Historic Chicago

After the great fire of 1871

2011-03-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

As Chicago rebounded from the great fire of 1871, two things happened. First, commercial businesses moved downtown and residences retreated. Second, Chicago built up as well as out, making it the skyscraper capital of the world. Many rich businessmen sought out Prairie Avenue between 16th and 22nd street to build mansions, Marshall Field, George M. Pullman, William Kimball, to name a few. This was important because they set a precedent which gained many followers as those who wanted to be part of the "sunny street that held the sifted few."

2009-03-05T07:24:00.000-08:00

There was an interesting article in Preservation Magazine this month about Chicago's Historic African American neighborhoods. The author, Jennifer Farwell, tied her hope for the existing blighted areas to the historic election of Barack Obama. Written with an upbeat sense of optimism, she points out the importance of preservation and telling stories about history through the scant surviving buildings that remain in Chicago. One of the pictures in the article was of the Chicago Defender building at 3435 S. Indiana Avenue. The picture of the door, also in the article, is at 24th and Michigan (the newspaper was once located in this building.) I know because while taking pictures of Motor Row I came across the building and snapped a picture of the door. It's detail, although shabby and in need of repair, reflected the opulent times of that era.

2009-02-25T11:46:00.000-08:00

Home of Taste of Chicago, Grant Park is comprised of 220 acres and beautiful lakefront views of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Some yearly activities hosted at the James C. Petrillo Music Shell are the Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival and the Chicago Gospel Festival. Free music concerts at the James C. Petrillo Music Shell debuted in 1935 due to the efforts of James Petrillo who wanted to offer classical music available for all Chicagoans and their guests, and to secure employment for union musicians. Buckingham Fountain, seen below, sits in the center of Grant Park, overlooking all the activity. This fountain was a gift to the city from Kate Buckingham in honor of her brother Clarence. Its 150 foot plume of water is eye-stopping from May until mid-October. At night it is lit with 780 colored lights. Along this stretch of Lake Michigan you will see sailboats, yachts, bicyclists, runners, volleyball and softball games and plenty of sightseers.

2009-02-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

Prairie Avenue Today

2009-02-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

Members of Chicago's elitist society have always been sought out by people who want to know how the "rich and famous" lived. Chicago had two distinct areas in which the prominent people lived, the north side and the south side. Prairie Avenue, in South Loop, was home to many prosperous Chicagoans such as Marshall Field, George M. Pullman, Philip Armour, and Fernando Jones. The picture on the right shows what Prairie Avenue looks like today. The avenue experienced a rebirth when builders took an interest in this area. Building began in earnest in early 2000 and continues to flourish today. A handful of original homes from 1870-1890 still remain. Preservation is important in Chicago. Many dedicated individuals and groups work diligently to preserve what remains of Chicago's history.

2008-12-30T07:41:00.001-08:00

Although I am totally immersed in Chicago each time I visit I saw but never fully recognized the impact of the building going on around me. The cranes dotting the city skyline just sort of blended in with my surroundings. Every new trip showcased a new townhouse, condo, or restaurant. The new additions to McCormick Place which began as a slow sprawl have now taken over a good portion of South Loop, its impact huge on the economy in that area. Sometimes we get so lost in our daily routines that we fail to see the bigger picture taking place around us. Chicago has always been the leader of great architectural wonders and for the last decade or so has produced a rash of new construction throughout the city especially in South Loop. We are second city to none. We are Chicago.

2008-08-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Upon returning home from my trip to Chicago I found an invitation from Preservation Chicago (I am a member) inviting me to attend the 2008 Preservation Celebration on September 26 at The Marmon Grand located in the Motor Row Historic District. There will be live blues, a silent auction, and Motor Row mini tours. This Spanish revival style building by architect Alfred Alschuler was built in 1922 and has recently been restored and reconstructed. Motor row is the nation's largest early automobile row and was added to Chicago's Landmark District in December 2000. This area of South Loop is slowly being revitalized. It's wonderful to see restoration of buildings that still exist.

