April 23rd, 2011
A Valentine Diner at the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum. Click above for more information about the Good Food Fast Presentation
Don’t we love our diners, drive-ins, coffee shops & dives? We all have a favorite pizza joint, hot dog haven, or barbecue mecca. Some love the places that serve breakfast all day with a bottomless cup of coffee, and others like the spot with unique specialties unavailable elsewhere–the best Italian Beef, Philly Cheese Steak, Green Chili Burgers, or Horseshoe platter. It is not just fast food, it is good food served fast, and often prepared in sight–in an open kitchen–so you can see the food prepared and know it’s right!
This new presentation available immediately for libraries, social groups, museums, or other organizations across the greater Chicago Metro area delves into the history of the 20th Century Dining Revolution. This was a revolution fueled by transportation and urbanization. Travelers by rail or rubber needed places to eat, and workers in offices and factories needed quick access to lunch. The restaurant industry had to overcome serious concerns about cleanliness and food quality, and the response was a new type of restaurant offering quick service, impeccably clean environs, and the use of trusted brand-name ingredients. The results were both the unique ma-and-pa diner and the cookie-cutter franchise. If this description leaves you hungry for more, please take a look at my
presentation page, or download a copy of my current
presentation flier in .pdf form
Posted in Eateries, History, Presentations | No Comments »
February 14th, 2011
Sheet Music for Irving Berlin's 1911 Hit. Click Above for more information on Centennial 1911
Over the last few years, I have enjoyed bringing presentations on historical subjects to libraries, social groups, and museums in the metropolitan Chicago area. In all of the programs, I try to find information on past people, places, and events that still have resonance in people’s lives today.
I have no interest in dry historic data that provides absolutely no modern context or connections. However, I have found that it is nearly impossible to look at any era or any past time and NOT find something of interest and value. To prove this, I recently decided to take a look at a year exactly 100 years in the past–1911, in this case–and see what I could find. What I found was a treasure trove of fascinating information and a beginning to what I hope will be a long series of programs that will change each year. If people continue to have an interest, as the calendar advances each year, I will keep focusing on the year 100 years previous and surely continue to find historic nuggets of gold!
Thus, the Centennial begins with Centennial 1911: Snapshots from 100 Years Ago For more information on the details of the program, please take a look at my Presentations page, or download the .pdf version of my Presentation Flier
Posted in Wanderings | No Comments »
November 9th, 2010
Without context, this photo has no meaning. It takes a story to tell who these people are and the reason this photo was taken. Click above for more info on: Bringing Family History to Life--The Stories We Could Tell
My main area of interest is in the research of history. In the past, that research has centered on trying to find interesting stories about the history of transportation that somehow relate to our present and future. Yet no matter my area of focus, all historical research and factual storytelling have many things in common, whether the subject is railroads, highways, or family history.
For nearly 30 years, from my aborted attempt to attend college back in the 1970s until I finally started researching and writing in the New Millennium, I always intended to “get around to” doing some real work toward finding answers to questions I had and writing about my results. There were always other things to do and plenty of easy reasons to put it off until later. I needed a motivator, a pep talk, and a reason to put other things aside and finally “get around to it.”
The purpose of my new presentation, Bringing Family History to Life: The Stories We Could Tell is to help those that want to get started researching their own families’ stories and writing about them. I imagine they need a pep talk as well, a way of thinking about the project that will make the difference between the “intention,” and the “doing.” The message of the program is “You CAN do this–and, if YOU do not, WHO WILL?”
In the presentation, we discuss how a collection of family images, documents, and heirlooms remain incomplete without the contextual information that can only be provided with a written explanation. We see how organizing our historic objects can be accomplished through simple handwritten methods or through the use of computers, scanners, and digital cameras.
To overcome the fears of writing, we show how getting started with brief biographical sketches can be easy. We cover simple methods for organizing short pieces that can stand alone or later be combined into a larger project. Copyrights and fair use of research materials is also discussed.
For more information on Bringing Family History to Life: The Stories We Could Tell or any of our other PowerPoint presentation, click here.
Posted in Wanderings | No Comments »
May 18th, 2010
$40M settles Joliet Road closure dispute :: The SouthtownStar :: News
SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE
A company that produces construction materials will pay $40 million to the Illinois Department of Transportation after a 12-year legal dispute about a section of Joliet Road in McCook.
Vulcan Materials Co. does not admit liability in the settlement, which was reached after three weeks of negotiation, IDOT said Tuesday.
The one-mile stretch of Joliet Road from 55th Street to East Avenue was closed in May 1998 because the road was substantially damaged and unsafe for vehicular traffic. The one-mile stretch runs through the middle of two Vulcan open pit quarry mines, one to the north and one to the south.
IDOT experts concluded the roadway was destabilized from years of mining by Vulcan and any attempts to repair and reopen Joliet Road would require frequent and expensive maintenance, including lane closures, IDOT said. Vulcan at the time would not agree to state-requested mining setbacks and land contributions necessary to implement repair options.
