Part 2: 1

Part 2: Fragments from Life on Market Street

1.

Market Street ran south from the intersection of Water street in the north to below South avenue, approximately .6 miles, a 12 minute walk from one end to the other.

Between 1900 and 1940 an average of 800 people lived on the street. According to the census figures, 1910 saw the largest number of residents at 1193, followed by 1920 at 834, 1900 at 691, 1930 at 651 and 1940 at 627. The number of residential addresses follows the population trends: 117 addresses in 1910, followed by 111 in 1920, 95 in 1900, 93 in 1940 and 81 in 1930.

The uncomfortable coexistence between industry and residential use on Market street began in the early twentieth century when EE&J started building freight rail lines the east of Market to service shoreline industries. Gradually through the twentieth century, more and more industry settled between homes along the street and the number of residents declined. There were only two houses still standing on Market street as of 2015, just north and south of the intersection of South avenue.

Sanburn Insurance maps, combined with census data give a idea of the street and its inhabitants.

In 1906 there was a large flat, 2 ½ story building at just south of the Waukegan river, just south of Water street, addressed 211, 213, 215, 217, 219. The other largest building in that year was at the other end of Market at 941, the 3-story Chicago House boarding house sitting just north of the sugar refinery. Its neighbor to the north, the Wheeling House Boarding house was 2 stories. The far south end of Market, below South Avenue, near the entrance to the refinery and the steel mill further south contained a number of large flat, 2-story apartment houses in the early years of the century, at 905 and 907, conjoined on the east side of Market, 914/916 and 918/920 side by side on the west side.

Based on the census figures, we can surmise the relative size of residences based somewhat on the number of people living there.

There were a number of addresses with 10 or more adults living there. 1910 was the most crowded year by far, with 21 addresses with over 10 adults: 611 listed 23 adults and 423 listed 22. For the years 1900, 1920 and 1930, 5 addresses each had more than 10 adults, with 23 adults living in 523 in 1930.

In the first decade of the 20th century, there were as many saloons as there were grocery stores on Market street. Both were concentrated mainly in the 600s and 700s, between McKinley to the north  and Elm to the south. Structures changed purposes over time.

236 (at the northwest corner of Lake and Market?) had been the  Rob Tyrell Saloon from 1901-08 and the Joe Kautenburg saloon in 1913 and by 1919, as prohibition began, the Scott Ricks Restaurant and later the Harry Boyd, Barbershop.

402 (302 after 1922) at the southwest corner of Belvedere and Market, was the John Kussman Saloon (1908) and the Math Budrunas  Saloon (1913), later converted to the  J Buttita Grocery (1919) and Saml Durham soft drinks and billiards (1922-27), the Richard Alonzo soft drinks, 1929-30, and the Third ward political & Social club in 1935.

Right next door, to the south, at 404 (304)Market was the John Salduski Saloon (1908-13), later converted to the Emanuel Vasta, Grocery (1922), Marselmo Varrentos poolroom, (1925-27), Jack Signor soft drinks (1929); by 1935 the Grana tavern had settled into this location and stayed until at least 1960. (The Grana family also conducted a grocery at 401, at the southeast corner of Market and Liberty which they ran from 1922 through 1946. C D Slater ran a grocery at the site in 1954 and John Slater’s restaurant was there in 1960.)

John Machek ran a jewelry and watch repair shop at 508 Market from 1925 through 1954.  

John Root ran a saloon at 611 (513) on the east side of Market, south of McKinley, around 1908. In the 20s, it had been a pool hall,  Accadio Tirse billiards (1925-27), Refugio Sandoval (1929) and again as late as 1939,  ML Biles Billiards.

Vincent Rascigno ran his own barber shop at 514 from 1922-29.

614, (516) on the west side, south of McKinley, was the Gregor Selisker Saloon in 1908, converted briefly to a Black church during prohibition, and through the 20s and into the 30s the Frank Grobelch soft drinks and brewers (1935). From 1939 to 1943 Jas LaBarbara, Grocery occupied the space, followed by a series of restaurants, the Home Cooking Restaurant (1946), Ethel's Sandwich Shop (1948), the Roy Martin Restaurant (1951), the Henry Drake restaurant (1954 (?)-1957), the Blue Front Restaurant, (1960).

