11th and State
Any old timers here remember this?
That beacon used to light up the night sky for miles around.
Anyone know where it ended up?
Labels: general
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
Saturday, November 21, 2020
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109 Comments:
It’s in Sgt Shemash’s garage.
I started in the 1st dist in May 1977
The beacon is now located in Pigster's mansion on the Gold Coast. Pigsters chef illuminates the beacon to let JB know that dinner is served. Verbally announcing dinner does not work in such a large domicile.
It's in Retired member's (J.F. "J-Dawg") back yard along with thousands of other pieces of police memorabilia. A 30 year Englewood man! God Bless him.
A better question is, "Where in the fuck is Batman?!?!"
That definitely ended up in some retired Dist. COMMANDERS basement man cave
Chicago Police Department Reproduction and Graphic Arts Unit Photographer 1973-1978
This photo was taken on top of the Headquarters annex at 11th and State looking west over State Street. The time I believe is the mid to 1960's, railyards across the street, officer's uniform with side strip on pants and no checked hatband.
The light itself "TRIPP-LITE" went on when there was a Ten-One. Some cop might have got an oversized souvenir or maybe it went to the Chicago Historical Museum. Check with them or the wrecking contractor.
Stay safe and healthy
And what a vermin infested shithole that building became over the years!
https://news.wttw.com/2013/11/13/ask-geoffrey-1113
It’s in a museum now.
Check out the global warming layered snow drifts
on top of that roof. Oh wait. We didn't HAVE global
warming back then. Global warming became a nuanced
catch phrase for politicians born of a certain vintage.
I'll tell you one thing for sure, that thing was in existence
at the same time Quirky Joe Biden was flipping up the
toilet seat and sitting in the bowl on hot summer nights
in Wilmington. He had great manual dexterity back then.
He used his right hand to flip the commode lever for an
inhouse water park experience. Kind of like white water
rafting for the genitals. Some say Joe was just fastidious
about personal cleanliness and happily used the makeshift
bidet as part of his bedtime ritual. Sweet dreams Joey Baby.
Its at commander Jerome's house. And is only to be used in extreme circumstances, to notify M Seiser.
I’ll bet that gigantic Mars light has been on some exempt retiree’s basement bar for years. Right next to the turn of the century call box.
Here's a Tripp Lite discussion:
https://elightbars.org/forums/threads/biggest-beacon-tripp-lite-ever-where-can-i-get-one.13885/
It's in Seiser's basement.
Did Daley make a deal with Studio 54 on police surplus?
$5K cash, glassine packets of nasal douche powder, and
pounds of Mexican grass.
I was asking the sane question last month?
I would bet two tacos, that some boss has it at his summer home in Michigan😳
I/F
Not sure why but this reminded me of the old CPD servi-cars.
https://postimg.cc/gallery/jTYwQhH
We sure do remember that beacon, SCC...
On a clear night even 10 miles south of
HQ during the early/mid -60's we could see
that beam cutting a blue arc through the
night sky from our bedroom window.
The Good Ol' Days for sure...
The best were the 0330 weekend chat & snack
with the old man when he got in from his
pulls at 23rd & Damen and Pulaski & Fillmore.
If that beacon was still in service, "tha' communerty"
and the white-guilt addled liberal democrat progressive
collectivists would scream, cry, shit themselves
and demand the beacon be turned off and dismantled
as a symbol of RACISM and toxic "blue collar"
masculinity, assertiveness and decisiveness.
Next thing you know, they'll be demanding that everyone
who isn't them should be made to squat to pee, seeing how
standing to pee is such a threatening/triggering
symbol of patriarchy...
Anybody find that elusive "Blue Goose" yet?
The Police USED TO Have Friends...
Lots of 'em.
That's one hell of a disco strobe light.
Nostalgic enough to make the Keesing Bandit jealous.
Yeaaaaah baby
Bugeyes sold it 2 the vanecko light company for spare/chump change & put the proceeds towards a full personality makeover
She could put the national debt towards that & it still wouldn't even scratch the surface lol
FU GROOT
On O.W. Wilson last day as Superintendent,
he sold it to K-Mart for their Blue Light Specials.
Bet a hundred toothpicks these two references
will go over the heads of younger Coppers!
