Ephemeral Chicago Landmarks
A week or so ago, I wrote a post that basically put forth the idea that Chicago was non-ephemeral. Riverview was the exception that proved the rule, I posited. Then, loyal reader Lex 10 pointed out that Chicago's Marshall Field's loop store turned out to be ephemeral. This inspired me to create a list of other things in Chicago that have lived the life of the mayfly—seemingly here and gone in the blink of an eye.
Old Chicago Amusement Park (Technically, the park was located in Bollingbrook, Illinois, but this list encompasses all of "Chicagoland.")
The Homestead in Blue Island
Sidebar on The Homestead (paraphrased from a Chowhound reader): The Homestead was owned by Joe and Josephine, who ran it as a small neighborhood bar with a tiny eating area. The ribs were smoked in a small pit adjacent to the dining room. The smoke filled the air outside and the hickory fragrance could be smelled for blocks. The restaurant grew strictly by word of mouth. This is where 'Ribs' were born. After several expansions the little place had become too much for the owners to handle and even their living quarters behind the bar were in jeopardy due to enlargement. They sold the Homestead and the recipe and left.
When the Homestead closed, Chicago was dead to me.
