629 West Cermak Road in Chicago, IL - 2009
CHICAGO, IL - 1888 & 1901
 
Before they were milled into reclaimed wide-plank flooring and paneling, these white pine beams spent 130 years witnessing the dynamic evolution of a Chicago industrial corridor. From a billiard table factory and secret speakeasies, through the age of plastics, and finally to our mill in Maine: this lumber has a story to tell.
 

Chicago in the late 1800s

A lot was going on: streetcar strikes, smallpox, and steel-frame skyscrapers. The Illinois & Michigan Canal, opened in 1848, had catalyzed the city's transformation into a major financial, commercial, and agricultural center, allowing Chicago to become the nation's largest inland port by 1880. The city's first railroad was completed in 1848, and many more lines quickly followed, making Chicago the country's leading railway center by 1860. As the economy and population boomed, factories and warehouses were built at an impressive rate in the industrial district along the banks of the Chicago River.

US Transcontinental Railroads in 1887. Cooper Collection of US Railroad History

Bertha Evelyn Jaques 1904 Drawing. Factories on the Chicago RiverBertha Evelyn Jaques 1904 Drawing
Factories on the Chicago River

A collection of those warehouse buildings, built between 1888 and 1901, was in use for over 130 years before finally being deconstructed last year. The structures at 629-635 West Cermak Road (originally named West 22nd Street) had brick exteriors, timber framing, open floor plans with high ceilings, and a combined size of 95,000 square feet. They exemplified the "starkly utilitarian" design style, which prioritized function over ornamentation. Knowing the names of a few tenants and what the area was like over the past century, we can piece together a sense of their history.

Bertha Evelyn Jaques 1904 Drawing. Factories on the Chicago RiverBertha Evelyn Jaques 1904 Drawing
Factories on the Chicago River

A collection of those warehouse buildings, built between 1888 and 1901, was in use for over 130 years before finally being deconstructed last year. The structures at 629-635 West Cermak Road (originally named West 22nd Street) had brick exteriors, timber framing, open floor plans with high ceilings, and a combined size of 95,000 square feet. They exemplified the "starkly utilitarian" design style, which prioritized function over ornamentation. Knowing the names of a few tenants and what the area was like over the past century, we can piece together a sense of their history.
The area was a dense, bustling commercial and residential district. The residents of this working-class neighborhood were mostly of Czech descent, with some German, Jewish, Irish, and Italian immigrants as well. Many of the businesses in this industrial corridor were medium to large factories, warehouses, and wholesalers. Our building, however, seems to have been occupied by a collection of smaller businesses that came and went, operating under a single roof.

Stockyard Workers at Lunchtime. Chicago, IllinoisStockyard Workers at Lunchtime. Chicago, Illinois

Stockyard Workers at Lunchtime. Chicago, IllinoisStockyard Workers at Lunchtime. Chicago, Illinois

The area was a dense, bustling commercial and residential district. The residents of this working-class neighborhood were mostly of Czech descent, with some German, Jewish, Irish, and Italian immigrants as well. Many of the businesses in this industrial corridor were medium to large factories, warehouses, and wholesalers. Our building, however, seems to have been occupied by a collection of smaller businesses that came and went, operating under a single roof.

THE EARLY 1900s

A walk down our block would take you past tailors, barbers, cobblers, cigar stores, and grocers. You could find a place to eat and lodge overnight; saloons occupied every two or three storefronts; and pool halls were soon to follow. Our building's address was connected to saloons until Prohibition. During this time, they commonly sold "soft drinks" and "near beer", but were most likely speakeasies behind their facades.
 
One of the earliest documented tenants, noted on the Sanborn Fire Map of 1914, was the Merle and Heaney Manufacturing Company. This well-known Chicago-based company made high-quality pool and gaming tables, billiard accessories, and wood furnishings such as back bars and bar fronts. They also manufactured desks, display cases, and other cabinetry for commercial and civic customers.

Sanborn Fire Map 1914 Chicago, IL
Sanborn Fire Map 1914 Chicago, IL

Bakelite Table Radio Circa 1941-1942Bakelite Table Radio Circa 1941-1942

BAKELITE

In the 1920s and 30s, the Bakelite Corporation was on-site with a Chicago sales and administrative office. Bakelite was the first fully synthetic plastic, the frontrunner of the plastics age, and an influencer of art movements. It was moldable, durable, receptive to vibrant color, non-conductive, and heat-resistant. You could find Bakelite in radio and telephone housings, switches, kitchenware, jewelry, toys, automotive components, and military applications. It was truly a "Material of a Thousand Uses".

BAKELITE

In the 1920s and 30s, the Bakelite Corporation was on-site with a Chicago sales and administrative office. Bakelite was the first fully synthetic plastic, the frontrunner of the plastics age, and an influencer of art movements. It was moldable, durable, receptive to vibrant color, non-conductive, and heat-resistant. You could find Bakelite in radio and telephone housings, switches, kitchenware, jewelry, toys, automotive components, and military applications. It was truly a "Material of a Thousand Uses".

Bakelite Table Radio Circa 1941-1942Bakelite Table Radio Circa 1941-1942

THE DECLINE OF THE CORRIDOR

The expanding highway system reduced dependence on the river, and companies began to move in the 20s farther away from the Chicago River to planned industrial parks. These new areas offered better access to dedicated railroads and to buildings more conducive to modern production assembly lines. During the mid-1900s, the economy became more local and neighborhood-oriented. But when the Southwest Expressway was built in the 1960s, several commercial and residential areas were eliminated and neighborhoods divided, reducing the number of smaller, service-oriented businesses.
 
Parcels were combined to house repair shops, garages, and supply businesses. By the 80s, most local storefronts were closed and buildings began to deteriorate and be demolished. The most recent and final tenants, at what was then called The Cermak Center, included independent artists and the Kulture Museum, which provided a community space and gallery.
 

DECONSTRUCTION OF 629 WEST CERMAK

In April of 2025, our building was permitted for demolition. As part of the deconstruction of the structure, seven trailer loads of primarily white pine beams were salvaged and transported to our mill in Maine. Today, this history lives on in our reclaimed white pine flooring or paneling, milled from these industrial beams.

RECLAIMED WHITE PINE FLOORING
 
Our Reclaimed Bright-Planed White Pine flooring is a resurfaced product milled from antique boards and/or beams. It includes light checking, occasional nail holes and knots, and presents diverse visual elements of character and use. This material would also work well for paneling projects. Our current lot of salvaged white pine from Chicago has a particularly lovely tone. Please ask us about milling for your project. We have beams in stock that will yield widths between 6″ and 10″.
 
Dimensions
Thickness: 3/4″
Width: 3″ to 10″
Lengths: 2′ to 12′
 
Milling: Tongue & Groove or Square Edge

Photo credit: Bakelite Radio Image by Joe Haupt.
 
Sources: In researching this article, we found that much of the information found online overlaps between sources. The following is a list of interesting and helpful articles: