The History of Chicago's Treasure Island Grocery Store Chain.

Treasure Island Foods was founded in 1963 by Christ Kamberos and his brothers. Christ Kamberos was born in Chicago to Greek immigrants. His father sold produce from a push cart, and this early exposure to the food business sparked an interest in Christ that never waned. 

He grew up to become a grocery innovator, traveling the world to bring unusual and organic produce to Chicagoans. His stores were known for their wide selection of specialty products, and Julia Child once referred to Treasure Island as "America's most European supermarket."

Treasure Island's first store at 1639 North Wells Street, Chicago

Treasure Island's first store was opened at 1639 North Wells Street in the Old Town Triangle, Chicago, in 1964. The chain quickly expanded to include over 20 stores in the Chicago area. The Wells Street store was one of the most popular locations, and it was known for its convenient location in the Old Town Triangle and its wide selection of specialty foods.

The Treasure Island chain filed for bankruptcy in 2018, closing all stores. The Wells Street store was sold to a developer in 2019.

Christ Kamberos died on October 27, 2009. He is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Skokie, Illinois.

A timeline of the Treasure Island Grocery stores:

• 1963: The Treasure Island brand was founded by Christ Kamberos.
• 1964: The first store on Wells Street opens.
• 1980s-2010s: The Treasure Island chain expands to over 20 stores in the Chicago area.
• 2009: Christ Kamberos died.
• 2018: The Treasure Island chain files for bankruptcy, closing all its stores.
• 2019: The Wells Street store location was sold to a real estate developer.

Christ Kamberos (1926-2009)

Christ Kamberos (1926-2009), chief executive officer and President of Treasure Island Foods, offered selections from around the world. The store met approval in Chicagoland, a market with a diverse ethnic population that appreciated his mixture of exotic foods, fresh produce and flair. 

Mr. Kamberos won numerous awards from Fancy Food and Specialty Foods magazines for his innovative merchandising and creative food presentation. He was born on the West Side of Chicago in 1926, one of three brothers and three sisters of Greek immigrants. He served in the military during World War II. 

His business life began after the War. The Kamberos family opened the grocery chain Sure Save and sold the group of 10 stores to the National Food Supermarkets in 1961. In 1963, Mr. Kamberos and his brothers formed Treasure Island Foods.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen, the first woman to head a medical division at a coeducational university, Loyola University Medical School.

Born on March 26, 1863, Bertha Van Hoosen spent her early years on her parents' farm in Stony Creek Village, Michigan. Free to roam about and observe the life cycle of the animals on the farm, she later recalled that the toughness of farm life gave her a practical, realistic outlook. As a young girl, she attended several public schools close to her home before graduating from high school in Pontiac, Michigan, at age 17. Following the example of her older sister Alice, she enrolled in the literary department at the University of Michigan in 1880. She met two women who had decided to study medicine here, and their enthusiasm inspired her to follow in their footsteps. Despite her parents' refusal to finance her education, she enrolled in Michigan's medical department after receiving her bachelor's degree in 1884. To pay her way, she earned money teaching calisthenics at a high school, serving as an obstetrical nurse and teacher, and demonstrating anatomy. Four years later, she graduated with her doctor of medicine degree.

Dr. Van Hoosen accepted a series of residencies, first at the Woman's Hospital in Detroit, then at the Kalamazoo, Michigan, State Hospital for the Insane, and finally at the New England Hospital for Women and Children in Boston. She felt ready to begin private practice after four years of additional hospital training.

With money saved from her previous jobs, young Dr. Van Hoosen opened a private clinic in Chicago in late 1892. Like most new practices, hers grew slowly. To keep the practice afloat, she taught courses in anatomy and embryology at the Woman's Medical School of Northwestern University. At the same time, she continued her postgraduate training, accepting a clinical assistantship in gynecology at the Columbia Dispensary in Chicago (later reorganized as the Charity Hospital and Dispensary), where she received further instruction in surgery and obstetrics. As her medical expertise grew, Dr. Van Hoosen's private practice flourished, and she was in great demand as a teacher. 

Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen

In 1902, though her appointment was opposed by the male faculty, she was made a professor of clinical gynecology at the Illinois University Medical School, a position she held until 1912.

In 1913, Dr. Van Hoosen was appointed head of the gynecological staff at the Cook County Hospital, thus becoming one of the first women in the United States to receive a civil service appointment. In 1918, she was awarded a prestigious post as head of obstetrics at Loyola University Medical School, making her the first woman to head a medical division at a coeducational university. Dr. Van Hoosen continued to maintain her private practice and to serve as an attending physician at several additional Chicago hospitals.

Dr. Van Hoosen devoted herself to treating women and children throughout her career. In addition to helping develop better methods of prenatal care, she lectured widely on sex education as a member of the Chicago Woman's Club Committee on Social Purity. In addition, she pioneered the use of scopolamine-morphine anesthesia during childbirth. Popularly known as "twilight sleep," this form of anesthesia rendered patients unconscious without inhibiting their reflexes. Dr. Van Hoosen delivered thousands of healthy babies and published a book and several articles detailing her research.

Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen's Surgical Training.

An outspoken feminist, Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen grew increasingly vocal over the medical establishment's discriminatory treatment of women. Barred from membership in the Chicago Gynecological and Obstetrical Society and discouraged by her isolation within the American Medical Association, she called for a meeting of medical women in Chicago. Their panel led to the formation of the American Medical Women's Association in 1915, with Van Hoosen as the organization's first President.

