Niles Historical Museum and Cultural Center

Niles Historical Museum and Cultural Center

     The Niles Historical Museum and Cultural Center is currently located at 8970 N. Milwaukee Avenue Niles.  It was previously located at the Trident Center on Oakton in Niles.  The current building was dedicated on October 25, 1986.

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     The current building served as the Cook County Sheriff’s Quarters from 1923 to 1984.

Building Cornerstone

Niles Historical Museum

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Building Entrance. Note Cook County Police Sign above the door

Statue from Bunker Hill Country Club Fountain.  The old golf course (closed in the 1950’s) is now Bunker Hill Forest Preserve and Estates.  The old club house was located at 6701 N. Milwaukee Avenue.   It was taken over by the VFW and it closed in the 1990’s.    Now at this site is Bunker Hill Club Condominiums

Bunker Hill Forest Preserve. This is the site of the former Bunker Hills Golf Course, Niles, Il

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Site of former Bunker Hills Golf Course

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Signage

Bridge over Chicago River

Chicago River Bunker Hill Forest Preserve

Chicago River

Concrete Foundation of uncertain origin

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Bunker Hill Condos

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Former Site of Clubhouse Bunker Hill Country Club, Niles

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Likely abandoned Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee R.R. Tracks, Skokie or Abandoned Skokie Subdivision Chicago and Northwestern

Abandoned RR. Skokie

     The Skokie subdivision was a railroad bypass built in 1891 by the Chicago and Northwestern R.R. as an alternative to the freight route between Chicago and Milwaukee.  For a portion of its route it paralleled the tracks of North Shore Line.  Over the years, the  Skokie subdivision saw less use and poor maintenance.   It was about the same time 1963 that the North Shore Line sought to abandon its track.  The Northwestern purchased the better maintained North Shore line that parallel its route.  It connected to the North Shore at River Junction and Northbrook.  Portion of the original Skokie subdivision line was subsequently abandoned.

Image Abandoned RR.Line Skokie

     Freight traffic along the newly reconstruced line decreased.    It was downgraded to local use serving only a few businesses.  CNW ceased service along the line in 1995.  The Union Pacific (which merged with the Northwestern) filed for abandonment of the line in 2001.  Most of the track was removed in 2004-2005

     

Images Abandoned R. R. Line

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Concrete support for bracket for overhead Wires

Abandoned Track Skokie

Abandoned R. R Track

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Abandoned R. R tracks

Abandoned R. R. Tracks

Abandoned RR BedSkokie

Concrete Foundation

Abandoned RR Tracks

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Photos Taken 7/12/2021

Photos take 7/12/2021

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Abandoned RR Track South of Gulf Ave., Skokie, Il.

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Abandoned RR Line north of Old Orchard Rd. Skokie

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Abandoned RR Line north of Old Orchard Rd

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Abandoned RR Line north of Old Orchard

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Abandoned RR Line north of Old Orchard Rd

I and M Canal Rewatering Project Ottawa, Il

Picture of Ottawa I and M Canal during Re Watering Project

Canal in Ottawa, Il during rewatering project

Picture of Ottawa I and M Canal during Re Watering Project

The two traffic bridges in the watered segment are LaSalle Street and Columbus Street.

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Canal in Ottawa, Illinois before rewatering project

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Pictures of Completed Canal Re Watering Project Ottawa 7/08/2021

Re Watered Canal Ottawa, Il 7/8/2021

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View from Walking Path 7/8/2021

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One end of rewatering project at Guion Street 7/8/2021

Canal Boat and Canal

View of Rewarded Canal 7/8/2021

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Same as above; former site of Lateral Canal 7/8/2021

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Story dated July 13, 2021. Apparently, the rewatered section of the I and M in Ottawa, Il has hit a snag. There has been an overgrowth of cat tails and algae. There has also been compromise of the sump pump. This issue has got to the point that the canal has to been drained.

Rewatering Project. Note overgrowth of algae

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Rewatering Project Note overgrowth of Algae and Cattails

Rewatering Project Note overgrowth of Algae and Cattails

Rewatering Project Walkway under Bridge

Overgrowth of Algae and Cattails

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Walkway under Bridge

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End of Watered Section near Canal Street.

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Souvenir Mug Commemorating the Rewatering of the I and M Canal in Ottawa, Illinois

Morris Paper Mill Morris, Il

Morris Fiber Board Company 1900

Allen Paper Car Wheel Co.

The earliest reference to a paper mill product plant in Morris was the Allen Paper Car Wheel Works 1881. Paper Car Wheels were composite of railway carriages. It was a steel rim bolted to an iron hub with an inter layer of laminated paper. They were able to damp rail/wheel noise resulting in a quiet and smooth ride. Unfortunately, over time, it was found that the wheels would fail faster than the all metal wheel.

     The Allen Paper Car Wheel Works operated until 1890. The plant in Morris subsequently was operated under many names during the next two decades including the Morris Box Board Company.

     In October, 1915, the company was reorganized under a new name Morris Paper Mills. The business flourished and by the 1920’s, it was one of the largest employers in the town of Morris. It produced cardboard boxes of various sizes and shapes. It shipped its products throughout the United States.

    In 1956, stockholders approved the merger of Morris Paper Mills with Federal Paper Board Company. The Morris plant was to operate as a division of Federal Paper Board. Federal produced paper and paper board products. The plant closed in 1980.

Federal Paper Board Building

  This area has been in the news lately due to a fire burning for days. Apparently, the abandoned building that in the past was Morris Fiber Board company and the Federal Paper Board Company was being used by a company called Superior Battery. They apparently had been storing thousand of lithium batteries unknown to officials of Morris, Illinois.

Fire Site in Morris

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Sole of fire in Morris, Illinois

Fire Site Morris, Illinois

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Burton Memorial Park, Cape Coral, Florida

Burton Memorial Park

Baseball Diamond

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Tennis Courts

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     Burton Memorial Park is located at 1502 NE.3 Terrace, Cape Coral.  It is 8.5 acres. It is the home of the Cape Coral Girls Softball League. In addition to 4 little league softball fields, there are tennis courts, basketball courts, concession stand and picnic shelters.  There is also playground equipment.

Laurent House Rockford, Il

Laurent House

This house was built in rural Rockford, Illinois.  It was designed in 1949 by Frank Lloyd Wright for Kenneth Laurent and his wife Phyllis.  Kenneth was a paraplegic World War 2 vet.  It was the only house Wright designed for a client with physical disabilities.

This was a single story home.   The inside color scheme is orange, red and green.  Most of the furniture was build by Wright and his interns.   The Laurent’s lived in the house for  60 years.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

Currently, the home is open  to the public for tours