Made in Chicago Museum

04/11/2025

Despite the double-dose of royalty in the name, Monark Silver King was born out of the Great Depression, building affordable aluminum alloy bikes it dubbed "The Bicycle of Tomorrow." The firm's plant at 6501 W. Grand was later owned by Zenith and Radio Flyer. The full story: https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/monark-silver-king/

04/02/2025

Alden Scott Boyer (1887-1953) was quite the character. The founder of the Boyer Chemical Co. was born in rural Iowa but fancied himself a Parisian sophisticate ("The Society Parfumeur"). A lifelong curio collector, he filled the offices of his own Chicago factory with his collections of coin-op machines, bicycles, cigar store indians, and early photography equipment. We coulda been pals. Full story: https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/boyer-chemical/

03/15/2025

ICYMI - Our article on the history of Green River pop pairs nicely with the rest of your St. Paddy's weekend festivities. https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/green-river/

03/11/2025

Introduced in the 1910s, Green River was arguably America’s first lime-flavored soda pop of consequence; easily pre-dating 7-Up (1929), Mountain Dew (1948), and Sprite (1961). One thing Green River was NOT, however, was a reference to the Chicago River on St. Paddy’s Day. . . . Or at least, it wasn’t originally intended as such. Check out the full tale of this local icon here:

A history of Green River Soda, part of our growing archive of research into important 20th century Chicago manufacturers and their products.

03/08/2025

Inside the offices of the Toby Rubovits printing company at 180 Monroe St., c. 1890s. Rubovits remained a respected name in the field for 60 years, including a long relationship with General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. Check out their story here: https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/toby-rubovits/

02/28/2025

For nearly a century, Replogle Globes has been the world’s leading manufacturer of . . . the world. Along the way, the company has twice been purchased by its own employees (1969 and 2014). Their loyal efforts have kept Replogle a Chicagoland institution, currently based in Hillside, IL. A History of Replogle: https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/replogle-globes/

02/17/2025

An Icelandic immigrant with only a 7th grade education, Chester Thordarson became one of the great inventors of the electrical age, pioneering super-powerful transformers with his Chicago company, Thordarson Electric. Even Nikola Tesla supposedly called him “America’s greatest inventor. . . He has more good ideas than anyone else.” A history of Thordarson Electric: https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/thordarson-electric/

12/24/2024

Here's a look at our most popular company history pages in 2024:
10. Mars Inc.
9. Airguide Instrument Co.
8. Zenith Radio Corp.
7. Halsam Toys
6. Jays Foods
5. Ace Fastener Corp.
4. Maybelline Co.
3. National Washboard Co.
2. Ekco Products Co.
1. Chicago Roller Skate Co.

A complete history of the Chicago Roller Skate Company; part of our growing research archive of notable Chicago manufacturers and their products.

12/09/2024

This Christmas season marks 85 years of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, created by Robert L. May for a Montgomery Ward store promotion. How can you tell an original 1939 Rudolph book from a later edition? On page 8, Santa flies under a plane with 3 propellers (it was changed to 4 on all later printings). Don't overpay on eBay! https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/montgomery-ward/

12/05/2024

We've updated our complete history of the Zenith Radio Corp, one of the lost giants of Chicago electronics. If you're not aware, Zenith was once the top radio and TV producer on the planet. https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/zenith-radio-corp/

10/24/2024

Our complete history of another Chicago legend, Mrs. Steven's Candies, is now complete. Partially a profile of another remarkably successful female entrepreneur (Julia Steven started the business in 1921), there's also an unsolved mystery baked in-- the suspicious death of Julia's daughter and lone heir in 1959.

A history of Mrs. Steven's Candies, part of our growing archive of research covering important 20th century Chicago manufacturers and their products.

09/18/2024

A candy tin from Mrs. Steven's Candies wasn't just about the treats inside. This collection of more than 100 original tins, donated by longtime collector Chaleen Stevens (no relation), spans the 1920s to the 1960s, and reveals the stylish and less disposable nature of Chicago's confectionery past. Have a favorite design?

08/20/2024

When Chicago's Green Duck Co. made the delegate badges for both the RNC and DNC in 1908, it set a standard. “We were as happy to be of service to the GOP as to the Democrats," a company exec explained decades later. "Where politics is concerned, ‘I’m For Me’ and Green Duck is for Green Duck. That’s the way it’s got to be." As for where that name came from: https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/green-duck-co/

08/13/2024

When he took over the TinkerToy company in the 1970s, the notoriously blunt CEO Pierson M. Grieve told the Tribune: “You can imagine the amount of safety engineering we have to put in these things so the little sh*ts won’t hurt themselves. You kill one kid and that’s it. Aside from the moral concern, financially, you’re ruined.” By that point, TinkerToy had already gone 60 years with little to no bloodshed. Read the full story of the iconic Evanston toy line here: https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/tinkertoy/