About Working Bikes

The Working Bikes Cooperative is a not-for-profit tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, tax ID #54-2138339, which diverts bicycles from the waste stream in Chicago by repairing them for sale and charity.

Working Bikes is now located in the big red brick two story building at the SW corner of 24th Place and Western Avenue, at 2434 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60608. Google Maps Link

Working Bikes moved to this location from 927 & 1125 (the warehouse & storefront, respectively) S. Western Avenue, where we'd been for several years, in early 2009. In 2012 we became the proud owner-occupiers, after renting the premises for the first 3 years.

Working Bikes is primarily volunteer-driven. Currently it receives no government or foundation money. All its operations are funded through the sale of bicycles at its storefront. Working Bikes uses that money to provide bicycles to charity organizations within Chicagoland and to ship bicycles to the Gulf Coast, Ghana, Tanzania, Angola, Cuba, Guatemala, and Peru.

In the countries to which Working Bikes ships, a bicycle can often mean the difference between work and unemployment. The bicycle is the primary means of vehicular transportation for the majority of the population and is used both for personal transportation and for carrying cargo.

Due to wage differences, a bicycle worth $20 in Chicago can be worth the equivalent of $1,000 in Africa.

Each year Working Bikes gives away over 5,000 bicycles locally and internationally. It distributes about 500 bicycles and wheelchairs in the Chicago area alone: to City programs, refugees and day camps.


Local Partners include:

National Partners include:

International Partners include:

Ability Bikes Cooperative from David Branigan on Vimeo.

Co-operating local businesses include:

The History of 2434 South Western Avenue:

The Working Bikes building was built in 1896 according to the Cook County Assessor’s Office. However it does not appear in the 1896 Sanborn Map. The Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of 1896 shows a small building at the rear of the lot at the Southwest corner of South Western Avenue and 24th Place. It had the address 1169 South Western Avenue. This was at the southwest corner of Western and 24th Place (Marvin). The block to the West was empty. The block to the south was empty as well empty except for a small Livery at the rear of the lot at the NW corner of Western and 25th Street. The block facing Western Avenue consisted of 11 lots.

The 1908 Annual Report of Factory Inspectors of Illinois chart indicates that the Working Bikes building was occupied by the American Development Company which had a contract with the City of Chicago to supply gasoline (as opposed to natural gas) lamps on the city streets. The inspectors described the Working Bikes building as a warehouse with two male employees over 16 years old. The 1906 City contract was to provide 5,500 gasoline lamps at $2.15 per lamp per month. Gasoline lamps were used in remote locations not connected to the natural gas or the electric lines. The American Development Company appears to have done business with the City until around 1915.

The numbering system changed in 1909 before the next Sanborn Map of 1923 which shows the Working Bikes building 1169 S. Western with the present address of 2434 S. Western. The building to the west at 2415 W. 24th Place gets constructed and becomes the home to Robinson-Roders (chamber furniture) in 1917. Both Robinson-Roders and the American Development Company are missing in the next Sanborn map of 1923.

The 1923 Sanborn Map shows the Thorkildsen-Mather Borax and Boric Acid Company occupying both the Working Bikes building and the 2415 W. 24th Place building with an alley between the buildings. The Thorktloser-Mather Company had a borax refinery in the Union Stockyards in Chicago at 45th and Elizabeth Streets. The Working Bikes building would have probably been used as a warehouse due to the adjacent rail trunk. The Sanborn Map shows that there was a railway spur just to the South of the building which would indicate a serious Borax distribution operation.

Stephen Mather joined the Company in 1903 to form the Thorkildsen-Mather Borax Company. Stephen Mather is credited with the marketing phrase “20 Mule Team Borax” while working for Pacific Coast Borax Company before joining Thorkildsen. The company became the Sterling Borax Company in 1908. In later years Stephen Mather was a friend of John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt and became the first Directory of the National Park Service.

Automotive Laboratories Incorporated at 2434 S. Western in 1929, but there is no information about their activities in the building.

