A recently released photograph from the Northwest Chicago Historical Society shows a fire that occurred more than five decades ago at former Jewel food store in Gladstone Park.
The roof ended up collapsing at the Jewel at 5820 N. Milwaukee Ave., and some adjacent businesses also were damaged, according to a Feb. 7, 1967, Chicago Tribune article.
The fire occurred less than two weeks after Chicago’s famous 1967 blizzard, and firefighters had to remove 8 feet of snow that was covering nearby fire hydrants, the article said. The cause of the fire was unknown, and the former Saint Tarcissus School, which was located behind the supermarket, was not evacuated, according to the article.
Damage to the Jewel and a nearby snack shop was estimated at $100,000. The store later became a Guitar Center, followed by the Produce Center, and earlier this year the Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish expressed interest in purchasing the now-vacant building and adjacent parking lot.
