#TBT Michigan Avenue in Roseland

Long time no see. Allow me to wish you all a Happy New Year. Hopefully the past holiday season was a wonderful and joyous one.

I found the three pics below in the Roseland History Group on Facebook and just though this was a great look back at Michigan Avenue in the past. And my hope is that one day it could go back to its former glory. Especially once that Red Line extension is finally built

The first two pics shows the area surrounding the long demolished State Theater which is about one block north of 111th Street. It appears these two photographs below are shown on the Cinema Treasures site credited to Dr. Gene Ossello and was taken in 1967.

It's like looking into another world - 115th & Michigan 1965

 There has to be more photos of this shopping center that existed on the SW corner of 115th & Michigan. It had been torn down in the 2000s. There was a restaurant here known as The Coffee Pot. Once there was a Christian bookstore where the pharmacy was, well the pharmacy you see here in this 1965 photograph.

Back in the late 80s to early 90s it was a Perry Drug Store, what was it during the 1960s?

And that building compared to the strip mall that's there now - and seemingly vacant once home to a Hollywood Video store - well it's an improvement if it hadn't been torn down for that strip mall.

At least the lot where the former Roseland Plaza is located can be prime real estate once the Red Line extension is in service.

If you haven't had a chance join the Roseland History FB group.

WGN: 4 hurt after CTA bus crashes into currency exchange building in Roseland

 

[VIDEO] There have been some posts about this on instagram Friday night. I immediately was able to identify where this was once I saw it the Currency Exchange at 111th & Michigan. Just across the street from the former Walgreens that was once located there.

There was a bad accident from the eyewitness reports in the above story from WGN-TV there was a chase and a car tried to swerve around an oncoming bus. The bus hit the car and then crashed into that currency exchange.

Thankfully all injuries are considered non-fatal.

Block Club Chi: Longtime Far South Side Ald. Anthony Beale Faces 2 Challengers In 9th Ward Race

These are the three people who are running for Alderman in Ward 9.

Via Block Club Chi

And here is the start of the write-up:

Two hopefuls are trying to unseat one of City Council’s longest-serving members, aiming to bring new leadership to the Far South Side seat after more than two decades.

Cameron Barnes and Cleopatra Draper are challenging Ald. Anthony Beale in the 9th Ward race. Beale, first elected in 1999, is seeking his seventh term representing Chatham, Roseland, Pullman, Washington Heights, West Pullman and Riverdale.

Sonya Thompson Dorsey withdrew from the race in December after two residents challenged her signatures. Dorsey said she still plans to participate as a write-in candidate, she said.

The 9th Ward has seen increased development in the past several years, with new businesses like Lexington Betty Smokehouse and Culver’s. It’s also home to Pullman National Historical Park, which opened in 2021.

I see Barnes in this article wants to fight gentrification. Beale of course touts his accomplishments as the longtime incumbent in the 9th Ward. And then I really like this by Draper:

Draper’s goals are to revitalize the Roseland business district, bring better grocery stores to the area, improve housing stability and mental health facilities, fight “food apartheid” and tackle gun violence, according to her website.

“The goal is to revitalize the 9th Ward, the Far South region,” Draper said in a December YouTube video. “This is not just a singular race. This is to change and enhance the quality of life Black folks on the far South Side. We’ve been neglected for too long, and I’m not accepting another day to live in a food desert, a medical desert, transportation desert, child care desert. Where and in what form or fashion is that community?”

If elected, Draper also wants to bring essential services to South Michigan Avenue, create new and expand existing businesses and address public safety concerns, she said.

I'd like to see Michigan Avenue get some more investment. What's her plan?

Early voting has been going on since January 26, 2023 and will be going through election day February 28, 2023. 

ABC 7 Chicago: Chicago's 'Donut King' celebrates 50 years on South Side

 

[VIDEO] Anytime I see anything on Old Fashioned Donuts located in the "Roseland Business Strip" at 11248 S Michigan Ave I always say I want to go get some donuts from there. Here's a story WLS-TV did on the local longtime neighborhood food establishment. It's great to see Burritt Bulloch who is the owner still working hard with family at this donut establishment.

Perhaps at a nearby polling place donuts will be served to election judges and voters in Tuesday's election.

WGN: Man fatally shot at South Side gas station #Ward09

 

[VIDEO] As you see in this clip Ward 9 Ald. Anthony Beale is upset about a lack of resources in the community to address the gun crime in the Roseland community. 

Wednesday morning a fatal shooting took place at a Citgo Station at 116th & Michigan. Then on Tuesday afternoon another fatal shooting on 113th & Michigan.

The right question is being asked if crime is down, who is the crime down for? Is it downtown? What about the neighborhoods.

