Archive for the ‘Chicago’ Category

Vintage Chicago Route 66 Filling Station Saved

Monday, August 24th, 2009

The Castle in its derelict stage

The Castle in its derelict stage


There is good news indeed along Route 66 in Chicago! The John J. Murphy Filling Station at 3801 W. Ogden Avenue, is currently being spruced up and adapted for reuse as a restaurant. The castle-styled station was built in 1925, and Mr. Murphy operated it for over 45 years. It changed names a few times in the 1970s, likely due to Mr. Murphy’s retirement or sale of the business. Its last use was as the Castle Car Wash. It was in this last, likely failed attempt at commercial use that the lettering was painted onto the stone facade.

The castle stood vacant and deteriorating for many years, but it caught the eye of many a traveler with an eye for fine roadside architecture. Earlier this year, Landmarks Illinois placed the castle on their Chicagoland Watch List. Every time I drove down Ogden, I worried that I would look over and see the old castle demolished.

The Castle Turret as it looks now

The Castle Turret as it looks now

Imagine my delight when I received a call a while ago from a gentlemen who said he had signed a deal to refurbish the castle and use it as a restaurant. As you can see from this photo, the stone has been tuckpointed and all painted lettering has been removed.

I will be meeting the man behind the refurbished castle soon. Stay tuned for more information!

Posted in Chicago, Eateries, Illinois, US | No Comments »

Two New Presentations from Windy City Road Warrior

Friday, August 21st, 2009

For the last two years, I have enjoyed meeting people at libraries, museums, social meetings, and senior centers while presenting my programs on Route 66, the Plan of Chicago, and the Roads that Lead to Lincoln. Now, I have added two more PowerPoint presentations to our portfolio:

  • The Architects of Chicago’s Route 66, and
  • The Illinois & Michigan Canal: Past and Present

    • 1930s postcard view of Chicago's skyline from Grant ParkThe Architects of Chicago’s Route 66 presentation is based upon an award-winning series of articles that has appeared in the Federation News, the quarterly publication of the National Historic Route 66 Federation, since 2007. The structures along the Route 66 corridor in Chicago, where Route 66 began its western journey, were the face that the city presented to visitors and travelers. Architects whose work graced the Chicago Loop thoroughfares that carried Route 66 traffic (Jackson Boulevard, Michigan Avenue, and Adams Street) include W. W. Boyington, William Le Baron Jenney, Daniel Burnham, John Root, William Holabird, Martin Roche, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mies van der Rohe. This program will look at the reasons why this corridor became a haven for travelers and visitors. It will also explore the evolution and changes of the built environment over the course of the highway’s commissioned life from the perspective of the architectural styles of the designers that shaped it.

    Stonework and footbridge over the I & M Canal at LockportThe Illinois & Michigan Canal: Past and Present will take a look at the long prelude to the building of the canal. Starting with the first exploration of the future canal corridor by French-Canadians Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, through the protection of the area by the U.S. Fort Dearborn, and then the succession of treaties with the Native Americans that ceded control of the area to the Federal government. The promise of the canal, which would create an unbroken navigable highway of water from the Great Lakes to the vast Mississippi River system, led to such decisions as where to draw the border between the new state of Illinois in 1818 and the Wisconsin Territory to the north.

    It was the building of the canal that created a need for a municipality on the southwest shore of Lake Michigan–Chicago. Through this planned city, platted on paper before it ever existed on the swampy tall-grass prairie, it was expected that the goods and commerce transferred between large lake vessels and canal barges would bring wealth to Illinois and create a gateway between the settled east and frontier west.

    The presentation’s final section will be a virtual tour of the Illinois & Michigan Canal corridor as it looks today, and it will showcase many of the places of historical and recreational interest that travelers can visit now. These sites include preserved sections of the canal and its limestone and wood structure in Lemont, Lockport, Morris, and LaSalle, and a look at the marvelous exhibits about early explorations and canal building at Will County’s Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville and the Joliet Area Historical Museum.

    We are also continuing all four of our current presentations, and I am eager to bring them to any venue with an interest. For more information on any of the presentations, please check out the Presentations page on this blog.

