This week's Sunday Morning Mystery Photo captures the aftermath of a disaster suffered by a Geneva manufacturer in 1893. Can you identify the building in the photo?
This Week's Sunday Morning Mystery:
This week's mystery photo captures one of the many disasaters recorded in Geneva during the past 175 years. Do you know the name of this building, and what caused the destruction shown in the photo? Do you know where it was located?
Answer to Last Week's Mystery:
Last week's mystery photo featured the interior of Giddy's Johnsson's Chop House, a popular Geneva restaurant located on the north side of the 200 block of West State Street. Owned and operated by Andrew Gideon "Giddy" Johnsson, the Chop House originally opened as the German Kitchen about 1912 on North Third Street, in the location currently occupied by the Great Harvest Bread Company. By 1918, it expanded to the location on State Street, and was later sold.
Giddy was born in Stockholm, Sweden about 1866, and lived in Geneva for 35 years. His first business venture in Geneva was the Nut Shell Barber Shop, also located on West State Street. At the time of his death in 1939, Giddy and his wife, Eva, operated a "lunch car" on South Second Street where the Geneva Diner stands today.
Colin C.
9:33 am on Sunday, November 14, 2010
In 1888 this was the Charles Pope Glucose Company. A large explosion damaged the factory and killed six. The factory was rebuilt and by 1897 it manufactured one-fifth of the total output of glucose and starch products in the United States.
Colin C.
9:40 am on Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sorry, my error. I forgot to attribute the above to "A History Of the Geneva, IL" ©2001 City of Geneva, Illinois U.S.A.
Kimberly Kozar
3:10 pm on Sunday, November 14, 2010
... and here I thought you were either a robust Geneva historian or the oldest person alive with a very sharp memory ;)