Monday, March 20, 2017

March 20, 1967 -- Blackhawks Honore after N.H.L. First Place Finish


March 20, 1967 – The members of the Chicago Blackhawks are honored in the City Council chambers for bringing home Chicago’s first National Hockey League title.  Each player receives a certificate of merit and Mayor Daley presents team captain Pierre Pilote and chairman of the board Arthur M. Wirtz with the five-foot high Mayor Daley trophy.  Despite rain and slush, fans turn out to see the team’s parade which starts at State Street and Wacker Drive, led by the 88-piece Chicago Fire Department band.  Bobby Hull almost misses the festivities at City Hall when he is delayed by autograph seekers and barred from entering the council chambers by the sergeant at arms who tells him there is no more room. Fortunately, fans stationed near the door alert the official that the man trying to get in is the Golden Jet who scored 52 goals and assisted on another 28 during the season and notched another four goals in the play-offs.  The Hawks finished first in regular season play, but lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs, four games to two, in the semi-final series of the playoffs.


March 20, 1948 -- Marshall Field & Co. opens its restaurant in the passenger terminal building of Chicago Airport, now Midway International Airport. On the evening before the opening Mayor Martin Kennelly is the guest of honor in the new dining room, named the Cloud Room, a 3,600 square foot dining salon that overlooks the landing field of the new airport. Field's paid $90,000 to build out the second floor of the restaurant and $260,000 to equip it. The company agrees to pay the city $2,596 or five percent of its gross business and 40 percent of its net profit.


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