    Posted in Chicago, Events, Presentations, Scenic Byways | 1 Comment »

    Join me at the Printers Row Lit Fest

    Sunday, May 31st, 2009

    For the second year in a row, I will be selling and signing my books and related items at the Printers Row Lit Fest, billed by the event’s sponsor, the Chicago Tribune, as the Midwest’s largest literary event! The Fest will be held June 6-7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. I will be at the tent of the Illinois Womens Press Association (IWPA), where I will be offering my three books: Exploring Route 66 in Chicagoland, Images of America: Route 66 in Chicago, and The Roads that Lead to Lincoln. More information about the Lit Fest, including a downloadable map of the event, is available here:

    Printers Row Lit Fest — chicagotribune.com

    The IWPA tent will be located on Dearborn Street, just a little bit north of Polk Street. Please stop by! If you already own a copy of one or more of my books, feel free to bring them with you so I can sign them. Here’s hoping I see many of you this coming weekend in Chicago!

    Posted in Books, Chicago, Events | No Comments »

    Route 66 Detour in Chicago Starting June 1, 2009

    Sunday, May 31st, 2009

    The warning signs of an impending closure of Jackson Boulevard (eastbound Route 66) have been up for several weeks now, and it will become a reality tomorrow morning after rush hour:

    Jackson Blvd. stretch to close Monday A.M. – Chicago Breaking News

    Quoting from the Tribune article:

    Jackson Boulevard between Canal Street and Wacker Drive is scheduled to close after Monday morning’s rush period for major bridge repairs.

    Traffic will be affected as work begins to rebuild the Jackson viaduct spanning Union Station’s south passenger platforms and 16 tracks, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.

    On the website for the Chicago Transit Authority, it is noted that the work on Jackson is expected to last until April 2010. Although only one block of Jackson is being rebuilt, it is a tricky section because it is a viaduct that rises from ground level at Clinton Street to pass above the railroad tracks of Union Station. East of the construction zone is the Jackson double bascule bridge over the Chicago River.

    What does this mean to the Route 66 traveler? Well, if you drive into Chicago on Route 66 eastbound, you will be unaffected all the way to the block that contains Lou Mitchell’s restaurant. You will then need to detour, either by turning south at Clinton Street or north at Canal Street.  I would suggest that the best detour would likely be south on Clinton one block to Van Buren, east (left) on Van Buren across the river to Wacker Drive, north (left) on Wacker back to Jackson, then east (right) on Jackson the rest of the way to the end of 66 at Lake Shore Drive. Westbound Route 66 will not be affected, since it travels on Adams Street.

    Posted in Chicago, Highways, Railroads, Scenic Byways, US | 1 Comment »

    David G. Clark Wins Communications Awards

    Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

    David Clark won 3 IWPA Awards in 2008, and 2 in 2009

    David Clark won 3 IWPA Awards in 2008, and 2 in 2009

    On May 16, 2009, the Illinois Women’s Press Association (IWPA) held their annual Spring Awards Luncheon to honor the winners of the Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest. Chicago author David G. Clark, also known as the Windy City Road Warrior, was honored to win First Place in two categories for his published articles that use historic highway Route 66 through the Chicago area as their unifying theme.

    In the Special Series category, Clark won the first place award for three of his articles that appeared in the Federation News, the quarterly publication of the National Historic Route 66 Federation. The series, titled “Architects of Chicago’s Route 66,” discussed the careers and buildings of architects Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. The contest judges commented that the series exhibited “reporting that bridges the gap between history and the current community” and contained “meticulous research.” The articles were published in the Spring, Summer, and Autumn 2008 editions of the Federation News.

    In the Special History Articles category, Clark won first place for “Filling the Skies with Commerce” parts 1 and 2, published in the Spring and Summer 2008 editions of Route 66 Magazine. These articles recounted some events of aviation history that occurred along the Route 66 corridor in the Chicago area. The contest judges wrote in comment, “Documenting the early aviators of Chicago and the city’s fascinating history with flying was a great subject. Clark’s river (ocean?) of facts is almost overwhelming. Reading Clark is like taking a drink from a fire hose.”

    In all, 36 members of the IWPA won 110 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and honorable mention awards in the Communications Contest. As stated by the IWPA, “This competition recognizes excellence in communications and covers a wide range of categories in print and electronic media, books, photography, advertising, and public relations.” The first place winners are automatically entered into the contest of the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW). Winners of the national awards will be announced at the September 10-12 NFPW conference in San Antonio, Texas.

