Winthrop Avenue Family Historical Garden, Uptown, Chicago

The Winthrop Avenue Family Historical Garden was established by the City of Chicago 46th Ward, Uptown United and the surrounding community to recognize the founding families’ contribution to the Uptown neighborhood and to provide green development in an urban residential setting. The garden brings together the residential and commercial neighbors, building an oasis in one of Chicago’s most densely populated neighborhoods. Read about upcoming events, including Summer Garden Fun in August and a Fall Festival in October by visiting Uptown United.

Kinetic Playground Tour Poster for Byrds, Muddy Waters, Fleetwood Mac

Does anyone remember when the Byrds, Muddy Waters, Genesis and Fleetwood Mac played the Kinetic Playground? Must've been quite the show!

Reproduction poster available here

Starting a New Blog of Images from All Across Chicago

For those who might be interested, I'm starting a similar blog with historical images from all across Chicago. It only has a few posts so far, but give me time. It will take a while to get everything I have uploaded. ;-)

Here's the link: http://historychicago.blogspot.com

4850 N. Sheridan, Uptown, Chicago

4850 N. Sheridan, image available at auction; click here

What a gorgeous building this was! Click to enlarge to see the terra cotta detail.

EKKO Stamp from WEBH, the Radio Station of the Edgewater Beach Hotel

EKKO Stamp for WEBH, Chicago

To learn more about radio reception stamps, go to Collecting EKKO Stamps.

Vintage Concert Posters -- Aragon Ballroom, Chicago

Grand Funk Railroad

Rolling Stones

Mars Volta

Nine Inch Nails

Uptown Gets (Very Brief) Mention in Minneapolis Star Tribune

See article here. Nice to have Uptown mentioned by newspapers in other states.

Another View of the Marine Hospital on Clarendon, Uptown, Chicago

We've previously posted a few images of the Marine Hospital, once located at 4141 N. Clarendon in Uptown, Chicago, but this one is of particular interest because it was taken by Charles R. Childs, who took thousands of images of Chicago neighborhood streets a hundred years ago.

It's currently available at auction here: Marine Hospital

Historic Patio Theatre of Chicago to Reopen

This is very exciting news for fans of vintage movie palaces. The Patio Theatre at 6008 W. Irving Park will be reopening this year. Let's hope the Uptown can experience the same. Posted on the Facebook Uptown Theatre fan page:

The Patio is reopening sometime later this year, thanks to Demetri & his father's hard work. They'll need everyones support to keep her afloat, and we can't wait to have the theatre back. Help them spread the word. Become a fan today!

Be sure to go to the Patio Theatre Fan Page and become a fan.

Learn more about the Patio and keep up to date on its opening at PatioTheater.net

From the Patio Theater site:

Enjoy an evening at the movies under twinkling stars and moving clouds.

In an open space of 1500 seating capacity.

The largest single screen in Chicagoland.

A state of the art sound system featuring Dolby SR and JBL speakers.

A grand neo-Pompeian lobby restored to original elegance.

The Patio Theater located on the Chicago’s northwest side is the only movie palace of the bygone era still in service to the community. Lovingly restored and decorated in the grand tradition complete with all the elements that make a night at the movie a memorable experience for the whole family to enjoy. Come and see your favorite movies at popular prices ($5.00 per person) on one giant screen under a simulated blue sky, flickering stars and moving clouds.

Located at 6008 W. Irving Park Rd, Chicago Illinois 60634

www.patiotheater.net

Windy City Ribfest, Uptown Chicago, and a Historic View of Uptown Square

windy city ribfest
Originally uploaded by kevin_byrne

It's great to see Uptown's streets full of people enjoying themselves! The top image was taken last weekend at Windy City Ribfest 2010 by Flickr user Kevin Byrne, shared here through the site's "Blog This" feature. It's been about 15 or 20 years since Uptown has hosted a similar street festival.

Uptown Square used to be a frequent gathering place for the neighborhood's residents. The vintage photo below, from the Chicago Daily News negatives collection, shows a similar scene in Uptown Square as residents await the election results in 1920.

