A Chicago Christmas-- Part 2: About Rudolph the You-Know What

These are Christmas stories connected to Chicago.

Robert L. May wanted to be a novelist but worked as a catalog writer at Montgomery Ward in Chicago.  Staring out his office window at downtown Chicago on a foggy day, May experienced his own lightbulb moment.

"Suddenly I had it!  A nose!  A bright red nose that would shine through the fog like a spotlight."

May considered naming the tiny reindeer with the red nose "Rollo" or "Reginald" but eventually settled on "Rudolph."

The Chicago-based department store printed more than two million copies of May's book "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in 1939.

The ninth and youngest of Santa's reindeer flew straight into the hearts of children across America using his luminous red nose to light the way.

--CootDeer

Montgomery Ward Preserves Chicago's Lakefront-- Part 3

Montgomery Ward was willing to allow the natural history museum that Marshall Field called for in his will, the Field Museum, but wanted it to be the only structure in his green park.  He was concerned that its construction would invite other buildings.  It did.  The Field Museum was shortly joined by the Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium.  It's all the Museum Campus today.  Then, Soldier Field was built nearby.

Something many don't know is that after World War II, city officials pitched Northerly Island for the headquarters of the newly formed United Nations..  New York City got the headquarters and Chicago got Meigs Airfield until the last Mayor Daley erased it.

Then came McCormick Place in 1960.  But, seven years later, it burned down, but was rebuilt.

But, still, Ward's idea is there as he won the battle.  It would have been all a playground for the rich (which he was), but he wanted a place for the poor as well.

Thank You Monkey Ward's.  --DaCoot

Montgomery Ward Preserves Chicago's Lakefront-- Part 2

Montgomery Ward was all up for aborting the Field Museum, but was willing to let the Art Institute remain east of Michigan Avenue.

Ward's interest in the lakefront began soon after he moved into the 22-story headquarters of his catalog business on Michigan Avenue.  The view from his office window overlooking the lake was downright ugly.  So, he filed a suit to have all the debris and shanties removed from what amounted to a huge trash dump.

The bottom layers of it dated to 1971, when rubble from the Great Chicago Fire was dumped into the lake.  At the time, the lake's shoreline was at about Michigan Avenue.

The Tribune strongly backed Montgomery Ward until it became apparent he also did not want any sort of building constructed in the new land.

The fight for a lakefront everyone could use was on.  

--Cooter

Montgomery Ward Preserves Chicago's Lakefront-- Part 1

From the August 10, 2014, Chicago Tribune "Montgomery Ward deserves our gratitude" by Ron Grossman.

On summer days, thousands of people visit and enjoy Chicago's magnificent lake front, but it almost wasn't to be as developers sought the land, but one store owner, businessman had the foresight back in the late 1800s to save it.  That man was Montgomery Ward.

That's right, the Montgomery Ward that those of us who are older remember was a big department store chain.  It was the man who pioneered mail-order retailing.

Four times between 1897 and 1910, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld Ward's contention that Chicago's lakefront should be parkland.  Ward felt that this land should be "forever open, clear and free."

Four years before his death in 1913, Montgomery Ward told the Tribune: "Had I known in 1890 how long it would take me to preserve a park for the people against their will, I doubt if I would have undertaken it.  Perhaps I may yet see the public appreciate my effort.  Bit I doubt it."

They Didn't back Then, But Sure Do Now (If They Can Afford the Parking Meters).  --Cooter