HISTORY OF TURTLE CREEK

In the beginning...

Mary K. Popma's interest in antiques began with the death of her grandmother in 1970, when she inherited some furniture, jewelry, and other household items from her grandmother's estate. During this time, Mary was living in an old farmhouse near Lafayette, Indiana, in the middle of a divorce and looking to start over. Rather than returning to school to obtain a master's degree, Mary decided "to do something really different." Building on her new-found interest, she began scouring farm sales in Indiana, buying whatever caught her eye. Among these early items were a number of quilts, some of which Mary purchased for $1.

Through her brother, who was then living in Chicago, Mary met the owners of White Pine County, a store in the Lincoln Park neighborhood that repaired and sold vintage textiles, clothing, quilts, and wicker. As luck would have it, the owners were planning to relocate to New Mexico. And Mary, her garage in Lafayette full of finds from Indiana, was looking for a store. They made a deal, and Mary took over their lease (at $175/month!). She returned to Indiana, packed up her pickup truck (which featured a log as the front bumper), and moved to Chicago in the fall of 1974.

She opened her shop, originally called Turtle Creek Country Store, on November 1, 1974 at 850 W. Armitage Ave. The name was inspired by the actual Turtle Creek, which was located near her Indiana home, and The Black Swan Country Store in Minneapolis, which Mary had loved for its homey atmosphere. Turtle Creek's original store sign was made by Mary of wood scavenged from the farm. Of those early years, Mary said, "I planned to bring a bit of Indiana to Chicago. I wanted a wood stove in the middle of the store. Of course, the landlord wouldn't let me do it."

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