Wanted to share this ig post from CTA earlier this week. It shows trains departing and arriving at the 95th terminal in 1971 which was back when the line was brand new. I wrote a lot about the history of operations at 95th since the Dan Ryan branch of the CTA Red Line has been in operation over at The Sixth Ward.
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Friday, October 5, 2018
Monday, July 23, 2018
111th & Michigan Roseland, Chicago
Found a photo of this corner 111th/Michigan on twitter - which was retweeted on @thesixthward.
Chicken Unlimited was once where the currency exchange is currently located. This is how this corner looks now. Quite a vast difference.
As you will see below some buildings are missing and while the Google Street image below is from 2015. The building in two years time looks vastly different and it has me wondering if this is the same building as Chicken Unlimited. Now I wonder!
Today is #NationalFriedChickenDay! Here is a photo of Chicken Unlimited. This one was once located at E 111th St & S Michigan Ave in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. Countdown to 36,000 likes to Chicago’s Extinct Businesses continues! 8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1 pic.twitter.com/7PLFz0dKUY— Chicago's Extinct Businesses (@chgoextbusiness) July 6, 2018
As you will see below some buildings are missing and while the Google Street image below is from 2015. The building in two years time looks vastly different and it has me wondering if this is the same building as Chicken Unlimited. Now I wonder!
Friday, June 22, 2018
A streetcar named retire
According to an ig post from CTA the last streetcar ran in Chicago on June 21, 1958 - 60 years ago. The last streetcar route was the 22A which after that date was converted to buses and survives currently as the 24 Wentworth. The 22A was split from the 22 Clark in 1957 according to chicagorailfan.com - relevant page here. Note that many of the numbers for CTA bus routes are derived from the streetcars that formerly ran throughout the city.
While buses replaced streetcar service 60 years ago, evidence of streetcars exist throughout the city. Michigan Avenue was once host to a streetcar route. You may see former streetcar tracks near the intersection of 95th & Michigan which often surface once the pavement is worn down. I snapped this shot for The Sixth Ward over 10 years ago.
BTW, just think there's a current light rail - a more modern name for the streetcar - proposal on the north side. Question to ask is whether or not transit starved areas of the south side can get some action as far as light rail. Especially in those areas that doesn't have ready access to the L. Some of which are located in Chicago 8th, 9th, and 10th wards.
While buses replaced streetcar service 60 years ago, evidence of streetcars exist throughout the city. Michigan Avenue was once host to a streetcar route. You may see former streetcar tracks near the intersection of 95th & Michigan which often surface once the pavement is worn down. I snapped this shot for The Sixth Ward over 10 years ago.
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| Pic from The Sixth Ward May 2008 |
Friday, June 15, 2018
Chicago Reader: Roseland’s transformation captured in 1970 student film
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| Via thechicagoneighborhoods.com |
On the other hand Roseland is looking for a jumpstart which could be the red line extension whenever CTA gets the necessary funding to start the project. However, that future project will be one development among many to bring Roseland back to what it used to be 50+ years ago.
Read this article from the Chicago Reader also there is a podcast where these students two men who shot this film in the 1970s were interviewed talking about this film. Give it a listen.
"You knew that if you went out into the streets of Roseland with a camera, you were gonna see something." https://t.co/KQLjSYwEnB— Chicago Reader (@Chicago_Reader) June 6, 2018
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
CPS Students Traveling To Memphis #MLK50 #HarlanFalcons
[VIDEO] I'm sorry I missed this from last month. A group of CPS students from three high schools including Harlan (Go Falcons) & Hirsch High Schools observed the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination paying a visit to Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Martin Luther King on April 3, 1968 died at the Lorraine Hotel which is now the National Civil Rights museum.
