Frank and Lottie Dolatowski in Dolatowski Store

Frank and Lottie Dolatowski in their store, located at 8354 Burley Avenue, in October, 1961. Frank and Lottie emigrated as teen-agers to the United States from Koziejaty, Poland. They married in 1915. The Dolatowskis opened their first “cigar and candy” store in 1918 at 8409 Burley Avenue in the heavily Polish “Bush” area of South Chicago. They moved to their second nearby location at 8354 Burley Avenue in 1930 where the family lived with their five children above the store. There were numerous small stores like this that offered a variety of goods ranging from candy and sweets to cigarettes and cigars. Many offered newspapers and magazines, school supplies, and other household goods. Often, there was a small lunch counter or soda fountain in the store. A look at the display cases in such stores offered the answers as to what kinds of goods they sold. As shown in the picture, the Dolatowski store sold comic books as well as other goods. Photographs of the Dolatowski family were donated by Frank and Lottie’s son, Henry, who along with a brother worked in the steel mills.