Gately's & S.S. Kresge Co. in Roseland #tbt

I found and saved these two photographs from Roseland south of 111th Street and Michigan Avenue. I feel as if these are appropriate because we're in the Christmas season although tomorrow will be Christmas Eve. And of course these two photos don't show South Michigan Ave during Christmas time. 

Probably during much warmer weather. The dates for these photos are unknown perhaps they were taken in the 1960s or 70s. The Gately's store as many of you may know went out of business in the early 1980s. The building that once contained that store has since been demolished after a bad fire. I do believe the sign survived however as I write this no idea as to the whereabouts of that landmark.

As far as S.S. Kresge Company I don't know when that store closed its doors right next door to Gately's. I have found out that S.S. Kresge Co outlets ultimately became the Kmart chain. Do you remember Kmart? I do and many Kmart stores have closed in recent years. Perhaps you shopped at the one that was once located in Oak Lawn on 95th or a number of locations around the city.

I hope you enjoy this look back and I do wish you a Merry Christmas and hoping that you've had a very joyous holiday season.

#tbt Coffee Pot restaurant

 

Via Flickr

To be honest I hadn't thought about this site Flickr in years. This was a site for photographers to share their works. Of course it seems it has been supplanted by a number of sites as far as sharing photos such as Facebook, Twitter or even Instagram.

Sometimes it's just fun to see some of the items posted there, it's just amazing how advanced have propelled us from the old fashioned camera to a cameraphone.

I never thought I'd see a sign of the old Coffee Pot restaurant near 115th Street & Michigan Avenue. It was part of that mall that was demolished in 2006. And this area is very close to the future stop on the future CTA Red Line extension. Perhaps someone might decide to bring back another version of the Coffee Pot for future commuters.

CBS Chicago: Woman Fires Gun At Would-Be Carjacker In Roseland

 

[VIDEO] This incident took place at the Chase Branch at 103rd & Michigan. She fired a shot at an armed carjacker. The victim has a concealed carry permit and it's unclear whether or not that perpetrator was hit.

Self-defense in action. She's OK and hopefully police will catch that perpetrator.

As always be careful out there! 

CTA Red Line extension project #RLEReady #Ward09

[VIDEO] CTA has a new video out about the CTA Red Line extension that is still being planned that takes the Red Line further south into Roseland and Altgeld Gardens where the final destination is 130th Street. The next critical phase for this ambitious project is construction which is expected to cost $2.3 billion half of that would come from federal funding and the rest from non-federal funding i.e from the city of Chicago, state of Illinois and/or even CTA itself.

I like these renderings of the various stops on the southbound Red Line extensions.

Historic south side scenes #Ward09 #tbt

I just wanted to share these two shots with you from Vanished Chicagoland on ig. The first photo is of the 87th CTA train station from during the 1970s. Just north of 87th Street you'd see a Magikist sign and it was a landmark for a lot of us who drove on the Dan Ryan Expressway once upon a time. The sign and that company is now gone. We at least have this picture with a now retired 2200-series train set departing 87th.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pete Kastanes (@vanishedchicagoland) on May 27, 2020 at 10:30am PDT

This photo is further south on Michigan Ave and 114th Street. It's of a Hillman's Pure Foods (Hillman's also had a location within the old Sears store at 63rd & Halsted) store that formerly was located there with the address 33 E. 114th Street. The building itself is still there and perhaps one day I can head that way and snap a shot of it. Probably become a great location for another small grocery store in the future if it fits any company's needs.

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A post shared by Pete Kastanes (@vanishedchicagoland) on May 26, 2020 at 10:49am PDT

You know I can use Google Streetview to show you that building still stands. Since I see it still is, now it causes me to wonder what's there now.

Fire destroys south side food pantry #Ward09

[VIDEO] Been quite a while since I've shared a local story on this blog. On Monday there was a fire in Roseland near 111th/Michigan where a church operated a food pantry. You see the story above from WGN.

There is a GoFundMe drive page [CLICK HERE] for this church and also it was reported that Rev. Jesse Jackson is pledging help for this church as well. From ABC 7

But soon after it burned, Reverend Jesse Jackson reached out to the congregation's bishop launching a relief drive to help keep the mission going.

"This means the world to me and for them to show this kind of love you know some times when you've been giving for so long,and no one gives back and when someone finally gives, you're just stuck, you don't know what to say but thank you, " said Bishop Jerome Powell.

Jackson acknowledges that the church at 111th Street and South Michigan Avenue has been a resource for 75 families since 2004 and a helping hand for the area's economically challenged, feeding people on Sunday and giving out clothes.

"Ministries is a beacon of light and hope and we want to keep that light burning and keep hope alive," Rev. Jackson said.