In 1933 the Working Bikes building was sold to Sleepmakers Inc. which made bed springs, mattresses and couches. In 1937 The Iron Workers enclosed the loading dock. The Sleepmakers President was robbed in 1963 in the building. The Sleepmakers employees were organized by the Upholsters Union of North America.

The 1950 Sanborn Map shows the alley enclosed and both 2434 S. Western Ave. and 2415 W. 24th Place buildings to be occupied by Sleepmakers Inc. The Map shows no change in tenants on the block to the West. However it shows a filling station where Las Islaitas Restaurant is at present. The 1975 Sanborn Map shows no change in the neighborhood. The 1988 Sanborn Map shows Sleepmakers Inc. and the filling station gone.

In 1986, Recycled Office Furniture operated out of the Working Bikes building. In 1988, the building became a furniture store. In 1996, the building became a warehouse for Mexican imports, Anita’s Upholstery Shop and a piñata store. In 2009, 2434 South Western Avenue became the international headquarters of Working Bikes.

The building to the south of Working Bikes is 2445 S. Western. It is now owned by La Fortuna Imports. It was the shipping area of the original Borax Company. It was the original loading dock for the rail cars. The building to the West of Working Bikes is 2415 W. 24th Place. It is now owned by Izguerra Furniture. Over the years it was occupied by the Sleepmakers Inc (mattresses and couches), Robinson-Roders Company (mattresses & pillows), Tri-lo Products (upholstered chairs and headboards) and Rolly manufacturing (draperies).

To the West of 2415 W. 24th Place the 1923 Sanborn Map shows several buildings now owned by the 2445 W. 24th Place LLC. These were occupied by the Chicago Perforating Company (Steel Perforating) which made steel products for the auto industry. There was a railroad spur south of the buildings that started at Western and connected to the railroad at the end of 24th Place. A 1994 aerial photo shows a narrow building where the railroad spur existed behind the 2415 W. 24th Place building. This is now owned by 2445 W. 24th Place LLC.

References concerning 2434 S. Western Ave, 2415 W. 24th Place and 2445 W. 24th Place

Annual report of the factory inspectors of Illinois - Page 45 books.google.com/books?id=wPVZAAAAYAAJ Illinois. Office of Inspector of Factories and Workshops - 1908 - Read - More editions 3 : ‚ I I ` American Development Co 1169 S. Western

The Tincal Trail - A History of Borax - Elsmere Canyon www.elsmerecanyon.com/tickcanyon/sources/tincaltrail.pdfFile Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View...watched Thorkildsen build a refinery in the Union Stock Yards at Chicago assisted by ore

American Gas Light Journal - Volume 102 - Page 316 - Google Books Result books.google.com/books?id=J3cxAQAAMAAJ 1915 - Gas manufacture and works Adequate illumination of the streets of Chicago requires the use of electric arc lamps, ... The gasoline lamp has been used for many years for the illumination of isolated locations where gas or electricity are not available.

“Stephen T Mather, the borax magnate from Chicago in 1917 became the first director of the National Park Service and spent his private fortune on the infrastructure of the public parks”.

On Thorkildsen: "'Borax King' Cleaned Up, but Died Washed Up" Cecilia Rasmussen. Los Angeles Times. March 12, 2000.

