Remember when you got (or gave) your first corsage? Just look below and you’ll see how long that tradition has been part of our village.
Remember that first corsage?
The first record of a florist in Western Springs was in 1928. That’s when George Dockum had a small shop on the corner of Lawn & Hillgrove in the building that now houses Prudential Realty. The business was subsequently sold to Ethel Dana, who continued at this location for some time. See photos.
In 1933, another shop, the Garden Gate Floral Shop, could be found at the north end of town, near Ogden Avenue and Harvey. It was located in an upscale restaurant by the same name.
And, of course, Vaughan’s retail floral shop at 47th and Willow Springs Road also dated back to the 1930’s. See photo. This store was modernized in the late 1950s. In the 1990’s it was demolished to make way for the current Walgreen’s.
In the 1950’s and ‘60’s, Kay’s House of Flowers could be found at 921 Burlington. See photo.
In the 1970s, the place for flowers was Norm’s Cha-Lor Flower Cottage at 704 Hillgrove Avenue. The store later relocated to 1148 Hillgrove, near today’s 7-Eleven. Although no longer in the village, the business is still operating at 69th and Wolf road. More recent floral shops included “Flowers By Timeless” at 919 Burlington, as well as “Blooms” located in the Garden Market Shopping Center.
Garden Gate Florist Ad – 1933
Local Florist Ads – circa 1928-1930
Original Vaughan’s store – circa 1935
Kay’s Florists Ad – circa 1955