The Uptown Theater is located in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago at 4817 North Broadway.  It was built in 1925.  The architects were Rapp and Rapp.  The contractors were the Paschen Brothers.   It was built for Balaban and Katz Company.

It is a large ornate building in the Spanish Revival Style.   It had a six story  grand lobby, a large seating area, a large stage and a very large balcony.   On the outside, it  had an elaborate terra cotta facade.  It occupied 46,000 square feet.  It had a capacity of 4381 seats.  Like many theaters of this era, it had an elaborate Wurlitzer organ.

When the theater first opened, it employed a staff of 130 persons.  This included a 34 person orchestra.    In its early history,   a live stage production accompanied the featured movie.

Over the years as a cost saving measure, live shows were discontinued.   First run movies continued to be shown.  Attendance declined in the 1960’s and  the 1970’s.   Beginning in the 1970’s, the theater was used as a concert venue.    The J. Geils band was the last act to play at the Uptown.

In 1981, the theater was closed for regular events.   The Plitt Theater Organization was the owner at the time.  They made a decision to turn off the heat to the building as a cost savings measure.   As a result,  a water pipe burst causing extensive interior damage.  There was a lack of regular maintenance and  frequent acts of vandalism.  There resulted extensive  interior  and exterior damage.

In 2006, the exterior was secured.  There have been many proposals for uses of the theater building.    Unfortunately,  the current owners Jam  Productions have been unable to raise the millions of dollars needed for renovation.

The Uptown Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

As reported in the Chicago Tribune (6/29/2018),   75 million dollars has been raised from various sources for the restoration of the deteriorating Uptown Theater.   The plan is in the proposal stages and will need regulatory and Chicago City Council approval.  Tentatively, project will commence in fall of this year and will last for two years.

The project will be a joint one with Jam Productions (current owner) and Farpoint Development.

    

Uptown Theatre

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos and text are copywrighted

 

 

 

    The IAIS bridge over the Fox River is located in Ottawa, Illinois between the East Norris Drive Bridge and the Fox River Aqueduct I and M Canal.     It was built in 1899.  Design is deck plate girder.  Builder was Lassig Bridge and Iron Works (Chicago).  Largest span is 65 feet.  Total bridge length is 450 feet.   Railroads that have used the bridge include Chicago and Rock Island, Iowa Interstate Railroad.  Bridge is currently active.

  The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge is located in LaSalle County, Illinois.  It crosses 2 railroads, the I and  M Canal,  Highway 351 and the Illinois River.  It was built in 1987.   It is a steel through arch bridge.  It carries 4 lanes of traffic.    Its largest span measures 619.9 feet.  The total bridge length is 7,120.2 feet.  Its width is 82 feet.

     Most recent bridge inspection (July,2016).

Overall                                 Condition.             Fair.                       5 out of 9

Superstructure.                Condition.             Satisfactory.        6 out of 9

Substructure.                    Condition.              Fair.                       5 out of 9
Unless otherwise indicated all photos and text is copywrighted.

The first bridge at this site was an iron lost through truss over the Illinois River  on Illinois 178.    It was built by the Decatur Bridge Company.    In 1906, three spans were destroyed in a tornado.   The bridge was rebuilt in 1907.  Swing spans were added.  The bridge was replaced around 1962.

The current bridge(built in 1962) is in the process of being replaced.  This is a project that will extend between 2017–2019.  The existing bridge  is a steel  cantilevered through truss bridge over the Illinois River on Illinois 178.  It carries two lane of traffic.   The largest span is 377.8 feet.  Total length is 1, 157.8 feet.  The bridge is 63 feet above the river.

     The area near the crossing of County Road 15 over the Illinois River in Marseilles has a long and interesting history.

     In 1865, a group of early settlers  Roderick Clark, O.W. Young, and Isaac Underhill constructed a bridge over the Illinois River in an area that was known as Marseilles.  Construction costs were $40,000.  The bridge suffered severe ice damage in 1866.  Undeterred, this group rebuilt a more substantial bridge.

     In 1885, a new iron bridge was built at the site.  There were stone abutments.  The contractor was a man named Barber.  The bridge stood until 1933.

     In 1933, a new bridge on County Road 15 was built.  This bridge was also known as the Clark Adam Bridge. It was a lost type bridge over both the Illinois River and and the Illinois Waterway Lock Canal.  There were 4 truss spans and 9 approach spans. Total length was 1,369.5 feet.  Width of the bridge was 17.8 feet.    This bridge was torn down in the period between 1997–1998.

     The current bridge was built around 1997–1998.  Like its predecessor, it crosses the river and the waterway lock canal.  The bridge type is steel plate girder, concrete deck.    An unusual feature is that the bridge has only one lane in each direction.  This unusual for a rural area in which large farm equipment has to be moved.  Its length is 1,661 feet.  Width is 30 feet.  There are sidewalks and guard rails.

     Adjacent to the bridge are the Marseilles dam and lock–part of the Illinois Waterway.  The old Nabisco box plant still stands in the area.  It was powered by hydroelectric.  The Marseilles Hydroelectric Plant still stands.  It was originally constructed to provide power for the Illinois Valley electric trains.  It now stands unused.
Please note unless otherwise noted all photos and text is copywrighted.

Posted 6/24/2018

     

     There have been 4 traffic bridges over the Illinois River in Seneca, Illinois since the town’s incorporation in 1865.

     The first bridge was built in 1866.    Unfortunately, this collapsed and had to be replaced.  The replacement (2nd bridge ) was an iron one.  It was built in 1877 and stood in place until 1932.

     The third bridge was a 14 panel rivet–connected Pennsylvania through truss, fixed type.  Its length was 1,510 feet.  The longest span is 364 feet.  There were two lanes.  The bridge width was 23 feet.  Its height above water was 48 feet.  The builder/contractor was Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  It was rehabbed in 1986.  It was demolished in 2010.

     The current bridge is a two lane one.  It is a steel girder type with concrete decks. The width is 40 feet.  Each lane is 12 feet.  There are two shoulders and a single walkway.  Main span is 350 to 375 feet.

Unless otherwise specified all photos and text is copywrighted.

     This theater was located at the north end of Main Street in Marseilles. Its address was 502 Main Street.   It was constructed in 1936.  It opened in 1937.   For years, it was operated by the Alliance Theater Corporation.  Theater style was art deco. There was one screen and 500 seats.

     Alliance operated the theater until at least 1950.

The Mars closed sometime between 1980 and 1990.

      This theater is located at 827 LaSalle Street in Ottawa, Illinois.  It originally opened as a vaudeville theater named the Gayety in 1910.

     In the early 1930’s, it became a movie theater.  Its name was changed to the Roxy.  It was operated by the Alliance Theater Corporation.  It originally had one movie screen.

      GKC took over management of the theater in the mid 1980’s.  They converted it to a two screen house.  A few years later, an addition was made to the theater and four screen were added.      Capacity was increased to 750 seats.

    Theater is now managed by 21st Century Cinema.  It is still active showing first run features.