Holiday Inn

click to enlarge

Holiday Inn Hotel Courts
Memphis, Tennessee
circa 1950s

This is the original version of the Holiday Inn. Back in the 50s, it was not always easy to find a clean motel, and Holiday Inn started to offer clean, consistent lodging across the country.

Anyone who knows me knows I love the old Holiday Inn motels. They're okay today, but they're not the same as they used to be. Starting with the Great Sign, that 40 foot tall landmark that could be seen for a mile or two away. The lobby was inviting for car travelers in the 1970s, with comfortable chairs, friendly people, clean washrooms, maps and mileage charts, a restaurant, and sometimes a gift shop. Today, this stuff would drive the price of a room into the $200 a night range!

B&O Railroad - 1960s

click to enlarge

B&O Railroad Schedule
1964

Click to enlarge

B&O Railroad Ticket
1964

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company was founded in 1827 and was the first common carrier railroad in the United States. You've probably heard of it if you've ever played Monopoly!

In 1987, B&O merged with C&O and in September they both merged into CSX.

Service Station

click to enlarge

Texaco "Fire Chief" Truck
Circa 1930s
from family photos

Back when gas stations were service stations and full service meant everything from pumping the gas, washing the windshield, checking the fluids, tire pressure to full engine repair. The service stations of yesterday offered everything a car owner needed - except coffee, huge bags of mulch and novelty key chains.

click to enlarge

Texaco Service Station Owners
Circa 1930s
from family photos

1920's Shopping

click to enlarge

Workers in a Store
1920

A lot has changed in the 87 years since this photo was taken! You'd be hard pressed today to find many of the item and features in this photo in a single place. On the left side is the soda fountain (what happened to those?) Most drugstores had one up until the 60's or 70's, and I remember a couple in the late 80's and early 90's. To the rear of that is the cigar counter with open boxes of cigars on display. Along the wall by the cigars appears to be bottles of liquids for sale . On the right side is the candy counter with the trays of candy in the glass display case and the old scale on the counter top. Going back into the store, apparel can be seen hanging on the walls of the center section, perhaps this was the tailor's area.

It appears all of the goods were in the glass door built-ins along the walls. Self service was not an option back then; full service was expected if not demanded by the customers. Today, we're lucky if the store even rings up the purchase, now that they have the wonderful "self service check-out" - which is rarely self service because something always go wrong and an unenthusiastic employee (sorry- team member) has to struggle over to fix things.

Bring back the days of full service at no extra charge.

1920's Power Company

click to enlarge

Consolidated PowerHouse
Wisconsin
1920

Back in Time

click to enlarge

Kids Sitting on Porch
Circa 1930
from family photos

I've decided to go back in time a bit and share some old photos and other memories. Here's a great photo taken in the 1930's of some children sitting on an old wooden porch. This photo reminds me of the "Our Gang" kids from the old short movies.

Chicago Street Car 1938

click to enlarge

Passengers Boarding Chicago Streetcar
1938
from family photos

Christmas in Chicago

click to enlarge

Chicago's Christmas Tree
Daley Plaza

Snowmen

Click to enlarge


Chris next to his first snowman of the year.
December 1, 2006

Merry Christmas!

Wooden cut-out of Santa
Made by Roman Ziolek
1960's

Winter Barn

click to enlarge

Barn Covered in Snow
Near Wilmingon, IL

Old Boat House

click to enlarge

Old Boat House
Anclote River
Tarpon Springs, Florida

Bronze Statue

click to enlarge


Girl on Swing
Train Station
Tinley Park, Illinois

Support Our Troops

Click to enlarge


Support our Troops
Wilmington, Illinois

Walnut Room Christmas Tree

click to enlarge


Climbing to See the Tree
Walnut Room
Marshall Field Building
State Street Chicago


Visiting the elaborately decorated Christmas Tree in the Walnut Room Restaurant inside Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's) has been a holiday tradition for years. The restaurant is on the 7th floor but the tree extends up at least two more storeys where shoppers gaze through the gold painted railing to view the tree. Often, there are lines of people waiting to get close enough to view the tree.

click to enlarge

Wedgewood Boxes Beneath the Tree Walnut Room Christmas Tree
Marshall Field Building
State Street Chicago

Engine #1892

Steam Engine
Tinley Park Train Station

It was an overcast but unseasonably warm day for late November (65 degrees), perfect for taking in the sites of the Christmas holiday downtown.

This steam engine sits on the site of Tinley Park's first train station as a monument to the role the railroad played in the village's development. Tinley Park is named after the community's first railroad agent, Samuel Tinley, Sr.

http://www.tinleypark.org/government/history/history.htm

Launching Pad

Click to enlarge

Bunyon Giant
Wilmington, Illinois

One of three bunyon statues along Route 66 in Illinois, this one is in front of the Launching Pad restaurant. Originally from California, the statue was purchased for $3,500 and turned into a spaceman for the restaurant. It was named "The Gemini Giant" after NASA's Gemini program.

It still greets drivers on Baltimore Steet "Old Route 66" in Wilmington, Illinois

Icicle

click to enlarge

Icicle on Bob's Tree
Wilmington, Illinois

Too "Dam" Dangerous

Click to enlarge

Kankakee River Dam
Wilmington, Illinois
December 2, 2006
Turbulent water at the base of this dam have proven to be very dangerous. Many people have drown at this very spot in recent years, yet others ignore the warning signs and wade into the river to fish a few yards upstream of the dam.

Click to enlarge

Throwable flotation devices perched near dam
Wilmington, Illinois

We watched as tires and logs bobbed up and down in the water at the base of the waterfall. The swirling water prevents things from flowing downstream, so many things are stuck in place for hours or even days before they finally flow downstream. This is why it's so dangerous to swimmers and boaters, they can't escape the current.

Kankakee River in Winter

click to enlarge

Flooded Kankakee River
Kankakee River State Park
Near Wilmington, Illinois


A cold December afternoon along the river. Temperatures were around 18 degrees with some snow showers.