Saturday, May 6, 2023

Skokie, Illinois, List of Closed Restaurants.

A SYNOPSIS OF THE NAME SKOKIE
A settlement was incorporated as Niles Centre in 1888. Then, in 1910, the spelling of Centre was Americanized to Niles "Center"; however, the name caused postal confusion in the neighboring village of Niles. A village-renaming campaign began in the 1930s. In a referendum on November 15, 1940, residents chose the Indian name "Skokie" (the Potawatomi word for "Marsh") over the name "Devonshire."
CLOSED RESTAURANTS IN SKOKIE, ILL.
(previous names: Niles Centre, then Niles Center)
Mid-1800s Taverns Offered Accommodations, Served Three Meals a Day, and Served Liquor. Many offered Stable & Farrier services, especially when on a Stagecoach Route.

Abe's on Lincoln, east of Grosse Point Road, Skokie
Acres Restaurant Delicatessen, 4000 Church Street, Skokie
Adam Barg's Tavern, NE corner Lincoln Avenue & Warren Street, Niles Centre (Skokie)
Ah Fong, Church Street and Gross Point Road, Skokie
Al Baileys Cormaine Restaurant, Main Street & McCormick Blvd., Niles Center (Skokie) 
Alamo Mardi Gras, 3317 Dempster Street, Skokie
Alberti's, 8050 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Aldino's, 4435 Oakton Street, Skokie
Annie's Pancake House, 4900 Oakton Street, Skokie
Arby's, 9402 Skokie Boulevard Rt 41), Skokie
Arman's Canary Barbecue, 4824 Dempster Street, Skokie
Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips, 3727 Dempster Street, Skokie
Auto Inn, 8024 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Babbo Restaurant, 4949 Oakton Street, Skokie
Ba Da Boom, 8014 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Bagel Country Restaurant, 9306 Skokie Boulevard Rt 41), Skokie
Baghdad Family Restaurant, 4839 Oakton Street, Skokie
Bam's Log Cabin, 6747 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Barbeque Open Pit, 4947 Dempster Street, Skokie
Barney Connelly's Tavern, 8020 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Centre (Skokie)
Barnum and Bagel, 4700 Dempster Street, Skokie
Baskin-Robbins, 4041 Dempster Street, Skokie
Baskin-Robbins, 4558 Oakton Street, Skokie
Bay's Restaurant, Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Big Mouth Noodles and Rice Skokie, 4031 Dempster Street, Skokie
Bipees, 5237 Golf Road (Rt 58), Skokie
Bird Snack Shop, The, inside the Dempster Street Skokie Swift Station
Bistro Europa, 9925 Gross Point Road, Skokie
Blameuser's Tavern, Lincoln Avenue and Oakton Street, Niles Centre (Skokie)
Blaze Pizza, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
B'Nickys Snackeateria, 7515 Cicero Avenue, Skokie
Bonanza, 10027 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Bonefish Grill, 9310 Skokie Boulevard Rt 41), Skokie
Boston Blackie's, 9525 Skokie Boulevard Rt 41), Skokie
Boston Market, 3641 Dempster Street, Skokie
Boudin Bakery, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Brazil Bowl, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
Bronx Inn, 8800 Bronx Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Bronx Lunch, 4953 Dempster Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
Brown's Chicken, 3949 Oakton Street, Skokie
Bruce's Grill, 4455 Oakton Street, Skokie
Bryan's Fountain and Grill, 8047 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Buddy's Restaurant, Church Street, Skokie
Bugsy Schwartz Restaurant, 3353 Dempster Street, Skokie
Bum Steer, The, 4700 Dempster Street, Skokie
Bumpkins, 5237 Golf Road (Rt 58), Skokie
Bungalow Tavern, 10054 North Cicero, Niles Center (Skokie)
Burger King, 8225 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie (1961, 1st Burger King outside Florida).
Burrito Bowl, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
Busse's Bungalow, 4952 Dempster Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
Candlewick, 4000 Church Street, Skokie
Canton Restaurant, 8007 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Carson's Ribs, 8617 Niles Center Road, Skokie
Cas and Lou Italian Restaurant, 3517 Dempster Street, Skokie
Casbah Armenian Cuisine, 3941 Dempster Street, Skokie
Champps Americana, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Chances 'R', 10027 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Chandelier Restaurant, The, 4150 Dempster Street, Skokie
Checkerboard Restaurant and Lounge, 8400 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Ches's Lounge, 3401 Dempster, Skokie (Good Food and Liquor)
Chicago Bry's Tavern, 7923 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Centre (Skokie)
Chicken Delight, 4650 Oakton Street, Skokie
Chicken in the Rough, 6649 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Chicken Palace, Oakton Street and East Prairie Road, Skokie
Chicken Unlimited, Dempster Street, Skokie
Chik Beef Skokie, 3612 Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Choo-Choo Limited Restaurant (where trains deliver the food) 4923 Oakton Street, Skokie
Chuck Muer's Restaurant, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Chun King Lo, 4417½ Oakton Street, Skokie
Circus, The, 8105 North Cicero Avenue (Rt 91), Niles Centre (Skokie)
Clover Club, The, Dempster Street and McCormick Boulevard, Skokie
Club De-Metra, 5006 Dempster Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
Club El Bianco, 10035 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Club Moderne, 3555 Dempster Street, Skokie
