Favorite Chicagoland Fun Facts (Schiller Park, Time: closing, manufactured, food)

[Master Jay]

There is North Chicago, which is in Lake County.

There is West Chicago, which is in DuPage County.

There is South Chicago, which is a neighborhood in the city of Chicago.

There is East Chicago, which is in the State of Indiana.

I always wondered how they decided WHICH exact land mass would receive the titles of North, West and East, since there is a whole lot of land in each direction away from Chicago.

And why is there no actual city of South Chicago, therefore?

Anyone have any thoughts?

I swore I had read in the past that North Chicago was originally called South Waukegan. And of course NOW that I look again, I cannot find this reference!! Rather, now I read that South Waukegan is a particular neighborhood in North Chicago.

[pvande55]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

There is North Chicago, which is in Lake County.

There is West Chicago, which is in DuPage County.

There is South Chicago, which is a neighborhood in the city of Chicago.

There is East Chicago, which is in the State of Indiana.

I always wondered how they decided WHICH exact land mass would receive the titles of North, West and East, since there is a whole lot of land in each direction away from Chicago.

And why is there no actual city of South Chicago, therefore?

Anyone have any thoughts?

I swore I had read in the past that North Chicago was originally called South Waukegan. And of course NOW that I look again, I cannot find this reference!! Rather, now I read that South Waukegan is a particular neighborhood in North Chicago.

Here it is. North Chicago, IL. For a short time it was South Waukegan. Probably changing the name attracted more business as Waukegan was not as recognizable. Evidence of its once being South Waukegan shows up in that it's northern border is 10th Street and numbers increase as you go south.

[Master Jay]

pvande55, I KNEW it!

Thank you for coming to my rescue!!!

[BigMan72]

David Hasselholf from Baywatch and made a cameo appearance in the Spongebob movie, went to Lyons Township high school and Dan Castanella who voiced Grandpa Phil from 90s nickelodeon cartoon Hey Arnold and voiced many simpsons charecters also went to Lyons Township.

Norridge, Illinois separated from Chicago, IL as an independent suburb, surrounded by the entire city.

[wjj]

Originally Posted by BigMan72

David Hasselholf from Baywatch and made a cameo appearance in the Spongebob movie, went to Lyons Township high school and Dan Castanella who voiced Grandpa Phil from 90s nickelodeon cartoon Hey Arnold and voiced many simpsons charecters also went to Lyons Township.

Norridge, Illinois separated from Chicago, IL as an independent suburb, surrounded by the entire city.

It would be more correct to say that Norridge and Harwood Heights are independent suburbs that together are entirely surrounded by Chicago. They border one another and are independent of one another.

[Master Jay]

The islands in the city! Did they build anything on the southwest corner of Harlem and Lawrence, yet. I remember when the Polish restaurant was there. It looked beautiful and unique. I hope some bland looking chain restaurant doesn't go up there. There's enough of those nearby.

[wjj]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

The islands in the city! Did they build anything on the southwest corner of Harlem and Lawrence, yet. I remember when the Polish restaurant was there. It looked beautiful and unique. I hope some bland looking chain restaurant doesn't go up there. There's enough of those nearby.

You must be referring to Old Warsaw Restaurant. When I was a kid there was a predecessor Polish restaurant there (not a buffet like Old Warsaw) that my parents and grandparents used to drag me too. But the big draw was Holiday Bowl across the street on Harlem. I spent a significant portion of my youth there. I remember bowling and shooting pool there during what is now called Superbowl 1 because who cared that the Packers were going to crush that upstart KC Chiefs team from that third rate league. I haven't been back there in decades (Holiday Bowl is long gone) but have driven through my old Norwood Park neighborhood on occasion.

[Master Jay]

wjj, thanks for sharing. And I'm a big Norwood Park fan. A definite area I'll consider if I move down!!!

[Nearwest]

Twinkies were created in 1930 in Schiller Park. The inventor was James Dewar, a baker for the Continental Baking Co. He came up with the name by using part of the name of a popular children's shoe band, Twinkle Toe Shoes.

The original Twinkie filling was banana cream, but it was replaced by vanilla cream in World War 2, because bananas were a rationed food item during the war.

[Avondalist]

The Union-Pacific West line that comes out of Ogilvie Station is the original transcontinental railroad, which had been extended to Council Bluffs, Iowa by the time the final leg east of the Rockies was built.

Roosevelt Road is Illinois Route 38 and part of the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental motorway.

Lombard is home to the largest collection of Lustron homes in the country. Lustron homes are steel homes built for returning GIs after WWII during the housing shortage of the time. Inhabitants of Lustron homes can hang things on their walls with magnets.