Subposts within this Post:
1) Manufacturing Companies of Old Lake View
2) Green Houses
3) Clay Pits & Ice Ponds
1) Manufacturing Companies of Old Lake View
2) Green Houses
3) Clay Pits & Ice Ponds
This post is about the manufacturing companies that once
blanketed the Township/City and District of Lake View via the Sanborn Fire Maps
of 1923 & 1950. Most manufacturers from the 19th and early 20th century was
once located near rivers & railroads for easy
and efficient access to their marketable area. The Chicago area had
abundant of both. I will highlight the most notable manufacturers first while
note-taking the names of the companies throughout this post while addressing
the fact that Lake View was a blue -collar area much like the rest of Chicago
at the turn of the 20th century. Manufacturing the 'bread & butter' for
labor and prosperity in Lake View as well as the nation. Many mega
manufacturers had problems surviving the Great Depression of 1929 many of which were located in the old Lake View
area.
Please click on images to enlarge particularly the maps.
1947 image - Forgotten Chicago website
a proportional map that highlights manufacturing in the U.S.
Red areas indicated industrial areas
The areas were mostly along existing rail tracks or the river, the main source of jobs in the north-side.
1911 images - E.H. Talbot Map
via University of Chicago Collection
another view of it in color
Red areas indicated industrial areas
The areas were mostly along existing rail tracks or the river, the main source of jobs in the north-side.
1911 images - E.H. Talbot Map
via University of Chicago Collection
and below a 1923 Sanborn Fire Map
Entire sections of Lake View was devoted to manufacturing.
The Great Depression of 1929 nearly ended most of the manufacturing base that was Lake View.
The Chicagoan
Manufacturing Companies
mostly located along this railroad and/or North Chicago River
(click to enlarge)
Established in 1880
The General Office was located at 1801 W Diversey Parkway
1891 invoice - my collection
The Company's Initial Location in 1887
photo 1916 catalog
This was the largest company in physical size in the old
Lake View area by 1923, the largest area along Paulina
image 1916 catalog - see title for link
with a sample of their product below
photo - 1925 catalog
on sale by Ebay for $2,500 in 2019
Plant #1
photo - 1925 catalog
Plant #2
photo - 1925 catalog
Plant #3
Google Map & Earth Perspectives 2018
an aerial view below - 2018 Google Earth
Northwest Terra Cotta Company
Manufacturing Companies
mostly located along this railroad and/or North Chicago River
(click to enlarge)
image - Lance Grey
Within the red box, the right of way of the former
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul RR - Evanston branch can be found. The south end of this line
linked up with the Kingsbury Street line, part of Chicago Terminal Railroad. Countless of local manufacturers built their factories along this RR now replaced by houses, apartments, condos and businesses. This branch of this RR was primarily meant for freight only.
Illinois Malleable Irons Works
a bill of sale for a candy shipment
The Companies by Name
Established in 1880
The General Office was located at 1801 W Diversey Parkway
The Company's Initial Location in 1887
photo 1916 catalog
This was the largest company in physical size in the old
Lake View area by 1923, the largest area along Paulina
with a sample of their product below
on sale by Ebay for $2,500 in 2019
Plant #2
photo - 1925 catalog
Plant #3
Northwest Terra Cotta Company
2525 N Clybourn Avenue
Urban Remains product for sale
image - Columbia Digital Library
View more from their Trade Book of Accomplishments
image - Urban Remains
According to a company called Urban Remains the name "northwestern" had its inception in
1877, when the firm True, Brunkhorst & Co. was organized. the five founding
members were John Brunkhorst, Gustav Hottinger, Henry Rohkam, John Tank and John R. True. The True, Brunkhorst & Company continued to do business as the North-Western Terra-Cotta Works of Chicago until 1887, when it was officially
incorporated as the Northwestern Terra Cotta Co.
'Northwestern Terra Cotta Company was Chicago's largest
manufacturer of architectural terra cotta. With headquarters at 1750 Wrightwood
Avenue when Lake View was a township & City and then part of Chicago. The company operated from 1877 until its last factory, located
in Denver, closed its doors in 1965. The firm was a leader in development of
the architectural terra cotta industry & provided building elements for
numerous Chicago buildings, including the Wrigley Building, Chicago Theatre,
and Civic Opera House.'
The Company's Location in 1887 ...
1892 advertisement image
Art Institute of Chicago via Explore Chicago
a 1894 Sanborn Fire Map view
a 1894 Sanborn Fire Map view
in 1911 the original building was destroyed by fire and by the next year a new building took its place in the same spot depicting the popularity and financial strength of the company
'At the beginning of the 20th century, architectural terra cotta was firmly established as America's premier material for detailing commercial structures, especially the new, steel-framed skyscrapers then rising in Chicago and New York City. After the devastating Chicago fire of 1871, the fireproof qualities of this ancient, baked-clay form propelled its acceptance as a less expensive and lightweight alternative stone. Terra cotta's popularity peaked in the 1920's, before being eclipsed by modernist curtain walls of glass, exposed steel, and concrete.'