In 1947, Bertha Van Hoosen, M.D., published an autobiography detailing her pioneering role in medicine and her abiding interest in women's health issues. After more than sixty years, she had done much to advance the position of women in medicine—training physicians, fostering closer ties among her women peers, and serving as a model for those striving to enter fields previously closed to women. In addition, Dr. Van Hoosen could reflect on a rewarding career teaching and practicing obstetrics.

Throughout her career, Dr. Van Hoosen trained several dozen women surgeons. She maintained close ties to her female colleagues, offering surgical assistance to her female peers throughout the United States and her travels through Europe and Asia. 

After retiring from practice in 1951 at age 88, she died of a stroke on June 7, 1952. She is buried at Old Stoney Creek Cemetery in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen's Illinois State Historical Society marker is located in the
South Lobby of the Fine Arts Building at 410 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago.
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Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Grant Park Stadium was renamed Soldier Field at the urging of Chicago’s Gold Star Mothers on November 11, 1925.

Opened on October 9, 1924, Grant Park Stadium was designed by the architecture firm of Holabird & Roche. Neo-classical in style, the design pays homage to the ancient Roman Colosseum, creating a venue that exudes strength, resilience, and a sense of grandeur. The original configuration was shaped like a U, with the structure's opening facing the Field Museum. This allowed for easy access to the field and a direct view of the Field Museum for spectators.

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According to the Chicago History Museum, the stadium was never officially known as Municipal Grant Park Stadium. The name was used in some news articles and promotional materials, but it was never officially adopted by the city or the Chicago Park District (founded on July 1, 1934).

Not originally intended to be a football stadium, the idea was to create a space to host various events, including sports, military drills, concerts, exhibitions, and community gatherings, while also serving as a place of remembrance. The design was inspired by classical architecture, featuring a colonnade facade with Doric columns that encircled the stadium. The seating bowl of the stadium was initially built using a wooden grandstand, which could accommodate around 45,000 spectators.

On November 11, 1925, the stadium was renamed Soldier Field to honor the city's World War I veterans. The name change was officially dedicated on November 27, 1926, during a football game between Army and Navy.

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In 1968, Soldier Field hosted the first Special Olympics. The City of Chicago changed the address of Soldier Field to 1410 Special Olympics Drive on June 24, 2018. This was done to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Special Olympics and to recognize the stadium's role as the birthplace of the movement.

The stadium became the permanent home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) in 1971.

In 1978, the plank seats were replaced with individual seats. To offer fans a better view, seats were moved closer to the field, increasing the stadium seating capacity to nearly 57,000. 

Throughout the mid-20th century, Soldier Field underwent renovations, including the construction of a grandstand in the open end of the U, the replacement of plank seating with individual seats in 1978, seats were moved closer to the field, a new press box, and the addition of more than 100 skyboxes. This increased spectator capacity to more than 66,000.

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Early  years hosted events included:

• The 1926 Army-Navy Football Game. 
• The second Dempsey-Tunney World Championship boxing match. 
• The University of Notre Dame has played 13 football games at Soldier Field, including. Notre Dame defeated Northwestern 13-6 on November 22. 
• Opening day Century of Progress ceremonies were held in Soldier Field on May 27, 1933. 

Ticket № 3. Opening Day World Fair Ceremonies at Soldier Field.

Major sporting events at Soldier Field include:

• The January 5, 1986, NFL Divisional playoffs and the January 12 Championship games were held at Soldier Field, leading to the Chicago Bears winning Super Bowl XX against New England Patriots, 46 to 10, in the Louisiana Superdome on January 26, 1986.
• Three 1994 FIFA World Cup Games Held at Soldier Field: 
• June 17, 1994: The opening ceremony, emceed by Oprah Winfrey, and the opening game, featuring defending champion Germany.
• June 21, 1994: Germany vs. Spain.
• July 2, 1994: Germany vs. Belgium; Brazil won the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

However, the most controversial chapter in Soldier Field's architectural journey occurred in the early 2000s when the stadium underwent a major renovation. The Chicago Park District, which owns the property, faced substantial criticism when it announced plans to alter the stadium with a design by Benjamin T. Wood and Carlos Zapata of Wood & Zapata in Boston. The stadium grounds were reconfigured by local architecture firm Lohan Associates, led by architect Dirk Lohan, grandson of Mies van der Rohe.

The renovation aimed to modernize Soldier Field while preserving its historic façade. Completed in 2003, the updated Soldier Field retained its classic colonnade while incorporating a bold and contemporary design. Adding a glass and steel structure, known as the "Grand Concourse," brought a jolt of modernity to the stadium, while the two elliptical seating structures on either side of the original colonnades are striking additions to the structure.

While the innovative design allowed for enhanced amenities, increased seating capacity, and improved accessibility for fans, many preservationists, architecture critics and residents were not thrilled about the renovation. The modern additions were seen as incongruous with the stadium's neoclassical origins. "It looks like a spaceship landed." Debates about the design of the stadium continue today.

Despite the controversy, Soldier Field attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators for NFL games, athletic events, concerts and more. As the Chicago Bears look to move their home field to another location, the future of the iconic field by the lake is yet to be determined.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.