Cock Robin, North of Oakton Street on Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Coffee Pot, The, Brown Street, Skokie
Columbo's, East Prairie Road and Dempster Street, Skokie
Contessa, Main Street and Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Copper Penny Restaurant, Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Cork Restaurant, 3555 Dempster Street, Skokie
Cormaine Cocktail Lounge, 3303 Main Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
Corner Hut Hot Dog Stand, Oakton and Keating, Skokie
Costa Arena Mexican Restaurant, 4010 Main Street, Skokie
Country Cousins, 4900 Oakton Street, Skokie,
Crabapple Restaurant, 66 Old Orchard Mall, Owned by Marshall Field's, Skokie (1959-96)
Crave Kabob, 7240 Niles Center Road, Skokie
Crazy Greek, 5051 Oakton Street, Skokie
Cutsler's Lunch Counter, 8118 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Daily Grill, 9599 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Dairy Delite, 4847 Dempster Street, Skokie
Dairy Queen, 4041 Dempster Street, Skokie
Da'Nali's, 4032 West Oakton Street, Skokie
Dari-De Lite of Skokie, 3315 Elgin Road, Skokie
De Carlucci's Pizza and Mexican Grill, 4010 Main Street, Skokie
Delve Inn, 4800 Dempster Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
D'elect to Go, 3455 Dempster Street, Skokie
De Mar's East of Edens, 5200 Dempster, Skokie (in All-Star Lanes) Bowling Alley
Desiree Restaurant, 8000 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Don's Fish Market (attached to Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge), 9335 Skokie Blvd. Skokie
Duffy's Tavern, 8024 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Dukes North, 5237 Golf Road, Skokie
East Of Eden Restaurant, 5200 Dempster Street, Skokie
Eastern Style Pizza, 3560 Dempster Street, Skokie
Eclissi Italian Restaurant, 8020 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Edman's Grill, 3324 Main Street, Skokie
Ed's Ubaa, 9956 Crawford, Skokie
Edward's, 3 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Edwardo's Pizza, 9300 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Eggrolls, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
El Fuego Mexican Cuisine, 8018 North Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
El Gaucho, 10027 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie 
El Tipico, 3341 Dempster Street, Skokie 
Ess n Ess (S & S) Restaurant Delicatessen, 5256 Dempster Street, Skokie
Evergreen Gardens, 3401 Dempster Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
Falafel King 4507 Oakton Street, Skokie
Fil Thai Restaurant, 4010 Main Street, Skokie
Florence Vipond Restaurant, Skokie and Main Street, Skokie
Four Seasons Restaurant, 4000 Church Street, Skokie. (1961-2011)
Fred's Restaurant, 8007 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
French Baker, The, 62 Professional Building, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Frontera Fresco, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Garden Of Eden, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
George's Lunchroom, 8019½ Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Gino's East, Dempster Street and Drake Avenue, Skokie
Gladys and Ed's, 3301 Main Street, Skokie
Goldberg's Delicatessen and Snack Bar, 7933 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Gold Coin Restaurant, 4700 Dempster Street, Skokie
Gourmet Pita and Pizza, Village Crossing Shopping Center, 5549 Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Great Godfrey Daniels, 10027 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Great Steak and Potato Co., 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Groovy Island Pizza Co., 5051 Oakton Street, Skokie
Gulliver's Pizza, 3535 Dempster Street, Skokie
Gus Gus Restaurant and Bakery, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
Hamburger Hamlet, Dempster Street, Skokie
Hans Goodrich, 6717 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Henry's Drive-In, 9555 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie, next to Fun Fair Amusement Park.
Henry Harm's Tavern, Lincoln Avenue and Oakton Street, Niles Centre (Skokie)
Happy Cow, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Herman's Delicatessen, 3720 Dempster Street, Skokie
Herman's Otto Tavern, 1139 Milwaukee Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Hershey’s Restaurant, Dempster Street and Ridgeway Avenue, Skokie
Hillcrest, The, 5151 Dempster Street, Skokie
Holland's Coffee Pot, 8047 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Holloway House Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, 10035 Skokie Highway, Skokie
Hoos Isbell's Nautical Inn, 3445 Dempster Street, Skokie
Horwitz and Shanahan's Restaurant and Bar, 9300 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Hot Dog Hut, Oakton Street east of Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Hot Dog Island, 4925 Dempster Street, Skokie
Houlihan’s, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Howard Johnson Motor Lodge Restaurant, 9333 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Hub, 4700 Oakton Street, Skokie
Hut, The, NE corner of Christiana Avenue and Main Street, Skokie
Hy Life Bistro, 4120 Dempster Street, Skokie
