AN ADDENDUM TO THE COOLEST SPOT IN CHICAGO:
A HISTORY OF GREEN MILL GARDENS AND THE BEGINNINGS OF UPTOWN
These photos show what Lawrence Avenue looked like in Uptown in 1930. Some of them were taken that February, when Texas Guinan was headlining at the Green Mill, and others were taken in June, after the nightclub had shut down.
The pictures are from the archives of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. As unlikely as it sounds, the district has some terrific historic photos. Back in the early 20th century—when this governmental entity was known as the Sanitary District of Chicago—its photographers documented infrastructure projects, like the digging of canals and the installation of sewers. Incidentally, they also captured glimpses of buildings, streets, vehicles, and people.
In more recent years, the district has preserved and scanned those old plate-glass negatives. Thanks to archivist Daniel Wendt for providing these digital scans. I’ve also included my own photos showing how these locations appeared in early September 2024.
Lawrence and Magnolia, looking east-southeast
A photo taken on June 17, 1930, shows the view looking east-southeast from the north side of Lawrence Avenue at Magnolia Avenue. The Riviera Theatre is visible in the 1930 photo, along with a water tank on its roof (which no longer exists).
The Sheridan Trust and Savings Bank Building is towering behind it at the southeast corner of Lawrence and Broadway, where it still stands today. The original purpose of this photo was apparently to document the street’s surface. The archive describes it as a “view of depressions in granite block, Magnolia and Lawrence Avenues, typical of pavement west to Clark Street.” (Plate 16386, Vault)
Note that sign on the Riviera Theatre building’s north wall. It’s a little hard to read because of the camera’s angle, but here’s a Photoshopped image stretching it out to make the writing clearer. It said: “Balaban & Katz Uptown Entertainment Center.” This may have been how the Balaban & Katz company was marketing its two movie palaces near this intersection, the Riviera and the Uptown Theatre.
Another close-up of this photo shows the corner of Broadway and Lawrence. A streetcar is in the middle of Lawrence. A sign for Bezark’s Women’s Wear hangs over the sidewalk at the Riviera building’s northeast corner. Across the street, the first five letters of a business sign are visible: “CAPPE.” That was probably Cappels Drug Co. at 4763 Broadway. A block farther east, the platform for elevated trains is above Lawrence.
Looking east down Lawrence toward Broadway
Another photo was taken on the same date (June 17, 1930) from nearly the same spot—looking east down Lawrence Avenue from a location west of Broadway. A streetcar dominates the image.
The drugstore that occupied the corner of the Green Mill building is visible on the left side. The Aragon Ballroom’s sign is visible in the distance. (Plate 16387, Box 121, Image 88)
Looking northwest across Lawrence and Broadway
Also on June 17, 1930, the Sanitary District’s photographer crossed over to the east side of Broadway and aimed the camera across the intersection, facing northwest. The Green Mill building fills the top portion of the picture, with the Uptown Theatre visible on either side of it. But the street itself—and some manhole covers—dominates most of the photo. For more about this photo—and what it reveals about the Green Mill building’s history—see Chapter 2, “Piecing Together the Green Mill Puzzle.” (Plate 16388, Box 121, Image 87)
Lawrence and Clifton, looking west-southwest
Four months earlier, a Sanitary District photographer had taken the top photograph shown here on February 20, 1930, at Clifton Avenue, looking west down Lawrence Avenue toward Broadway. With a southwest angle, the image shows the Sheridan Trust and Savings Bank Building, with the Riviera building in the distance. That same Balaban & Katz sign is faintly visible on the north wall of the Riviera building. (Plate 16131, Box 126, Image 8)
Looking west down Lawrence from Winthrop
The date when the top photo here was taken is illegible, but it’s in the same box as the other photos shot on June 17, 1930. The photographer was at Winthrop Avenue, facing west down Lawrence Avenue, with the bottom part of the Aragon’s sign visible, along with the ballroom’s marquee: “WAYNE KING & HIS ARAGON ORCHESTRA / K Y W BROADCAST.” A drugstore can be seen in the Aragon building’s corner space. The building on the south side of Lawrence includes the Uptown Grill Restaurant, a barbershop, a dancing school, and a Western Union office. An advertising banner on the el tracks includes the word “Prosperity.” The photographer’s purpose was probably to document Lawrence Avenue’s street surface, but that portion of the picture is underexposed, with the details barely visible. (Box 121, Image 085).
Looking northwest across Lawrence and Sheridan
On February 20, 1930, a Sanitary District photographer took two pictures at the corner of Lawrence Avenue and Sheridan Road. For the top image here, the camera aimed northwest. (Plate 16133, Vault; same picture as Box 126, Image 7)
Looking west down Lawrence from Sheridan
The camera was facing west down Lawrence Avenue at Sheridan Road for the upper picture shown here. (Plate 16134, Vault; same picture as Box 126, Image 6)