The lawsuit was filed by the state in 2001. Vulcan has ceased mining activities in the two quarries and has announced plans to fill and develop the north quarry.
Tags: IDOT, Illinois Department of Transportaiton, Joliet Road, McCook, Route 66, Vulcan Materials
Posted in Highway Links, History, Illinois, News, Scenic Byways, US | No Comments »
May 18th, 2010
Quoting from a press release and announcement through the PRNewswire:
Vulcan Materials Company today announced the settlement of a lawsuit filed against the Company by the State of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). IDOT will receive a total of $40 million in full and final settlement of the lawsuit.
Under terms of the settlement, IDOT will receive $20 million within 10 days. The remaining $20 million will be paid as Vulcan receives funds from its insurers, with the full amount to be paid no later than nine months from the date of the settlement. While Vulcan believes that the settlement is covered by insurance policies and is taking appropriate actions to facilitate recovery from its insurers, the ultimate amount and timing of such recoveries cannot be predicted with certainty.
More information about how this section of Joliet Road is important to Route 66 is available in two recent blog post on this website, click here or here to see those earlier blog posts.
Tags: IDOT, Illinois Department of Transportation, Joliet Road, McCook, Route 66, Vulcan Materials
Posted in Highway Links, History, Illinois, News, Scenic Byways, US | No Comments »
May 13th, 2010
Douglas Park Flower Hall on Route 66 (Ogden Avenue) in Chicago
Back in 2003-04, a series of five articles titled
Driving Route 66 in Chicagoland was published in the
Federation News, the quarterly publication of the
National Historic Route 66 Federation The series began in
Autumn 2003 and took readers from Ogden and Jackson in Chicago down Jackson Boulevard to Halsted Street.
In the Winter 2004 issue, we continued down Jackson through Chicago’s Loop to Lake Shore Drive. Spring 2004 saw us driving west on Adams Street from Michigan Avenue to Halsted Street in Chicago’s Greektown neighborhood. In the Summer of 2004, we continued on Adams Street to Ogden Avenue. Finally, in Autumn 2004 we took a trip down Ogden Avenue through Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood and the suburbs Cicero and Berwyn.
All five of these Driving Tour articles are now available online on this website for viewing or printing. They are in Adobe .pdf format and they are scanned as originally published in the Federation News. They are a part of my ongoing archive of articles that have appeared in the Federation News since 2002.
Some changes have inevitably occurred along Route 66 since these articles were originally published, and I try to describe those changes on the archive page. However, the general info and directions in the articles remain as useful today as when originally published.
I of course would love it if everyone would like the more detailed information available in my book, Exploring Route 66 in Chicagoland, available on this website for purchase. Please buy the book! But for those of you that would like a free overview of the Route 66 driving corridor in Chicago, please use this free resource for yourselves.
Tags: Adams Street, Berwyn, Chicago, Cicero, Driving Tour, Exploring Route 66 in Chicagoland, Federation News, Greektown, Jackson Boulevard, Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Ave, National Historic Route 66 Federation, North Lawndale, Ogden Avenue, Route 66
Posted in Chicago, Highway Links, History, Illinois, Route 66 Federation News, Tours, US | 1 Comment »
May 11th, 2010
Als #1 Italian Beef, 601 W. Adams (Westbound Route 66), Chicago
A famous Chicago eatery now has a new location on Adams Street (westbound Route 66). Al’s #1 Italian Beef invented the beef sandwich back in 1938 in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood. Their sandwich started as a way to stretch scarce beef during the Great Depression, slicing it thinly and serving it with au jus gravy and a choice of hot or sweet peppers on a large roll. Their business began as delivery only, catering to the needs of workers at nearby hospitals and businesses. For years, their only location remained in Little Italy at 1079 W. Taylor Street. The menu expanded over time to include Italian and Polish Sausage, Chicago-style hot dogs, and their famous hand-cut French fries. New ownership began franchising Al’s in 1999, and the restaurant at Adams and Jefferson Streets is one of their newest.
Als #1 Italian Beef at night
The building now occupied by Al’s Italian Beef on Adams Street was previously the location of restaurants named Angelo’s and West Loop Cafe. It is located near Union Station and an easy walk from
Sears Willis Tower. The new Adams location features a fanciful giant soft drink cup over the entrance. I believe the largest drink on the menu comes in a somewhat smaller cup
For more information on Al’s Italian Beef, check out their website at www.alsbeef.com
Tags: Adams Street, Als Italian Beef, Chicago, Jefferson Street, Route 66, Union Station, West Loop, Willis Tower
Posted in Chicago, Eateries, Highway Links, News, US | No Comments »
May 10th, 2010
International Tailoring Company Building, circa 2003 when the clock tower was still sheathed in ugly corrugated metal.