Workers feeding the kiln
mixing area
men with chisels
One of the nation's pioneering manufacturers was the Northwestern Terra Cotta Company (1877–1956), in Chicago. The company would have a plant in Denver. To direct both production and installation, the studio’s draftsmen transformed architectural blueprints into comprehensive "shop drawings" that identified exactly where and how each puzzle-like piece would be secured to its supporting structure. Favored by such international architectural luminaries as Louis H. Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, and Albert Kahn, the company ultimately contributed to thousands of buildings across the country in a wide array of styles.
men working with molds
polychrome (painting or decorate) room
In the 1890's the Northwestern Terra Cotta Company successfully recruited European craftsmen to join the firm as sculptors in its modeling shop. These highly skilled artists could earn three or four times as much as a less skilled laborer at the same factory.
Sculptors working on architectural molds models
drafting room
By 1920 the firm's Clybourn Avenue plant covered 24 acres and was the largest in the world. In addition to operating a second facility in Chicago Heights, the company subsequently acquired plants in St. Louis and Denver.
Northwestern Terra Cotta targeted its client base by advertising in trade journals such as American Architect. The company wasted no time promoting its involvement in the construction of the distinctive Wrigley Building—the first skyscraper completely clad "from sidewalk to searchlight" in terra cotta. Not only was the gleaming white-enamel office tower Chicago's tallest structure at that time, it was the first of a series that inaugurated new development north of the Chicago River.' - National Building Museum
for the Carson Pirie Scott & Company 1899
Art Institute of Chicago via Explore Chicago Collection
A 1906 Sales Book
images - Ebay
The Company President
a 1923 Sanborn Fire Map sectional
a street bridge connected the buildings
Art Institute of Chicago via Explore Chicago Collection
The Company President
image (unknown date) - Amazon
The president lived at 1054 W Oakdale Avenue on what is regarded today as Terra Cotta Row in Lake View
... his death in 1929
The president lived at 1054 W Oakdale Avenue on what is regarded today as Terra Cotta Row in Lake View
... his death in 1929
The Presidents' Home
1054 W Oakdale Avenue
built in 1886 when Lake View was a township
his son home as well - Adolf
at 1057 W Oakdale Avenue
and built in 1901
Salesman Samples
photos from Ebay and my collection
a salesman sample for potential client
part of my private collection
images - Ebay
This Christmas tree stand
was given to customers of the company
The North-Side HQ Remains on Terra Cotta Place
photo - Andrew Jameson via Wikimedia Commons
with a Google Map view
The Downtown Office Lobby
Remaining Artifacts
by Urban Remains in 2018
pieces from St. Boniface School building that was part of a salvage operation in the 1990's
Wrigley Chewing Factory office building
A House on Wellington
1054 W Oakdale Avenue
built in 1886 when Lake View was a township
at 1057 W Oakdale Avenue
and built in 1901
photos from Ebay and my collection
This is a 6" wide and 4 1/4" tall
a title
selling at Ebay for $675 as of 2017
It measures 15.75" x 12" x 1"
another salesman's calling card - Ebay
was given to customers of the company
The Union Stock Yard
"In the collection of the Chicago History Museum, Chicago
is this terra-cotta arch from the Union Stock Yard, 1888, Chicago, designed by
the office of Burnham & Root manufactured by Northwestern Terra Cotta
Company, Chicago. Originally this arch stood in the Union Stock Yard at the
National Live Stock Bank of Exchange Avenue and remained there until the
stockyards fire of 1934. Flanking the doorways are figures of a southwest
cattle rancher (left) and John D. Gillett (right), a prominent Illinois cattle
rancher. The arch was also installed at the Stock Yards Inn until the Inn was
demolished in 1976. Then installed around the entrance to the International
Amphitheatre. In 1984 it was donated to the Chicago History Museum." - Rolf Achilles
The Company's Advertisements
images - Ebay
photo - Andrew Jameson via Wikimedia Commons
with a Google Map view
The Downtown Office Lobby
Remaining Artifacts
by Urban Remains in 2018
pieces from St. Boniface School building that was part of a salvage operation in the 1990's
Wrigley Chewing Factory office building
The entire exterior of this house that was once located
531 W Wellington was embedded with terra cotta all around it. The house was constructed between 1894 & 1923. According to Windy City Historians-Facebook by a contributor named Greg Brewer, "The house was built in 1900 for Mrs. Margarette True,
prior to her marriage to Horace Brand in 1910. The architects were Huehl and
Schmid. The garage was built in 1910. The architects were Tallmadge and Watson.
The property was apparently sold following Mrs. Brand's death in 1919. The
house was demolished and replaced by an apartment building in 1922."
below photo - Chicago History Museum
via Explore Chicago Collection
William Deering & Company
to later merge with
International Harvester
1880-1930
TFFGF
photos - Chicagology built in 1880
illustration - Art Institute of Chicago unknown date
Receipt dated 1888
when Lake View was a city in Illinois from Ebay
and the reverse side
from my personal collection
Trading Cards from Ebay
with the reverse side
the reverse side
photos - Ebay
section 1 above
1894 Sanborn Fire Map Views
section 2 below
1894 Sanborn Fire Map Views
section 2 below
a 2019 Google Map View
a Google Earth 2018 View
William Deering & Company advertisement pages
image above - Ebay
image below - Amazon
image above - Ebay
image below - Amazon
William Deering-a veteran dry-goods wholesaler who had been doing business in Maine and New York-had established a rival harvester factory at Plano, Illinois, southwest of the big city; in 1880, Deering moved his factory to Chicago. Weary of competition, the Deering [William Deering & Company] and McCormick families [McCormick Harvesting Machine Company] began to talk about a merger of their companies during the late 1890's.
