by
Sylvia Kale
In
1921, the world was in transition and few could for
see what the future held. No one could have predicted
that within nine years the Great Depression would
grip the country; even fewer could predict that within
ten years the world would be embroiled in another
World War. When Sol Kaluzna was born to his immigrant
parents, he was an unwanted surprise. Little did anyone
in their family realize that this child would grow
up to be very successful and extremely loyal to his
family.
It
was a growing era in Chicago. The neighborhoods were
settling in and still recovering from the great Chicago
Fire. Sol’s father, grandfather, and uncle all
put down their roots on Maxwell St. and Jefferson
St. both bordered by a then sleepy Roosevelt Rd.
While
very few had cars or money in those days, street cars
were the chief mode of transportation and rides were
only seven cents. Sol’s father and brother decided
to open a little store. It wasn’t much; a long
and narrow storefront, one light bulb, no plumbing,
and a stove in the middle to give off heat during
the winter months. They sold used clothing in their
store, a very difficult way to make a living for his
family. Yet, being a very honorable man, father never
complained. As with any family, personalities clashed,
and the partnership eventually fell apart.
Little
Sol at age 13 was already following in his father’s
footsteps and showed a great interest in making money.
He did odd jobs around the neighborhood which included
fixing bicycles and delivering groceries to help put
some money in his pocket. By the time he finished
High School the Second World War was raging in Europe.
Two life changing events occurred on Sunday, December
7, 1941; the United States entered the war and a still
young Sol turned 20. After five years in the Army,
Sol returned home with five battle stars to his credit.
The year was now 1945, Sol was married, with no home,
no money, and no job.
Thankfully,
his father still had that little store on Jefferson
Street, and by this time there were other little stores
that had opened as well. The neighborhood was old
and shabby with an overwhelming European atmosphere.
Sol’s father invited him to join in the family
business to now help provide for his own family. The
store had a large window and shelf for service which
father then decided to rent out to another business
man for $50.00 a month. That $50.00 would help with
the rent and keep the family business open.
Sol
then joined his father at the store and spent most
of his days hanging out with friends whose fathers
also owned stores up and down the street. Some sold
furniture others clothing just like Sol’s father
did.
As
the years went by, Sol began to hustle and find ways
to get into the uniform business, which was dominated
mostly by the Irish merchants at the time. Most of
the police and fire men were Irish immigrants themselves,
so it only seemed to make sense that they weren’t
interested in doing business with a Jewish merchant.
In order to be competitive and work side by side with
the Irish, Sol made the decision to change his then
last name of Kaluzna to Kale, a Russian name, hoping
for a better fit. He worked hard to fit in and be
accepted, long hours seven days a week. Eventually,
all the Irish merchants either sold their businesses
or closed their doors because they could not compete
with Sol who was able to gain business by undercutting
his competition.
As
he began to reap the rewards of his hard work, Sol
saved his money and began to purchase real estate.
Sol always made it a point not to forget his family
by including his brother and sister in his decisions.
For by this time father had died of a heart attack,
and the family needed his help.
Sol’s
mother and sister, who always lived together on Roosevelt
Road, sold their building and moved to the north side
of Chicago. In that day that was considered to be
“moving-up.” Now, Sol’s brother-in-law
had to have surgery and was unable to work. Nonetheless,
every Friday evening, after closing the store, Sol
made it a point to go and visit his mother and brother-in-law
bringing them their weekly earnings. As the years
went by, Sol continued to add more real estate to
his portfolio. This gave Sol a lot of happiness and
added income, which he shared generously with his
family.
In
1975, the first shopping center was built on Roosevelt
Rd. There were 10 stores and not all of them were
rented. Sol wanted to buy the shopping center so he
could move the business over to larger quarters. Sol’s
business was growing and needed more space. So it
was a very happy day when the deal was finalized,
a parcel of land which he has held onto until this
very day.
The
City of Chicago now was growing in population and
beginning to change. He felt it was time to invest
in more real estate on Roosevelt Rd. The street cars
were now gone and Chicago had busses, and lots of
cars that traveled down now busy Roosevelt Rd. Noticing
the change, Sol decided to purchase two additional
shopping centers on the same stretch of road.
All
was going great when on one fateful day billionaire
Warren Buffet called Sol and expressed interest in
buying his six store uniform business. While he was
paid well for his life’s work, Sol, once again,
was more than generous with everyone who helped him
along the way.
The
years have passed now, and like a phoenix rising from
the ashes, the once sleepy Roosevelt Road is now a
modern builder’s paradise. Complete with high
rise condo developments and big box retailers, the
South Loop was born. What ever happened to Sol Kale
you ask? Well, he still comes to his uniform shop
weekly, but now it has a new tenant… his grandson
Nick Patterson. Nick opened Kale Realty in the same
spot his grandfathers business once occupied. Nick’s
decision to carry on the family name was not just
the right thing to do… but was done with Sol’s
blessing. |
