Author: lbchicago1@hotmail.com

A House on West Caton Street – 2152

There are many beautiful houses on West Caton Street in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, and this house at 2152 West Caton is one of them! It was built in 1891 in the Gothic Revival style by architects Faber and Pagels. The house has many Art glass windows. The dragon design above the door is also very ornate.

The house also has a very sordid and sad history! The first owner was Max Tauber. He was a livery contractor for the City of Chicago and was friends with the mayor. He lost everything in the 1929 stock market crash. He worked with banker Joseph Noel (of Noel State Bank) to pay back all of his debts. Tragically, he then murdered his wife and committed suicide in the 1930s. The house then became a rooming house.

I Am a Man Mural – Wicker Park

The I Am a Man mural is located near the CTA Blue Line at the corner of Milwaukee, Wood and Wolcott in the Wicker Park neighborhood. It shows a Black man holding a sign that says, “I Am a Man”. It is a recreation of a famous photo from the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It honors an iconic moment in Black History.

The mural project was led by Darius Dennis and artists that worked on it were Ephraim Gebre, Robin Alcantara and Jared Diaz. The actual photo that the mural depicts was taken by Bob Adelman in 1968 at Dr. King’s funeral in Memphis. Dr. King was assassinated the day after the photo was taken. King was in Memphis to help with the sanitation workers strike and the I Am a Man sign was carried by the striking workers. It is now a popular sign at civil rights protests.

*Note – Some of this information is from a Block Club Chicago article.

Summer Gardens

Summer is a time of gardens! Whether it’s your own garden, a friends, a neighbors, or a public garden at a park or city center. I hope you enjoy virtually walking through these gardens!

  • My Mom and me at Lincoln Park

Old Town – Chicago

Chicago’s Old Town neighborhoods bordered by Clark Street to the east, Division Street to the South, Halsted Street to the west and Eugenie Street/North Avenue to the North. It is home to many of Chicago’s older, Victorian style buildings such as St. Michael’s Church which survived the Great Chicago Fire. In the 19th century it was settled by German immigrants who farmed the area. That’s how it got its nickname of the Cabbage Patch. During the 1960s and 70s the neighborhood was the center of hippie counter culture. It had head shops and pot shops back in the day. As a young teenager, I spent many days at Piper’s Alley. It was also the center for Chicago folk music through the Old Town School of Folk Music. I returned to Old Town a couple weeks ago for the first time in many decades. It was very different than I remember it, but I really liked it! It had a small town feel in the big city!

  • Broken English Taco Pub
  • Carl Street Studios

Navy Pier Chicago – Now

I enjoyed visiting Navy Pier last week. It just recently opened after the COVID-19 restrictions. It looked more beautiful than ever! I haven’t been there in a couple years and I was impressed by how modern the infrastructure is. The exterior especially appeared modern. We used to visit Navy Pier a lot when my son was young. We’d go to the Children’s Museum and family fireworks. We also took family and co-workers there when they visited Chicago from out of town. I felt like Navy Pier had come full circle and always adjusted to the times, just as I have in my life. It was mostly my early photos of Navy Pier that got me interested in photography and that’s why Navy Pier is my blog homepage background photo.

Aurora Strong – Black Lives Matter Displays

The City of Aurora Illinois has a remarkable display of Black Lives Matter murals and street art. The Aurora arts and business communities have truly shown the strength and unity of this community! *Note – Some photo’s aren’t related to BLM but I just felt like taking them.

Black Lives Matter Displays – Wicker Park

When I started walking around Wicker Park last Friday I wasn’t sure what to expect. I read in the news about the protests and destruction and looting that took place there in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing. There was some destruction, but what I saw the most was a show of unity, support and hope! Note- Some photos are unrelated to BLM, but I couldn’t resist taking them! The Stay Home Save Lives one is of course about the COVID-19.