    The Silver Feather Award, given to the contest participant with the highest score for all submissions, was won by Suzanne Hanney, editor-in-chief of Chicago’s Streetwise, a weekly publication sold by homeless vendors. The contest also honored 69 students for their winning entries in the High School Communications division.

    The NFPW and the IWPA are organizations “of professional women and men pursuing communications careers in journalism, public relations, advertising, graphic design, new media, marketing, photography, book publishing, education, and more. The organization[s]…[are]…dedicated to professional excellence and the right and responsibilities of the First Amendment.”

    David G. Clark also won awards last year from the IWPA Communications Contest. In 2008, Clark took top honors in the Non-Fiction History Book category for Images of America: Route 66 in Chicago and in the Special History Articles category for “Architects of Chicago’s Route 66: John Root and D.H. Burnham,” published in the Route 66 Federation News. From the same “Architects of Chicago’s Route 66” series, Clark’s article on William LeBaron Jenney garnered a second place honor.

    In June 2008, Clark received the Founder’s Award from the Route 66 Preservation Foundation for his role as “ambassador” to people visiting the eastern end of the historic highway in Chicago. In addition to his writings, Clark gives guided tours of Chicago’s history, transportation, and architecture, and presents PowerPoint programs at local libraries and social organizations.

    Posted in Awards, Chicago, Events | 3 Comments »

    Motor Tour Cruisers invited to take a Walk in Chicago

    Saturday, April 11th, 2009

    On Friday, June 12th, participants in this year’s Illinois Motor Tour are invited to take a walking tour in Chicago at a discount price. In keeping with the theme of the 20th anniversary Motor Tour, Cruising the Land of Lincoln, the walking tours will emphasize the historic places visited by Abraham Lincoln or his family along the Route 66 corridor in Chicago’s Loop. Two tours will be offered:

    A highlight of the East Tour is a visit to the 'Begin Historic Route 66' sign

    A highlight of the East Tour is a visit to the 'Begin Historic Route 66' sign

    10 a.m. June 12th—East Loop Tour. We will start at LaSalle Street and Jackson Boulevard and walk east to Michigan Avenue, the original place where Route 66 began. We will walk north along Michigan to Adams Street (westbound Route 66 after 1953) and walk back to LaSalle Street. Lincoln locations along the way include the site of the hotel where Mary Todd Lincoln lived at the time of her alleged suicide attempt; where Robert Todd Lincoln worked when he was President of the Pullman Palace Railcar Company; where Tad Lincoln attended school; and where Lincoln’s funeral train arrived in Chicago in May 1865. Other highlights include the world’s tallest building with weight-bearing walls and the Tiffany mosaics of the Marquette Building. Of course, we will also discuss Route 66! The tour will last approximately two hours and covers about one leisurely mile (no stairs).

    Union Station, on the West Loop Tour

    Union Station, on the West Loop Tour

    1 p.m. June 12th—West Loop Tour.     We will start at LaSalle and Adams Streets and walk south to Jackson, then west to Clinton Street. After a visit to Union Station, we will walk back east on Adams to LaSalle. Lincoln locations along the way that we will discuss will be the old Chicago & Alton depot, where Lincoln’s Pullman funeral car departed for Springfield in May 1865; the place where Lincoln was nominated as President; where Lincoln worked as a commissioner for the Illinois & Michigan Canal; and where Lincoln argued in Federal Court on behalf of the Rock Island Railroad in the Effie Afton case. Other highlights of the tour include Sears Tower, the movable bridges over the Chicago River, and a look at Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant. And yes, we will talk about Route 66 all along the way. The tour will last approximately two hours and covers about one leisurely mile (some optional stair climbing).

    Tours normally cost $15 per person, but Motor Tour participants and members of the Route 66 Association of Illinois will receive a discount for these June 12th tours. Participants taking either one of the tours will receive a 33% discount–$10 per person. Anyone interested in taking both tours will receive a 50% discount—only $15 per person for both tours—like getting two tours for the price of one!

