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We have a new game this year for summer reading. It’s designed to test your knowledge of Skokie! SkokieGuessr is inspired by the internet game TimeGuessr (inspired by GeoGuessr), which shows you a historical photo taken somewhere in the world and asks you to guess where and when it was taken. 

The photos for our game will be from anywhere in Skokie and any year in Skokie’s history. Some might be from important events that you remember or have heard about. For others, you might need to use landmarks, fashion, or other clues to figure out the answer.

Every week, we’ll have a new photo on the second floor of the library, and you can make your guesses (and see everyone else’s) right there. We’ll also have the previous week’s answer, but if you can’t make it back to check, it’ll be right here on this webpage as well.

May 31 - June 1 Photo

Answer: 1977, 4901 Searle Parkway

On June 27, 1977, a forklift hit a chemical container at G.D. Searle & Co., a manufacturer of pharmaceuticals. The resulting explosion caused a fire that the then-Deputy Fire Chief described as more than 100 on a 1-100 scale of difficulty. Toxic chemicals were sprayed hundreds of feet into the air, and seven firefighters were hospitalized following the incident.

Days before the Searle fire, on June 23, there was another fire at Skokie Lumber Company on Oakton Street, just around the corner from Searle. It was a busy year for fires, which might have led you to the right answer!