Places that aren't there anymore...

[berwynson]

My aunt & uncle worked at Western Electric in Cicero. I remember them referring to it as Hawthorne. My aunt referred me there for p/t work when I was in college. The place was huge, even had there own medical facility. I remember going to fill out a job application...getting a call to come in for an interview, was hired and had to take a physical exam.
Worked in the office, starting wage $5.50 an hour.

My high school buddy, Charlie, who continued on to college in a big way, while I fiddled with cars, got offers from W.E. and Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engines in Hartford, CT. He agonized over that decision, stayed in Cicero, went with W.E., not real long, some years, was laid off, and wound up doing relatively menial employ while possessing a Masters in Engineering! I left Berwyn in '72, seeking a new life away from the disgusting politics of Crook County, while Charlie stayed, the big difference today being he amassed a nice retirement nest egg, and I did not. He visited my Wife & I last month while we spent the winter in Laughlin, Nevada. Charlie remains one of the very few friends I made while at Morton East who still matters to me.....    berwynson

[berwyn senator]

Charlie would drive back to Berwyn from Iowa almost every weekend to participate in the nonsense that went on in Berwyn.He would roar when George would floor the Imperial in neutral then drop it into drive, a cloud of smoke was left behind from burning both oil and bald tires.Naturally this was after a bottle of home made wine from the basement on Harvey Ave.

[berwynson]

'Tis a real shame, that so few of us here have spent so long a time, a LIFETIME, like the senator, and share the ironies, good clean fun, and the agonies, of early-youth in Berwyn! Today's concerns: drugs and their "trailings", "taggers", crooked Cicero leaders, unwinnable healthcare issues, high taxes, high crime rates, ahhhh,

shit. Being 20 or 21 then is obviously NOT like being 20 today..........

berwynson

[berwyn senator]

The big difference today these little shit punks aren't able to physically stand up to anyone without a group or a weapon.If you were to put any of these little punks, without weapons, up against some of the tough kids we went to school with, I don't think they would be so tough,or maybe they would end up in a river or trunk.

[Noble Falcon]

Back in the day we settled things with fists. This website sure brings back memories!

[berwynson]

......... This website sure brings back memories!......

You said it! Both good AND bad ones.......berwynson

[berwynguy]

Many of Merigold's residents moved to Berwyn when the neighborhood turned very bad by the 1950s.  Some of the businesses and institutions from there that moved to Berwyn were Joseph Nosek Funeral Home which was originally at 1511 S. Pulaski and Sokol Tabor which was originally at 13th & Karlov. Ironically both of those businesses moved to 16th St. within a block or so of each other.  

how do you know about this?

What do you mean?  How do I know about what?  If you are asking how do I know about those businesses moving from Merigold to Berwyn, it was picked up by me in research over the years.  I also have old photos of both places in the old neighborhood.

[Exit93]

Many of Merigold's residents moved to Berwyn when the neighborhood turned very bad by the 1950s.  Some of the businesses and institutions from there that moved to Berwyn were Joseph Nosek Funeral Home which was originally at 1511 S. Pulaski and Sokol Tabor which was originally at 13th & Karlov. Ironically both of those businesses moved to 16th St. within a block or so of each other.  

how do you know about this?

What do you mean?  How do I know about what?  If you are asking how do I know about those businesses moving from Merigold to Berwyn, it was picked up by me in research over the years.  I also have old photos of both places in the old neighborhood.

i would love to see the photos of sokol tabor and and if you have and research of it i would also love to read it

[berwynguy]

Many of Merigold's residents moved to Berwyn when the neighborhood turned very bad by the 1950s.  Some of the businesses and institutions from there that moved to Berwyn were Joseph Nosek Funeral Home which was originally at 1511 S. Pulaski and Sokol Tabor which was originally at 13th & Karlov. Ironically both of those businesses moved to 16th St. within a block or so of each other.  

how do you know about this?

What do you mean?  How do I know about what?  If you are asking how do I know about those businesses moving from Merigold to Berwyn, it was picked up by me in research over the years.  I also have old photos of both places in the old neighborhood.

i would love to see the photos of sokol tabor and and if you have and research of it i would also love to read it

Exit93, here is a piece that I did for another website about Sokol Tabor.  I cut and pasted it here for you.

Here is a page from a postcard booklet on the neighborhoods of Czechoslovak Chicago and vicinity put out in 1925 by Chicago Bohemian photographer E.F. Macha from my collection.  This page highlights "Merigold" in North Lawndale which is interesting because by 1925 North Lawndale was the largest Jewish neighborhood in the city of Chicago.  Merigold still had a significant population of Czechs at that time.  For some reason Macha also includes a Czech business on that page which was located on Madison St. in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. 

