head badges and would replace the manufacturer's head badges with their own.

Chicago Tribune Ad, May 29, 1958.

Minky's on Roosevelt Road was burned to the ground during the Chicago riots in 1968. On April 5, 1968, violence sparked because of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination on the West side of Chicago, gradually expanding to consume a 28-block stretch of West Madison Street and leading to additional fire damage on Roosevelt Road. The riot was finally contained on April 7, 1968.

Chicago Tribune Ad, June 9, 1968

Chicago Tribune Ad October 7, 1972.

Proof to debunk that Minky owned the Minky's Bicycle shops. Shim thought 'Minky' had a memorable 'ring' to it. Eve Nimerov Obituary, Seymour's Wife.
Chicago Tribune, October 6, 1997.

Minky's Devon Avenue store was closed when Shim died in 1983. Seymour Nimerov is buried at Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.

Milton Nimerov died 26 years after his brother Seymour. Wouldn't you think that if Minky really owned the Bicycle shop, it would have remained open for some time longer? 

Copyright © 2020 Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

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Minky's son, David Nimerov has maliciously lied about his dad, Milton Nimerov, being the owner of Minky's and has done so for years, as he must have thought there was no proof of ownership still in existence. 

After talking with Shim's family members, I did in-depth research to find out the truth.

During my written conversations with David Nimerov, he made these statements: "My Dad [Milton] Minky [Nimerov] was the owner. Shim was his younger brother and the salesperson." "There’s a reason the stores were named Minky’s Bicycles." "If I recall, my dad gave Eve (Shim's wife) $3,000 to walk away."

I don't know why he felt it necessary to propagate these lies for so many years. Perhaps just to be spiteful towards Shim's family. David's claiming Minky was the owner is like a person claiming to have served in the military but never did.  "Stolen Valor!"  A crime.

Both Seymour and Milton served honorably in WWII and I have a copy of both draft cards with service release stamps.

My Dad knew Shim and Minky from High School. We lived at Mozart and Arthur, one block north of Minky's on Devon. My Sister and I bought a lot more than we should have, of Matchbox Cars. 

I ousted David to set the record straight. David is still lying and it's just plain wrong. It's hurtful to his own family that I had personal contact with. In Yiddish, David is a Schmuck!

Seymour Nimerov's immediate family preapproved and condoned the information I wrote in the above note before I made this article public.

The History of the Springfield Tank Natatorium at Beilfuss Park in Chicago.

The West Chicago Park Commission laid out Humboldt, Garfield, and Douglas Parks in 1869.

In the early 1900s, some of the independent Chicago Park Districts began building natatorium facilities with showers, indoor swimming pools, and gyms, to provide public bathing (Bath Houses) and recreational opportunities to the city's community parks with the quickly increasing number of residents. 

By 1915, Mayor Carter H. Harrison II and the West Chicago Park Commission had hit upon the idea of building natatoriums adjacent to city water pumping stations to take advantage of the excess steam generated there. The Springfield Avenue natatorium, nicknamed "The Springfield Tank," was adjacent to the pumping station in the Humboldt Park Community. It was one of three such facilities under construction that year. The others were the Roseland Natatorium (later Griffith Natatorium, in Block Park) and the Central Park Avenue (Jackson) Natatorium. 

The Springfield Tank at Beilfuss Park in Chicago

On March 29, 1915, at the suggestion of Mayor Harrison, the Special Park Commission named the new Humboldt Park facility in honor of late ten-term Republican Alderman, A.W. Beilfuss (1854-1914). A native of Germany and a printer by trade, Beilfuss was serving as Special Park Commission Chairman at the time of his death.

The current "Chicago Park District" was created in 1934 by the Illinois Legislature under the Park Consolidation Act. By provisions of that act, the Chicago Park District consolidated and superseded the then-existing 22 separate park districts in Chicago, the largest three of which were the Lincoln Park, West Park, and South Park Districts, all of which had been established in 1869.

Beilfuss Park, 1725 North Springfield Avenue, Chicago.

The Beilfuss Natatorium, located at 1725 North Springfield Avenue, was so popular that by 1935 it drew more than 300,000 patrons. During World War II, boys from Beilfuss Park began to publish a local-interest newsletter that was circulated to former patrons serving in the military around the world. During the same period, the Chicago Park District installed a playground adjacent to the natatorium, as well as an athletic field, that during the winter months, was flooded for ice skating.