Their Catalog
6 photos - Ebay
their story for the Chicago Columbia Exhibition
booklet pages - Ebay
postcard - Ebay
McCormick Deering Chicago Cast Iron Sickle Grinder
photo - Ebay
booklet pages - Ebay
postcard - Ebay
McCormick Deering Chicago Cast Iron Sickle Grinder
photo - Ebay
By the turn of the 20th century International Harvester began a partnership with WM Deering & Co. as these invoices attest
with the backside of it with a meshed photo of the property
images - Ebay
image - Ebay
1922 advertisement
photo - Throwing Wrenches
By 1910, when IH grossed about $100 million in annual sales, it had over 17,000 workers in the Chicago area, making it the leading employer in the region. By that time, IH had established its own steel mill on the city's far South Side, which it named Wisconsin Steel, as well as manufacturing plants in Sweden, Russia, and Germany. A manufacturer of trucks as well as tractors, during the first years of the twentieth century the company moved away from animal-powered equipment and toward motorized vehicles. By the 1930's, as the nation's leading manufacturer of trucks.
– Encyclopedia of Chicago
image - Ebay
An International Harvester of America advertisement
In the first quarter of the 20th century International Harvester had a presence in Europe particularly in Imperial Russia as well as Soviet Russia.
image below - postcardy
image below - postcardy
The A.L. Luetgert Sausage Works
The Company's Location in 1894
zoomed view below
2018 Google Map view below - red star as a marker
North of International Harvester facilities within the manufacturing area along the Chicago River was Adolph Luetgert's Sausage Works once located on Diversey Parkway near the north branch of the Chicago River near Northwestern Terra Cotta Company and the Deering Works.
'Albert Luetgert had established a packing house and stockyard on
the city’s north-side, in the 1700 block of West Diversey Avenue, in 1879. It had become very successful over the
years, from an initial investment of four thousand dollars to a point where the
A.L. Luetgert Sausage & Packing Co. was considered the ‘sausage king’ by 1890’s' according to the Ravenswood-Lake View Historical Association.
image - Alchemy of Bones
On May 1, 1897 Mrs. Luetgert, Louisa, disappeared. Albert told his children their mother was visiting her
sister. After a few days, Diedrich Bichnese, Louisa’s brother, reported her
missing to the police. Luetgert [changed his story] now said Louisa 'had run
away with another man.' There are several photographs from Murderpedia and with an accounting of the event by Historical Crime Detective.
a blueprint in sections
Paul J. Daemicke & Co.
below postcard - part of my collection
image - Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway
a 1894 Sanborn Fire Map that highlights the location
south of Diversey & Lakewood (Henderson)
an employee button - Ebay
a blueprint in sections
Paul J. Daemicke & Co.
manufacturers of ice boxes
photos - Ebay
a 1923 Sanborn Fire Maps of a factory
and at the same location but by 1894
image - Linkedin Slide Show
a 1894 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
A.H. Buhrke & Company
producer of leather products
such as the lumberjack tree pole climbing belt and
hand-forged Hickory Shaft Putter
photos from Ebay
manufacturer metal products and attachments??
photo - Pinterest
photo - Ebay
Standard Cap & Steel Co.
producer of sheet metal products
M. Linkman & Co.
producer of smoking pipes
publishing & postcards
with some samples of their product below
postcard - Ebay
a zoomed view below
producer of furniture that included toilet commodes
and
... and a lithographing company of an unknown name
Eugene Dietzen Company
a producer of architectural/measurement supplieswith a sample of their product - drafting tool kit
a medical kit - Ebay
medicine bottle - Ebay
Wallace C. Abbott
photo - Abbott Labs website
Abbott Laboratories traces its beginnings to 1888 when
Dr. Wallace C. Abbott operated a small pharmaceutical facility in the kitchen
of his apartment [and then later in the basement of his home on 4605 N Hermitage Avenue with images of billing with the factory address on them.
image - Ebay
images - Ebay
image - Ravenswood-Lake View Association
He produced pills called "dosimetric granules,"
which provided a uniform quantity of drugs. He sold his products to other
physicians, and in 1900 the business was incorporated in Illinois as Abbott
Alkaloidal Company. By 1905 annual sales grew to $200,000. The name was changed
to Abbott Laboratories in 1915. During World War I, Abbott prospered by
developing anesthetics that were previously only available from Germany. These
included procaine, a replacement for German novocaine, and barbital, a
substitute for veronal. After the war Abbott built a manufacturing plant in
North Chicago.- Lehmann Brothers Collection
Companies along the now defunct
Evanston branch of the
Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul RR
The Chicago & Evanston rails were mostly used for the transportation of freight along short distances within the Chicago area as early as 1885 that was routed through the Township/City of Lake View from Chicago to Evanston.
Collins & Wiese Coal Yard
photo - Industrial History
unknown source
notice a RR watch tower that was once located at the intersection of west of Seminary, Clark, & Addison Street
photo via Bleed Cubbie Blue
photo - via Susan Groff contributor of
LakeView Historical-Facebook view south on Seminary Avenue. Wrigley Field is out of frame to the left of the photo.