Thursday, a truck is parked outside the church for people to donate non-perishable goods, clothing and toiletries

Friday, it will be parked outside of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Headquarters at 930 East 50th Street.

I also wanted to share this from the YouTube channel CharlieBo313. After they leave a crime scene on 103 Street west of Wentworth near a Dollar General store there they head up towards the fire at Beacon Light Ministries. You will see this at about the 1:15 min mark of the video [VIDEO]

The future of the Gately's sign #Ward09

Nitram242/flickr

At least we get one good thing out of the loss of the former Gately's People's store landmark sign. The building was destroyed by fire earlier this month and the city is in the process of demolishing the former longtime department store which closed in 1981.

After fire gutted the old Gately’s Peoples Store in Roseland last week, Ald. Anthony A. Beale (9th) said he’s working with members of the Gately family to save the store’s historic neon sign.

“The sign deserves a place in a museum where it can tell our community’s story to present and future generations, and help inspire everyone to work together to make Roseland the thriving and bustling destination it once was,” the neighborhood’s alderman said Monday.

Beale said he went to the fire Friday and saw Gately family members at the scene. He was already planning to preserve the sign, he said, adding that Gately family members said they would help raise the money to make sure the sign is taken down, preserved and put up at a later date.

The sign was not damaged in the fire, but the blaze damaged the century-old building at 11201 S. Michigan Ave. so bad, demolition crews began to take it down Friday night.
...
The sign remains on the building but will come down in the coming days. Beale said it will go into storage for a while and eventually go on display — but he didn’t reveal specific plans in mind to display it.

It does deserve to be somewhere to help tell the story of the Roseland community. And it's great to know the family that owned this business is still around to discuss plans to preserve this landmark.

It's awful to know about the fire, but to hear everyone - especially online or even in soundbites from any news reports - talk about their memories of the now closed store is definitely fascinating. 

Gately's Peoples store...destroyed... #Ward09

[VIDEO] This past Friday I posted about the former Gately's store located at 113th & Michigan. The store from what I can tell doing some Googling had long closed in 1981, with another store located in Tinley Park until 1994.

Usually me and my family would drive on Michigan Avenue to head to River Oaks Mall in Calumet City, we'd often pass this store. Of course by the time I came of age all I would recognize is that antiquated sign for a store that was no longer there. Whoever owned this property if it wasn't the Gately family who previously operated their location there never removed this sign. It was just a great reminder of the history of the retail strip of south Michigan Avenue between at least 107th Street to 1115th Street.

I've read up on the history of this strip and it was an important commercial areas though perhaps it didn't have the volume of another great south side commercial area such as 63rd & Halsted (which is experiencing a slow resurgence). Still there are plenty of people who grew up in Roseland and patronized this area before the decline starting in the 1980s. You can find YouTube channels that offer videos of people who grew up in Roseland during the 1950s & 1960s. It's fascinating how the area changed from a great place to grow up to what it's generally known today as a crime ridden area.

And then on Friday the former Gately's Peoples store was destroyed by fire. It seems we may never really know due to the damage what caused the fire, unfortunately the damage has been done. Who knows what will happen with the sign, however, the building that formerly housed the store which provided so many memories for those who shopped there has a date with the wrecking ball.

For me, I've never known the store and have never shopped there. I've never even shopped at the small storefronts that had occupied the ground floor of the building. Still, it's a little sad that this longtime sign is coming down and thus this won't be a landmark any longer. And now to figure out what will ultimately go up in its place along Michigan Avenue. What will be the new landmark to be located there?

Here's an ig post I did on the Gately's store once I learned of it's condition. I shot this just about a month before the fire.

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A post shared by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Jun 8, 2019 at 10:43am PDT

State Theater 11016 S. Michigan Ave #tbt

The State Theater is one many movie theaters that existed on what was known in local parlance as The Ave. South Michigan Avenue in Roseland during far more prosperous times was a very active destination for local shoppers until the local economy changed after the 1970s.

According to Cinema Treasures this theater was opened in 1922 and as you read in below ig post from Pete Kastanes was demolished in 1997.

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The State Theater once located at 11016 S Michigan Ave in The Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. It was demolished in 1997.

A post shared by Pete Kastanes (@vanishedchicagoland) on Feb 10, 2019 at 1:23pm PST

Here's a Google streetview image of the corner where this theater was located near 110th & Michigan.

Here's another ig post from Kastanes of a 1936 program from the State. Sometimes I forget how different going to the movies was for movie goers back in the day.

View this post on Instagram

Here is a 1936 program from The State Theater once located at 11016 S Michigan Ave in The Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. It was demolished in 1997.

A post shared by Pete Kastanes (@vanishedchicagoland) on Feb 10, 2019 at 1:24pm PST

Here is a listing of other theaters that existed along The Ave/Michigan Avenue according to Cinema Treasures.

