Interactive Map - Billiard Halls of Chicago 1928-29

[Mr. Bond]

The Billiard Halls Of Chicago 1928-29

The "Roaring Twenties" are sometimes romantically remembered for the cat-and-mouse prohibition stories surrounding the 'speakeasy'. Sometimes they are remembered for the rampant organized crime and violence. But the twenties also ushered in a new era of style in clothing, design and architecture. It was an era of jazz heard on fancy new radios and phonographs. It was an era of shiny new automobiles. And it was an era of billiards and pool.... In Chicago, there were literally hundreds upon hundreds of billiard rooms and halls to choose from, in every corner of town.

The map below shows the location of over 600 billiard and pocket billiard rooms that were listed in the 1928-29 Chicago City Directory. More than just a map, it's an interactive cultural cross-section of the entire city.
Also viewable with google earth~

To view the standard 'google map' version click here

If you have 'google earth' click here and have some fun (if you don't have google earth, by golly you should. its free and its awesome)

 

[Mr. Bond]

Taken one step further, compare the above map to the two maps listed below.

This map from 1926 shows the individual nationality and language zones around Chicago. Some are still the same today.
Click here

This map (compiled from 1923-26) illustrates the various established gang turf zones at the time.
Click here

Not surprisingly, pool and billiards seems to have permeated just about every neighborhood in town, regardless of race, nationality, income level, language or gang affiliation.

 

[greyghost]

wow thanks for the link and posts......this is something I've spoken and told to other people before and everyone is always shocked at the quantity of pool halls that were there during that time......

nice to see all the locations and the details you lined out for us....

i doubt this thread is getting the medias attention but this is one of the coolest posts I've had the pleasure to see/read in a min.

I mean come on who spends the time to do somehting like that?

again AMAZING,
-Grey Ghost-

 

[Mr. Bond]

- I updated the map to include the billiard table makers, cue makers, ivory turners and repair/supply shops of the 20's

~enjoy

 

[Mr. Bond]

The Boom, The Bust, and the Antique Table

One of the most strikingly obvious things about the Chicago billiard hall map shown above is the stark contrast between the public popularity of billiards then and now.

As a side effect of the decline of pool and billiards in the 40s' and 50s', untold numbers of billiard rooms were abruptly closed down in the large cities like Chicago. With all of their billiard tables being sold off by the hundreds, a phenomenon that I refer to as "the great table sell off".

These orphaned (but valuable) old-school wooden schooners ended up being dispersed far and wide, to suburban taverns, residential basements, garages, VFW halls, YMCA halls, junk yards, you name it. What the unsuspecting public didn't know, is that they had just accidentally inherited the primary artifacts of a lost era in American History.

These well-built, hand-crafted historic gems, (antique billiard tables) that can still be found occasionally under a pile of boxes in Auntie Martha's basement, were played on by thousands of men and women in their lifetime - and if they could talk - would tell of a time when good manners prevailed in polite society and being proficient with a cue was a respectable accomplishment.

billiards!