The International Tailoring Building at 847 W. Jackson Boulevard (eastbound Route 66) in Chicago has been on the National Register of Historic Places since June 2008. It is currently undergoing an interior renovation as Tailor Lofts, to be used as off-campus student apartments for the University of Illinois-Chicago. More importantly for Route 66 travelers, the beautiful exterior restoration has brought the building back to its original look. For years, a four-story clock tower was sheathed in ugly corrugated metal.
The gleaming enameled terra cotta now shines again, and the four clock faces show the current time in all directions just as they did when the building first opened in 1916.
The restored International Tailoring Building as it looks today.
The second decade of the 20th century was a volatile time in the Chicago garment industry. Most large clothing companies farmed piecework out to sweatshops that employed immigrants for low pay in deplorable conditions. In the aftermath of several worker strikes, companies like International Tailoring decided to build large modern factories and to hire the workers directly, thus putting the sweatshops out of business. This building is a legacy of that period in Chicago history.
The building was built in 1916 from designs by the architectural firm of Mundie & Jensen, formerly Jenney, Mundie & Jensen. This firm was established originally by William LeBaron Jenney, the architect and engineer responsible for building the Home Insurance Building in 1885, the world’s first skyscraper to use steel beams in its structural skeleton. The firm also designed the downtown building used for a Sears Store at the southeast corner of Van Buren and State (currently Robert Morris University), and the Union League Club at 65 W. Jackson.
Ron Warnick posted about the International Tailoring Building on Route 66 News when the building was first placed on the National Register in 2008. There is also a Wikipedia entry concerning the building. It is great to see a grand old building on Route 66 lovingly restored and revived for a great new purpose.
Tags: Chicago, Garment industry strikes, International Tailoring Building, Jackson Boulevard, Jenney Mundie & Jensen, National Register of Historic Places, Ron Warnick, Route 66, Route 66 News, sweatshops, Tailor Lofts, UIC-Chicago
Posted in Architecture, Chicago, Events, Highway Links, Illinois, US | No Comments »
April 28th, 2010
Many of our Walking Tours meet next to the Lions at the Art Institute of Chicago
I have conducted walking tours in Chicago since 2005, mainly focusing on the history and architecture to be seen along the Route 66 corridor in Chicago’s Loop. Although these Route 66 walking tours have become my specialty, I have conducted all sorts of custom tours as requested as well. Some recent custom tours have included:
- A walking tour that traveled from the Tribune Tower to Millennium Park highlighting the Burnham Plan of Chicago
- An architecture tour of Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Chicago’s Loop
- A driving tour of vintage Chicago movie theaters and studios, from the location of the old Essanay Studios, to the Biograph and Chicago Theaters.
All of the tours, whether focusing on Route 66 or a custom topic or theme, generally include some discussion of Chicago’s history, transportation, culture, and architecture.
A brochure describing my tour offerings is available by clicking here
The cost for a 2-hour walking tour is usually $15 per person. However, in light of the ongoing economic woes, I have decided to offer a special price for a limited time. For parties of four or more, you will be able to take a walk on Chicago’s Route 66 for just 66% of the normal price–that is just $10 per person!
Anyone who would like to take advantage of this special price can contact me via email:
dave@windycityroadwarrior.com
or by telephone at 312-432-1284. All tours are by appointment, so write or call to get your kicks on Chicago’s 66 for 66%!
Posted in Chicago, Events, Highway Links, Tours, US, Wanderings | No Comments »
April 27th, 2010
Snuffy's 24 Hour Grill, a McCook institution since 1964, a 2010 inductee into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame
Following up on yesterday’s blog post about the pending lawsuit
IDOT v. Vulcan Materials, I have resurrected the two articles I wrote back in 2006 about the damaged portion of the Mother Road in McCook and some related historical information.
The McCook Sante Fe Depot of 1925 handled westbound passenger traffic as a flag stop until Amtrak took over U.S. rail service in 1971. The tracks now handle freight traffic only. From History and Progress: Village of McCook.
Over the last several years on this website I have been assembling an
archive of my articles previously published in the
Route 66 Federation News, the quarterly publication of the
National Historic Route 66 Federation. For the Spring 2006 issue, I wrote an article titled “
Of Romance and Finance; Of Marriage and McCook.”
Click here to read some background on the article and to download or view a .pdf of the article as originally published.
From the 1938 USDA Aerial Photography Project, along the now-closed section there were two quarries south of 66/Joliet Road: Consumers Company to the northeast, and Dolese & Shephard to the southwest. North of the road most of the property is Stinson Airport, with a plant for Standard Lime and Refractories in the northeast section.
I wrote another article around the same period that appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of
The 66 News, the quarterly journal of
The Route 66 Association of Illinois. This article was title “
A Look at McCook.” I have placed this article on a
blog page along with color versions of all of the photos (black and white in the published version).
Click here to read “
A Look at McCook.”
Posted in Highway Links, History, US | 2 Comments »