The Sanborn Fire Map views
The tracks appear slice through the middle of the blocks
Hildebrandt
Coal Company of Chicago
1157 W Newport
Robert J. Hildebrandt lived and worked in Lake View
per this 1911 Illinois list of Corporations
along with a 1923 Sanborn Fire Insurance location ...
1157 W Newport
per this 1911 Illinois list of Corporations
along with a 1923 Sanborn Fire Insurance location ...
1151 W Roscoe Street
a publishing company
1900-1956
located along Racine with a main office on Roscoe
a caption of their product written by a seller from Etsy
composite of postcards - Etsy
located along Racine with a main office on Roscoe
an ad from a 1958 Lake View High School yearbook
composite of postcards - Etsy
their World Fair exhibit
postcard images - Ebay
Range of this location was from 3305 to 3359 N Racine on the east side of the street and with
an apparent second factory section on the southwest corner of Clifton and Roscoe.
The buildings were constructed in 1926 and 1933 according to a 1950 Sanborn
Map, sheet 81.This company produced a lot of 1933 World Fair postcards.
Rutter Coal Company
property was north & south of Belmont
images - Ebay
1902 Chicago Tribune 8x11 Lithograph Inserts
via Ebay
doll cut-outs - Ebay image
... also located at 1800 W Fullerton Avenue
Apparently their administrative/storage buildings were located on Racine Avenue
Apparently their administrative/storage buildings were located on Racine Avenue
the plant on Fullerton Ave
image - 1950 Sanborn Fire Map
property was north & south of Belmont
matchbook - part of my collection
a 1923 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
image - Ebay
a 1923 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of the location
Rutters Coal near Belmont and again at School Street
image - Chicago's Sweet Candy History
1950 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map - X marks the spots
the buildings were located on both sides of Fletcher Avenue
below image - Ebay
a factory location per this 1923 Sanborn Fire Map
images - Ebay
one of the favorite products
image - Craig Lost Chicago
their office building on Diversey/Broadway
Their office location was on northeast corner of Diversey and Broadway within their own building that was simply called the Curtiss Building according to this 1950 Sanborn Fire Map
with another location on Belmont/Seminary
... and space at 1101 W Belmont Avenue
zoomed view of the address its products
The final Lake View location was at 3636 N Broadway
photo - Layman Guide to Beer
a sample of their products
images - Ebay
This building listed in the National Registry of Historical Places as of 1987. Several brewers operated in these building(s) from 1885 as a beer producing plant or brewery until its demise in 1961.This historical building is located at 1315-1317 West Fletcher within the Belmont & Sheffield area of Lake View. Why is this a landmark - Chicago's initial growing dominance in brewing beer.
images - Ebay
photo - Garry Albrecht
photo - Garry Albrecht
photo - via Christopher Brandt,Forgotten Chicago-Facebook
photo - via Christopher Brandt,Forgotten Chicago-Facebook
”Chicago is the most important railroad center in North America. More lines of track radiate in more directions from Chicago than from any other city. Chicago has long been the most important interchange point for freight traffic between the nation's major railroads.” - Encyclopedia of Chicago
One such railroad was the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company - Evanston Branch that had its beginnings in 1872 twenty-eight years before commuter elevated tracks were built by the North Western Company (Redline and Brownline). The CM&P delivered freight to and from Chicago manufacturers that once included Lake View. Lake View in the 19th and mid - 20th centuries was referred to as a blue collar manufacturing area that included coal yards, metal works, meat storage warehouses, greenhouses and a well-known Chicago brewery.
The Best Brewing Company of Chicago was located along the CM&P so to economically transport their product to market. The building was originally owned by breweries Klockgeter & Company in 1885 and then Kagebein & Folstaff one year later. The buildings occupants were many but all related to brewing beer. Their beer products of this company were the ‘Hapsburg Bock’ (1933-1962), ‘Hapsburg Beer’ (1933-1962), and ‘Best Ale’ (1937-1962). Currently, the building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 and used for residential space. Most of the buildings of the former manufacturing area are physically gone but not completely forgotten thanks to Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Google maps of its day) that were created in the 19th century for primarily for property insurance, fire protection.
a 1923 Sanborn Fire Map view
part of my personal collection
Lakewood has a tree and shrub barrier at this point
photo - Garry Albrecht
View north of the barrier on Barry Avenue
photo - Garry Albrecht
crumbling of the street due to the covering of the tracks
photo - Garry Albrecht
tracks are on the left of the map below
Tracks begin to appear as late as 2012
- view north and south on Diversey Parkway
photos - Garry Albrecht
a candy company
1914-2007
photo - Ebay
photo - Chicago: ChiTown/My Town-Facebook
C&E heading towards Peerless Confection - 2000
photo - Chicago Switching
The most popular company along its route was
Peerless Candies once located at Lakewood and Schubert in Lincoln Park along with Finkl Steel once located further south. Read and view more about the Evanston Branch that link downtown Chicago with the Township of Evanston that was routed geographical though old Lake View
bottle caps - Ebay
6-50 One Gallon Cream Can for Butter Fat - Ebay image
and
J.C. Deagan Railroad Dining Car Chimes
from Lionel Train Locomotive
image from Ebay
photo from Ebay
image - Western Trade Journal 1928
This company provided an electrical [metal] tonearm that sat on the cabinet of
wind-up record players that allowed sound to be transferred to
a volume control and then was connected to a table radio with an adapter that
slipped between the detector tube and base of the radio.
manufacturer of Underwood typewriters
and some unrecognizable or unknown manufacturers
and Lincoln-Boyle Ice
their Ravenswood Plant - storage
image - Ebay
Manufacturer of bakery equipment, commercial use
dish-washing machine parts, food & beverage dispensing equipment, cookware
& kitchen tools, tabletop & serving equipment, and restaurant
furniture.