Here's the original caption:

View of a crowd at North Broadway and West Lawrence Avenue in the Uptown community area of Chicago, Illinois, watching election returns on the night of Nov. 4, 1920. The returns are projected on a large screen stretched above the crowd. DN-0009882, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society, Library of Congress

View of Historic Colvin House -- Sheridan Road, Looking North from Thorndale

Sheridan Road, north of Thorndale — Image available at auction, click here

From a time when Sheridan was a quiet street. The house on the far left is the Colvin House, designed by George W. Maher, who also designed many of the homes along historic Hutchinson Street in Uptown. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

"The Colvin House is a house in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The house was built in 1909 by George W. Maher. It was designated a Chicago Landmark on October 5, 1994. This residence was built for Alexander R. Colvin, a physician, and his wife, Sarah Tarleton Colvin, a founder of the Minnesota Nurses Association and an activist in the suffrage movement. Sarah Colvin was chairperson from 1915-1920 of the Minnesota branch of the Congressional Union (later the National Woman's Party). She was jailed twice in 1918 in Washington, D.C. for displaying a suffrage banner in front of the White House and for burning President Woodrow Wilson in effigy. When this house was built it was not connected to the city water and sewer system. The Colvins dug their own well."

Here is what Chicago Landmarks has to say:

"This large-scale residence, one of the most distinguished to survive along Sheridan Road, epitomizes the distinctive architectural style of its designer. Dominant central entries, broad hipped roofs, bold rectangular massing, and complementary landscaping are common features of the work of this well-known architect, who began his career working for Frank Lloyd Wright."


Image below from Google Maps, of how the street looks today. Click labels link below for more images of Sheridan Road.


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West side of Winthrop, just north of Thorndale, Edgewater, Chicago

Winthrop at Thorndale, Edgewater; image available at auction

Another great image currently for auction! It shows the west side of Winthrop Avenue, just north of Thorndale. It looks quite different today! Image below from Google Maps.


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5943 N. Kenmore at Thorndale, Edgewater, Chicago

5943 Kenmore (at Thorndale); image available at auction

A great image from when Kenmore had a large number of mansions. Today, this stretch is filled with apartment buildings, as seen on Google maps:



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Fire at 5050 N. Sheridan, Uptown, Chicago, 1981

An old press photo of a fire at 5050 N. Sheridan, Chicago, in 1981.

Into the Magic Hedge at Montrose Point, Uptown, Chicago

"With its sparsely used beach, a rarity along the lakefront's endless miles, Montrose Point serves its own free spirits, many of them Hispanic-Americans from nearby Uptown who transform the wide lawns of the Montrose Harbor area into soccer fields, and retirees who fish off the pier from early morning to nighttime. But all has not always been fun and games here..."

To read more about the hauntings of Montrose Point, go here.

Selected from the book More Chicago Haunts: Scenes From Myth and Memory.

Admiring rich people's graves at the Graceland Cemetery and then it rained.

I was surfing through Flickr today, and came across this picture taken at Graceland Cemetery. I loved the colors, so I'm posting it here, along with the original uploader's comments, through the "blog this" feature.

Admiring rich people's graves at the Graceland Cemetery and then it rained.
Originally uploaded by ok2smile

Graceland Cemetery is a large Victorian-era cemetery located in the north side community area of Uptown, in the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Established in 1860, its main entrance is at Clark and Irving Park. The Sheridan stop on the Red Line is the nearest CTA "L" station.

The Cemetery is open to all to visit, and its architectural masterpieces, local history and beauty are the magnets that attract people to Graceland. While architects from the traditional to the father of skyscrapers and modern masters take center stage, you’ll find that Graceland also holds fascinating stories of private eyes and public figures, baseball and boxing greats, merchants and inventors and other unique individuals.

Sheridan Road, Looking North from Bryn Mawr, Edgewater, Chicago, 1910

Sheridan North from Bryn Mawr; Image Available for Sale Here

The vintage view is circa 1910; the image below shows Sheridan Road looking north from Bryn Mawr, as it is today. Not exactly a quiet, shady street anymore.


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Winthrop Towers, 6151 N. Winthrop, Edgewater Chicago, Circa 1920s

Image available for purchase. Click here: Winthrop Towers

What a great find! Winthrop Towers on Winthrop Avenue in Chicago. Image is dated 1928. Compare it with the street view on Google, below.

