Illinois Medical District in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Route 66 Landmark
⎯⎯⎯
Punto de Referencia de la Ruta 66

Tri-Taylor

— Local Neighborhood Impact / Impacto en el Vecindario Local —

Route 66 Landmark Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 18, 2024

1. Route 66 Landmark Marker

Inscription. [English-language text on the west-facing side of the marker:]

The Main Street of America In 1916, Cook County Hospital emerged as an important establishment for the Tri-Taylor neighborhood in Chicago. This imposing structure, characterized by the Beaux-Arts style of architecture, took root at the intersection of Ogden Avenue, formerly known as Route 66, and Roosevelt Road. This Near West Side community was home to a large Italian community until the 1940s. Open to those with limited financial means, Cook County Hospital, known simply as "County," would become one of the world's busiest charity hospitals, eventually treating an estimated 83,000 patients a year during the 1950s. Ambulances carrying patients from all over the city would speed down the well-paved roads of Route 66 to reach "County."

Cook County Hospital was one of the most recognizable, architecturally distinguished structures on Chicago's stretch of Route 66. As the years passed, this hospital also became the anchor of the 560-acre Illinois Medical District, the nation's largest concentration of hospitals and research institutions. Established by the

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62nd Illinois General Assembly in 1941, the medical district originally included the University of Illinois General Hospital, Cook County School of Nursing, Cook County Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital, Rush Medical College, and Loyola Medical School. The West Side Veterans Administration Hospital, now known as the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, was later added in 1953.

In 2002, "County" closed and was replaced by John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital, one of many modern institutions in the now-thriving IL Medical District. The old hospital stood vacant for nearly two decades. Preservationists feared the building would be demolished, but Hyatt Hotels transformed it into luxury lodgings, saving a Route 66 landmark. Throughout this journey, the medical facilities were a boon to businesses along Route 66, supplying them with customers and patients. For instance, an Italian-American family from Tri-Taylor opened Lulu's Hot Dogs in 1968, replacing a former Sinclair gas station situated across the street from "County." Today, Lulu's endures as a cherished spot that serves locals and nostalgic travelers alike.

Route 66 History In the 1920s,

Route 66 Landmark Marker (Spanish-language side) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 18, 2024

2. Route 66 Landmark Marker (Spanish-language side)

America became an automobile nation. At the start of the decade, there were 8 million cars on the road, but roughly 32,000 of the nation's 2.5 million miles of rural roads were paved, making transcontinental travel prohibitively slow. By the end of the 1920s, Americans owned 23 million cars, with many driving Henry Ford's affordable Model T. More cars meant more demand for paved roads. In 1921, Congress passed the Federal Aid Highway Act, which called for a network of roads covering the entire country. A few years later, plans for interstate routes were approved for all 48 states. Route 66 stretched more than 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. Cy Avery, the Oklahoma highway commissioner known as the "Father of Route 66," dubbed it "The Main Street of America." This route was considered the primary path between the Great Lakes and the Pacific Coast.

Route 66 was officially established in 1926. The Illinois stretch of Route 66 began as a two-lane road known as SB14, which followed the route of the old Pontiac Trail from Chicago to St. Louis. At first, SB14 began in Cicero, but its designation as Route 66 increased

Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 18, 2024

3. Route 66 Landmark Marker

traffic. To accommodate this, the starting point was moved to Michigan Avenue and Jackson Boulevard in Chicago.

Ogden Avenue has traditionally been a major transportation route into and out of Chicago. This street parallels both the south branch of the Chicago River, which was once the main waterway toward the Mississippi, and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad tracks. The Route 66 era was the heyday of Ogden Avenue and the neighborhoods it runs through. Route 66 was and still is an emblem of the nation's car culture. From the 1920s through the 1950s, dozens of repair garages, tire suppliers, and automobile dealers set up shop along the street.

The development of the interstate highway system, the result of a bill signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, led to the decommissioning of Route 66 and the demise of many of Chicago's Ogden Avenue businesses. Drivers were offered a faster course to the southwest suburbs and central Illinois. In the 1960s, construction began on Interstate 55, and in 1977 the "End of Route 66" signs on Jackson Boulevard came down. A few remaining restaurants and repair shops along Ogden Avenue

Route 66 Landmark / Punto de Referencia de la Ruta 66 Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 20, 2024

4. Route 66 Landmark / Punto de Referencia de la Ruta 66 Marker

The marker can be seen across Ogden Avenue in this picture, in front of Stroger Hospital.

still display Route 66 memorabilia, ensuring its years as a piece of America's most mythologized highway are never forgotten.