These students will also visit four historically Black colleges where according to Harlan Principal Ramona Outlaw:
These students will also visit four historically Black colleges where according to Harlan Principal Ramona Outlaw:
“There’s a nurturing that goes on at those campuses that is indeed unmatched. The students, I want them to feel like they’ve come home and that place that they will call home for the next four years is something that they will be proud of.”I sincerely hope these young people soak in the importance of that journey from last month.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Reason: Markets penalize bigotry
[VIDEO] The video you're about to see would've been great for Black History Month. All the same, I pride myself on sharing information that gets you to think. Over the years this wasn't the only video from Reason magazine that I have shared with you. Here's an early one that shares a vastly different from the one above about urban renewal.
In this case a real estate businessman Philip A. Payton knew how to play the game and essentially built a Black community in Harlem. The lesson here at least for early 20th century New York, segregation can become ultimately a very expensive luxury. I recognize times have changed so perhaps the late Philip A. Payton's approach may not work the same way today.
In this case a real estate businessman Philip A. Payton knew how to play the game and essentially built a Black community in Harlem. The lesson here at least for early 20th century New York, segregation can become ultimately a very expensive luxury. I recognize times have changed so perhaps the late Philip A. Payton's approach may not work the same way today.
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Behind the scenes of the Great Train Story
[VIDEO] The video above was posted by artistmac where he was shown behind the scenes of this exhibit The Great Train Story at the Museum of Science and Industry. The duration of this video is 31 minutes and it reminds of me of my own field trips to MSI.
To be honest I don't remember seeing this exhibit. If I did see it upon my visit while in grammar school at the Shedd School branch, the model trains were what caught my interest. Not only am I fan of trains, but at the time of this field trip I also played with a model train set. Sadly those old locomotives and cars are no longer in my possession as they were quickly forgotten when I got older.
The only memory of that field trip was passing through the old American main street exhibit. There was even a "nickelodeon" where we could've caught a movie. At that this nickelodeon caught my eye because it's also the name of a cable TV network for children.
Now I recognize that it's just time for me to make my own return visit to the museum. This time I'm not doing this for school, but just for my own enrichment. The lessons of these exhibits I can appreciate more and hopefully won't so quickly go over my head as they had upon visiting here as a child.
The man whom artistmac speaks with named William, truly has a difficult though enviable job as the museum's trainmaster. All he has to do is set up & operate a model railroad at a museum. He also has to keep it running and keep all equipment in museum quality condition. So kudos to him and perhaps he can tell other model railroaders how they could get his job!
To be honest I don't remember seeing this exhibit. If I did see it upon my visit while in grammar school at the Shedd School branch, the model trains were what caught my interest. Not only am I fan of trains, but at the time of this field trip I also played with a model train set. Sadly those old locomotives and cars are no longer in my possession as they were quickly forgotten when I got older.
The only memory of that field trip was passing through the old American main street exhibit. There was even a "nickelodeon" where we could've caught a movie. At that this nickelodeon caught my eye because it's also the name of a cable TV network for children.
Now I recognize that it's just time for me to make my own return visit to the museum. This time I'm not doing this for school, but just for my own enrichment. The lessons of these exhibits I can appreciate more and hopefully won't so quickly go over my head as they had upon visiting here as a child.
The man whom artistmac speaks with named William, truly has a difficult though enviable job as the museum's trainmaster. All he has to do is set up & operate a model railroad at a museum. He also has to keep it running and keep all equipment in museum quality condition. So kudos to him and perhaps he can tell other model railroaders how they could get his job!
Friday, September 29, 2017
CTA celebrates 70 years
On Sunday in downtown Chicago there will be activities and will include rides on vintage CTA vehicles, especially buses and trains. You can see more details here. Posters marking CTA's 70th anniversary will be handed out at a "Community Connection" bus and at select CTA stations you will find a commemorative Ventra paper ticket. The ig post below from CTA shows an example of the poster.
Many of us take CTA for granted and yes even complains about the service or even the projects that slow down our commutes. At the same time it's a vital part of getting around our city, as easily as the streets and expressways and especially more recently our bicycles.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Against All Odds: The Fight for the Black Middle Class
Crossposted from The Sixth Ward
[VIDEO] One of the main reasons why I started The Sixth Ward was to in some way highlight the middle-class aspects of the 6th Ward as it was drawn between 2002 to roughly 2015. Chatham isn't the only community with a solidly Black middle-class population, but it has often been considered a bastion of the Black middle-class.
