Goldblatt’s Department Store – Forgotten Chicago

With so many big department stores going out of business or shutting stores today, such as Carson’s and Sears – I thought it was important to remember another big Chicago department store that went out of business long ago.

I very fondly remember Goldblatt’s Department Store in Chicago. We lived near the one on Kimball, Milwaukee and Diversey, but we also visited Goldblatt’s stores at Lincoln, Belmont and Ashland and Belmont and Central. I remember the bargain basement and the smell of food from the deli and snack shop, but I especially remember shopping with my mother and helping her with the “green stamps” books so we could get the discounts. Those childhood shopping trips with my mother were the most special times in my life.

Goldblatt’s was founded in 1914 by brothers Nate and Maurice Goldblatt. They were Polish immigrants that previously ran a grocery store on the West side of Chicago. The first Goldblatt’s store was located at the corner of Ashland and Chicago Avenue. In 1928 they incorporated. Goldblatt’s performed well, even during the Great Depression in the 1930s and purchased several smaller department stores.

Goldblatt’s opened their flagship store on State and Van Buren in 1936 and they started carrying more upscale products, appliances, a deli and snack shops. After it closed, the building was sold to DePaul University.

By the 1950s business started to slow down and the 1960s  saw fierce competition from newer discount retailers, such as Kmart, Woolco, Zayre and Sears. The company filed for bakruptcy in 1981, but reopened in 1982 with six stores that would sell primarily to lower income shoppers. They remained in business until 2003, when the Goldblatt’s stores were closed for good and liquidated.

  • Note: The second photo is mine. The rest are from Wikipedia.

History of the Chicago Water Tower

The Chicago Water Tower was built in 1869 and is located at 806 N. Michigan Avenue in the Jane M. Byrne Plaza. It is the second oldest water tower in the U.S. The oldest water tower is in Louisville, KY. The Chicago Water Tower was added to the National Resgister of Historic Places on April 23, 1975.

It was built by architect William W. Boyington. The Water Tower worked in conjunction with the Chicago Avenue Pumping Station to fight fires and control water surges for Chicago’s municipal water system. The pumping station drew clean water from Lake Michigan. The Chicago Water Tower was one of the few structures that survived the Great Chicago Fire in that area (and the only public building in the area) to survive the fire. As such, it has become symbolic of old Chicago and the city’s recovery after the fire.

The Chicago Water Tower now houses the Chicago Office of Tourism art gallery known as the “City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower.” It showcases photos and artwork by local photographers, artists and filmmakers.

Chicago Avenue Pumping Station

A Week in Philadelphia

I was fortunate to be able to visit Philadelphia last week. It was my first time in Philly and I absolutely loved it! It is an incredible city…………………………an amazing mix of old and new. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed the city!

 

Old Chicago Commons Playground

In Chicago during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s there was only one playground in the city, and approximately 12,000 children lived in the city. The population of children in the city was high due to the influx of immigrants during the Industrial Revolution. Today, Chicago has approximately 570 parks, which includes about 90 playgrounds.

The Chicago Commons playground size was only 20 x 160 feet. It was open every afternoon and all day on Sundays. These were largely immigrant children of factory workers and attendance varied from 50 to 175 children at one time. The playground was supervised by adults. It was located on the Near West side of Chicago, and was built by the Chicago Commons settlement house.

The Chicago Commons Association is a social service organization and former settlement house in Chicago. The Chicago Commons was founded in 1894 by Graham Taylor.