The park district replaced the original play equipment with a new soft surface playground in 1992. In 1998, the out of date, 1915 natatorium was razed. 

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

The Lincolnwood, Illinois Motor Speedway (1932-1936)

The Lincolnwood Motor Speedway was also known as Evanston Motor Speedway, Tessville Motor Speedway, and the Chicago Midget Speedway. Prior to 1936, Lincolnwood was known as Tessville.

The track was located in what is now Lincolnwood. The race track property was bordered by Touhy Avenue to the north, by Pratt Avenue to the south, by railroad tracks to the northwest, and by McCormick Boulevard / North Shore Channel to the east.

Tet Tetterton driving car #3.

Various computer aerial images show the track located north of Pratt Ave. with the entrance to the speedway roughly at Pratt and St. Louis Avenues. The actual track ran east and west and was bordered by today's Central Park Avenue on the west and Christiana Avenue on the east with the main straightway north of the current street, Northeast Parkway.

Some early newspaper stories, ads, and race programs said the location was at Lincoln and Devon Avenues and McCormick Boulevard.

Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Novelty Golf and Games in Lincolnwood, Illinois.

Founded in 1949, Novelty Golf at 3650 West Devon Avenue in Lincolnwood, is still operating, hosting two-18 hole miniature golf courses. 

1980s Novelty Golf TV Commercial

I lived about 2 miles from Novelty Golf and my friends and I would play either one of the courses often. The 19th hole was actually a golf ball return, in a one-hole pinball style game. From the hundreds of golf games I played, I won a free game only one time. 

The ball return game is partially seen in the bottom left of this picture.

We'd spend almost all of our money in the game room. It was lit perfectly for a game room, with dim, indirect lighting. The "L" shaped room helped to keep the game noise down.

They had all the newest games, Asteroids, Space Invaders, Pac Man, Missile Command, Centipede, and a few Pinball machines. Later came more great games like Pole Position, Zaxxon, and Dragon's Lair which was the first arcade game to use cartoon footage.

Dragon's Lair Arcade Game - Full Play

Want to try Dragon's Lair? Click to download the Android game from Google Play. It is the original. What was your favorite arcade game? 

After we were done, it was off to the Bunny Hutch, which is next door and shares a parking lot, for a Hot Dog and fries.

By Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Lake View Cycling Club of Chicago in the 1890s.

CLICK THE PICTURE TO ENLARGE

The Lake View Cycling Club in front of its clubhouse at 401-403 North Orchard Street, Chicago (today, 2224-2226 North Orchard Street) in the 1890s.

I personally spoke with Mary, the owner of the 2-flat at 2222 N. Orchard that was next to the Lake View Cycling Clubhouse. Mary and her husband ran a book business out of their 2-flat called Orchard Books, Inc. They have a framed copy of the Lake View Cycling Club hanging in their foyer.

Mary told me that the new condo building was built in 1998. The 2-story Mary owns was originally built-in 1890. It's the building on the right, the 3-story condominium, was the location of the Lake View Cycling Clubhouse, which of course, was demolished. 

Mary's 2-story building was razed between August of 2018 and July of 2019.

Copyright © 2016, Neil Gale, Ph.D.

The History of 16-inch Softball Began in Chicago, Illinois.

The softball game started in Chicago on Thanksgiving 1887 at the "Farragut Boat Club" when Yale and Harvard Alumni wrapped up a boxing glove and hit the "ball" with a broomstick. Those men formalized the indoor game, which was eventually played outdoors. The parks and school grounds were small in Chicago, so the ball had to be larger to stay in the park.

Woman's Softball originated in Chicago, with the first official women’s team being organized in 1895, approximately eight years after the game was created for men. The first women’s team was formed at Chicago’s West Division High School. The team did not acquire a coach until 1899, and there was little interest in the game from spectators. This attitude quickly changed in 1904 when Spalding’s Indoor Baseball Guide featured an entire section on women’s softball.

Indoor Softball, 1905.
Note the 2 to 2½ inch thick wooden dowel that's about 35" long for a bat.

The 16″ ball became the size and game of choice during the Great Depression since only a bat and a ball were needed. No-glove 16" softball has been famous in Chicago alone since the 1920s.