This documentary was mentioned on the ig profile for the new owners of the former Seaway National Bank - Self-Help FCU - doing a quick mention of this documentary Against All Odds: The Fight for the Black Middle Class. It's available for viewing either on pbs.org or you can watch it through the PBS app available on iPhones & iPads and likely Android also.
It's a great history Blacks came from sharecroppers and then reached some form of a middle-class through entrepreneurship, trades, manufacturing, even as government workers. Although as I've learned overtime with this blog having taken an interest in the issues of the middle-class being white middle-class is often different than being Black middle-class. One difference is certainly the wealth gap:
Also noted how if one bought a home in a solidly Black populated area the values of the home would be devalued compared to a home in a white populated area. If both areas are considered solidly middle-class where people generally take care of their property there would still be a difference as far as value based upon the majority race.
With that being said is the path different for those people who seek to join the ranks of America's middle-class? What held an earlier generation back at least 50-60 years ago may not be a major factor at the start of the 21st century.
[VIDEO] One of the main reasons why I started The Sixth Ward was to in some way highlight the middle-class aspects of the 6th Ward as it was drawn between 2002 to roughly 2015. Chatham isn't the only community with a solidly Black middle-class population, but it has often been considered a bastion of the Black middle-class.
This documentary was mentioned on the ig profile for the new owners of the former Seaway National Bank - Self-Help FCU - doing a quick mention of this documentary Against All Odds: The Fight for the Black Middle Class. It's available for viewing either on pbs.org or you can watch it through the PBS app available on iPhones & iPads and likely Android also.
It's a great history Blacks came from sharecroppers and then reached some form of a middle-class through entrepreneurship, trades, manufacturing, even as government workers. Although as I've learned overtime with this blog having taken an interest in the issues of the middle-class being white middle-class is often different than being Black middle-class. One difference is certainly the wealth gap:
Nearly 40 percent of black children are poor, and for every dollar of wealth in the hands of the average white family, the typical black family has only a little more than a nickel.Also mentions which is also part of this wealth gap is the great recession and how many Black families are still digging out of it. Just think as Barack Obama took the reigns as President of the United States many Black neighborhoods here in Chicago were feeling the crisis of foreclosure.
Also noted how if one bought a home in a solidly Black populated area the values of the home would be devalued compared to a home in a white populated area. If both areas are considered solidly middle-class where people generally take care of their property there would still be a difference as far as value based upon the majority race.
With that being said is the path different for those people who seek to join the ranks of America's middle-class? What held an earlier generation back at least 50-60 years ago may not be a major factor at the start of the 21st century.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
On this day in 1983 Harold Washington becomes mayor
This ig post from @blackownedchicago marks that historic day when Harold Washington is sworn in as Chicago's first Black mayor. This is something reposted to our The Sixth Ward's ig.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Chicago flag 100 years
Today the Chicago flag that you see in the sidebar celebrates 100 years. You can read more about the flag and it's history over at Curbed Chicago.
Happy 100th birthday of the Chicago city flag! pic.twitter.com/oOYvc1XABj
— Dennis Rodkin (@Dennis_Rodkin) April 4, 2017
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Curbed Chicago: Plan to renovate Pullman’s historic 1880 factory building is moving forward
Plans are being made to turn the historic Pullman factory and clock tower - located at 111th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue - to become a visitor center. In addition there will be a interpretive center and HQ for National Park Service operations. This is an initiative of the National Park Service and Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives.