Is this the signal to call Commander Jerome into action ???
Grand Haven, Michigan?
I don't remember that beacon, but I do fondly remember watching the Palmolive building beacon rotating at night thru my bedroom window.
I/F
Forever. We Rule
could we put a light on Willis tower ne sears. or is there a higher building.
They were cleaning the sewer behind 11th and State. The clam thing was weak and when they swung it all the crap fell on the alley, along with a dozen knives. Everyone got curious and so they put a few buckets on the pavement. They got up to 30 or 40 knives before the boss came and ended the archeology. All kitchen knives and shanks, no guns. If you dropped a magnet down there, you wouldn't be able to lift it out.
Most of you young guys won't remember, but the black police office is Renault Ribinson. He was the original President of the Afro-American Patrolman's Assocition. The roof of the HQ building at 11th and State was his his foot post on the 1st Watch during the winter months. During the summer months he was assigned to the loading dock and would get a SPAR form every time the 1st District Commander saw a rat in the alley. Real popular guy among the exempts in those days.
Went down with 1121.
I was just talking about that the other day
My reefer is in the basement, I had to get new trousers when they did away with the bus driver stripe. And don't even mention the cost of new shirt/patches.
1st class of 1966, took the test Oct 65.
The Patrolman has a stripe on his pants so it's 1973 or earlier. A partial reason for the removal of the stripe was because off-duty coppers on the way home would stop off for "a beer". Even with a civilian jacket and shirt, everyone still knew you were a policeman. The old 004 locker room (89th & Exchange) had little bitty "lockers" which barely held your civilian jacket a couple of old ticket books. Packy Dowling, 004, was in a joint on South Stoney Island having "a" drink when 2 or 3 honor students came in to stick the place up. They spotted Packy's pant stripe and basically shot him point-blank knowing he was the Police. Packy was able to return fire and wounded one. Both the bad guy and Packy survived. Shortly thereafter the stripe was removed. Back in the day, we didn't like to wear anything off duty that identified us as the Police. No Police caps, no Police shirts, no nothing that could indicate what we did for a living. So we were happy to see the stripe go. Footnote about the surviving stickup man. He was skillfully interrogated in the hospital by two great Black coppers and along with a confession, he gave up the info on his fellow crooks.
K MART
It's in the Daley's garage.
Don't know about the light but they had rats in the alley behind that place the size of small coyotes. Every time you got on an elevator to haul a prisoner upstairs you were thinking I may have had my last supper.
Who is this often mentioned Seiser?
Yes, That beacon was up there until the building was torn down. But, I do not recall the beacon actually being used, lighting up, for a very long time.
Anonymous said...
And what a vermin infested shithole that building became over the years!
11/21/2020 12:41:00 AM
human feces used to drip down the walls onto lower floors all coming from the backed up toilets of the men's lockup. The metal windows on the upper floors ( this was an old factory) would freeze solid in a layer of ice inside. Great building
It's down in Key West only 90 miles from Cuba
Who changed the bulb and buffed the dome?
On the same subject of the old ivory tower, it was rumored that when they demolished the building there were boxes and boxes of old records, files, photos left in the basement that were bulldozed, backfilled or carted away.
I remember that at 11th and state. My dad was on the job from 59 to 86 and brought us to see it a couple of times.
Its in Downtown Ernie Brown's basement, next to the 50 cal. that suddenly went missing from Homan Sq.
He’s pointing out where the circus train pulls into the 012 district and what streets the animals walk down.
Off topic.
Talking about lights. I remember years back and believe it was in the 011 district when some business re-created the “first style” pod camera box with a working blue light bar, they called for an ET to take pictures and attempt to dust for prints. Does anyone remember that ?
Batman died so no need for beacon anymore.
Anonymous The Box Chevy Phantom said... Pulaski & Fillmore! I used to work at the old Calumet Baking Powder Plant at 4100 West Fillmore.
We hired Vic Vrdolyak for security - AIC would get the lost truck drivers from the South back to the Eisenhower.
Wasn't that from the 1970s? I remember that as a kid .
https://news.wttw.com/2013/11/13/ask-geoffrey-1113
It’s in a museum now.
