Then and now: A 1940 photo of Van Buren and Dearborn in Chicago
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View underneath the "L" tracks showing the intersection outside the Maple Leaf Restaurant and Candies in the Loop, July 1940. Photo: Vachon/Library of Congress/Interim Archives/Getty Images
This week's "History Mystery" features a 1940 photo of Chicago's Loop that looks like a painting that belongs in a museum.
The (archival) picture: The photo shows a streetcar stopped at the intersection of Dearborn and Van Buren, right under the "L" tracks.
Flashback: Little did anyone know, the streetcar's days were numbered. In 1947, the CTA began phasing them out in favor of buses and trolleys.
- Streetcars were fully discontinued in 1958.
The intrigue: The biggest clue in the photo is the Maple Leaf Restaurant and Candies at 53 W. Van Buren St.
- The popular spot billed itself as the "Smartest Shop in the Loop," selling fine foods and hand-dipped chocolates.
- It opened in 1910 and closed in 1967.
Fun fact: At the turn of the 20th century, the corner of Van Buren and Dearborn was one of Chicago's best-known intersections.
- Before Maple Leaf, the storefront housed Manuso Brothers, a popular lunchroom and ice cream parlor. When the elder Manuso retired, he sold the business, paving the way for Maple Leaf.
The bottom line: Today, the restaurant is long gone, replaced by a modern office building in 1971.
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