Palatine: Past and Present

Go back in time in Palatine. See what properties around town were way back when, and what they've become today. Be sure to check out the before and after photos.

Taken in the 1930's, this picture shows the west side of Brockway looking north and west from Slade Street. First National Bank was located on the corner, and next door to the north is a grocery store called National Tea Company.  Schroeder's Pharmacy was next door to that, and Bockelman & Son Hardware is seen at the far right of this picture.  Today, BMO Harris Bank, 50 N. Brockway and its parking lot take up the space that roughly 80 years ago was occupied by these former downtown Palatine businesses. 

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Palatine: Past and Present

Go back in time in Palatine. See what properties around town were way back when, and what they've become today. Be sure to check out the before and after photos.

This is what you would have seen looking south on Bothwell Street from just north of Slade Street back in the late 1930's. On the east (left) side is Matthei's building, 19 N. Bothwell Street, and directly across on the west is the former State Bank of Palatine at 35 W. Slade Street.  Today, Matthei's buidling is gone, and was replaced by the Pepper Block Building, which houses businesses including Pop's Bar and Grill, Arete Salon and Shay's Closet. The same building that stood more than 70 years ago on the west side of Bothwell Street is now inhabited by Guidant Wealth Advisors.  Also in the late 1930's, a movie house was located behind the current Guidant building called Siep's Hall. Today, Cookie Cards, LPL Financial, On Track Hair …

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Mary Deruz

10:01 am on Thursday, January 10, 2013

Love this segment. This article and pictures got my son asking a lot of interesting questions about Palatine and we looked it up together and discovered a lot of fun and interesting things. Keep this "Past and Present" idea coming with pictures... LOVE IT!   more ›

Palatine: Past and Present

In this new feature, you will see areas of Palatine, including what they were way back when, and what they've become.

Palatine Past and Present. Where the Music Room stands today at 26 N. Brockway Street, 112 years ago was Ike Blum's Travern.  Ike, or Isaac Blum was a Palatine native but moved to Arlington Heights as a child. When he came back to Palatine, he bought the tavern in 1900 and ran it until 1917.  Heading south on Brockway, there was a drug store next to Ike Blum's Tavern and a hardware store furthest south, which was owned by W.H. Brockway.  Information, in part, provided by the Images of America, Palatine, Illinois and the Palatine Historical Society. 

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Palatine: Past and Present

In this new feature, you will see areas of Palatine, including what they were way back when, and what they've become.

The history of the Starck building, located at the southeast corner of Brockway and Slade Streets, is long and varied.  In 1910, it was Kunze's Saloon and was operated by Oswald Kunze who emigrated from Europe and moved to Palatine in 1904.  Before Kunze moved to Texas in 1916, he sold the building to Dr. Carl Adam Starck.  Starck renovated the building into a hospital at that time, and for more than 30 years, it was a hospital used by area residents in addition to a training ground for nurses. The hospital closed in 1950. Since then, the building has been used for a variety of purposes.  It has been a drug store, an Army recruitment center and business offices. Today, Monson Jewelers and Foxglove Cottage occupy the space. Both businesses …

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Jim Johnson

7:14 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013

There will be more   more ›

Palatine Must Fix Downtown Sidewalks to Receive $5 Million in Federal Funding

If you've wondered when downtown Palatine sidewalks and all the construction in the area will be complete, have no fear. The project is expected to be completed before December 1.

Sidewalks located in downtown Palatine have been visibly under construction over the last few weeks, because the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) required the work previously done, to be redone. "There were a few spaces where the final pitch deviated from the plans, plans that were previously approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation," said Reid Ottesen, village manager.  At the November 19 village council meeting, Councilman Brad Helms brought the question up based on resident concerns.  "I've been getting calls and questions as to why we are tearing up sidewalks along Palatine road," Helms said.  Ottesen said the work must now be completed per specifications from USDOT before $5 million in funding provided by the …

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Holidays on the Town, Friday and Saturday

Discover the charm of the businesses in downtown Palatine during Holidays on the Town, November 16-7.

Palatine Salon Gives Back to Celebrate Anniversary

To celebrate its 5-year anniversary, Salon Mmm in Palatine partners with the Society for the Preservation of Human Dignity (PHD) for a baby food and formula drive (Aug. 24-Sept.30).

Salon Mmm, located at 49 North Bothwell Street in downtown Palatine, celebrates its 5-year anniversary this September with a baby food and formula drive for the Society for the Preservation of Human Dignity (PHD).   On Friday, Aug. 24 until the end of September, Salon Mmm will collect donations for the PHD Baby Closet.  “Donations are always needed,” Baby Closet Co-Manager, Meg Domzalski said last year, the PHD Baby Closet saw more than 2,600 visits. “At each visit our clients receive much needed baby food, formula, diapers and other items to assist in raising a healthy family,” said Domzalski. Individuals who make a donation to the drive will receive a Hair U Wear clip in, a feather design or a Great Lengths design.  Each of the hair …

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Palatine Ranks Among Top 20 Transit Suburbs of Chicago

DePaul study lists Palatine as one of the 20 best communities when it comes to public transit within the suburbs of Chicago.

Palatine has been selected as one of the top 20 transit suburbs of Metropolitan Chicago, according to a study released last week by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development based at DePaul University in Chicago. The city ranks 18th among 20 suburban communities in the report and is described as "very walkable." "Some communities with highly attractive station designs, such as Palatine, Tinley Park, and Winnetka, suffered from an absence of certain types of retail businesses near the station," the report states. The scores for the quality of station buildings and platforms ranged from 45 to 71 points out of a possible 80. Tinley Park earned the highest score (71), followed by Wilmette (69) and Palatine (69), according to the …

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Two Palatine Businesswomen Combine Forces with New Retail Space

Fancy's Nancy's Outdoor Pillows & Accessories now shares a retail space with Patti's Pretties, a gift and flower shop in downtown Palatine.

Seven years ago, Palatine resident Nancy Gust decided to open a fashion boutique in downtown Palatine called Fancy Nancy’s. She happened to be leasing the space next to Patti Curtis, a fellow Palatine resident and owner of Patti’s Pretties, a longstanding gift and flower shop. “We instantly became friends,” said Curtis. “It is kind of like a mother-daughter relationship, but we are great friends.” After a few years in business, Gust decided to close her shop, but she kept in touch with Curtis. Last year, Gust, an interior designer, was shopping for outdoor cushions when she realized that there wasn’t much to choose from. “The selection was abysmal at best,” she quipped. “We were having such a mild winter, so I was looking for cushions …

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New Yoga Studio Coming to Downtown Palatine

Plans for the 3,600 square foot studio involve completely remodeling the current space.

The Palatine village council approved plans for a new yoga studio to open in downtown Palatine at its June 25 meeting. Bikram Yoga Palatine will be located at the northwest comer of Bothwell Street and Palatine Road, 1-5 N. Bothwell Street. Plans for the 3,600 square foot studio involve completely remodeling the current space to include a lobby area, men's and women's changing rooms with showers, mechanical room and a yoga studio room, according to village documents. A new 13-stall parking lot is being built east of the building. The owners, Doug and Agata O'Neil, have owned a yoga studio in St. Charles for four years, and plan to run the studio in Palatine Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m…

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