The building to the far right in the vintage image is now gone, replaced by a parking lot. The building on the far left is--in the vintage image--still under construction. Today, there is a large four-plus-ones between it and Winthrop Towers.


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Uptown Gem Restored and For Rent -- Sheridan Plaza, Uptown Chicago

One of my all-time favorite Uptown buildings has been restored and is currently for rent--the Sheridan Plaza.

See the article here.

Click the labels and links below to take you to more historic photos and histories of the Sheridan Plaza.

Edgewater Presbyterian Church, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, Edgewater, Chicago

Edgewater Presbyterian Church Image Available on eBay

Edgewater Presbyterian Church is part of the Bryn Mawr Historic District, which is Bryn Mawr Avenue between Broadway Avenue and Sheridan Road. Its most prominent features are the Belle Shore Apartment Hotel, Bryn Mawr Apartment Hotel, Edgewater Beach Apartments, Edgewater Presbyterian Church, Manor House, and the northernmost area of Lincoln Park.

The scene today:


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Church Web site: http://edgewaterpres.org 

Researching Your Old Chicago House -- Part 1

If you're fortunate enough to live in an older Uptown residence--house, two-flat, former resident hotel, etc.--there are resources available to help you learn more about your home's history. We'll be featuring a few of these over the course of the next week.

The first is a document provided by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, 1998 called Your House Has a History. It provides several steps for researching your home's history, including:

1. Checking the Chicago Historic Resources Survey
2. Finding a Copy of the Building Permit When Your House Was Built
3. Researching the construction, architect, etc.
4. How to find information on previous owners
5. How to find original plans, drawings, photos
6. Researching your neighborhood history

Of particular interest is the map showing the years for various annexations of land to the City. Chicago building records only exist for structures built after the Great Fire of 1871. Building records also don't exist for houses built prior to their neighborhood's annexation by the City of Chicago. (According the map, the area including Uptown was annexed in 1890. Before that, neighborhoods like "Argyle Park" were separate communities.) In rare cases, these building records may be found at local historical societies


http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/pdf/Your_House_Has_A_History.pdf

Jeff Beck Group at the Kinetic Playground (Rainbo Gardens) Chicago

A vintage poster from the Kinetic Playground on Clark, in the home of the old Rainbo Gardens. Available here: Kinetic Playground

Southeast Corner of Hazel and Galt ( Now Agatite ) Uptown Chicago

Here's an example of a street-name change. Galt Avenue was changed to Agatite. According to the Chicago History Museum, "Agatite Ave...once thought to be named after the Agitate tree of the West Indies, but there is no such tree so the name remains a mystery." According to the same source, Hazel was named after the Hazel nut.

Here's a vintage view of the southeast corner:

The view today:


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St. Mary of the Lake Church, Uptown, Chicago

Here's a great item for folks collecting Uptown history. Up for auction is the 75th (1976) anniversary book for Saint Mary of the Lake Church located in Uptown in Chicago.  Hardcover, 72 pages.  History of parish with many, many early photos.  Coverage of school as well.  Some interesting neighborhood shots as well.  Very good condition, pages clean and crisp, some cover wear. Image currently on eBay, item 350297885520.

 

Little Johnny Brown with Ella Jenkins, Uptown Music

We had posted information about this record a while back, and have heard from a few of the people who had originally sang with Ella. You can read their comments here.

Ella Jenkins (born August 6, 1924) is an American folk singer. Dubbed “The First Lady of the Children’s Folk Song” by the Wisconsin State Journal, Jenkins has been a leading performer of children’s music for fifty years.

In the 1970s, she put together an album of tunes with the backup help of a group of Uptown Chicago school kids, now reissued by Smithsonian Folkways.

Lakeview Village Restaurant Chicago

Lake View Township is comprised of the Edgewater, Uptown, and Lake View neighborhoods. Does anyone know where the restaurant that this plate came from might have been located?

Vintage Views of Montrose Harbor, Uptown, Chicago

Now on eBay, items 300361405501, 360233819210. Try your luck and win a bit of Uptown history.

Yankee Doodle Doo Restaurant -- 4731 Broadway in Uptown, Chicago