IIG Air Park, 6200 Touhy Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Isbell's Nautical Inn, 3445 Dempster Street, Skokie
Irving’s for Red Hot Lovers, 4925 Dempster Street, Skokie
Jack in the Box, Dempster Street, East of East Prairie Road, Skokie
Jack's Restaurant, 5201 West Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Jake the Master Ribber, 4120 Dempster Street, Skokie
Jake's Snack Shop, 5201 West Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Johnny Rockets, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Johnny's Grill, 5313 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Jordy’s Hot Dogs, Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), and Golf Road (Rt 58), Skokie
Kabul House Restaurant, 4949 Oakton Street, Skokie
Karl Bock Restaurant, 5336 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Karl's Cafe (Truck Stop), on Skokie Blvd north of Oakton Street, next to Cock Robin, Skokie.
Kelly's Drive-In, Main Street and McCormick Boulevard, Skokie
Kerns, Jack, 7951 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Klehm's Tavern, Lincoln Avenue and Oakton Street, Niles Centre (Skokie)
Kloman, Fred, 8212 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Knotty Pine Inn, 5320 West Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Krier's Restaurant, 8014 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Centre (Skokie)
Krispy Krunchy Chicken, 5128 Dempster Street, Skokie
Kwanset Kitchen, 3324 Main Street, Skokie
Kwiki Dog House, Lincoln and Cicero Avenues, Skokie
L & S Snack Shop, 3421 Church Street, Skokie
La Hacienda del Sol, 3341 Dempster, Skokie
La Maisonette, 3445 Dempster Street, Skokie
La Michoacana Restaurant, 3612 Touhy Avenue, Skokie
La Rosa Restaurant, 3724 Dempster Street, Skokie
La Salade, 3938 Dempster Street, Skokie
La Via Pizza, 5129 Dempster Street, Skokie
Lafite's Steak and Lobster, 3445 Dempster Street, Skokie
Landl's Restaurant, 5301 Foster Street, Skokie
Landl's Restaurant, Golf Road & Edens Highway, Skokie
Lawry's Restaurant & Delicatessen, 4435 Oakton, Skokie
Leo's Tavern, 4249 Main Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
Leon Isbell's Nautical Inn, 3445 Dempster, Skokie
Leona's Restaurant, 3517 Dempster Street, Skokie
Lily and Nats Breakfast Cafe, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
Lim's Chinese Takeout, 4149 Main Street, Skokie
Lindy's Ground Floor North Shore Hilton, 9599 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Little Oasis Club, The, 4400 Simpson (Golf Road), Skokie
Luigi Pizzeria, 4010 Main Street, Skokie
Lunch Box, 4801 Main Street, Skokie
M Burger, 3654 West Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Madhus Pizza, 7565 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Mages Waldy's Place (Mages Hot Dogs), 4925 Dempster Street, Skokie
Magic Pan Creperie, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Main Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor, 4209 Main Street, Skokie
Malibu Pizza and Pasta, 3353 Dempster Street, Skokie
Mama Marino's Pizza, 3560 Dempster Street, Skokie
Manny's Pizza Skokie, 5051 Oakton Street, Skokie
Marcopolo Asian Restaurant, 8014 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Mark III, Dempster Street and McCormick Boulevard, Skokie
Mexican Fiesta Restaurant, 4010 Main Street, Skokie
Michale Schmitz Restaurant, 8024 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Mod Pizza, 5530 West Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Moe's Southwest Grill, 3620 Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Moroccan Delight, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
Morry's Snack Shop, 3358 Main Street, Skokie
Mr. Hummus Mediterranean Grill, 3457 Dempster Street, Skokie
Mr. Sub, Dempster Street, Skokie
Nankin, 4124-26 Dempster Street, Skokie
Nelson, Gust, 7420 North Kostner Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
New Baghdad Kabobi, 4839 Oakton Street, Skokie
New China Restaurant (Cantonese), 3710 Dempster, Skokie
Niles Center Lunch Room, 8019½ Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Nineveh Restaurant, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
Niu Armenial Grill, 4839 Oakton Street, Skokie
Niu Kabob House, 4839 Oakton Street, Skokie
Noodles and Company, 3304 West Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Noshery, The, 4000 Block of Main Street, Skokie
Oakton Lincoln Grill, 8014 Line, Niles Center (Skokie)
Oakton Mediterranean Grill, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
Oakton Restaurant, 4900 Oakton Street, Skokie
Old Orchard Delicatessen (arcade level), 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Outlaw Burger, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Pagliacci Pizzeria, Dempster Street and Bronx Avenue, Skokie
Pan Dee’s Inn, Oakton Street, Skokie
Pan Inn, Oakton Street, Skokie
Papa Romeo's Pizza, 3939 Dempster Street (moved 5126 Dempster), Skokie
Papillon, 5111 Brown Street, Skokie
Pat's Place, 8020 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Pat's Place, 5025 Oakton Street, Skokie
Patty's Diner, 3358 Main Street, Skokie
Pete and Charlie's, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Piazza's Italian-American Restaurant, 8335 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Piccolo Mondo, 3517 Dempster Street, Skokie
Picnic Tree, The, 4150 Dempster Street, Skokie
