Chicago, a city renowned for its architectural prowess and vibrant street life, holds layers of history within its urban fabric. While modern green street signs are now ubiquitous, a distinctive yellow and black palette once marked the city’s corners, particularly before the 1970s. These vintage Yellow Street Signs, fondly remembered by long-time residents, represented a bygone era of Chicago’s visual identity. As the city modernized its signage system, replacing the yellow with the now-standard green, a dedicated search began to uncover any surviving remnants of this sunny past.
Driven by a blend of nostalgia and urban curiosity, we embarked on a personal mission to find these elusive yellow street signs. Knowing Chicago’s reputation for thoroughness – the “city that works” – the task seemed daunting. Could any of these historical markers have escaped the city’s comprehensive updates? Our initial explorations across Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods felt increasingly futile. Major thoroughfares and quiet residential streets alike displayed only the contemporary green signs. Had the city truly achieved a complete sweep, leaving no yellow sign untouched? Despite the mounting evidence suggesting total replacement, the hope of discovering a forgotten yellow sign persisted. Logic dictated that if any survived, they would likely be tucked away in less frequented areas – perhaps a quiet residential block or a forgotten industrial zone on the city’s periphery. Even targeted searches in remote industrial areas near Lake Calumet yielded nothing, leading us to almost concede defeat. However, the promise of celebration upon finding a yellow sign kept the quest alive, albeit in the back of our minds.
Years later, serendipity intervened during a casual drive on Chicago’s far south side. Venturing into a neighborhood bordering the Calumet River, south of 127th Street and east of Halsted, an area previously unexplored, proved to be the turning point. A left turn from 127th onto Parnell, and a chance glance towards 127th Place, revealed a flicker of yellow. Dismissing it initially as wishful thinking, a shared moment of realization prompted an immediate U-turn. Returning to the intersection of 127th Place and Eggleston, disbelief turned into elation. Two yellow street signs stood proudly, marking the intersection. Against all odds, the city had seemingly overlooked this corner. The joyous discovery was amplified by the unique context: Eggleston Street effectively ceases to exist at this point, replaced by a bike path, perhaps contributing to the signs’ forgotten status. The long search had culminated in an unexpected triumph.
The quest, however, took an unforeseen turn in the vast expanse of the Crawford Industrial Park. Amidst the unexpected sight of ATVs, another yellow sign revelation occurred, this time multiplied. At the intersection of 44th and Kildare, not one, but two yellow signs emerged, standing opposite each other, both designating Kildare Boulevard. Adding to the intrigue, contemporary green signs at the same intersection labeled Kildare as “Avenue,” a designation consistently used elsewhere. This boulevard/avenue discrepancy raised questions, particularly in an industrial park setting where truck traffic is prevalent and boulevards are typically restricted for such vehicles. Unlike the Eggleston find, these Kildare signs marked a still-existing thoroughfare, deepening the mystery of their survival. Their presence, seemingly overlooked, suggested a deeper level of urban sign archaeology waiting to be uncovered.
Update: The yellow sign saga continued thanks to the keen eyes of observant readers. Eric Nudel, an attentive contributor, located another yellow sign via Google Street View, situated at 128th Street and Eggleston, a mere block south of our initial Eggleston discovery. Interestingly, at this location, the Eggleston sign on the same pole had been updated to green, while the 128th Street sign remained in its original yellow. This peculiar combination, especially considering Eggleston’s non-existence in the immediate vicinity, further emphasized the unpredictable nature of these surviving vintage signs. Gratitude extends to Eric and all those contributing to the ongoing yellow street sign search. The hope remains that more of these historical urban markers are still waiting to be rediscovered, offering further glimpses into Chicago’s evolving streetscape.
| Update #2: Another yellow sign has been spotted by one of our attentive readers. Eric Nudel wrote in to tell us that he found a yellow sign using Google Street View. The sign is at 128th Street and Eggleston, only a block south of the one we found at 127th Place and Eggleston. In this case, the sign for Eggleston on the pole was replaced with a green one, yet the sign for 128th Street was kept yellow. This is especially strange, considering that Eggleston no longer exists in the area. We thank Eric for contributing to the yellow sign search, and of course, we still hope to find more remaining yellow signs. |
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