Thomas Register of American Manufacturers and Thomas Register ... - Volume 1 - Page 102 books.google.com/books?id=HNcxAQAAMAAJ Thomas Publishing Company - 1905 - Read - More editions (Br. San Francisco. C|1i)AAAA Thorkildsen & Co.. T.. Union Stock Yards . ... Chicago
Industry week - Volume 85 - Page 895 books.google.com/books?id=K1JPAQAAIAAJ 1929 - Snippet view - Automotive Laboratories Inc., 2434 South Western avenue, has been incorporated with 10,000 shares of no par stock to manufacture and deal in automotive supplies and ...
books.google.com/books?id=cJ1IAAAAYAAJ 1933 - Snippet view - More editions Organize Sleepmakers, Inc. Sleepmakers, Inc., is a new firm recently organized at Chicago to manufacture bed-springs, inner-spring mattresses and studio couches.
The Bridgemen's magazine - Volume 37 - Page 541 books.google.com/books?id=XaWfAAAAMAAJ International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers, International Association of Bridge, Structural, and Ornamental Iron Workers - 1937 - Snippet view - More editions 2434 South Western Ave., 2 and 3 story, basement, warehouse addition, Western St., to Sill Constr. Co., 520 North Michigan Ave. Est. $70,000.
Sleepmakers Inc. was organized by the Upholsterers Union of North America. PDF] Labor union directory, buyers guide - University Library libsysdigi.library.illinois.edu/.../laboruniondirect351939chic/...File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
books.google.com/books?id=Q742AAAAIAAJ 1967 - Snippet view - More editions On December 20, 1963, a masked man armed with a rifle entered the second floor office of the Sleepmakers, Inc. plant at 2434 South Western Avenue in Chicago. He first robbed the president of the company, Walter Kreider, and Mrs. Nancy ...
Illinois services directory - Page 555 books.google.com/books?id=_kInAQAAMAAJ 1986 - Snippet view - RECYCLED OFFICE FURNITURE 2434 S. Western (60610) Telephone-(312) 890-0700 Est. 1980 ...

The Grand Rapids furniture record - Volume 35 - Page 89 books.google.com/books?id=YG8oAAAAYAAJ 1917 - Robinson-Roders Co. NEWARK, N. J. San Francisco 1055 Market Street Chicago 241 5 W. 24th Place Let Sterling Furniture Add to Your Prosperity If you are not selling all the medium priced chamber furniture that you would like to sell…

From at least 1958 to 1984 Rolly Manufacturing made draperies at 2415 W. 24th Place: Business directory of industry & service in the state of Illinois - Page 170 books.google.com/books?id=yY4nAQAAMAAJ 1984 - Snippet view Mfrs draperies Rolly Manufacturing C0 2415 W 24th Pi, Chicago (60608) (312) ...

UIU journal - Page 23 books.google.com/books?id=-vNZAAAAYAAJ Upholsterers' International Union of North America - 1958 - Snippet view - More editions ..Draperies ROLLY MANUFACTURING CO.

From 1966 to at least 1977 Tri-lo Products occupies 2415 W. 24th Place. They made upholstered chairs and headboards:
Chicago, Cook County & Illinois industrial directory - Page 148 books.google.com/books?id=F3QnAQAAMAAJ 1977 - Snippet view - More editions TRI-LO PRODS 2415 W 24th Pl Chi 08 523-3478

Chicago Furniture, 1833-1983: Art, Craft & Industry - Page 379 books.google.com/books?id=E71aAAAAYAAJ Sharon S. Darling - 1984 - Snippet view Tri-Lo Product.

American machinist - Volume 33 - Page 330 books.google.com/books?id=Zq5LAQAAIAAJ 1910 - Read - More editions
Chicago Perforating Company, Chicago, 111. Manufacture machinery and metal work. Capital, $35,000

Chilton Automobile Directory - Page 486 books.google.com/books?id=fyBbAAAAYAAJ 1917 - Read - More editions Chicago Perforating Co., 2445 W. 24th Pl., Chlca 0 Ill 8

Thorkildsen-Mather Borax Company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thorkildsen-Mather Borax Company was a borax mining company founded in 1898 by Stephen Mather and Thomas Thorkildsen. The two men were both employees of Francis Marion "Borax" Smith's Pacific Coast Borax Company, but they left the company to form this new company and went into direct competition with their former boss.[1] The company was later renamed Sterling Borax. Francis Marion Smith subsequently bought out their company in 1911.[2]building Traveling with his wife to Europe in 1904 renewed Mather's longtime interest in nature. Seeing the parks of Europe and their public accessibility, Mather was inspired to work to preserve more parkland in the United States, to encourage new transportation methods to reach them, and to protect scenic resources and natural areas for the public good.[1] He became a dedicated conservationist, and a friend and admirer of the influential John Muir.[4]

March 10, 2010 - 2:18pm