Pie House, The, 6649 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Pinocchio Pizzeria, 4209 Main Street, Skokie
Pizza Go-Go, 3832 Dempster Street, Skokie
Pizzaahhhh, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Pressed Sandwich Shop and Cafe, 4845 Oakton Street, Skokie
Prime Rib, The, 8617 Niles Center Road, Skokie
Pyrenees, The, 10035 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Ralph's (Burgers), 3317 Dempster Street, Skokie
Ramble Inn, 8446 Church Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
Ranch Burger Co., 5051 Oakton Street, Skokie
Red Coach Dining Room, 8617 Niles Center Road, Skokie
Ridge Tavern, 9600 Niles Center Road, Skokie
Ridley's Buffet Luncheon, 7914 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Robinson's Lounge, 3517 Dempster Street, Skokie
Romi's, 5237 Golf Road (Rt 58), Skokie
Roti Modern Mediterranean Skokie, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Roundy's Snack Shop, 7738 Lavergne Avenue, Skokie
Ruby Tuesday, 5203 Old Orchard Road, Skokie
Sally's On The Skokie, 10035 Skokie Highway, Skokie
Sam and Hy's, 3438 Dempster Street, Skokie
Scheibe, Henry, 8266 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Schmidt, Mike, 8349 Trumbull, Niles Center (Skokie)
Schmitz's Tavern, 8024 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Scotty and Pete Krier's Restaurant, 8014 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Seul's Tavern, 8000 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Centre (Skokie)
Shahnaz Auntie Kitchen, 5128 Dempster Street, Skokie
Sharp Corner Inn, Niles Center Road, Niles Center (Skokie)
Siunik Armenian Grill, 4839 Oakton Street, Skokie
Skokie Club (Original), 8820 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Skokie Club (Moved and reopened at) 4741 Main Street, Skokie
Skokie Pita and Pizza, 5309 Oakton Street, Skokie
Skokie Pita and Pizza, 7565 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Skokinn, 4741 Main Street, Skokie
Sky Rocket Cabaret Restaurant, Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Slice of Life, 4120 Dempster Street, Skokie
Sloppy Joe Nation, 9525 Skokie Boulevard (Rt 41), Skokie
Smoothie King, 3612 Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Sorensen's Lunch Room, 3311 Howard Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
Soup Hot Pot, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
Spicer's Ribs, Dempster Street and Hamlin Avenue, Skokie
Steak House, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
Stouffer's Restaurant, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Subway, 4933 Dempster Street (moved to 4925 W. Dempster), Skokie 
Sugo Italian Street Food, 4949 Oakton Street, Skokie
Swedish Castle, 8212 Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center (Skokie)
Szechwan Pavilion, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center #70, Skokie
Thai Pavilion Restaurant, 4654 Church Street, Skokie
Thai Pasta, Main Street and Crawford Avenue, Skokie
The Hawthorn Room, inside Marshall Field's Old Orchard Store, Skokie
The Tea Room, inside Marshall Field's Old Orchard Store, Skokie
Tilted Kilt Skokie BBQ Restaurant, 7070 Carpenter Road, Skokie
Timber Ridge Restaurant, 4000 Church Street, Skokie
Toddle House, Dempster Street, Skokie
Tom Brown's Skokie Restaurant, 8617 Niles Center, Skokie
Top Hat, 3406 Dempster Street, Skokie
Topper's Drive-In, 3406 Dempster, Skokie
Toscano's, Oakton Street, Skokie
Touhy House, 5600 West Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Tous Les Jours, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Tower Garden Restaurant, 9925 Gross Point Road, Skokie
Tower Restaurant and Cafe, 9925 Ridge Road, Skokie
Traut's Restaurant, 8007 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Tuk Tuk Thai, 4031 Dempster Street, Skokie
Uncle Ben's Pizza, 5549 Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Villa La Main, Main Street and North McCormick Boulevard, Skokie
Village Tavern, 8617 Niles Cemter Road, Niles Center (Skokie)
Wag's (Walgreens) Restaurant, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Waggoner, Frances, 3800 Dempster Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
Wenk's, Chinese carry-out.  on Oakton Street near Kostner.
Wesley's Restaurant, 3956 Dempster Street, Skokie
West of Edens, 7240 Niles Center Road, Skokie
Westgard's Restaurant, 3406 Dempster Street, Skokie
White Elephant, The, 3401 Dempster Street, Skokie
White Front Tavern, 3441 Dempster Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
Wiggand's Restaurant, 8007 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Wild Burger, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie
Wilde and Greene Restaurant, 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Center #C18, Skokie
Wilkin's, 4300 Dempster Street, Niles Center (Skokie)
Will's Place, 7927 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Window To The World, Rotating Restaurant, North Shore Hilton, 9599 Skokie Blvd. Skokie
Wing Zone, 3612 Touhy Avenue, Skokie
Yolo Mexican Eatery, 5111 Brown Street, Skokie
Yummy Kabob Restaurant, 4047 Oakton Street, Skokie
Zelda's Kosher Gourmet Restaurant, 3552 Dempster Street, Skokie
Zito's Beef and Pizza, 5264 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
Zweig's Restaurant, 4000 Church Street, Skokie





