This from Brian Murphy:
While doing research on fire losses in ‘big box’ retail stores (OK, we were a bit slow on calls…), I came across, on YouTube, very old footage of a large fire in a Topps Discount Store in Highland, Indiana. Dating back to 1963, it was shot on 8mm film and must’ve been converted to video at some point within the past 25 years. You even get to see a nice happy family having fun before the fire footage begins. Ah, home movies. How many of you remember Topps (not the sports cards)? There was one on North Avenue in Addison (near the original ‘Dog House’ that became Portilos) up until the early to mid ’70s that I can recall visting. Anyway, this one is for everyone who grew up without cell phones. Or DVDs. Or video cameras. Or push button phones.
Or, for that matter, SCBA…
Enjoy!
Brian Murphy
#1 by ENG 17 on August 11, 2015 - 8:15 AM
You are right Drew, Crawford’s I believe was in the North West corner, Topp’s in the South East, where the now closed Dominick’s was…
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-07-23/business/8902200198_1_state-street-store-marshall-field-howard-ecker/3
#2 by Drew Smith on August 10, 2015 - 5:22 PM
I don’t know about a Topps but there was a Crawfords dept. store at that very intersection until about 20 years ago. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-02-04/news/9303175498_1_discount-stores-tj-maxx-retail-market
#3 by Crabby Milton on August 10, 2015 - 5:08 PM
We take so many things in terms of technology for granted these days. We forget that even having a movie camera was a source of pride.
Some nice rigs in that one too.
#4 by ENG 17 on August 10, 2015 - 7:39 AM
I believe there was also a TOPP’s at Kirchoff and Meadows Drive in Rolling Meadows if memory serves me…