The Dartnell Corporation was one of the earliest
companies to deliver easy-to-access business training for salespersons
J. Milhenning & Company
J. Milhenning & Company
engravers for jewelry
Cummings Perforator Company
producer of 'cancel' machines for checks
(based in New York)
and
Barco Manufacturing Company
valves and joints for direct steaming systems
image below from Ebay
producer of wood making machinery
manufacturer of commercial, vehicle & industrial
hardware
a ledger company
along with ...
Drying Systems
a producer of the dying method apparatus
images - Ebay
Chicago had emerged as a major wholesale lumber market
shortly after the Civil War in the 1860's because it possessed a number of
natural and man-made advantages. Because it was located on Lake Michigan, it
could receive raw material by boat from the region's teeming forests. In
Chicago, the lumber would be milled and then delivered by train to the major
eastern cities, as well as to Minneapolis and the Dakotas and as far west as
Denver. As the railroad expanded into the treeless prairie states, the Chicago lumbermen were able to serve these growing populations with the building
materials they needed. Trainloads of Chicago lumber were also delivered to such
growing Texas cities as San Antonio and Houston. While Mr. Hines served his
apprenticeship at Martin Company, there were approximately 125 lumberyards in
Chicago, most of which were involved in the wholesale shipping business. As a
result of its lake location and excellent railroad facilities, Chicago became
the largest lumber receiving and shipping center of the world.
and
headquarter in Proctor, Vermont
manufacturer of equipment for stone-cutting
providers of homeopathic treatment
Quality Hardware & Machine Company
an atomic weapons employer
located near Rosehill Cemetery
In 1944, Quality Hardware had a contract to support the
University of Chicago. The company canned experimental non-bonded uranium slugs and may have canned all of the slugs used in the Hanford reactors during World War II.
no manufactures shown - Devon Avenue northern border of the old township/city and District of Lake View
Other Companies of Interest
another company located along a railway
Once located at 3701 N East Ravenswood Avenue between 1950 - at this location; until 1992 in Niles Illinois.This company produce electric instrument panels, dial scales - tuning controls & knobs for radio's. Apparently, the company tired to make a market in the defense industry during the Korean War (1950-53) per this brochure ... (from Ebay)
A pinball company 1932 - 1977
a division of Chicago Dynamic Industries
Crazy Ball 1948
Once located in Chicago, Illinois, the center of the pinball and arcade game industry since the early days of the coin operated amusement industry. The Chicago Coin was formed in 1931 by partners Sam Gensburg, Lou Koren and Sam Wolberg. Chicago Coin, more so than its main competitors, tended to be a general purpose arcade amusement company. The company made products such as shuffle bowling games, electro-mechanical car driving games.
image - Pinterest
a postcard mailer - Ebay
Around-the-World Trainer 1955 - Ebay
all images above - Ebay 1972 pinballs
was located at 1725 W Diversey Parkway
photo - Craig's Lost Chicago
Flipper Unit Brackets for their machines - Ebay
all images above - Ebay unknown date
'In 1973 Chicago Coin attempted to get in on the Pong craze by releasing 2 arcade game consoles; TV Football & Hockey. The company manufactured a unique arcade video game item in 1975 called Super Flipper, which was essentially a video game simulation of pinball with a display monitor housed in a miniature pinball cabinet. In spite of these efforts, Chicago Coin was in financial trouble, by 1977 the company's assets were sold.' - Wikipedia
all images above - Ebay unknown date
postcard - Chicago History in Postcards
'The souvenir picture postcard appeared in 1893 as an
inexpensive way to send short messages. They made a big splash at Chicago’s
1893 World’s Columbian Exposition; those who attended were among the first to
mail postcards to friends and family. The fair attracted visitors from all over
the world, and among them was Christian Teich, owner of a printing business in
Germany, where most souvenir postcards were produced at the time. Shortly after
Teich returned home, Curt Teich, his 21-year-old son, emigrated to America. By
1898 the younger Teich owned his own printing business in Chicago.
