Bakeries, article on
Bakeries in Edgewater
By Lauren Vaughan*
Nowadays, people often frequent a bakery to pick up custom-made cakes or desserts for a special occasion; however, before the rise of supermarkets, bakeries were a routine weekly errand to pick up bread. Since 1898, the Edgewater neighborhood has been home to at least 137 bakeries, and some, such as the acclaimed Swedish Bakery, have been community staples for years. Bakeries have revealed the changes in Edgewater throughout the years, from its population growth in the early 20th century to the strong influence of the Swedish community to the community’s commitment to supporting local businesses in the modern era.
A Brief History of Bakeries
Evidence from an archeological site in Armenia suggests that humanity has been making and consuming bread resembling flatbreads, such as tortillas and naan, for about 14,000 years.i The ancient Egyptians were the first to invent, albeit accidentally, leavening bread through fermentation and then baking it in an oven which is the principal step in modern breadmaking. While they taught their Greek counterparts the art of baking, the Romans perfected it.ii The Romans widely implemented bakeries throughout their cities; for example, Pompeii had nearly thirty-four bakeries within its 163 acres.iii
By the medieval period, bread became the main staple for all classes within northwestern Europe. Due to this demand, commercial and retail bakeries became heavily relied on to feed the population, leading to heavy regulations and baker restrictions. Like the Romans, bakers assembled guilds to protect themselves and their business by setting set prices in the area, safeguarding recipes, and providing guild support when a member fell into hard times.iv
Most bakeries relied on coal ovens and time-consuming methods to manufacture bread; however, the Industrial Revolution led to technological improvements in production, such as gas ovens, the steel roller mill, and baking soda allowed seamless mass production. The urban population began to rely further on bakeries since lower-class women started participating in the workforce, which left little to no time to make bread.
The Growth and Decline of Bakeries in Edgewater
In the late nineteenth century, the neighborhood had a low population since it exclusively developed single-family homes that attracted wealthy families; this meant there were no recorded bakeries as many families likely relied on in-house domestic labor for their baked goods. There were small enclaves of working-class families residing in the western part of Edgewater, and they most likely relied on breadmaking from female family members, which also contributed to the lack of bakeries in the area.v
The first documented bakery that appeared was McCallum & Son in 1898 at 1244, or current address 1112, Bryn Mawr; however, it closed in 1900 and re-opened under another baker, Frank Doe, just two years later. Just like McCallum & Son, Doe’s bakery would also last only two years, which is the median life of a bakery in Edgewater between 1889 to 1908.vi In 1908, John Cochran influenced the extension of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad, which provided a more accessible mode of transportation to and within the community. Also, in the same year, residents effectively challenged Cochran’s ban on multi-unit complexes, which began the construction of larger complexes.vii These changes to the community led to a rapid influx in population and bakeries which can be seen by 1917 as fifteen bakeries were in operation.
Throughout the twenties, Edgewater and its bakeries continued to expand as hotel-style apartment buildings created a population boom as these buildings could house hundreds of residents.viii Although data from the city directories between 1923 and 1929 is absent, evidence suggests that over forty-five bakeries were in operation between 1921 to 1929, which mirrors the height of the construction boom in 1926.ix
While the city directories ended after 1929, it is rational to infer that the Great Depression greatly affected the baking industry. During the height of the Depression in 1933, nearly 13 million Americans were out of work, and those still with jobs experienced a 42.5% drop in their wages.x People’s purchasing power diminished, resulting in many purchasing mass-produced white sliced bread from supermarkets instead of fresh whole-grain bread from local bakeries. By 1941, industrially mass-produced white bread comprised 85% of all consumed bread. Despite its brief ban in WWII, white bread continued in popularity after the Great Depression due to advertisements promoting its purity and consistency compared to freshly produced darker bread.xi This preference continued the decline of local bakeries, as only groceries and supermarkets sold white bread. The convenience of supermarkets also drew consumers, as one could get a wide array of necessities, often at a lower price, in one place rather than multiple trips to the bakery and butcher.
Street
|
# of Bakeries
|
Clark
|
49
|
Bryn Mawr
|
24
|
Devon
|
17
|
Broadway/Evanston
|
19
|
Foster
|
4
|
Granville
|
8
|
Ashland
|
2
|
Summerdale
|
2
|
Thorndale
|
5
|
Ridge
|
2
|
Berwyn
|
3
|
Balmoral
|
2
|
Total
|
137
|
Figure 1: Number of Edgewater bakeries listed in “The City of Chicago Directory” between 1898 to 2023xii
Women and Bakeries
Historically, women have been the primary bakers and cooks of the household but were often excluded from the professional culinary world. Before the mid-twentieth century, society confined women’s place to within the home as their primary responsibility was to be homemakers. Although women did participate in the workforce, the majority of them, primarily white women, left after being married since they were to focus on childbearing, housekeeping, and even sometimes aiding in their family’s businesses. While they baked for their families – women rarely had the opportunity to open their own baking businesses. Within Edgewater, only 14% of bakeries had women listed as owners.xiii This figure could be higher as there is no evidence available to see how many women were responsible for bakery functions, as the business could have been in a male family member’s name.