[Spanish-language text on the east-facing side of the marker:]

“La Calle Principal de América” En 1916, el Hospital del Condado de Cook surgió como un establecimiento importante para el barrio Tri-Taylor de Chicago. Esta imponente estructura, caracterizada por el estilo arquitectónico Beaux-Arts, se estableció en la intersección de Ogden Avenue, antes conocida como Ruta 66, y Roosevelt Road. Esta zona de cerca del West Side fue el hogar de una gran comunidad italiana hasta la década de 1940. Abierto a personas con recursos económicos limitados, el Hospital del Condado de Cook, conocido simplemente como "Condado", se convertiría en uno de los hospitales benéficos más activos del mundo y eventualmente trataría a unos 83.000 pacientes al año durante la década de 1950. Las ambulancias que transportaban pacientes de toda la ciudad acelerarían por las carreteras bien pavimentadas de la Ruta 66 para llegar al "Condado".

El Hospital del Condado de Cook era una de las estructuras arquitectónicamente distinguidas

Photo close-up: Illinois Medical District CTA "L" Station image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 18, 2024

5. Photo close-up: Illinois Medical District CTA "L" Station

y más reconocidas en el tramo de la Ruta 66 de Chicago. Con el paso de los años, este hospital también se convirtió en el ancla del Distrito del Centro Médico de Illinois en donde se encontraba la mayor concentración de hospitales e instituciones de investigación del país con una medida de 226 hectáreas. Establecido por la 62ª Asamblea General de Illinois en 1941, el distrito médico incluía originalmente el Hospital General de la Universidad de Illinois, la Escuela de Enfermería del Condado de Cook, el Hospital del Condado de Cook, el Hospital Presbiteriano, la Escuela de Medicina Rush y la Facultad de Medicina de Loyola. Posteriormente, en 1953, se añadió la Administración de Veteranos de West Side (ahora conocido como el Centro Médico Jesse Brown VA).

En 2002, el "Condado" cerró y fue reemplazado por el Hospital John H. Stroger, una de las muchas instituciones modernas en el ahora próspero Distrito del Centro Médico de IL. El antiguo hospital permaneció vacío durante casi dos décadas. Los ecologistas temían que el edificio fuera demolido, pero los hoteles Hyatt lo transformaron en alojamientos de lujo, salvando un punto de referencia

Close-up of photos on the marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 18, 2024

6. Close-up of photos on the marker

The photo on the left is a historic photo of the original Cook County Hospital, which still stands after recently being converted into a hotel. On the right is a photo likely taken in the 1960s of women nearby on Roosevelt Road.

de la Ruta 66. En el transcurso de este viaje, las instalaciones médicas fueron una gran ayuda para las empresas a lo largo de la Ruta 66, brindándoles clientes y pacientes. Por ejemplo, una familia italoamericana de Tri-Taylor abrió Lulu's Hot Dogs en 1968, reemplazando una antigua gasolinera Sinclair situada frente a "County". Hoy en día, Lulu's perdura como un lugar preciado que atiende tanto a locales como a viajeros nostálgicos.

Historia de la Ruta 66 En la década de 1920, Estados Unidos se convirtió en una nación automovilística. A principios de la década, había 8 millones de automóviles en las carreteras, pero sólo 51,000 de los 4 millones de kilómetros de carreteras rurales del país estaban pavimentadas, lo que hacía que los viajes transcontinentales fueran extremadamente lentos. A finales de la década de 1920, los estadounidenses poseían 23 millones de automóviles, y muchos de ellos conducían el accesible Modelo T de Henry Ford.