Initially, Curt Teich printed just about anything, but he
quickly realized that photo postcards were more than a fad. He applied his
knowledge of then-sophisticated German printing technology and developed a
cost-effective mass-printing process. In 1907 German printers still dominated
the American postcard business. Teich, however, was able to compete because he
offered a quality product with the advantage of personalized customer service
and faster turnaround. In 1909 Teich caught a break from federal tariffs on the
sale of foreign postcards, which caused sales of these cards to plummet, and
was soon printing a minimum of 150 million postcards a year.' - Peter Von Buol
both postcards - Chuckman Collection
The Curt Teich & Company, Inc. building is a heavy timber and masonry loft industrial structure. It consists of an original three story (west) section and a five story (east) addition. The building is located on the southeast corner of Irving Park Road and East Ravenswood Avenue, along the industrial corridor next to the railroad tracks in the neighborhood known
at the time as Ravenswood. Listed on the National Registry of Historical Places since 1990. Per the Registry, ' The Curt Teich and Company, Inc. building is a heavy
timber and masonry loft industrial structure. It consists of an original
three story (west) section and a five story (east) addition.' The building is
located on the southeast corner of Irving Park Road and East Ravenswood,
along the light industrial corridor next to the railroad tracks in the
neighborhood known as Ravenswood. The building faces north on Irving Park
Road. It was known as the world's largest volume printer that manufactured postcards. The company operated from 1898 to 1978. In fact, most of all of the postcard images in this blog are from this manufacturer and collected from various collections such as Chuckman Collection, Chicago History in Postcards, and Ebay. Read more about their world-known postcards with this link.
the company before - images from Ebay
'The earlier west section [of the building] sets on property purchased by James McDonald about 1891 and built a second plant?? - J. S. McDonald & Company by 1901. J.S. McDonald & Co produce loose-leaf ledgers. It was then purchased by Curt Teich in 1910. Though the exact date and the architect of this building are unknown, it bears resemblance to the Dearborn Street station at Polk and Dearborn, built in 1885 and designed by architect Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz. It is built of red pressed brick in a Romanesque design.' (The address is pre 1909.)
- National Register Nominations For Chicago
- National Register Nominations For Chicago
page 2
images - Ebay
tri-image postcard with a linen surface
From the 1920's to the 1940's, Curt Teich & Co., the company that originally occupied this northside address, churned out more postcards than any other printer in the world. Over its 80-year history, the company produced cards featuring more than 10,000 towns and cities in North America and 87 foreign countries. According the publication 'Hidden History of Ravenswood & Lake View' by Patrick Butler
(p 116) "salespeople would take pictures of local landmarks or businesses and try to get those businesses to order postcards to promote the local attractions".
Welcome to Chicago
part of my collection
a 1910 Booklet
images - Ebay
photo of Postcard Place - Wikimapia
The location of the building is on the corner of Irving Park Road and Ravenswood Street. Currently, the building houses residences and is now called Postcard Place as of 1996.
The finest mallet percussion instruments
ever created in the United States
ever created in the United States
J.C. Deagan succeeded in transforming the rough pieces of metal into a set of perfectly tuned bells which soon became standard orchestra equipment. He began to manufacture these bells in 1880.
from Chuckman Collection
photos - Century Mallet Instrumental Service
Currently, home of the Century Mallet Instrument Service 
Watch a video about their instruments
Manufacturers of
Southeast Ravenswood Community 1950
from Irving Park Road to Belle Plaine
once an engraving business
Sample of their products
from Belle Plaine to Berteau Avenue
once created weight & recording systems
Per Wikipedia, a ‘watchclock’ is a mechanical clock used
by security guards as part of their Guard tour patrol system which require
regular patrols. The most commonly used form was the mechanical clock systems
that required a key for manual punching of a number to a strip of paper inside
with the time pre-printed on it. (photoS below from Ebay)
from Berteau Avenue to Cullom
a sewage and treatment company
Cullom to Montrose Avenue
F.W. Steward Manufacturing Company
image - Popular Science
photo - Antique Fans Collectors Association
Union Linen Supply Company
image - State of Illinois Biennial Report of 1912
While the company no longer exists the building as of 2019 still stands and remembered on its red brick exterior
an ageless company since 1868
founded in the Township of Lake View
founded in the Township of Lake View
photos - Yo Chicago
'Among the dozen or more binderies of the day, his alone survives, at 1751 W. Belmont Ave., where the bindery's success over 128 years stands as a monument to shrewd adaptation to changing times.'
Read more from this 1996 article by Chicago Tribune
a sample of their craftsmanship
images - Elston Press
'The Decameron' printed in 1887 - Ebay
Founder died in 1936
'The Decameron' printed in 1887 - Ebay
Founder died in 1936
an article in 1984
(click on segment of this article to enlarge)
(click on segment of this article to enlarge)
Read more from this 2007 article online
from Yo Chicago about this ageless company
A NON-MANUFACTURE INDUSTRY:
The Greenhouses & Hothouses
of the Township/City of Lake View
Greenhouses and hothouses were used for growing fruits, vegetables and floral plants/flowers. The townships of Jefferson and Lake View had both - greenhouses for floral growth and hothouses for fruits and vegetables.
University of Illinois in Chicago maps
This 1861 map depicts both Lake View and Jefferson Townships during the era of the hot and greenhouses. Western Avenue was the border between them.