Hope you are NOT the police The above reference is to the Palmolive Building beacon, totally different thing. Lots of misinformation(not from SCC) but from comments
It’s at the manhole... they flip it on when they play YMCA or roxann by the police.
We need a new one. Call it the Fat Signal. Summons pritzker from his out of state thanksgiving dinner.
Sure beats standing in front of your bathroom mirror... candyman... candyman...
Anonymous Anonymous said...
https://news.wttw.com/2013/11/13/ask-geoffrey-1113
It’s in a museum now.
11/21/2020 12:54:00 AM
Interesting article/video but the light in the article was on top of the Palmolive building used as an air navigation aid. Not the blue light. AS a side note, there was a series of light beacons set up all over the country for air navigation in the day prior to radio navigation aids. And yes in bad weather pilots got lost.
https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/guiding-light-airway-beacon-tower
Not sure why but this reminded me of the old CPD servi-cars.
https://postimg.cc/gallery/jTYwQhH
11/21/2020 02:05:00
Ah the good old days thanks, for the memories
Jesus. I remember it. It was awesome.
I just can’t remember what I ate for fucking breakfast today. Time for a cocktail I guess.
The beacon was not on the roof when the building closed, i did check. J-Dog 007
It’s on top of Seisers house. It alerts the bad guys when he’s out battling crime.
I think Groot uses it as her bathroom vanity light so she can see her entire forehead.
In my basement above the bar
Street Lights Shot it out.
Was that used to call Batman???
don't know about the 11th street dome light but we do know a copper had quite a collection of unused old call boxes that he wound up selling to a English Antique house that last we heard were going at 1200 bucks a crack graffiti and all.Brits we understand love all or anything to do with US police agencies
Anonymous said...
https://news.wttw.com/2013/11/13/ask-geoffrey-1113
It’s in a museum now.
Wrong beacon.
I know where the H and the Q from (POLICE HEADQUARTERS) the front of the building went... A Retired 019 dist Cmdr. had it in his office
What happened to Beacon(s) at Meigs Field when Daley ( junior) ordered the Runways ditched/ cratered in the middle of the night?
These comments are great. Can any old timer teach a young buck about what that is and was used for?
Wasn't the light on top of 35th and Michigan when it was first built? I wonder if it's still there?
Its in DSLC's man cave.........
Beacon Schmeacon....whatever happened to those big red lips that used to decorate the Dan Ryan and Eisenhower X-rays?
Rumor has it was on loan to a southside aldercreature who owns a strip club in the south suburbs...
Scotty’s garage, with the rest of his neons
You don’t need to know who Sieser is,
He will find you !!
I remember 011th and State and old gun court. My partner and I arrested a person with a gun in the 80s. Turned out to be an FBI agent who was trying to get into gun court and the $$ involved. Had a couple of continuances and never heard anything else about it. Amusing. Greylord.
How about "the toilet" behind 11th and state?
how many old timers here can remember ever using a street call box to call the station as what then was known as ""pulling the box"??we still have our call box key that was issued to us in 1972
It would activate whenever E.J. Would perform his midnight puppet show. Enjoy ur retro!
And we if point it this way we can blind the fuck out of Milwaukee
What happened to Beacon(s) at Meigs Field when Daley ( junior) ordered the Runways ditched/ cratered in the middle of the night?
11/21/2020 03:13:00 PM
Still there I believe.
Real life Bat Signal!
$100 scrap finders fee to a junk pickers and then shredded by General Iron (just kidding)
Is the light in storage next to the billboard of Dennis Rodman's wild colored hair (that Bigsby & Kruthers mural from the mid 1990s)?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-03-26-9603260286-story.html
I don't remember that beacon, but I do fondly remember watching the Palmolive building beacon rotating at night thru my bedroom window.
11/21/2020 05:04:00 AM
Cool memory. Where did you live that you could see it?
Remember the court rooms at 11th & State? Particularly gun court? No air conditioning in the building, so all summer long the windows would be open. Gun court windows faced east, so the EL tracks behind the building ran right outside the building (in the alley). These tracks carried what is now the Green, Red and Brown line trains. About every five minutes, a train would pass by and no matter what was happening in court, the judge would have to stop the proceedings because you couldn't hear anything. Good times! If you never made a gun arrest in the late 70's or early 80's, you probably don't know what I'm talking about. (That would be every copper assigned to the 022nd, 016th and 001st District)
It's BEFORE 1967.. there is no checkerboard on the POs hat.
