A bit of Wrigley Field/Cubs history was made Wednesday morning. BCB's David Sameshima has the story.
On my way in to work Wednesday, my bus stopped at the traffic light in front of the Cubs Store. I saw the workers dismantling the tent that made up the Cubs Store. I was able to pull out my pocket camera, and take one photo before the bus started moving.On my way home, I set aside a few minutes to take a look at what was left. I only had my pocket camera with me so the type of photos I could take in the darkness, with sleet coming down, was limited.I take these photos not because this will be of any architectural importance. It was just a temporary tent structure, with shipping containers forming the front facade. I take these photos to document what will be a historic curiosity. How many of you know that before the McDonald's, there was a railroad crossing here? The freight tracks ran along what is now the Brown Lot, through the Cubby Bear parking lot, across the McDonald's property, then alongside Wrigley Field and finally continued through what is now the Blue Lot. The property where the plaza building is going up used to be a coal yard. The coal yard operated there until 1961. That is why I took these photos. Not because the Cub Store was historic, but because it will now become part of Cubs history.
The McDonald's will become part of history, too, very soon. It's scheduled to be demolished next week as the Ricketts family prepares to construct a hotel on the lot on the west side of Clark Street across from Wrigley Field.