Please leave a comment if you can provide any missing restaurants and/or address info.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.
Copyright © 2023, Neil Gale, All rights Reserved.


Niles Centre Illinois, Niles Center Illinois, Skokie Illinois, Skokie Cook County, Closed Restaurants, List of Closed Restaurants, Defunct Skokie Restaurants:

Acres Restaurant Delicatessen, Adam Barg's Tavern, Ah Fong, Al Baileys Cormaine Restaurant, Alamo Mardi Gras, Albert's Coffee Pot, Albert's, Aldino's, Alexander’s Breakfast and Lunch,  Annie's Pancake House, Arby's, Arman's Canary Barbecue, Aunt Jemima's Kitchen Restaurant, Auto Inn, Babbo Restaurant, Ba Da Boom, The Bagel, Bagel Country Restaurant, Baghdad Family Restaurant, Bam's Log Cabin, Barney Connelly's Tavern, Barnum and Bagel, Baskin-Robbins, Bay's Restaurant, Big Herms Red Hots, Big Mouth Noodles and Rice Skokie, Bipees, The Bird Snack Shop, Bistro Europa, Blameuser's Tavern, Blaze Pizza, B'Nickys Snackeateria, Bonanza, Bonefish Grill, Boston Blackie's, Boston Market, Boudin Bakery, Brazil Bowl, Brown's Chicken, Bryan's Fountain and Grill, Buddy's Restaurant, Bugsy Schwartz Restaurant, The Bum Steer, Bumpkins, Burger King, Burrito Bowl, Candlewick, Canton Restaurant, Carson's Ribs, Cas and Lou Italian Restaurant, Casbah Armenian Cuisine, Champps Americana, Chances 'R' Restaurant, The Chandelier Restaurant, Checkerboard Restaurant and Lounge, Ches' Tap, Chicago Bry's Tavern, Chicken in the Rough, Chicken Palace, Chicken Unlimited, Chik Beef Skokie, Choo-Choo Limited Restaurant, Chuck Muer's Restaurant, Chun King Lo, The Circus, The Clover Club, Club El Bianco, Club Moderne, Cock Robin, The Coffee Pot, Columbo's, Contessa, Copper Penny Restaurant, The Cork Restaurant, Cormaine Cocktail Lounge, Corner Hut Hot Dog Stand, Costa Arena Mexican Restaurant, Country Cousins, Crave Kabob, Crazy Greek, Cutsler's Lunch Counter, Daily Grill, Dairy Delite, Dairy Queen, Da'Nali's, De Carlucci's Pizza and Mexican Grill, D'elect to Go, Desiree Restaurant, Don's Fish Market, Dukes North, East Of Eden Restaurant, Eastern Style Pizza, Eclissi Italian Restaurant, Edman's Grill, Ed's Ubaa, Edward's, Edwardo's Pizza, Eggrolls, El Fuego Mexican Cuisine, El Gaucho, El Tipico, Elliott's Pine Log Restaurant & Lounge, Ess n Ess Restaurant Delicatessen, Falafel King, Fil Thai Restaurant, Florence Vipond Restaurant, Fred's Restaurant, The French Baker, Frontera Fresco, Garden Of Eden, Gino's East, Gladys and Ed's, Goldberg's Delicatessen and Snack Bar, Gold Coin Restaurant, Gourmet Pita and Pizza, Village Crossing Shopping Center, Great Godfrey Daniels, Great Steak and Potato Company, Groovy Island Pizza Company, Gulliver's Pizza, Gus Gus Restaurant and Bakery, Hamburger Hamlet, Hans Goodrich, Henry's Drive-In, Henry Harm's Tavern, Happy Cow, Herman's Otto Tavern, Hershey’s Restaurant, Dempster Street and Ridgeway Avenue, The Hillcrest, Holloway House Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, Hoos Isbell's Nautical Inn, Horwitz and Shanahan's Restaurant and Bar, Hot Dog Hut, Hot Dog Island, Houlihan’s, Howard Johnson Motor Lodge Restaurant, The Hub, The Hut, Hy Life Bistro, IIG Air Park, Isbell's Nautical Inn, Irving’s for Red Hot Lovers, Jack in the Box, Jack's Restaurant, Jake the Master Ribber, Jake's Snack Shop, Johnny Rockets, Johnny's Grill, Jordy’s Hot Dogs, Kabul House Restaurant, Karl Bock Restaurant, Kelly's Drive-In, Klehm's Tavern, Knotty Pine Inn, Krier's Restaurant, Krispy Krunchy Chicken, Kwanset Kitchen, Kwiki Dog House, La Hacienda del Sol, La Maisonette, La Michoacana Restaurant, La Rosa Restaurant, La Salade, Lafite's Steak and Lobster, Landl's Restaurant, Leon Isbell's Nautical Inn, Leona's Restaurant, Lily and Nats Breakfast Cafe, Lim's Chinese Takeout, Lindy's Ground Floor North Shore Hilton, The Little Oasis Club, Luigi Pizzeria, Lunch Box, M Burger, Madhus Pizza, Mages Waldy's Place, Mages Hot Dogs, Magic Pan Creperie, Main Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor, Malibu Pizza and Pasta, Mama Marino's Pizza, Manny's Pizza Skokie, Marcopolo Asian Restaurant, Mark III, Mexican Fiesta Restaurant, Michale Schmitz Restaurant, Mister Ricky's, Mod Pizza, Moe's Southwest Grill, Moroccan Delight, Morry's Snack Shop, Mr. Sub, Nankin, New Baghdad Kabobi, New China Restaurant, Nineveh Restaurant, Niu Armenial Grill, Niu Kabob House, Noodles and Company, The Noshery, Oakton Mediterranean Grill, Oakton Restaurant, Old Orchard Delicatessen, Outlaw Burger, Pagliacci Pizzeria, Pan Dee’s Inn, Pan Inn, Papa Romeo's Pizza, Papillon, Pats Place, Patty's Diner, Pete and Charlie's, Piazza's Italian-American Restaurant, Piccolo Mondo, The Picnic Tree, Pinocchio Pizzeria, Pizzaahhhh, Pressed Sandwich Shop and Cafe, The Prime Rib, Pyrenees, Ralph's Burgers, Ranch Burger Company, Red Coach Dining Room, Ridge Tavern, Robinson's Lounge, Romi's, Roti Modern Mediterranean Skokie, Roundy's Snack Shop, Ruby Tuesday, Sally's On The Skokie, Sam and Hy's, Schmitz's Tavern, Scotty and Pete Krier's Restaurant, Seul's Tavern, Shahnaz Auntie Kitchen, Sharp Corner Inn, Siunik Armenian Grill, Skokie Club, Skokie Pita and Pizza, Skokinn, Sky Rocket Cabaret Restaurant, Slice of Life, Sloppy Joe Nation, Smoothie King, Soup Hot Pot, Sparky's Snack Shop, Spicer's Ribs, Steak House, Stouffer's Restaurant, Subway, Sugo Italian Street Food, The Swedish Castle, Szechwan Pavilion, Thai Pavilion Restaurant, Thai Pasta, Tilted Kilt Skokie BBQ Restaurant, Toddle House, Tom Brown's Skokie Restaurant, Top Hat, Topper's Drive-In, Toscano's, Touhy House, Tous Les Jours, Tower Garden Restaurant, Tower Restaurant and Cafe, Traut's Restaurant, Tub Tim Thai Restaurant, Tuk Tuk Thai, Uncle Ben's Pizza, Villa La Main, Wag's Restaurant, Walgreen's Restaurant, Wesley's Restaurant, West of Edens, Westgard's Restaurant, The White Elephant Restaurant, Wiggand's Restaurant, Wild Burger, Wilde and Greene Restaurant, Wilkin Restaurant, Will's Place, Window To The World, Wing Zone, Yolo Mexican Eatery, Yummy Kabob Restaurant, Zelda's Kosher Gourmet Restaurant, Zito's Beef and Pizza, Zweig's Restaurant 
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Friday, May 5, 2023

Abraham Lincoln's Pet Peeves.

One thing that bothered Lincoln was dishonesty or deception, especially from politicians. He famously said, "I desire to so conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me."