#fbf 111th Street & Michigan Avenue

The photo above was taken in 1907 and the building you see in the front foreground according to Chicago history blogger J.R. Schmidt remains at the corner of 111th & Michigan Avenue. If I recall correctly for many years it was a Walgreen's until that location moved across the street. Though now the former Walgreen's store on the north side of 111th Street is now a dollar store.

Of course the progress of time over the course of 111 years ago (111th street and 111 years ago hmmm), we see a lot of the buildings are no longer standing. And of course the city ran its last streetcar in 1958. Even better according to Schmidt who posted this late last month:

A century ago traffic was so light on this stretch of Michigan that small children could wander around aimlessly in the street—not advisable today, in the era of the automobile.

Yeah totally agree with that statement! Click the link to see the photo Schmidt took in 2018 of this same area.

103rd & Michigan back in the day #tbt

Man I can't believe this is 103rd & Michigan as it appeared in 1940, 78 years ago. Hmm just like another old photo of 93rd & Jeffrey which is also from 78 years ago - both provided by Chicago History Today. Here's what the blogmaster there J.R. Schmidt wrote in March 2017:

In 1848 Dutch farmers established Roseland’s first permanent settlement, along what’s now the Michigan Avenue ridge.  By 1940 much of the area was built up.  However, aside from a few older homes, this particular stretch of 103rd Street remained vacant, zoned for business.  The rise in the street to the ridge is visible in the foreground.

Of course you can go to that post to see a more recent photo and it's almost like night & day. When you think about it, there is an old photo of Bennett School - which unfortunately is lost for now - that shows that school surrounded by undeveloped land. I can imagine it fits this image from 78 years ago. The above vantage point is no more than two blocks away from Prairie which is the street Bennett is located.

93rd & Jeffrey and 103rd & Michigan it's funny both photos contain a streetcar.

Chicago History Today: 115th/Michigan then & now #tbt

This time a shot of 115th/Michigan from 1895. And here's another shot from 1934 of the same corner and the scene doesn't look much different from today. The top shot you will find from J.R. Schmidt's Chicago History Today blog which was published last year. You will also see a shot from that corner from last year also.

Hopefully it'll look much different once the red line extension is built.

RELATED: What would you like to see at 115th/Michigan

111th & Michigan Roseland, Chicago

Found a photo of this corner 111th/Michigan on twitter - which was retweeted on @thesixthward.

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

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! 

A New Abbott Park Advisory Council

49 E 95th St

Got this in an e-mail from the West Chesterfield Community Association. The Abbott Park Advisory Council fired up this past spring and are certainly looking not for people to attend especially if you live nearby. They're especially looking for people to serve on the council and as officers.

• A New Abbott Park Advisory Council

  The Chicago Parks Consortium, West Chesterfield, Roseland Hts and Red Line Extension Coalition (RLEC) helped organize a New Abbott Park Advisory Council and invite your to attend its 6:30 p.m. meeting July, 18, 2018 in the Abbott Park Field House.
  
  These organizations thank the Chicago Park District (CPD) for addressing many Abbott Park operation service requests since the September 19, 2017 CPD Budget Hearing Meeting. The community would like Abbott Park and the 95th Street area to be a “Preferred Point of Destination” that has good business neighbors, level 1 schools, a great park… all of which will improve area walkability and the use of public transportation within the ¼ mile to ½ mile transit-oriented development area of the at the $280 million 95th CTA Terminal.
  
  Since 2017 the CPD planted 140 new trees at Abbott Park, installed Exterior Lights on the field house, trimmed Low tree branches, planted 1040 trees, install a new sink and water heater and drain pipe in the cultural center, repaired park benches and under ground pipes have been repaired in the center field of the.
  
  Michael LaFargue, Chicago Parks Consortium president, congratulates Ms. Lori Burns and Sharon Banks Pincham, Co-Chair’s of the Park Advisory Council for Abbott Park. The PAC is working on its by-laws and goals for the next year.

BTW, I wanted to explore this but will do so at a later time even if it's already a done deal. There is an old playlot on 98th & Michigan that has long since been dismantled and has often seen little activity. Perhaps someone might have a picnic there rarely and sometimes more frequently grown folks or Harlan student just loitering there.

All the same, there is finally a plan to turn this former playlot into a dog park that should've been debated at the last Roseland Heights Community Association meeting in June. I should ask for an update although unfortunately I didn't attend this meeting to observe the results. Though I hope to talk more about this soon and I'm sure this is a topic of conversation at the Abbott Park Advisory Council also.

I even took some more pics recently of the playlot close to 10 years after snapping some shots there as the future of this lot was still uncertain!

From Playlot on 98th/Michigan