Budlong Pickle Works
Chicago Neighborhoods & Suburbs: A Historical Guide
This 1894 Sanborn Fire Map indicates the location of the hothouses of J.A. Budlong company farms
note: N. 59th = Foster Avenue
Beginning in the mid 19th century ‘truck farms', a term used for the transportation of farm produce to market, were mostly owned and operated by German speaking folks, called Luxembourgers who used the historically regarded first settler of Lake View Township, Dr. Conrad Sulzer, business practices. The truck farmers would drive their product in horse-drawn wagons down the Old Little Fort Road known today as Lincoln Avenue to City of Chicago. Celery was the chief crop with pickles as important. This crop gained such broad distribution throughout the Midwest and East Coast, the legend is told, that local growers proudly called the area the nation's celery capital. The most well known if not the most successful of the greenhouses and hothouses of the this area was the J.A. Budlong Company located in Jefferson township community of Bowmanville with the boarding house and plant office located on Lincoln Avenue north of North 59th (Foster Avenue) blocks west of Western Avenue. Western Avenue was the border between Jefferson and Lake View TownshipsThis 1894 Sanborn Fire Map indicates the location of the hothouses of J.A. Budlong company farms
note: N. 59th = Foster Avenue
The J.A. Budlong Greenhouses and Hothouses
The Budlong Brothers opened a successful pickle factory in 1857 and expanded into the commercial flower business with the opening of Budlong greenhouses in 1880. The farms were noted not only for pickles but for cucumbers and onions. They are regarded by locals as the original guardians of Budlong Woods as well as Bowmanville community.
The Chicago Daily News 1903 article below highlights the farms features and its workers as well as a Native American burial sight located in that area
According to Jennifer Sherman Yonesawa via Living History of Illinois and Chicago-Facebook "the Budlong Pickle Company began in the late 1800’s on a 500-acre
farm around the area that is now Foster between California and Western. The
area is still known as Budlong Woods. In 1908 it was sold to my aunt’s family.
When her father, George Hathaway retired in the late 1950’s he sold the company
and it was eventually absorbed by Dean Foods."
Below is a Chicago Tribune article about school revisiting their namesake and honoring a man who was
one of the first to settle in the area.
Lynn Budlong: A Memory in 1965
page 2
The Albert Fuchs Greenhouses
Mr. Fuch was noted for his prized Cycas revoluta
Fuch would replace his greenhouses
with flats (apartments) called the Chateau
and created a theater of the same name on Grace at Halsted Street. The article below highlights this fact.
with flats (apartments) called the Chateau
and created a theater of the same name on Grace at Halsted Street. The article below highlights this fact.
Wittbold & Company
greenhouse and nursery
with a Buckingham Place Greenhouse Shop
an advertisement that appeared in the
1931 Lake View Yearbook
text - Directories of Director in the City of Chicago 1902
with a Buckingham Place Greenhouse Shop
1931 Lake View Yearbook
The Tales of a Traveler:Reminiscences & Reflections in
1916
The Buckingham Place building was renovated from a storefront to condo units during the 1990's. I remember the store as an expanse, independent floral store when I moved to LakeView in 1993 as highlighted in the article below.
(click on article to enlarge)
Most of the earliest greenhouse were located near cemeteries of the old township much like J.A Budlong properties near Rose Hill Cemetery.
The Sanborn Fire Maps of 1894 highlights most of them located in the newly formed district of Lake View in Chicago.
Greenhouses Near Rosehill Cemetery
Front = Ravenswood Avenue
Armin Avenue = Thorndale Avenue
Commercial = Ashland Avenue
Cemetery Road = West Rosehill Drive
1894 Sanborn Fire Map
Ridge Road = Bowmanville Avenue
1894 Sanborn Fire Map
Ridge Road = Bowmanville Avenue
1894 Sanborn Fire Map depicting hothouses
Ridge Avenue = North Ridge Boulevard
Pratt = West Pratt Boulevard
Other Greenhouses Further South
1894 Sanborn Fire Map depicting Chicago & Evanston RR tracks for easy transport to market
Evanston = Broadway Avenue
1894 Sanborn Fire Map depicting a location at top of image
Commercial = Hermitage Avenue
1894 Sanborn Fire Map
(Perry = Greenview Avenue)
(Cosgrove = Warner Avenue)
Below is a 1894 Sanborn Fire Map
(Dunning = Altgeld Avenue)
The Clay Pits, Ice Ponds, & Brickyards
*First, The Clay Pits*
‘Fired clay brick’ is a type of brick that has been used as a primary building material before the United States
- text fromThe Brick Industry Association, edited
- text fromThe Brick Industry Association, edited
‘Clay pavers’ are another type of clay brick that have been used in the United States
*The Ice Ponds*
once Clay Pits that were abandoned
The ice ponds were sold off to ice companies that cut the ice for consumer 'ice boxes' - a precursor to refrigerators
Where a majority of the ponds were located
per this 1887 Sanborn Fire Map south of Diversey
The ice ponds were sold off to ice companies that cut the ice for consumer 'ice boxes' - a precursor to refrigerators
per this 1887 Sanborn Fire Map south of Diversey
When clay pits satisfied or nearly satisfied their usefulness, most often, the earth pits would be allowed by the owners to be filled-in with water (naturally?) so that an ice pond would be created for winter fun. But as the articles below indicate the summer months tell a different and much less fun story of the unhealthy conditions of the pits when the brick manufacturers abandoned the useless pits. The article mentions that the pits were allowed to filled with garbage and other waste products in the humid and hot summer months some of the pits located near schools. Some of the pits would be covered during the summer months the odor was repugnant to bare.The Chicago Tribune article below is dated June 17, 1892.