The Michigan State police still uses 1 large Mars light on the roof of their cars.
We should also for a retro look.
My reefer is in the basement, I had to get new trousers when they did away with the bus driver stripe. And don't even mention the cost of new shirt/patches.
1st class of 1966, took the test Oct 65.
what month in 1966?
I know where the H and the Q from (POLICE HEADQUARTERS) the front of the building went... A Retired 019 dist Cmdr. had it in his office
11/21/2020 01:49:00 PM
G.R. (AKA: Elmer Fudd) was a real classy guy. NOT!
Anonymous said...
It’s in Sgt Shemash’s garage.
11/21/2020 12:03:00 AM
Which is also Cmdr. Shemash’s garage?
They don't need it.
They Just have Carter shine a light in front of his hero swag plate and the light shines all the way to calumet city.
Was buried with townson when he retired at 70
The beacon light was sold after the old headquarters building was torn down. Steve Wilkos bought the light and it was in his garage. The light is owned by the “Jerry Springer” show and can be seen in the opening when Jerry slides down the pole. True story !
That beacon used to light up the night sky for miles around.
If that's the Bat Signal Commissioner Gordon will have something to say about that!
That's what they used to summon Art Novit.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Beacon Schmeacon....whatever happened to those big red lips that used to decorate the Dan Ryan and Eisenhower X-rays?
11/21/2020 05:06:00
That was Magickist Rug Cleaning Company.
Probably on Ebay with all the other official photos and such
Vanecko has it for sale on Ebay
Imagine who took that home. All I got was an old use of force poster board when McStreelights closed Area 5. Just an aside, it is far to 'aggressive' for the SJW's appetite.
Now strike me with an open fist you fool!
Remember the court rooms at 11th & State?
Sure do: gun court, shoplifting court, whore court, auto theft court, misdemeanor pot court....if you were a worked the OT added up. And that didn't include the Branch courts for male misdemeanor & female misdemeanor. Then there were the felony courts, including night narcotics courts. Man, those were the days.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
how many old timers here can remember ever using a street call box to call the station as what then was known as ""pulling the box"??we still have our call box key that was issued to us in 1972
11/21/2020 07:57:00 PM
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
I still have my call box key. My grandson is now on the job, thank G-D not in Chicago, and it goes to him.
Hello Fellow Police Nostalgia Fans !
I was sworn in, took my oath of office, on my First Day, back in 1970. No ID's. You were technically a swore peace officer, but had no training, nor permission from the CPD to take any action. At that time our photo ID's were taken by the CTA. Our ID cards were actually very similar to that of a CTA employee. I know because I worked for CTA before joining The CPD. In the early 70's the CTA stopped taking our photo ID's. For several years we simply got a sticker to put on our existing ID with the year on it. The sticker had the year marked on it.
Does anyone remember this ?
My reefer is in the basement, I had to get new trousers when they did away with the bus driver stripe. And don't even mention the cost of new shirt/patches.
1st class of 1966, took the test Oct 65.
what month in 1966?
11/22/2020 12:36:00 AM
------
Holy crap.
I was born in 1965 and just RETIRED with the age 55 insurance deal with 30 years on.
The phone used the PAX system, every boss back in those days had one on there patio's
2 empress there guest.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
https://news.wttw.com/2013/11/13/ask-geoffrey-1113
It’s in a museum now.
Well its clear this OP is a cop cause he wouldnt have missed a simple fact of the light he posted is the lindbergh beacon and not the tripplight hell even the pictures show the two are no where near the same.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Beacon Schmeacon....whatever happened to those big red lips that used to decorate the Dan Ryan and Eisenhower X-rays?
11/21/2020 05:06:00
Magikist
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magikist
Anonymous said...
It’s in Sgt Shemash’s garage.
11/21/2020 12:03:00 AM
Which is also Cmdr. Shemash’s garage?
11/22/2020 01:55:00 AM
Two total fucking weirdos.