    Reservations are required: Call Dave Clark at 312-432-1284, or email dave@windycityroadwarrior.com. So come to Chicago on June 12th to Follow in Lincoln’s footsteps as we get our Kicks on Chicago’s Route 66!

    Posted in Chicago, Events, Highways, Lincoln, US | 1 Comment »

    “Land of Lincoln” Slogan

    Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

    At one of my presentations of the Roads That Lead to Lincoln program at a library recently, I was asked when “Land of Lincoln” became the official slogan of Illinois. Since I did not know, I did a bit of research and came up with the year 1954. Here below is an excerpt from a Chicago Tribune article that touches on the subject:

    Chicago Tribune article March 14, 1954

    Chicago Tribune article March 14, 1954


    Thus, the “Land of Lincoln” slogan was adopted to serve as an advertisement for Illinois tourism, and first appeared on the license plates of the state in 1954. It is interesting that some business leaders felt that a better choice would be “Convention Center,” since Illinois was then building a new convention building in Chicago. They felt it would be better use of the licenses to push the convention business, rather than the state’s historic legacy.
    Another criticism of the slogan came from Indiana and Kentucky, both states where Abraham Lincoln also lived. In reaction to this criticism and in concern that those states might decide to use the slogan as well, Illinois received trademark protection on the slogan in 1955.

    Posted in Chicago, Illinois History | 2 Comments »

    How the 2016 Olympic Bid affects needed Chicago Planning initiatives

    Thursday, March 26th, 2009

    Last fall, I wrote an academic paper entitled Planning Chicago: A Century of Lessons. The paper touched on many planning subjects and initiatives, including mass transit, green technology, and rail freight improvements. The following excerpt deals specifically with the 2016 Olympia Bid and its dangers:

    Currently, the city of Chicago is using a bid for the 2016 Olympics to jump-start many planning initiatives, hoping that the potential prestige of the games will convince state and federal politicians to fund mass transit and infrastructure improvements. MarySue Barrett, president of the nonprofit Metropolitan Planning Council, states, “The Olympics force you to be forward-looking in thinking. People need to think about it not as a one-time event but as a preparation for the next wave of residential and commercial investment and corporate relocation and expansion” (Krohe, July 2007, p. 50). Advocates of the Olympic bid are hoping that the games will be the “Big Plan” that will unite state residents, business leaders, and politicians of both political parties behind the Chicago region’s needed infrastructure improvements…

    Our current reliance on using the 2016 Olympic bid to create results is a gamble that might backfire if another city succeeds in landing the Olympics. The city of Chicago is hoping that their attempt to become the host city for the 2016 summer Olympic Games will influence the state and national legislators to fund needed transportation improvements for the Chicago region… The concern is that a negative response to Chicago’s bid might have a cascading negative effect on…needed initiatives. Since the Olympic bid is being put forward as the impetus for these programs, will a Chicago failure in the Olympic pursuit lead to a lack of support for the infrastructure improvements?

    As a region, Chicago must unite behind planning initiatives on their own merit in order to ensure their adoption and completion. Their benefits far outweigh the short-term gains of a successful Olympics bid, and they are too important to ignore if the Olympic bid is unsuccessful. All sectors of society stand to gain from planning improvements, and most lose if we fail. Eventually, problems must be solved, and the cost of doing so in the future is much greater, and the benefit much smaller, than if the problems are tackled now. We must not only make “no little plans,” we must act on the plans that we make.

    The entire paper can be viewed as a pdf here.

    Posted in Chicago, Events, Highways, Planning, Railroads, Trucking | No Comments »

    Dissenting Opinions on Chicago’s 2016 Olympic Bid

    Thursday, March 26th, 2009

    The Huffington Post has this interesting article by Tom Tresser, a Chicago educator and oranizer, addressing concerns about the city’s attempt to host the 2016 Olympic Games.

    2009-03-24-No_Gamestiny.jpg

    Here is a small quote:

    Tom Tresser: No Games Chicago Rallies April 2nd

    The games organizers often talk about “economic impact” and “lasting legacy” for the games.
    The likely impact and legacy will be debt, displacement and diminished public parks.

    While I am not as staunchly against the Olympia bid as Tresser and the other protesters, I do understand their concerns. I wrote a paper on this subject last fall, which I will be posting up shortly.

    Posted in Chicago, Events | No Comments »