(Click twice to enlarge images)



The building on this page which really fascinates me is Sokol Tabor which was located at 1300 S. Karlov (constructed in 1890).  Here is a caption from my book on South Lawndale where I describe what Sokol is. 

"One of the Czech traditions brought to Lawndale-Crawford by the Bohemians was Sokol, which means "falcon" in English.  Sokol was a fraternal organization started in Bohemia in 1862 to promote physical fitness and Czech nationalism.  The Czech's philosophy was to possess a sound mind one must have a sound body.   Lawndale-Crawford would have two Sokol halls, Sokol Chicago and Sokol Havliček-Tyrš."

Sokol Halls would also typically house other Czech organizations such as clubs, fraternal organizations, etc. This particular Sokol hall, Sokol Tabor, was also headquarters to a lodge of National American Unionists as well as home to a saloon.  Here is a rare image of the building after a fire broke out in the frame structure in 1915.



The postcard booklet described above was put out in 1925.  By 1927 the building was razed and a 1925 era brick apartment building was erected in its place which was typical in North Lawndale during that time period.



In 1926 Sokol Tabor was looking to move west where many of its members now resided.  They contacted Sokol Oak Park which was actually located on 16th St. in Berwyn.  Sokol Tabor merged with Sokol Oak Park in their new two year old building and kept the name Sokol Tabor.  Sokol Tabor still survives till this day in Berwyn.

[BRoWN]

old Laramie bridge at CB&Q tracks.

[Nancy K.]

This is a thread to post about places that are no longer around in the general area of Cicero/Berwyn/Riverside/Lyons.

Feel free to drop a name, or talk about one posted.

Here's a short list to get it started:

1.  Old Prague
2.  Bunyons
3.  The Silver Spur
4.  The Sunset Inn
5.  Chain of Fools
6.  Bonnie Miss--the old Cicero Bottling Company
7.  The Towne Revue
8.  The Berwyn Theater
9.  My Uncle's Place
10.  Stein's

[Nancy K.]

   Hi!  Going back to the 1940s and early 50s,  there were Forest Preserves on Cermak and Harlem before the Cermak Plaza was built.  Streetcars ran on Cermak and I think it ran out to the Brookfield Zoo.  The car barn was on the NW corner of Cermak and Harlem. 

[berwynson]

   Hi!  Going back to the 1940s and early 50s,  there were Forest Preserves on Cermak and Harlem before the Cermak Plaza was built. These I don't remember, but I do know the last several blocks along north side of Cermak west of Home, were getting built-up by late 40s. My Uncle Jim built himself a nice brick house on Maple, north of Cermak, in the 40s.

Streetcars ran on Cermak and I think it ran out to the Brookfield Zoo. My Dad spoke of streetcars going out there, before my time arrived, but cannot recall if he said the tracks ran southward on 1st. Ave.
The car barn was on the NW corner of Cermak and Harlem. The tracks ran along the center of the street, and were still in place up to Lombard in my very earliest recollection; Berwyn had by then ripped them out. The "El" ran as far as Oak Park only, by then, I think. The car barn was indeed on NW corner as you state; in later years, while it was still available, CTA parked and I believe did repairs on busses in that old brown brick building. Every 4th. a guy sold fireworks out of a makeshift stand set up in front of the car-barn, along Cermak.     
berwynson

[Sherman]

......... This website sure brings back memories!......

You said it! Both good AND bad ones.......berwynson

The older I get, the past has a way of looking a whole Helluva lot better....and the present, not to mention the future, has a way of looking a whole Helluva lot worse. 

Anyways...is Fillmore Used Books still there?

[EC]

No, they closed up about a year and a half ago.

[Sherman]

Darn.  I loved that place.

Does anybody remember The Ratskeller (sp)?

It was a German restaurant from way back in the day.  I think it was in Lyons, but I'm not sure.

I remember it because my Grandad grossed us all out at the table when he ordered a "Cannibal Burger" at that place--it was basically just a raw patty on a bun....

[whitesoxfan]

There used to be a little hamburger place on the north side of the tracks just west of Grove, Does anybody remember the name? I used to play space invaders there so I wanna say it was still there in the early 80's.

[jkalal1961]

Hey Guys,
I lived in Berwyn from 1961 to 1976 I lived on 19th and Clarenace and 16th and Grove.
My sister and I are trying to remember the name of the meat market on 16th and East Ave. We used to stop and get candy and junk on our way to Lincioln Jr H.S.
Any help would be great!

[EC]

Does Vydra sound familiar?

[jkalal1961]

yes that is it!

Wow this topic bring back alot of old memories!