It's probably surrounded by mannequins and jelly beans.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Most of you young guys won't remember, but the black police office is Renault Ribinson. He was the original President of the Afro-American Patrolman's Assocition. The roof of the HQ building at 11th and State was his his foot post on the 1st Watch during the winter months. During the summer months he was assigned to the loading dock and would get a SPAR form every time the 1st District Commander saw a rat in the alley. Real popular guy among the exempts in those days.
11/21/2020 06:55:00 AM
I believe that story because in that picture it looks like a boss was telling Renault to take a flying leap off the top of the building.
I heard they found the light. It will be used in case of emergency to call upon Cmdr. Jerome . This will be called the “ Jerome signal “ . Gods speed Cmdr. Jerome ... the city and its residents need you .
"Anonymous Anonymous said...
I don't remember that beacon, but I do fondly remember watching the Palmolive building beacon rotating at night thru my bedroom window.
11/21/2020 05:04:00 AM
Cool memory. Where did you live that you could see it?
11/21/2020 11:15:00 PM"
Northwest side Ravenswood area. Not a high-rise or anything, just watching that light circle around. Had an odd pattern of circles, then off on a higher arc a few times, then back. Weird the crap u remember as a kid.
the new HQ at 35th and Michigan was on the land of the old Goldenrod ice cream company where years and years ago we worked as a a kid who quit school and had to go to Princeton Continuation School and from there we got jobs at the ice cream company through the school.this school was the total pits and the real blackboard jungle,anyone recall??
https://news.wttw.com/2013/11/13/ask-geoffrey-1113
That fuck is the cuck Supreme. I appreciate history but if you try to watch something about our local history this asswipe narrates its non-stop yay black and brown people...booooo whitey. Nothing can be unbiased, tell it as-is anymore.
Anonymous said...
Anonymous Anonymous said...
"Most of you young guys won't remember, but the black police office is Renault Ribinson. He was the original President of the Afro-American Patrolman's Assocition. The roof of the HQ building at 11th and State was his his foot post on the 1st Watch during the winter months. During the summer months he was assigned to the loading dock and would get a SPAR form every time the 1st District Commander saw a rat in the alley. Real popular guy among the exempts in those days."
11/21/2020 06:55:00 AM
I believe that story because in that picture it looks like a boss was telling Renault to take a flying leap off the top of the building.
11/22/2020 08:35:00 PM
True stories...
Those old turkey bosses went HARD at Renault Robinson
because he had the nerve to buck the Daley Machine
and advocated for the black Coppers to unify and
organize to protect themselves from the outrageous
shit those bad bosses were subjecting them to.
Any still lucid old-timer will tell you that any
and everybody who wasn't hooked-up, jumped in and
had Bridgeport Birthright/clout, did indeed get
"shitted on." Hard. Repeatedly.
Imagine catching "The SPAR of the Day"
every damned day because some clouted ass
decided that YOU don't belong on HIS job?
Renault Robinson was labeled a "trouble maker"
for his advocacy... Quibble about how he went
about it but from where we stand, his intentions
in the face of adversity were far more honorable
than that of the ignorant asses Daley sicced on him.
As that old, hate-crazed fool Leroy Martin famously said:
"There's no place for 'free thinkers' on this job..."
Yes... We paid attention to what our dearly departed
elders were talking about during those backyard
get togethers in the 60's and 70's.
Eclectic mix... All races and origins...
Men who worked together and did their
best to keep each other safe.
We're thankful for having been exposed to that.
It shaped our attitude and outlook for when WE
came on the job.
It doesn't take money to be "rich..."
Knowing some great guys who will
give you the very shirts off their
backs does indeed make one "rich."
Police Like you Have No Friends...
my grandfather was a dic in the old A/2 on cottage.i remember the middle of the night drives up to the cabin in wisconson, going "up the gut" (the ryan) and seeing the blue mars light at 1121 and him pointing it out to us.
Eclectic mix... All races and origins...
Men who worked together and did their
best to keep each other safe.
Knowing some great guys who will
give you the very shirts off their
backs does indeed make one "rich."
my fto,black,and my first long time partner,white were both viet nam vets....along with most of the veteran coppers on the watch.coppers of every race,creed,culture at my wedding,kids birthdays,graduations
i am indeed one rich mfer
RIP LDC & CSB
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