Más automóviles significaron más demanda de carreteras pavimentadas. En 1921, el Congreso aprobó la Ley de Ayuda Federal para Carreteras, que exigía una red de carreteras que cubriera todo el

Route 66 Historic Route sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 18, 2024

7. Route 66 Historic Route sign

Brown "Historic Route" signs for Route 66 are found occasionally along the old route. This one, at Ogden and Western avenues, is about three-quarters of a mile from the 2024 Route 66 historical marker.

país. Unos años más tarde, se aprobaron planes de rutas interestatales para los 48 estados. La Ruta 66 se extendía más de 3,800 km desde Chicago hasta Santa Mónica, California. Cy Avery, el comisionado de carreteras de Oklahoma conocido como el "Padre de la Ruta 66", la apodó "La calle principal de América". Esta ruta se consideraba el camino principal entre los Grandes Lagos y la costa del Pacífico.

La Ruta 66 se estableció oficialmente en 1926. El tramo de Illinois de la Ruta 66 comenzó como una carretera de dos carriles conocida como SB14, que seguía la ruta del antiguo Pontiac Trail desde Chicago a St. Louis. Al principio, SB14 inició en Cicero, pero su designación como Ruta 66 aumentó el tráfico. Para adaptarse a esto, el punto de partida se trasladó a Michigan Avenue y Jackson Boulevard en Chicago. Ogden Avenue ha sido tradicionalmente una importante ruta de transporte hacia y desde Chicago. Esta calle es paralela tanto al brazo sur del río Chicago, que alguna vez fue la vía fluvial principal hacia el Mississippi, como a las vías del ferrocarril de Chicago, Burlington y Quincy. La era de la Ruta 66 fue el apogeo de Ogden Avenue

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y los vecindarios que atraviesa. La Ruta 66 fue y sigue siendo un emblema de la cultura automovilística del país. Desde la década de 1920 hasta la de 1950, docenas de talleres de reparación, proveedores de neumáticos y concesionarios de automóviles instalaron tiendas a lo largo de la calle.

El desarrollo del sistema de carreteras interestatales, resultado de un proyecto de ley firmado por el presidente Dwight D. Eisenhower, provocó el desmantelamiento de la Ruta 66 y la desaparición de muchos de los negocios de Ogden Avenue en Chicago. A los conductores se les ofreció un rumbo más rápido hacia los suburbios del suroeste y el centro de Illinois. En la década de 1960, comenzó la construcción de la Interestatal 55, y en 1977 se quitaron las señales de "Fin de la Ruta 66” en Jackson Boulevard. Algunos restaurantes y talleres de reparación que quedan a lo largo de Ogden Avenue todavía exhiben recuerdos de la Ruta 66, lo que garantiza que sus años como parte de la carretera más idealizada de Estados Unidos nunca se olviden.

Erected 2024 by Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity; Choose Chicago.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Immigration • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #34 Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the U.S. Route 66 series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1916.

Location. 41° 52.379′ N, 87° 40.561′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in the Illinois Medical District. It is at the intersection of West Ogden Avenue and South Damen Avenue on West Ogden Avenue. The marker is near the Ogden Avenue entrance to Stroger Hospital. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1969 West Ogden Avenue, Chicago IL 60612, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Operation Iraqi Freedom (approx. 0.2 miles away); Samuel Guthrie, M.D. (approx. ¼ mile away); West Side Grounds (approx. 0.3 miles away); Claremont Cottages District (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Claremont Cottages District (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Claremont Cottages District (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Claremont Cottages District (approx. 0.6 miles away); Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. The marker is one of four unveiled in 2024 in coordination with NASCAR's second Grant Park 165 race, a street circuit through Grant Park in downtown Chicago on July 7, 2024. One marker is downtown at the intersection of Adams and Michigan, where Route 66 ends in front of the Art Institute of Chicago; the other two are southwest of here on Ogden Avenue. The bottom of all three Ogden Avenue markers includes a "History of Route 66" with text that is identical to that on the marker in front of the Art Institute. Although Route 66 is a U.S. highway, the marker's styling at the top actually is based on that used by the Interstate Highway System.

Also see . . . Choose Chicago: The ultimate Route 66 Chicago itinerary. From Choose Chicago, a tourism bureau, a blog post about locations alongside Route 66 in and near downtown Chicago. (Submitted on July 18, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 337 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 18, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 4. submitted on October 22, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 5, 6, 7. submitted on July 18, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.

Route 66 Landmark⎯⎯⎯Punto de Referencia de la Ruta 66

Tri-Taylor

— Local Neighborhood Impact / Impacto en el Vecindario Local —

Route 66 Landmark
⎯⎯⎯
Punto de Referencia de la Ruta 66