The NPS’ ambitious plan to renovate Pullman’s historic factory building is moving forward https://t.co/ptHf4K9tPO pic.twitter.com/7bDVOaqk7u— Curbed Chicago (@curbedchicago) March 20, 2017
Monday, March 13, 2017
1970: 95/Dan Ryan CTA terminal
As of now the CTA terminal at 95th endures. It has undergone some changes over the years, a reconstruction in 2003-04, the shutdown & reconstruction of the Red Line south in 2013, and of course the expected overhaul expected to be completed in 2018. The ig post below from the CTA's ig profile shows a scene not too unfamiliar to today's transit riders who begin or compete their commutes at 95th street.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Chicago Stars Ep. 4 - Century of Progress // MBMHMC tv
[VIDEO] Unfotunately Mr. Jahmal Cole didn't go to the area where the 1933 Century of Progress Fair was held which was Northerly Island/Adler Planetarium/former Meigs Field. According to Cole anything built for the fair over 80 years ago is no longer standing. It's still recorded as the fourth star on Chicago's flag.
In this edition Cole pays a visit to the predominantly latino Little Village neighborhood. He purchases donuts from La Central Bakery and ask customers what the fourth star on the Chicago flag represents.
Another message from this video is basically how to break down the segregation in Chicago. Our city basically is divided into thirds between latinos, Blacks, and whites. And regardless if we cluster on the south, north or west sides of towns we all reside in this great city. The best ideas come when people of diverse backgrounds come together and share ideas.
Is this something we've failed to do in Chicago in recent years? Perhaps through this little project Cole could bridge the gap between different communities of Chicago. He says shop local and as he does in most of his videos he visits local eateries.
In the meanwhile it's time to buy myself a shirt. And you all should consider doing the same. His activities is far more than interacting with Chicago residents or even tourists. Cole has also helped innercity teens leave their neighborhoods and explore the many communities and cultures that exist in our fair city. Expand their horizons and that's certainly something we can support.
In this edition Cole pays a visit to the predominantly latino Little Village neighborhood. He purchases donuts from La Central Bakery and ask customers what the fourth star on the Chicago flag represents.
Another message from this video is basically how to break down the segregation in Chicago. Our city basically is divided into thirds between latinos, Blacks, and whites. And regardless if we cluster on the south, north or west sides of towns we all reside in this great city. The best ideas come when people of diverse backgrounds come together and share ideas.
Is this something we've failed to do in Chicago in recent years? Perhaps through this little project Cole could bridge the gap between different communities of Chicago. He says shop local and as he does in most of his videos he visits local eateries.
In the meanwhile it's time to buy myself a shirt. And you all should consider doing the same. His activities is far more than interacting with Chicago residents or even tourists. Cole has also helped innercity teens leave their neighborhoods and explore the many communities and cultures that exist in our fair city. Expand their horizons and that's certainly something we can support.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Chicago Stars Ep. 3 - The World Columbian Exposition // MBMHMC tv
[VIDEO] In this episode Jahmal Cole goes from the ferris wheel at Navy Pier to the Museum of Science & Industry. The significance the third star on the Chicago flag represents the World's Columbian Exposition.
There was a ferris wheel at the exposition which took place in the Frederick Law Olmstead designed Jackson Park. The Museum of Science & Industry is the last remaining structure of that event held in 1893 which formerly housed not only the Palace of Fine Arts but also an early incarnation of the Field Musuem.
Finally Cole ends this episode at the south side's Chef Sara's Place located at 7201 S. Exchange Ave. And here's hoping the many eateries Cole visits in his many episodes of My Block My Hood My City gets much more business.
There was a ferris wheel at the exposition which took place in the Frederick Law Olmstead designed Jackson Park. The Museum of Science & Industry is the last remaining structure of that event held in 1893 which formerly housed not only the Palace of Fine Arts but also an early incarnation of the Field Musuem.
Finally Cole ends this episode at the south side's Chef Sara's Place located at 7201 S. Exchange Ave. And here's hoping the many eateries Cole visits in his many episodes of My Block My Hood My City gets much more business.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Chicago Stars Ep. 2 - The Great Chicago Fire // MBMHMC tv
[VIDEO] I really like how the officials at the Chicago Fire Department Academy literally had to kick Jahmal Cole out of their training exercise. That is understandable at they are in training and surely there is an element of danger in their training.
