Fire Strikes Twice in Downtown Western Springs

In 1973, George Zelnick and his wife opened the Pretty Penny Shoppe, a ladies apparel store at 913 Burlington. That location is now home to Casey’s Market. By all accounts, the store was very successful and, in August 1974, the owners were stocking their inventory for the upcoming fall/winter season already. But, on August 8, those plans were suddenly changed.

At 3:30 a.m., a Western Springs police car passed by the store and did not see anything out of the ordinary. But, at 3:50 a.m., Mary Innes, who lived in an upstairs apartment with her husband, noticed smoke. She immediately called the fire department, which responded within minutes. Firemen from La Grange and Hinsdale also responded.

When firefighters arrived, the fire was still contained to the basement of the structure. However, when they kicked open the basement door, a fireball rushed up the stairs. A second entry attempt was made, but the firemen were again pushed back by the flames. As a result, they cut several holes in the floor and used a cellar nozzle to control the blaze. While the flames never reached the main floor, there was extensive smoke and water damage to both the store and the second floor apartments. See second photo.

By 10 a.m., the fire was extinguished. But, half of the store was a total loss. And, much of the winter stock stored in the basement had also been destroyed. The second floor apartments had also sustained considerable damage. But, thanks to insurance coverage, all of the occupants began to restore their property.

Three months later, the Pretty Penny Shoppe was planning to hold a grand re-opening. But, on October 23, fire struck again. This time, the source appeared to be above the ceiling of the Silver Thimble, a second floor business, as well as the second floor apartment occupied by the Innes family. While there were no injuries, the fire caused extensive water damage to both the first and second floors. Both fires were later determined to be accidental in nature.

Despite this misfortune, the second floor occupants returned. And, the Pretty Penny Shoppe reopened as well, operating successfully into the mid-1990s. See third photo.

Each week, the Western Springs Historical Society presents a “Blast from the Past”. To view prior stories, visit us at www.westernspringshistory.org or just click on the author’s name shown above.