Lincoln was also known to dislike wastefulness and inefficiency in government and bureaucracy. He believed the government should be run efficiently and effectively to serve the people.

Additionally, Lincoln was known to dislike certain aspects of the legal system, such as technicalities to avoid justice or the excessive use of legal procedures to delay trials. He once said, "Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them how the nominal winner is often a real loser ─ in fees, expenses, and waste of time."

Overall, Lincoln was a man of strong convictions and beliefs and likely had many things that he found frustrating or annoying. However, these are a few examples of things he was known to have disliked.
No, Not this kind of Pet Peeve.








Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.
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Thursday, May 4, 2023

Kiddie Park, 4200 North Harlem Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. (1939-1953)

Kiddy Park opened on April 29, 1939, at 4200 North Harlem Avenue, Chicago, by Charles “Charlie” F Reid. 

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In 1948, a local improvement association incorporated Norridge as a village, stymieing an effort by Chicago to annex the area.





CLICK THE IMAGES TO READ THEM.






On the same corner as KiddyTown Amusement Park (1953-1964), which opened on the east side of the future Harlem Irving Shopping Center, which opened in 1955, in Norridge, Illinois.


Charlie was quite the entrepreneur, opening the Charlie Reid Golf Circus just to the north of Kiddie Park. Soon after starting Kiddy Park, he branded himself as Montana Charlie and started a few businesses and sold some products under that brand.

Charlie Reid Golf Circus
I'm guessing that the Giraffe was too slim to hit at 250 yards.






If Daddy and Mother wish for recreation, they may visit the Charlie Reid Golf Circus, where they can practice their Golf in surroundings so unusual that every minute will be real joy and pleasure.

They may improve their Golf by aiming at animals─try, hitting the Elephant on the "noodle" at 250 yards─the Lion at 200 yards─they can try and hit a Tiger or a Clown─and all the time, they are improving their golf drive and having fun while they do it. 


Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.
Thank you, France Costabile, for the pictures and your story.

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Monday, May 1, 2023

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.

This year (2023) marks the 44th anniversary of celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage. 

The original observation was seven days beginning on May 4, 1979, as Asian Pacific American Heritage Week passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on October 5, 1978. 


President George H.W. Bush extended the celebration for the entire month on May 7, 1990, and designated it Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in Proclamation № 6130.

It is difficult to identify the "first" Asian in frontier Illinois since the history of Asians in Illinois' footprint dates back several centuries and is complex. However, it is known that Asians, particularly the region's indigenous peoples, have lived in what is now Illinois for thousands of years. 

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Illinois is the sixth largest state with 828,847 (2020 Census) Asians. California is home to 6,764,118 Asians, followed by New York with 1,884,346, and Texas comes in third with 1,656,166 Asian residents.

The first recorded Asian immigrants to Illinois were likely Chinese workers who helped build the transcontinental railroad between 1863 and 1869. It is also important to note that many Asians, mainly of South Asian descent, were brought to Illinois as indentured servants or slaves during the colonial era.

The first group of Japanese in Chicago arrived in 1892 with jobs and skills to build the Ho-o-den Pavilion at the World's Columbian Exposition.
Ho-o-den Pavilion at the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition.


Kamenosuke Nishi was the first known (documented) Japanese individual in Chicago. He relocated from San Francisco, California, in 1893 and opened a Gift Shop at 27th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue. Nishi parlayed his vision and honed his sales and management skills into $700,000 in profit.

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Today, Cottage Grove Avenue's north terminus is at 33rd Street, which heads only eastbound.

In the early 1900s, about 400 Japanese immigrants lived in Chicago. After WWII, the U.S. Government resettled 20,000 Japanese families or individuals to Chicago from World War II internment camps.

Because the Japanese did not emigrant to Chicago on their own, that alone denied them the opportunity to develop their unique neighborhood and identity, as Chinatown, Little Italy, Greek Town and other Chicago ethnic neighborhoods did.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.
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Saturday, April 29, 2023

The Murder of Labor Racketeer, Timothy “Big Tim” Murphy in 1928 Rogers Park, Chicago.

On June 26, 1928, Chicago labor racketeer Timothy D. Murphy, “Big Tim” (May 23, 1885-June 26, 1928), was shot to death at his Bungalow at 2525 West Morse Avenue in Chicago's Rogers Park community. Murphy was a Chicago mobster, labor racketeer, and U.S. mail thief who controlled several major railroads, laundry and dye workers' unions during the 1910s and early 1920s.
2525 West Morse Avenue, Rogers Park Community, Chicago, Illinois.




Timothy Murphy grew up in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. He was a towering 6' 3," slab-bodied and mostly genial boy who later boasted of selling newspapers to the famous meatpacker Jonathan Ogden Armour outside of the main offices of Armour & Company at 43rd Street and Racine Avenue. When he was older, Murphy got a job as a railroad switchman for the Chicago junction line, which would give him lifelong sympathy for the working man's plight.

Murphy was a devoted family man and had many friends. He was regarded as a great pal to just about everyone, but his dual nature made him dangerous when provoked. All the good work that he might have accomplished in labor organizing and politics was sabotaged by his associations with criminals and hoodlums ─ and by his own dabbling in crime. In 1909, he became involved with Mount Tennes, the so-called “Telegraph Gambling King” of Chicago. Tennes set up his first telegraph switchboard in a train station in Forest Park and received race results from tracks in Illinois, Kentucky and New York. Tennes had an illegal monopoly on the information. For a share of the profits, his operators sent the results to hundreds of bookie joints, gambling parlors and pool halls all over the city. Murphy’s alliance with Tennes earned him a huge amount of money but two years later, he sold Tennes out to a grand jury and walked away without a blemish on his record.

