Blue Island in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Woolworth Building

Built 1918

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, April 19, 2026

1. The Woolworth Building Marker

Inscription. The Woolworth Building was built by William F. and John C. Klein, who were members of one of Blue Island's most prominent families. The Klein family established themselves in Blue Island in 1849, and were part of the German influx that changed Blue Island between 1849 and 1860 from a "Yankee" settlement to one made up largely of persons of German birth or extraction. (Immigration from the "old country" to Blue Island has been the first step into American citizenship for many ethnic groups since that time.) The Klein family was best known as the owners of Klein's grain elevator, which was a Blue Island institution for almost a hundred years.

This building represents a period of over a century when Blue Island was the preeminent commercial and residential center of the south Cook County region. Woolworth's was a tenant of this building from the time of its construction until the store closed in 1993, and occupants of the second floor included the Blue Island Elks and the Blue Island Specialty Company, which was founded in 1898 and made dental equipment which was known and respected around the world.

This historic marker
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was funded partially by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Immigration • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1918.

Location. 41° 39.357′ N, 87° 40.813′ W. Marker is on Blue Island, Illinois, in Cook County. It is on South Western Avenue south of New Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is next to the entrance to the entrance to Three Sisters Antique Mall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13042 South Western Avenue, Blue Island IL 60406, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago

and in the Calumet Region.

It is also 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

The Woolworth Building Marker at Three Sisters Antique Mall image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, April 19, 2026

2. The Woolworth Building Marker at Three Sisters Antique Mall

markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Blue Island Opera House (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dixie Highway connected Chicago to Miami in the early days of automobile travel (about 500 feet away); The Joshua P. Young House (approx. 0.2 miles away); The William Henke House (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Alden J. Klein House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Conrad & Matilda Kich House (approx. ¼ mile away); World War I Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Myrtle Albee House, 1878 (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Blue Island.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.