Just next door to the south at 618 was the Anton Unavitz Saloon in 1908. This location had been listed in 1901 as the Chas Steinkamp Grocery, as was 620 immediately to the south and 619 just across the street. The Steinkamp grocery is last listed in all three locations in 1908. 618 was converted from the Unavitz saloon to the Jack Menina Grocery in 1913 and the A Buttitti Grocery on 1916. It was briefly listed as a soft drink stand, Norman Moran Soft Drinks, in 1927, but otherwise was used as a residence. The 620 Steinkamp grocery remained residential after 1908, and the small space of 619, on the east side wedged between 617 and 621 was listed variously as a tobacco shop,(1906), a shoemaker, Aug Rediger (1925) and briefly again a grocery, Harrison Bankhead (1929).

The next place south of 620 (524) was the  Dennis O'Brian saloon in 1908. Frank Merlo purchased the property around 1920 and was conducting a grocery there in 1922. Walter A Burton owned a barber shop there 1927-30. The store is listed as vacant in the 1935 city directory, but Cleveland Harris was running a grocery there from 1939 through 43, followed, lastly, by Walter's restaurant in 1946.

Further south, at the southeast corner of Gulf and Market, Frank Tenuta owned a grocery at 703 (535) from 1910 through 1925, when it changed hands to the Gaetano Barbara Grocery (1927-35); Frank Bufano conducted a grocery there from 1937-43.

Just next door to the south at 705 (537) was another grocery store, owned and operated by Sam Meyer (1908-20). Francesco Cusimano owned the property by 1925 and ran a grocery there, a few years later Angel Flores grocery (1927), Jos Diagiacinto billiards (1929) and a vacant store in 1935 and 1939.

Just next door to the south were two more saloons, at 707 John Hoenik (1908) and  John Kussman (1913) and 709 Michael Marinsek (1908) and B Machnick (1913). Much later, from 1939-51 Paul Caprice owned and operated a grocery at 707 (539). 709 (541) was a grocery Geo Kaufer (1925) Emanuele Vasta (1927) was listed as vacant in 1935 and 39, and was the New Hope Baptist Church in 1943 and 46.

Across the street from 709 on the west side, at 712, (542) Sam Meyer ran his grocery in 1903, before moving up to 705 in 1908. In 1908, 712 was the  joe Rossman Saloon, and in 1913  Anton Unovich had his saloon there. When prohibition closed saloons, Steve Grobelch ran a meat market in this location in 1919, and the Hodnik & Cepon Grocery ran from 1920 through 30, continuing as Frank Hodnik grocery and meats from 1935 through 1954 and the Jas Viera Grocery in 1960.

In the early years of the century, Frank Petkovsek ran various groceries and market in the 3 buildings to the south of 712 at 714, 716 and 720. In 1903  Frank Petkovsek had a grocery at 714. Between 1908 and 1913 this was converted to the B Maschnich Saloon (1908) and John Dickshas Saloon (1913), and back to a grocery in 1919 Tony Grobelch, grocery.716 had been the Market Street Meet Market,  run by GA Chall in 1901, but was the Frank Petkovsek saloon by 1908.720 was also listed as a  Frank Petkovsek saloon in 1913. 716 (546) was a Tony Grobelch, grocery in 1922, Tnueo Lozano soft drinks in 1925, and  the Marselino Barrientos restaurant in 1929. Frank Pekovsek kept 720 (550) as a soft drink parlor in 1922, as as a notatry public in 1925.

733, at the north east corner of Market and Elm had the Frank Ojen Grocery in 1908.

Charles Baddaker ran his barber shop from 1925 through 1935 from 572, on the west side, near Elm.

816 (586), on the west side of Market  above South avenue had the Gustaf Wallberg grocery in 1901-03, converted by 1922 into a Salvation army store, which remained there until 1929.

902 (602), on the southwest corner of Market and South, had the  Wm Senft grocery (1903) and the Geo Deimo grocery in 1913. Raspunti & Fiscello Grocery held the site from 1925 through 1957, from 1935 on as Mariane Raspante Grocery, from 1951-57 as S&R Grocery.

Another grocery occupied 903 across the street from 902 in 1901, Johnson & Titinen grocery, and 1903, H Malmgren grocery.

At the extreme south end of Market, at 926, Wm Senft ran a grocery in 1901, before moving up the block to 906 two years later. 926 lists a barber shop at the address in 1906.