Made in Chicago Museum

05/22/2026

Sad to hear that Schlitz beer will soon cease to exist after 177 years. While it was a Milwaukee brewery, the company established many tied houses in Chicago, including one that carries on as one of the North Side's best music venues, Schuba's Tavern.

02/02/2026

100 years ago, the American Bird Products Company was formed, later famous for its "3 Vees" brand and for its sponsorship of a popular radio program featuring trained, singing canaries. It's a unique one: https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/american-bird-products/

12/08/2025

Time for our Top 10 most-read company histories of 2025 (a celebration of the defunct and the niche). Listed in the comments below.

12/02/2025

Fun fact for those who watched on Netflix: President Garfield's assassin Charles Guiteau once had an office in this building at 642 N. Dearborn in Chicago, or at least claimed he did anyway, in ads from the late 1870s. The building, then known as 144 Dearborn, was new at the time, built just after the Great Fire of 1871.

11/19/2025

Introduced in 1949 and produced in the Jefferson Electric Co's plant in Bellwood, IL, the "Golden Hour" Electric Clock was a popular holiday gift for several decades thanks to its sleek look and mesmerizing, floating hands. So, how did it work?

A history of the Jefferson Electric Company, part of our exclusive archive of research dedicated to 20th century Chicago manufacturers and their products.

10/14/2025

A tiny, 100-year-old cosmetics tin purchased at Kopi A Travelers Cafe in Andersonville, and the story behind it, including a cameo from Teddy Roosevelt.

A history of the Dr. Frederick Formaneck Company, part of our growing archive of exclusive research dedicated to key 20th century Chicago manufacturers.

08/13/2025

In most 20th century offices, payroll depended on a Paymaster machine, thousands of which were made in a Chicago factory in Ravenswood. Our history of the Paymaster Corp. includes the love story of Don & Hanna Hall, two employees who met at the plant in the 1960s.
https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/paymaster-corp/

07/24/2025

Chicago was the home of Kool-Aid for 70 years, including the creation of the iconic "Kool-Aid Man" mascot, who was introduced in 1954 as a replacement for the comparatively lame, lederhosen-wearing "Kool-Aid Kid." Check out the full history of everyone's favorite powdered summertime drink here: https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/kool-aid-perkins-products/

05/29/2025

A look at the long-gone Turtle Wax sign atop the old Flatiron Building at the intersection of Ashland, Madison, and Ogden. The 34-foot tall rotating sign was unveiled in 1956, just five years after Ben Hirsch's "Turtle Wax" hit the market and revolutionized the car care industry:
https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/turtle-wax