While working with Tennes, Murphy had learned the art of bribing public officials and decided to try out politics. In 1915, he ran a highly successful campaign for the state legislature, getting elected from the working-class, Irish-Catholic Fourth Ward. He used the clever slogan “Elect Big Tim Murphy ─ He’s a Cousin of Mine!” Murphy spent just one term in Springfield, returned to Chicago, and got involved in the labor rackets.

Through his friend, Maurice “Mossie” Enright, an organizer with the American Federation of Labor and a convicted murderer, he was able to organize gas station attendants, garbage collectors, and then street sweepers. Strikes, wage increases, and higher union dues followed, and Murphy got a percentage of everything. He and Enright operated from Old Quincy No. 9, a famous saloon at Randolph and LaSalle Streets, and for a time, the two men were inseparable. Eventually, the two men had a falling out over the division of proceeds from the settlement of a labor strike, and their friendship came to an end. Like Mount Tennes years before, Enright was blindsided by Murphy’s ruthless ambition.

On February 3, 1920, Enright was getting out of his car in front of his home on Garfield Boulevard when five men in another automobile pulled up and opened fire on him before he could draw his own revolver and defend himself. Enright was hit 11 times and was dead when the other car pulled away. His wife found him moments later, lying in a pool of his own blood. Tim Murphy, Michael Carozzo, the head of the Street Sweeper’s Union, and several others were arrested and questioned about the murder, but each man had an alibi and was let go.

You’re likely not surprised to learn that Enright’s murder still remains unsolved.

Murphy continued to run the three unions but was too restless and greedy to be happy with the small amount of money that was coming in. In 1920, he organized his first mail robbery. It went off without a hitch, understated and bloodless, and occurred after informants told Murphy about an overheard telephone conversation concerning money coming into the Pullman station. Two bags of cash that amounted to just over $125,000 were sent by insured, registered mail and arrived at the Illinois Central Station in Pullman on August 30. When the train pulled in, a bank messenger named Minsch was waiting on the platform. He signed for the sacks and tossed them onto a mail chute. Three boys with a cart earned a quarter each from Minsch by loading whatever he sent down the chute into his car. The boys were waiting but had trouble lifting the two bags. Two men were standing nearby, apparently waiting for someone, and saw the boys and walked over to help. The boys directed the men to take the bags to Minsch’s car, but they kept walking, tossed the two bags into the backseat of another car, and drove away. One of the men was Big Tim Murphy, and the other was his partner, Vincent Cosmano.

Unfortunately for Murphy, someone talked, and the two men were arrested and indicted by a grand jury. Murphy needed money for lawyers, so he decided to rob another train to get it.
(L-R) Tim Murphy, Fred Mader, John Miller, and Cornelius Shea during their murder trial in 1922.

 This time, he bribed a mail clerk in Indianapolis for a tip on a weekly shipment of cash and government Liberty Bonds that was sent to the Federal Reserve in Chicago. Murphy put together a crew (which included Cosmano, his long-time driver, Ed Guerin, Mike Carozzo, and two brothers, Frank and Pete Gusenberg), and they set up surveillance on the Dearborn Station at Polk Street. After they learned when the money shipment arrived, they pulled off the robbery on April 6. They escaped in a stolen Cadillac with $380,000 ($5,735,000 today).

It didn’t take long for the police to get suspicious, and the mail clerk that Murphy had bribed was the first to confess. Ed Guerin also talked because Murphy never gave him his share of the money. A judge issued a search warrant for the house where Murphy’s father-in-law lived, and postal inspectors found a trunk in the attic that was so heavy with cash and bonds that it took four men to haul it out. The bills in the trunk were brand new, and the Federal Reserve had a list of their serial numbers. The money, plus the two confessions, sent Murphy to Leavenworth for four years.
Big Tim Murphy and His Wife, Phyllis, in 1926.

Murphy was washed up when he was released from prison. But he was an eternal optimist and began devising new schemes to make money while his long-suffering wife, Florence, pestered him to find a suitable line of work.

Murphy wasn’t interested. There was too much money to be made as a criminal. He began cooking up a series of hare-brained schemes, including a banana plantation in Texas, a portable grocery store on wheels, a dog track, a travel agency, and even a plan to manufacture stop-and-go traffic lights. The latter was an idea ahead of its time, but no one was interested in what Big Tim was selling. He finally realized that the union dues of the rank and file, not his get-rich-quick schemes, made money, and he decided to take up where he had left off with labor organizing. He tried organizing tire dealers, jelly manufacturers, gasoline dealers, and garage workers, but none of them worked out.

Finally, he hatched a plan to take over the Cleaners and Dyers Union, a union with 10,000 members that was already controlled by Al Capone. Murphy stormed into the business office of the union on South Ashland Avenue with a gunman at his side and announced a “hostile takeover.” They surrendered.

Murphy’s attempt to take over a union run by Al Capone was the last mistake he ever made.

On the evening of June 26, 1928, Murphy was spending a quiet night at home in the West Rogers Park neighborhood on the far North Side. His wife was away at a church festival, and he was listening to the 1928 Democratic National Convention on the radio with his brothers-in-law, Harry and William Diggs. Around 11:00 pm., someone knocked loudly on the front door. Instead of going to the door, Murphy and Harry Diggs slipped out the side door and went around the house to see who was there. When they saw no one, Murphy walked across the front of the house and onto the lawn. Just then, gunfire broke out from a sedan that was parked on the street, and Murphy was shot down in the yard. As the car sped away, the Diggs brothers spotted four men inside, although none of them were ever identified.

