Mystery Photo

[JohnI]

Just curious, since I sent an e-mail with what I think is the right answer for the Mystery Photo...has anyone guessed it?

[TBurke]

The e-mail went to Tom Mann so I did not see it, but since I posted the latest Mystery Photo I can tell you if your guess was right or wrong.  What was your guess?

[JohnI]

Thanks for the response! I sent this along to him.

"Looking North on Marcey, at approximately Willow (maybe a bit north of there). The building on the right of the spur (east of it) is now Goose Island Brewing. The building to the left is gone now, replaced by the parking lot to Binny's Beverage Depot and for Smith and Hawken, which occupies the beautiful industrial building on the left-hand side of the street."

Am I right? :-)

- John

[TBurke]

You nailed it John!  I blurred the street sign so it would be less obvious.  The picture is from 1985. 

That is the location and this photo looks north at the Marcy Street Lead as it was known.  It curved over from the C&E Line on Kingsbury by squeezing between buildings. 

In the 1950s customer served by the Marcy Street Lead on the north end (it ended at Cortland to the north) were JB Day, Chicago Pottery, and Republic Plumbing at 1958-68 Clybourn.  On the southern end it served Deppe Bakery, Budlong Pickles at 1840 N. Marcy, and a Turtle Wax plant at 1800 N. Clybourn.  In the middle were American Can and Metalcraft. 

By 1982 it had been identified as a candidate for abandonment by the Milwaukee Road. 

The Goose Island brewery is in the former Turtle Wax factory.

[JohnI]

Thanks Tom...so much industry that used to be found over there. When Finkl finally moves to the South Side, I can only imagine how long until that area becomes like the area up by the former Deering Yard. At least some of the buildings in that area were preserved, even if the jobs left.