Chicago is well known for its architecture, museums, beautiful open lakefront, rich social and political history, blues music, a storied professional sports history, and diverse ethnic mix. There is a unique sport, though, one that's been played by thousands of men and women for generations for both fun and glory for over eight decades, a game that is truly unique to Chicago — 16-inch softball.

A 1920s Official 16-inch League Softball.

1920s Manufacturer Stamp.

Chicago softball is played barehanded with gnarled fingers and knuckles that tell stories of errors and victories in games long past. It's safe to say that most Chicagoans have played the game in school, at a picnic, and Sunday pick-up games in Chicagoland parks or in league play. 

16-inch was a perfect game for Chicago's small neighborhood ball fields and cinder-covered school playgrounds. The ball didn't travel as far as the smaller 12" and 14" softballs. And the absence of gloves benefited everyone in the harsh economic times of the 1930s. Teams had only to chip in 10¢ a man for a new ball, and women took to the sport because it was less dangerous than a regular baseball. The sport was all the more appealing due to its being organized by families, communities, and ethnic backgrounds at first. Then, teams were sponsored by the companies its players worked for — a tradition still largely followed today.

The game of softball is enjoyed by millions of people around the world. For all ages, this sport is played with balls of different diameters and with and without gloves. The most prevalent game in Chicago is slow pitch 16″ softball with no gloves. Many who have played other softball brands feel 16″ is the best game of softball because it demands that every fielder play defense (anyone can catch a ball with a glove) well or become a team liability. Offense play is like Baseball; few runs are due to home runs, and it's basically hit 'em where they ain't, and moving runners is a normal strategy. It's a great game with a unique history.

The first national championship was played at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, thanks to the sponsorship of William Randolph Hearst. Due to the fact most teams that entered the tournament all played with different rules and size balls, they finally agreed to play with a 14″ ball. Future City titles would be played at Wrigley Field.

Because of the game's popularity at that event, 16″ no glove softball took on a professional level when Harry Hanin started the "Windy City League" in 1934, which lasted into the 1950s. Teams had their own stadiums and charged admission. They attracted thousands of people each night. Remember, there was no T.V. and only two racetracks. These teams and players represented their areas, but gambling was the real game outside the lines. They often attracted over 10,000 each night and had more attendance than at the Cubs and/or Sox games that day. 

During the Chicago softball craze, teams played in these neighborhood baseball and softball (12" & 16") parks:

• Admiral Stadium at River Road between Rand & Golf Roads in Des Plaines.
• American Giants Park at 39th and Wentworth in Chicago.
• Bidwell Stadium at 1975 E 75th Street in Chicago.
• Gill Stadium at 1107 E 87th Street in Chicago.
• Hilburn Stadium 5500 N Wolcott in Chicago.
• Lane Stadium, next to Riverview Park, was at Western and Addison in Chicago.
• Mills Stadium at 4600 W. Lake Street in Chicago.
• Parichy Memorial Stadium at Harrison and Harlem in Forest Park.
• Rock-Ola Stadium at 4200 N Central Avenue in Chicago.
• Shewbridge Field at 74th Street and Aberdeen Street in Chicago.
• Sparta Stadium at Kostner and 21st Street in Chicago.
• Spencer Coals Park at 4200 N. Central Avenue in Chicago.
• Stagg Field at the University of Chicago. (Originally named Marshall Field)
• North Town Currency Stadium (Thillens Stadium) at Devon and Kedzie in Chicago.

Thillens was initially named "North Town Currency Stadium."

Read the story about me hanging out with Ray Rayner for two hours at Thillens Stadium. Just me and Ray. Two hours. Two hours I've talked about for the past 56 years. So, I got that going for me!

Parichy Memorial Stadium, Forest Park, IL.

Most of the semi-professional parks were lighted for night play, and a considerable portion of the attendance was reported on evenings during the week and were frequently doubleheaders. The usual Saturday and Sunday games were frequently tripleheaders.

To inject color into the game, many visiting men's teams feature unusual costumes such as clown uniforms, grass skirts, and natural beards. In addition, novelties like playing the game on mules are occasionally introduced. 

