Update to Illinois 11 is attatched to the Original post, if you want to refresh your memory on it.

New info 4/20/11.
We now have an attribution for the use of the V&K chips.

Above I said:

“I got another email from the Plano Il library concerning Van Kirk. They sent me some info but none of it sheds any light on what he was doing with those 6,000 chips. Said he was a member of the Plano Chamber of Commerce in 1945. Also sent a copy of his obit:”

A third update email from the Plano library gives us what we were looking for. It appears that CW Van Kirk used his membership on the Plano Chamber of Commerce for the commerce of gambling.
Special thanks to the Library for going above and beyond to help our hobby.

C.W. “Bump” Vankirk
Cooper Furniture Store
115 Hugh Street
Plano, IL
Chips delivered in 1937-39

I got a follow-up email from the Plano, IL public library concerning Charles Van Kirk, the guy who ordered the V&K hub chips in 1937/39 that we were unable to find a location for. The librarian was able to give the chips a likely attribution through contact with members of the Cooper family of Plano. The Coopers have operated a furniture store on Main Street since the 1880’s.

According to one of the elder Cooper’s there was a gambling operation in the basement of their store run by a guy named “Bump” Van Kirk (no dates mentioned). The basement was entered through a door at the rear of the building. Another Cooper family member said there was also a gambling room above a tavern which was located in the same building, although they were not sure if it was operated by Van Kirk.

I went to the Cooper Furniture website and they had some old photos of the store including this
one which looks like it may be from the era (tavern probably where there appears to be an old
Schlitz Beer sign).

My note: Hopefully we can find the name of the Tavern and we will have another Illinois chip to look for.