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Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 26 Nov 2011, 07:53
by Brutu
Here is an interesting article from 1969 about a walking tour to see what was left of Jack Johnson's world in Chicago.
His night club the Cafe de Champion,
his house on Wabash Avenue and the gymnasium,on 47th street.
from JET Demember.11.1969.
pp 54-59.
http://www.books.google.com/books?id=ID ... pg=PA54&dq
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 26 Nov 2011, 15:19
by Brutu
here is a link to a rare photograph of the house that Jack Johnson purchased in Chicago in 1909.
It has since been long demolished but was located at 3344 South Wabash Avenue.
(scroll down to see photo)
http://books.google.com/books?id=vKwy7f ... pg=PA47&dq
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 26 Nov 2011, 15:29
by Brutu
During March 1926, Jack Johnson opened his "Health Emporium" gymnasium
located at 424 East 47th Street in Chicago.
On March.30.1926 after the first round of a scheduled 30 round exhibition.
The place was raided by the police.They arrested Johnson,his unnamed opponent,
the time keeper and two seconds.
The building that housed the gymnasium was still there in 1969.
Anyone here from Chicago and if so does the building still exist?
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 26 Nov 2011, 16:14
by raylawpc
Brutu wrote:During March 1926, Jack Johnson opened his "Health Emporium" gymnasium
located at 424 East 47th Street in Chicago.
On March.30.1926 after the first round of a scheduled 30 round exhibition.
The place was raided by the police.They arrested Johnson,his unnamed opponent,
the time keeper and two seconds.
The building that housed the gymnasium was still there in 1969.
Anyone here from Chicago and if so does the building still exist?
Sorry, it's now a vacant lot.
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 26 Nov 2011, 16:36
by Brutu
The article also did not mention the infamous Everleigh Club.
Which at the time was the most luxurius and expensive brothel in America.
Jack Johnson was introduced there in 1909 by his manager George Little,
who went there once a week to pick up the protection money and give it
to the crooked aldermen.
The Everleigh club was in a 3 story brownstone mansion located
at 2131-2133 South Dearborn street.
It closed in 1911,became a rooming house and then was demolished in 1933.
here is some more info about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everleigh_Club
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 26 Nov 2011, 17:01
by Brutu
South Parkway, was renamed Martin Luther King Drive in 1968.
I dont think I have heard of the"Democratic Club" that had been on 31st street,
unless it had another name earlier.
Also I cant recall Jack Johnson visting the"old Gene Tierney's club",
or the Sunset Ballroom at 35th street in anything I have read either.
Eddlie Plique knew Johnson during the 1930's,so my guess
those were places Jack Johnson frequented then.
(The infamous Levee district was closed down by 1913)
Johnson was renting an apartment in Chicago in the 1920's,
and was evicted at one point around the time he declared bankruptcy
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 27 Nov 2011, 21:29
by Brutu
The Pekin Theater
(formerly located at 2700 South State Street)
http://chicagocrimescenes.blogspot.com/ ... eater.html
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 30 Nov 2011, 04:16
by Brutu
I came across this interesting map of"The Stroll" in the Black Belt of South side of Chicago ca.1912 ,which shows were many of the places mentioned were/are.
http://books.google.com/books?id=LccsNs ... pg=PA46&dq
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 30 Nov 2011, 19:41
by Brutu
Jack Johnson also built some training quarters behind the house at 3344 Wabash
shortly after he purchased it in 1909.
While Jack Johnson was in Leavenworth,he had the house at 3344 Wabash sold
in 1920,and his 2 sisters and nephew had moved into another "humbler"house located at
3641 Grand Boulavard(his mother Tiny Johnson died in 1918).
It would be interesting to know which year the house on Wabash was razed
and the reason.
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 01 Jul 2013, 15:49
by Brutu
Here is some info on the Rhumboogie Club that was opened by Joe Louis in 1942.
It was located at 342 East 55th Street in Chicago(closed 1947)
I wonder if it had already been a club before he purchased it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhumboogie_Cafe
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 01 Jul 2013, 17:07
by Seamus
Crime continued to flourish in the Levee District after 1913. Big Jim Colosimo, Johnny Torrio, Al Capone, Marty Guilfoyle were all very active there.
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 06 Jan 2017, 17:41
by Caractacus
Brutu wrote:The article also did not mention the infamous Everleigh Club.
Which at the time was the most luxurius and expensive brothel in America.
Jack Johnson was introduced there in 1909 by his manager George Little,
who went there once a week to pick up the protection money and give it
to the crooked aldermen.
The Everleigh club was in a 3 story brownstone mansion located
at 2131-2133 South Dearborn street.
It closed in 1911,became a rooming house and then was demolished in 1933.
here is some more info about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everleigh_Club
That looks like the place that started the trouble for Mr. Jack John-sing
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 06 Jan 2017, 18:53
by Caractacus
sheyatt ,I dont think that you can link to stuff on google books any more like you could once do.
(I knew stuff like this was going to happen once the USA turned their invention over to people who have grudges)
Here is an interesting article from 1969 about a walking tour to see what was left of Jack Johnson's world in Chicago.
His night club the Cafe de Champion,
his house on Wabash Avenue and the gymnasium,on 47th street.
from JET Demember.11.1969.
pp 54-59.
https://www.books.google.com/books?id=I ... pg=PA54&dq
(but you can still go to google books and read the article for yourself there)
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 30 Sep 2021, 14:39
by 571271
Hi, just curious, how do you know so much about Jack Johnson?
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 01 Oct 2021, 14:03
by Caractacus
whish those links to JET magazine had not been removed.
Joe Louis writes in his 1977 autobiography that he opened a jazz night club in Chicago in 1938 after he became HW Champ,
It was originally called The Rhumboogie, he named it after a jazz club with the same name he used to go a lot in L.A
he shortly changed its name to "Swingland" think it may have been previously a club
Jack Johnson either owned or went to a lot back in the 1920's.
342 East 55th Street.
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 07 Oct 2021, 07:09
by 572764
571271 wrote: ↑30 Sep 2021, 14:39
Hi, just curious, how do you know so much about Jack Johnson?
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 07 Oct 2021, 13:30
by Caractacus
hey, check out the Jack Johnson 'genological" thread.
I will bump it up for you.
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 09 Sep 2025, 15:27
by Caractacus
Brutu wrote: ↑30 Nov 2011, 04:16
I came across this interesting map of"The Stroll" in the Black Belt of South side of Chicago ca.1912 ,which shows were many of the places mentioned were/are.
http://books.google.com/books?id=LccsNsyGfQ0C&pg=PA46&dq
hey, someone here go and see what its like now.
Re: Jack Johnson's Chicago(1909-1946)
Posted: 09 Sep 2025, 17:30
by Expug
Looks like those addresses are just south of downtown. Between printers row area and Sox park.
Lot of gentrification has happened in that area.
I’m sure some of those old buildings are still there. I will take a closer look next time im around there.