In 1905, the first documented women-owned business in Edgewater opened at 1112 Bryn Mawr Ave, formerly 1244 Bryn Mawr, by Miss Bertha Lichenstein. Interestingly, the city directory gave the marital status of all women listed until sometime between 1923 and 1928, as the City Directory did not publish between those years. After Miss Lichtenstein, about twenty-two other bakeries were owned by women between 1905 to 2023.xiv Currently, four bakeries in Edgewater are certified women-owned: Edge of Sweetness (6034 Broadway), Sauce & Bread Kitchen (6338 Clark), Honeypie Bakeshop (6155 Broadway), and First Slice Pie Cafe (5357 Ashland).
Figure 2: Number of Bakery Owned by Women in Edgewater between 1905 to 2023xv
Andersonville: The Swedish Bakeries
Andersonville, a historically Swedish neighborhood since the start of the twentieth century, has been home to some of Edgewater’s most successful and longest-running bakeries. From 1904 to now, twenty bakeries have been operated by people of Swedish descent, all located on Clark Street. In 1904 Adolph Carlson opened the first documented bakery run by someone of Swedish descent on 3941, currently addressed as 5712 Clark Street, until its closure in 1911.xvi The growth of bakeries in the neighborhood mirrored those all over Edgewater until the rise of supermarkets in the 1950s, which caused the closure of many bakeries in the area; however, Swedish bakeries began to boom in this era.
Between 1953 and 1959, eight Swedish bakeries opened on Clark Avenue, some of the most notable being Signe Carlson Bakery (5961 Clark Ave), Lindahl Bakery (5222 Clark Ave), Mon’s (later Mom’s) Bakery (5200 Clark Ave), Neuman’s Bakery (5305 Clark Ave), Carlson’s Bakery (5348 Clark Ave), and the Swedish Bakery (5348 Clark Ave). Although the competition was lively, these businesses formed a Swedish Baking Association to ensure bakeries would close at different times during summer and strengthen cultural and culinary bonds through events. These businesses attracted loyal Swedish customers missing the desserts and pastries of their homeland and many non-Swedish customers. While these bakeries slowly began to close throughout the years, the Swedish Bakery was the last to survive after eighty-eight years, making it one of the longest-lasting bakeries in Edgewater.xvii A year after the closure of the Swedish Bakery, Lost Larson, a Scandinavian-inspired bakery, opened in 2018 and continues to carry on the Andersonville legacy.xviii
The Bakery-Cafe
Bakeries reappeared throughout major cities throughout the 1990s to mid-2000s, but often through a bakery-cafe concept. They usually sell pastries, either made in-house or sourced from smaller local bakeries, along with coffee and light lunch options to attract a wide variety of customers. Customer loyalty is established by using certain coffee brands and a point system, so customers get rewards the more they purchase. Most bakery-cafes in Edgewater are concentrated in Andersonville, like First Slice Pie Cafe, The Coffee Studio, and Sauce & Bread Kitchen. Mid-scale coffee companies like Collectivo and Metropolis have embraced the bakery-cafe concept. Although competition from more prominent brands like Starbucks or Dunkin ended many of these bakery-cafes in many cities – Edgewater’s commitment to supporting local businesses has allowed these businesses to survive.
End Notes
iZeldovich, Lina. 2018. “14000-Year-Old Piece of Bread Rewrites The History Of Baking And Farming.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/07/24/631583427/14-000-year-old-piece-of-bread-rewrites-the-history-of-baking-and-farming.
ii“Baking | Description, History, Types, & Facts.” 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/baking.
iiiSheldon, Natasha. 2022. “Baking and Bakeries in Pompeii.” History and Archaeology Online. https://historyandarchaeologyonline.com/baking-and-bakeries-in-pompeii/.
ivZiegler, Vickie L. n.d. Medieval Technology and American History - In-Depth Articles - The Flower of Wheat: Bread in the Middle and Colonial Ages. Accessed August 2, 2023.
vPekar, Grace, Kathy Gemperle, and LeRoy Blommaert. n.d. “Timeline.” Edgewater Historical Society. Accessed August 2, 2023. http://www.edgewaterhistory.org/ehs/local/development-timeline.
viThe City of Chicago. n.d. City Directory.
viiPekar, Grace, Kathy Gemperle, and LeRoy Blommaert. n.d. “Timeline.” Edgewater Historical Society. Accessed August 2, 2023. http://www.edgewaterhistory.org/ehs/local/development-timeline.
viiiIbid.
ixThe City of Chicago. n.d. City Directory.
xFDR Presidential Library & Museum. n.d. “Great Depression Facts.” FDR Library. https://www.fdrlibrary.org/great-depression-facts.
xiBenson, Amanda. 2013. “The Rise and Fall of Bread in America.” ScholarsArchive@JWU. https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1026&context=ac_symposium.
xiiThe City of Chicago. n.d. City Directory.
xiiiIbid.
xivIbid.
xvIbid.
xviIbid.
xviiMcGhee, Josh. 2017. “The Early Days Of Andersonville’s Swedish Bakery - Andersonville - Chicago - DNAinfo.” Block Club Chicago. https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20170221/andersonville/early-days-of-andersonvilles-swedish-bakery/.
xviiiLost Larson. n.d. “About.” https://www.lostlarson.com.
*Lauren Vaughan was a Loyola University student when she wrote this article in 2023.