Mack's Golden Pheasant
A week ago Mack’s Gold Pheasant, a Czech-American eatery in Elmhurst that proudly proclaimed to be “the oldest continuously owned restaurant in DuPage County,” abruptly shut down after 75 plus years in business. Supposedly the building will be torn down so the neighboring Shell gas station can add more pumps.
Just like that…an iconic piece of local history will be gone. I know not all businesses can last forever but there is something about it that doesn’t sit right with me. I read online comments like “What a tragedy! Isn’t there anything we can do?” and “Is it too late to petition for landmark status?” Sorry, folks. America will choose capitalism over history and culture every single time. That’s what we do best. Just look around you. The Austrian-inspired chalet featured Germanic woodwork and a dining room adorned with a menagerie of stuffed birds created by a renowned Field Museum taxidermist. Who knows if anything will be saved from Mack’s? Yet keeping a handful of pieces is not the same as physically experiencing the actual structure with its overall vibes and sense of community.
It reminds me of what happened to the 100-year-old Klas Restaurant in Cicero. The old world craftsmanship and historic mural were salvaged, according to this article, but an important and tangible reminder of the town’s Bohemian roots was erased like never existed in the first place. Two years after its demolition, the property on Cermak Road remains a vacant lot. Look at what happened to Hawthorne Works, another significant piece of Cicero’s history that made the town what it was. It could have been transformed into offices or housing. Instead the complex was torn down for a strip mall. This is what I am talking about, America. You are boring. And like this country needed *another* strip mall!? We have more than 68,000!!!
Now stuck between corporate chains like Shell, Jimmy John’s, and Starbucks, Mack’s served as a physical reminder of a time when Route 64/North Avenue was more like a country road rather than the traffic-snarled hellhole it has become today. People in the city taking a long drive needed a place to stop and eat. They’d go to independent businesses along the way. My grandpa often told me stories of how his family would travel west from their home in Chicago’s Bucktown during the 1920 and 30s, when being in an automobile was a new and exciting experience, especially for a bunch of Slavic immigrants like themselves. They would frequently visit Russell’s Barbecue, located on North Avenue in what is now Elmwood Park. Instead of the sprawl and traffic congestion we encounter today, imagine a time when Route 64 was truly open and picturesque, with family-run food stands as the only structures lining the route.
I bet you didn’t know that Russell’s, a local landmark with its wooden booths and outdoor picnic tables, used to have a similar next-door neighbor. First, it was Thatcher Inn, which was then followed by Marsch’s restaurant. Like Russell’s, they both served as popular stops for the hot-rodders who would race their cars on North Avenue and needed an inexpensive meal. The NE corner site at North and Thatcher is now home to a six-story mixed-used structure constructed in 1970.
North Avenue is also home to Harlo Grill and Tom’s Steak House, but how much longer will they be around? That’s the thing. You pass by a place frequently and expect it to always be there. You eat at these places with family and close friends. Then, one day, it’s just gone forever. That’s what almost happened to Harlo, a beloved 24-hour diner that originally opened in 1965. Back in the summer of 2018, their lease was up and they were going to shut their doors. Instead they moved half a block into a newer building. Their historic White Way neon sign made the journey too. It’s interesting to me that their old site is now a giant Amoco gas station. And then you have Tom’s Steakhouse on the other side of North Avenue. Open since 1952, the old school joint has charcoal-broiled meats and historic mob connections (Chicago Outfit boss Tony Accardo was a regular here back in the day).
There are a few other establishments on various roads across Chicagoland that still survive…at least for now. For example, Meier’s Tavern, an old farmhouse turned into a speakeasy/roadhouse, has been in operation since 1933 ,when they served 10-cent beer and 15-cent hamburgers. Then there is a Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket located on historic Route 66. It started as a humble lunch counter in the 1930s. What else is there? I don’t know. Compared to a decade ago, when I diligently documented old businesses and neon signs (check out my long-dormant Instagram account), there seem to be fewer of these places around today. Don’t take them for granted. If there is a retro restaurant or establishment you love, I suggest going to it as soon as possible.
The only thing that seems to be useful about having a Facebook account, in my opinion, is the sharing of historic photos and memories in various groups like Vanished Chicagoland and Forgotten Chicago. Otherwise I have no desire to go on that platform. Anyone else notice there is an overwhelming nostalgia for the past? People *really* want to return to a world that still had some uniqueness and beauty about it instead of the “blah” monotony that defines our current surroundings.
A month ago there was a young woman on my museum tour who told me I made a good point about how the built environment impacts us. She said it’s hard to be inspired as everything around her appears to be exactly the same. “Older architecture stirs something in you. I don’t know what is but it makes me feel better.” Even if you are not consciously aware like this woman is, it is true that the capitalism inherent in contemporary buildings and infrastructure affects us, often in negative ways. It could be hostile architecture. Or perhaps the increasing number of public spaces that are actually privately owned, such as suburban shopping malls or urban plazas. Or the destruction, no questions asked, of the charming local remnants of our past, like Mack’s Golden Pheasant. Torn down for what, again? Gas pumps! As Joni Mitchell said, “That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.”
I gotta get to Russell's! Thanks for reminding me, and for sharing that piece of its history.
Was the tower at Hawthorne Works part of the Western Electric plant built in 1906?
Thanks for interesting post.