Below is a short history of the clay pits and its relationship to manufacturing of bricks from Lake View Saga 1837-1985
map 1
map 2
below is a zoomed view of the above map
map 3
the building on the lower right is Prescott School
map 4
Death Pits & Health Issue in 1892
Below are 1894 Sanborn Fire Maps depicting either clay pits or ice ponds is what was then called the newly formed District of Lake View established after the annexation of the City of Lake View in 1889.
Below are 1894 Sanborn Fire Maps depicting either clay pits or ice ponds is what was then called the newly formed District of Lake View established after the annexation of the City of Lake View in 1889.
An Ice Pond on Nelson Avenue
The Clay Pits on Paulina
with another view from 1887
The Clay Pits on Perry (Greenview)
along with their kiln storage sheds
The Ice Ponds on Clybourn
with their kiln & sheds
The Ice Ponds on Wrightwood Avenue
(Wrightwood Playground)
continues from above map
The Ice Pond and Clay Pit
at Belmont & Robey (Damen Avenue)
The Ice Pond along the Chicago River
as early as 1887
The Clay Pits at Western & Grace
with kiln, kiln sheds and drying racks
The Clay Pits on Western & Warner
kiln, kiln sheds, drying racks
*The Brick Yards*
for making of bricks that were located near the clay pits
Most of the Brick Yards in old Lake View were
located along Diversey
Making the Bricks
types of kiln design
The Various Locations along Diversey
Troubles in 1884
Tools of the Trade
The tools used to remove ice blocks from the ice ponds to be stored in the precursor to electric refrigerators - ice boxes
2 images - Ebay
with another view from 1887
The Clay Pits on Perry (Greenview)
along with their kiln storage sheds
with their kiln & sheds
(Wrightwood Playground)
continues from above map
The Ice Pond and Clay Pit
at Belmont & Robey (Damen Avenue)
as early as 1887
with kiln, kiln sheds and drying racks
kiln, kiln sheds, drying racks
*The Brick Yards*
for making of bricks that were located near the clay pits
Most of the Brick Yards in old Lake View were
located along Diversey
Making the Bricks
The Various Locations along Diversey
Belmont to Diversey - Damen to Ashland
Troubles in 1884
Tools of the Trade
The tools used to remove ice blocks from the ice ponds to be stored in the precursor to electric refrigerators - ice boxes
2 images - Ebay
All the green/hot houses and clay pits/ice ponds have been replaced by dwellings that mirrored the technologies and/or usefulness of an era that is now mostly forgotten.
This post reminds the reader/viewer what once was in our neighborhood area. When you walk down a street shown above ... pause and remember with some regret for these pits could have been natural reservoirs or lagoons.
When you can't fool with Mother Nature
before the Big Tunnel in the 1970's by Lance Grey
"Interesting how they took advantage of the ancient lake beds in the swath from Fullerton to Belmont. - Not only for brickyards, but in the Winter months for small artificial Lakes centered near today's Wrightwood Park, to build Ice Houses & Kilns (per Chas. Rasscher 1887 maps) - And the role the clay plays in recurring flooding problems in the area- as experienced near this Quonset Warehouse known as Majestic Screw & Bolt where I worked in the '70’s just south of Diversey on Greenview. [Shown in a May-1955 photo]"
A Post Note:
by Kathy Gemperle
published by The Edgewater Historical Society
'Architectural Terra Cotta refers to a high grade of aged
clay that has been mixed with sand and pulverized fired clay for use on
buildings. The word comes from the Latin, “cooked earth” which refers to the
heating of the clay to temperatures in the range of 2000-2350 degrees
Fahrenheit. The terra cotta was used to enhance the decorative aspects of
architecture and it became popular in the 1870's in the United States after a
decade of use in England. Clay as a building material had the advantage of
being both inexpensive, light weight and easily molded into a variety of shapes.
The process of creating a decorative piece to be attached to the exterior of
the building was essentially a handmade process. Molds were designed in
decorative styles such as Classical Revival, Beaux Arts and Baroque with
curling spirals and leaf designs. These molds were made from clay prototypes by
hand. Placing multiple pieces of glazed terracotta on a building involved first
choosing the mold designs and including them in the architectural drawings. The
pieces chosen had to be made over-sized in order to allow for shrinkage. Once
the clay was pressed into the plaster mold, it was removed and glazed. The
glaze is a coating of silica, clay and minerals mixed in water which when fired
leaves a smooth and hardened surface. The most popular color was white or
beige. Brighter colors might be golds, greens and blues or accents of orange.
Each piece had to be carefully numbered to insure installation in the correct
position. The whole process took eight weeks from the time of ordering. The
mold pieces were rather thin compared to the bricks and stone used in buildings.
These thin pieces had to be applied to concrete when being attached to the
building. The use of glaze on these pieces began in the 1890's. While terra
cotta itself is essentially waterproof like your coffee mug or toilet it is
installed in blocks or pieces and sometimes care was not taken in the
attachment of the terra cotta to the building or to the other pieces with
grout. Because of the freeze and thaw cycle in many cities, the terracotta can
actually take on water, expand and cause the glaze to crack called crazing.
Then the protection of the glaze surface is diminished and the freeze and thaw
process can lead to more serious cracking and something called 'spalling', where
pieces of the glaze and clay fall off the building.'
Important Note:
These posts are exclusively used for educational purposes. I do not wish to gain monetary profit from this blog nor should anyone else without permission for the original source - thanks!
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