Murphy was carried into the house, and as he lay dying, he tried desperately to say something to his brothers-in-law but died before he could speak. The police arrived before Florence returned from church. When she found her husband’s bloody body lying on the living floor, she collapsed on top of him and began to weep. She promised revenge: “If I knew who had killed Tim Murphy, I wouldn’t tell anybody ─ I wouldn’t wait for anybody. I’d take a gun and kill them as they killed him.”

Big Tim Murphy was laid to rest at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Alsip, Illinois, and unlike the gaudy gangster funerals of the 1920s, only a modest crowd attended the service. No gangland officials or politicians were at the service, although a few South Side and Back of the Yards characters did turn out for the wake the night before the burial. Too much had changed while Murphy had been in prison, and his hold on the Chicago rackets had slipped away in his absence. He was not a man anyone wanted to get close to, and even the tags on the funeral flowers were removed so that no outsider could know who sent them. The Catholic Church refused every form of funeral service, so an old friend who was an undertaker on the South Side recited the Lord’s Prayer, the only words spoken over his body.

It was a sad end to a man who started out with a lot of potential but greed and a failure to realize when ambition had gone too far finally cost him his life.

Ninety-five years after the shooting that claimed Big Tim's life, the bullet holes from that violent summer night are still visible in the yellow bricks of the bungalow where he once lived. They serve as the visible reminder of a man who never achieved fame in the annals of Chicago crime but left a bloody mark on it nonetheless. His murder was never solved.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.
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Friday, April 28, 2023

Couch Place, an Infamous Alley in Chicago's Loop.

The main walkway next to where the Oriental Theatre is called Couch Place [1]. It's the same alley that was adjacent to the Iroquois Theatre at the northeast corner of Randolph and Dearborn Streets 79-83 Randolph (after the 1911 Loop Renumbering; 36 West Randolph Street).


On Wednesday, December 30,1903, the deadliest theatre and single-structure fires in United States history occurred at Chicago's new "Iroquois Theatre." The first performance at the theatre, a standing-room-only matinée, starred the famous comedian Eddie Foy.

A stage light shorted and sparked during the show, setting fire to the curtain and quickly spreading doom throughout the theatre. Though everyone tried to make a break for it, there were some major flaws in the building design, like how all the fire escapes were unlabeled, locked, and opened inward, and the second-floor fire escape over the alley named Couch Place was unfinished. 

The Iroquois Theatre was billed as "Absolutely Fireproof" in advertisements and in the performances playbill. The spread of the fire is attributed to the large amount of inflammable stuff on the stage. Many people had been found dead in their seats in the balcony and gallery.

Regular "Iroquois" Prices: $1.50, $1.00, 75¢, 50¢

So, by failing to make it outside or jumping to the alley below out of desperation, 602 people died because of the Iroquois Theatre Fire (my robust article) that day.



One hundred and twenty years later, Couch Place is still considered haunted.

Compiled By Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.


People that believe there were no real safety standards for public buildings during the turn of the 20th Century, nothing could be further from the truth.

The construction manager, W.A. Merriam, had declared the building “absolutely fireproof”, although he had ignored a number of contemporary safety precautions. On the day of the fire, audience demand was so great to attend the ornate new theatre that there were 200 standing attendees; the fire vents were closed, and the theatre doors were locked. Even by the looser standards of the day, the construction company and theatre owners committed flagrant safety violations. According to some reports, the city safety inspectors had been bribed with free theatre tickets to ignore the offenses.

Very soon after the fire, a grand jury indicted five people: theatre owner Will Davis, Iroquois treasurer and assistant manager Thomas J. Noonan, and stage manager James E. Cummings–for manslaughter, and Chicago’s Building Commissioner Williams and Building Inspector Edward Laughlin–for malfeasance. Ultimately, the defense got the judge to dismiss the case by arguing that the city’s fire ordinances were invalid. No one was punished for the deaths of 602 victims.

The only positive outcome of this tragic event was the major overhaul of the city’s fire safety standards. Not only did the city of Chicago tighten its fire code, but other major cities changed their practices almost immediately as well. Shortly after this fire, New York and London made rules to stop locking theatre doors. The doors of the Iroquois had been locked to prevent people from sneaking in the theatre, which was one of the contributory factors to the high death toll. On June 8, 1904, New York introduced new building standards for theatres in response to the Iroquois tragedy. In 1904 the Von DuPrin company developed the panic bar (also called push bar or crash bar), a version of which is still used today so that people inside a locked building can now exit in an emergency. Most importantly, fire codes were updated throughout the country.


[1] Ira Couch (1806-1857) was a prominent early settler and entrepreneur in Chicago, Illinois, during the mid-19th century. Born in New York in 1806, Couch arrived in Chicago in 1834, just one year after the town was incorporated.

Upon his arrival in Chicago, Couch quickly established himself as a successful businessman. He founded several businesses, including a livery stable, a stagecoach line, and a hotel. In 1837, he built the Tremont House, one of Chicago's most famous hotels during the mid-19th century. The hotel was known for its luxurious accommodations and was a popular destination for politicians, business leaders, and other prominent figures.

Couch was also active in politics. He served as an alderman in the Chicago City Council in the 1840s and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1846. 

In 1850, Chicago was booming, and the Tremont Hotel was so overbooked that guests had to sleep in the halls. Within three years, Couch was a rich man. He rented the hotel to two men from Boston and retired on his riches.

In 1852, he was elected to the Illinois Senate.

Despite his success, Couch suffered financial setbacks in the mid-1850s. He was forced to sell the Tremont House in 1854 and was later sued by his creditors. He died in 1857, reportedly from complications related to alcoholism.


Couch lies in his Mausoleum in Lincoln Park when the area was a city cemetery.


The free PDF book, "The Great Chicago Theater Disaster, The Complete Story Told By The Survivors," published in 1904 by Marshall Everett. 

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