The McQueen garage at 1313 Circle was built in 1920 by businessman pioneer, Thomas McQueen who had an excavation business in Forest Park. He expanded his enterprise to paving and was awarded contracts to build the Congress super-highway, now known as the Eisenhower Expressway. His son, Ken, took the reins of the company when he passed away in 1956 and was a prominent member of the Forest Park business community. The 1313 building became a temporary home for a south-side fire station in 1959 when the highway was being built. McQueen was lauded for sharing his equipment for snow removal during the legendary snowfall of 1967 and 1979. Some of the equipment left gouges on the roads that can still be seen on streets in town today.
August 13, 1959, Forest Park Review: Bill Veeck, Chicago White Sox owner, beams happily as Ken McQueen of the Kiwanis Club signs a Sox contract to play shortstop. Cigar-chewing Ken wants to play next to tobacco-chewing second baseman Nellie Fox. Veeck took the contract and immediately farmed out McQueen to a Little League team for seasoning. The shenanigans took place on Tuesday when Veeck spoke to the Kiwanis Club at the Pines Restaurant. L to R: Emery Parichy, who obtained Veeck as speaker, McQueen, Veeck and club President Howard Mohr.