Many weekend games began with the women's teams. "Bloomer Girls" baseball teams barnstormed the United States from the 1890s to 1934, playing local town, semi-pro, and minor league men's teams. They traveled across the country, across states, and town-to-town by rail, bringing their own fences, tents, and grandstands with them, and their schedules were grueling. In 1903, the Boston Bloomer Girls played and won 28 games in 26 days. Over the July Fourth weekend of that year alone, they played six games in five different towns in Oklahoma.

Then came the "All-American Girls Professional Baseball League" (AAGPBL), a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley from 1943 to 1954. The women's initial tryouts were held at Chicago's Wrigley Field. In the first season, the league played a hybrid game of Baseball and softball using a 12-inch ball. The AAGPBL was the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the United States. Over 600 women played in the league, which eventually consisted of 10 teams located in the American Midwest. In 1948, league attendance peaked at around 900,000 spectators. The most successful team, the Rockford Peaches, won a league-best four championships. The 1992 motion picture "A League of Their Own" is a mostly fictionalized account of its early days and stars.

Lane Stadium (Lane Tech College Prep H.S.), Western and Addison, Chicago.

In 1973, the local 16-inch ASA Commissioner felt that out-of-state teams could not compete with Illinois because they were used to playing with gloves in 12″ and 14″ play. He was right. He attracted 13 out-of-state teams for a new league. The gloves never made a difference in the score, and Chicago teams still dominated the national tournaments. Because of that, fewer out-of-state teams played the game seriously other than in the Midwest. The one state with an excellent program was Iowa, and their patience paid off in 1995 when the "Carpet Country Rollers" won the only title in ASA history by a team not from Chicago. They did it in the last inning, scoring 3 runs with two outs and winning by one run. What an upset!

No-glove softball is still played by all Chicagoans, and the best of the best have played Forest Park's No Glove Nationals in front of thousands of fans for 5 decades, the premier event each year. A few of the best leagues have been played at Clarendon Park, Portage Park, James Park in Evanston, Mt.Prospect Park in the Northside, Washington Park, Clyde, Oak Lawn, and Kelly Park on the Southside.

When former President Jimmy Carter, a softball enthusiast, was presented with a 16-inch softball during a 1998 Chicago visit, the unfamiliar object fascinated him. It's not surprising that he had never seen one before because although thousands of games of 16-inch softballs filled Chicago's parks every summer Sunday, President Cater only knew about 12" softballs.

Many ASA Nationals have been played out of Illinois, usually in Iowa. In 2004, the Major and ASA Nationals were played in Arizona and attracted the most states to compete in 20 years. In Phoenix, they have held the "Avnet Business to Business Classic" since 2003, reaching 30-plus teams and getting some title games on television for both the co-ed and men's divisions.

The sport has traveled to different cities due to Chicagoans moving, but when men and women play 16-inch balls, they realize it takes more skill, is safer, has less time to play, and is more fun than 12-inch softball. Critics of the 12-inch game say that "anyone can catch a ball with a glove." Those games take too long because the scores are too high, and people get hurt.

ALTERNATIVE: Who and where 'softball' was invented.

A lieutenant with the Minneapolis, Minnesota Fire Department, Lewis Rober was pushing 40 and perhaps getting a little flabby. So in 1895, he devised a sporting alternative to keep himself and his fellow firefighters fit between runs. Rober is widely considered the founding father of softball — at least the outdoor version of the game now enjoyed by 40 million people. He took the basics of baseball, shrank the field, and used a cushy ball pitched underhand. With no gloves needed and less time required, the recreational version of baseball took off. 

This photo was taken around 1995; outside the "16-inch Softball Hall of Fame" was this stone and brass "Farragut Boathouse Monument," commemorating the birth of softball in Chicago in 1887. It was initially placed at 31st Street and Lake Park Avenue in Chicago but is currently in storage with the city. A new 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame opened in Forest Park in 2009.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

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[1] Robert Rae Jr. (c.1853-1920) was born in Philadelphia and came to Chicago with his parents in 1860. The son of a prominent lawyer, he was educated in Chicago's public schools and entered the office of architect Henry Lord Gay in about 1872. Two years later, he was appointed assistant chief engineer of the Chicago & South Atlantic Railroad, a position he held for several years before starting his own architectural office in Chicago in about 1880. Rae's practice focused on small-scale commercial buildings and residences in eclectic historical styles.