Either way that segment is fitting as we explore another meaning for one of the stars on Chicago's flag - the Great Chicago Fire. We learn that there wasn't a fire started by a cow, but several fires near Lake Michigan which due to the buildings of the city at the time with wood and tar just spread all over the city.
Also ironically the alleged farm where the Great Chicago Fire started is exactly at the Chicago Fire Academy located at 558 W De Koven St.
Either way that segment is fitting as we explore another meaning for one of the stars on Chicago's flag - the Great Chicago Fire. We learn that there wasn't a fire started by a cow, but several fires near Lake Michigan which due to the buildings of the city at the time with wood and tar just spread all over the city.
Also ironically the alleged farm where the Great Chicago Fire started is exactly at the Chicago Fire Academy located at 558 W De Koven St.
Friday, December 30, 2016
VIDEO: Chicago Stars Ep. 1 - Fort Dearborn // #MBMHMC tv
[VIDEO] Jahmal Cole asks Chicagoans what the first star on the Chicago flag represents. That star represents Fort Dearborn located near the Chicago River at Wacker & Michigan. The fort was named for a former Secretary of War who served in the cabinet of President Thomas Jefferson, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Let's see how many people Cole meets that knew this information.
The city's flag you will see above in the header of The Sixth Ward and you will see another version below. The flag is part of this great city's identity.
The city's flag you will see above in the header of The Sixth Ward and you will see another version below. The flag is part of this great city's identity.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Marathon Pundit visits Pullman
Crossposted from The Sixth Ward
John Ruberry of Marathon Pundit takes a look at the Pullman neighborhood and any progress made on the national monument here. Ruberry doesn't have much faith that the federal government will make far more progress here than the state government had. The state actually owns the Hotel Florence that you see above which is waiting for a new use.
He goes through the history of this neighborhood and any governmental role in the future of this neighborhood. Including the purchase of select property such as the Pullman factory, adminstrative buildings and the clock tower. Those in addition to the Hotel Florence.
He also noted the Bernie Sanders signs throughout the neighborhood. Sanders back in March lost the Illinois Democratic presidential primary to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton but we see one strong enclave of Sanders supporters. I even noted a sign on our ig page.
Ruberry has some strong opinions on what's going on here. Anyone want to agree or disagree with the Marathon Pundit?
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| Hotel Florence by John Ruberry |
He goes through the history of this neighborhood and any governmental role in the future of this neighborhood. Including the purchase of select property such as the Pullman factory, adminstrative buildings and the clock tower. Those in addition to the Hotel Florence.
He also noted the Bernie Sanders signs throughout the neighborhood. Sanders back in March lost the Illinois Democratic presidential primary to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton but we see one strong enclave of Sanders supporters. I even noted a sign on our ig page.
Ruberry has some strong opinions on what's going on here. Anyone want to agree or disagree with the Marathon Pundit?
Monday, May 16, 2016
Former fire station in Pullman
Took this snapshot of this old fire station near 108th/Cottage Grove in Pullman. BTW, who is that person sitting in that top window on the left side. I thought this place was abandoned lol.
Regardless if you want to know more about the history of this building there's this page from Forgotten Chicago.
This firehouse is located on 108th Street in Pullman, just north of the charred remains of the famous factory. Built in 1895 and home to Engine Company 80, this is the last former firehouse in Chicago with an observation tower. Many 19th century firehouses originally had them to aid in locating fires. This station was disused in 1957 and currently sits abandoned.And now with the additional attention Pullman is getting with the national park designation what other use could this architectural treasure see?
Check out the post of this picture on ig below.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Hotel Florence Pullman
Even if it's not for a hotel my hope is that it can be used as a community meeting place or for business purposes as a restaurant for example. Closer to Cottage Grove a park surrounds it known as Arcade Park & Pullman Park.
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