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Today is a special day. One of my personal areas of interest since becoming involved with the historic highways of Chicago and the U.S. has been a little filling station located at 3801 W. Ogden Avenue on the city’s west side. (I have a story about the station on my website here.) Built in 1925 and operated by John J. Murphy for over 40 years, the building is often referred to as the Castle Car Wash. This is the name painted on the front—likely the last entity to attempt to use the building for commercial purposes.  The building has been sitting vacant and deteriorating for the last 20 years or so. Subject to benign neglect during the long economic decay of the surrounding North Lawndale neighborhood, new commercial and residential improvements in the area puts new pressure on the historic structure’s survival.  Today, Landmarks Illinois drew needed attention toward the Murphy Filling Station when they placed it on their 2009 Chicagoland Watch List of endangered historic structures. In operation for more than 30 years, Landmarks Illinois has saved countless architectural and historic treasures throughout the state of Illinois. For more information about Landmarks Illinois and the Chicagoland Watch List, visit http://www.Landmarks.org.  The Watch List includes many structures, all worthy of preservation. Landmarks Illinois is also highlighting the importance of neon signs, another part of our commercial landscape that is disappearing. To see the entire watch list, click here.    

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This post has two purposes. One, to inform all who care that the Upcoming Events page (link to the right) has been updated. I have added a few more dates for June library presentations of the Historic Route 66 PowerPoint slide show and lecture. Also added is the current schedule of events for July.

The schedule is daunting, since I am also looking for a permanent income stream (a.k.a. job) and going to school. So, I have asked a friend to become our Windy City Road Warrior Roving Correspondent. His first photos from the road are on our flickr sight at this link:

Collection: Roving Correspondent

So, I hope you enjoy the photos and stories of our Roving Correspondent for the next few weeks. Everybody please have a happy and safe Memorial Day holiday weekend!

Regards,

Dave Clark, your Windy City Road Warrior

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On Thursday night, January 10th, I had the pleasure to present a short talk and slide show about Route 66 to the volunteer docents of the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Ever since I moved to Chicago over 25 years ago, I have learned more about the city and its famous buildings through the programs of this fine organization than from any other resource. They offer the very best walking tours of Chicago’s Loop and neighborhoods, emphasizing the built environment yet always providing contextual background of the people and history involved.

The tours are led by volunteer docents who receive extensive training. The program is so popular that there is often a waiting list of people who would like to become volunteer docents!

The CAF also offers exhibits in the atrium lobby of the Santa Fe building, located at the northwest corner of Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue (the intersection that was the original starting point of Route 66 and a crossroads for such famous highways as the Yellowstone Trail, the Dixie Highway, the Pontiac Trail, and U.S. 12, 14, 20, 32, 34, 41, and 54). Their store at the same location offers the best selection of architecture related items and books on Chicago.

I encourage anyone coming to Chicago to take one of MY tours, but to take as many tours with the CAF as you can as well!

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The recent snow melt and rain is causing flood conditions in central Illinois along the Kankakee and Vermilion rivers. The Route 66 town of Pontiac is affected by the flooding on the Vermilion, although it seems that most of the damage is on the east side of town. I just got off the phone with Jim Jones at the Route 66 Hall of Fame Museum, and he said that the Museum and downtown Pontiac are not affected. Livingston County has been declared a state disaster area, and unfortunately some light rain is expected later today.