2008-08-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend of August 23 and 24 in Chicago at my daughter's townhouse on Calumet Parkway, the street behind historic Prairie Avenue. After reading an article a couple of months ago, I have become obsessed with old water tanks so I decided to take digital photos of any I could find in South Loop. My trek took me to Cermac and the Motor Row Historic District. As I walked around the area, water tanks seemed to appear everywhere, somehow missed in my earlier jaunts around that part of the city. I snapped quite a few pictures and have been researching further about these iconic structures that are slowly being lost to urban sprawl modernization.

National Historic Perservation Act

2008-07-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

Since I post mostly all historic information on my blog I thought it would be a good idea to explain about how historic preservation came about. The National Historic Preservation Act was created in 1966. It made the Federal Government a leader and partner in historic preservation. The Federal Government sets policies and practices and provides leadership for preservation. Within the National Historic Preservation is an Advisory Council that gives property National Register of Historic Places status which brings attention and recognition to that valued property. But it cannot protect the property from being demolished, in the case of a property dwelling, or built upon. Local officials, by way of a review board or commission, not the federal or state governments, maintain the historical significance of the properties through zoning laws and guidelines. Generally, a property must be more than 50 years old to be considered for the National Register of Historic Houses. To read more about zoning read The Politics of Place: A History of Zoning in Chicago by Joseph P. Schwieterman and Dana M. Caspall. You can also read my review of the book on ReaderViews.

Wheeler Kohn Mansion

2008-06-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Tucked away on Calumet Avenue in the Historic Prairie Avenue District is the Wheeler-Kohn Mansion. I stumbled across this hideaway while speed walking one morning. Passing the Army National Guard Chicago armory and some newly built townhouses, the mansion suddenly appeared, existing since 1870, so out of place in the 21st century. I stopped dead. I couldn't believe the house was still there. It was truly breathtaking! Designated a Chicago Landmark on February 5, 1998 the Wheeler-Kohn Mansion is now a bed and breakfast owned by Historic Real Estate. Boasting over 10,000 square feet of usable space, the old house has quite a history dating back to before the Great Chicago Fire. It once was occupied by a publishing company and a distribution warehouse before it was purchased by its current owner in 1997. Calvin T. Wheeler, former banker and President of the Chicago Board of Trade, recruited Otis Wheelock to design the Second Empire style home in the mid-1880's. This is truly a treasure sitting in the midst of Chicago, the architectural giant of the world. Anyone visiting Chicago should take time to visit or spend a night at the mansion at 2018 S. Calument Avenue.

Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

2008-06-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

Located in Lake Michigan, the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse beckons visitors to the city with its newly installed solar panels which power it. Constructed in 1893 for the World's Columbian Exposition, the lighthouse now stands at the end of the northern breakwater, to the east of Navy Pier and the mouth of the Chicago River, marking the harbor's entrance. It was designated a Chicago Landmark on April 9, 2003. Consisting of a concrete base, two red roofed buildings with a tapered cylinder in between and topped by a parapet and light, it is a perfect example of Chicago's welcoming environment as its light reaches across the shores to neighboring Michigan. Its architect is unknown.

Prairie Avenue Bookshop

2008-06-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to visit the Prairie Avenue Bookshop located at 418 South Wabash in the heart of downtown Chicago. It has quite an interesting history stemming back to 1961. Marilyn and Wilbert Hasbrouck founded a quarterly journal, the Prairie School Press. In 1964, they established the Prairie School Review which was devoted to scholarly treatment of American's only indigenous modern architecture. Out of these two publications, the Prairie Avenue Bookshop opened in the Keith House at 1900 Prairie Avenue (pictured above) in 1974. In 1978 the bookstore out grew its lodgings and it moved to South Dearborn street Printer's Row where it too grew in such volume that in 1995 it relocated to its current venue that has six times more space than South Dearborn Street.

Indiana Flats Building

2008-06-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

People familiar with the Cermak Road and Indiana Avenue area may remember the three-story building called Indiana Flats. Built in 1895 and once home to Frank Lowden (governor) and his then-fiancee Frances Pullman (daughter of railroad magnate George M. Pullman) this dwelling succumbed to the city's redevelopment and was razed. Preservation Chicago envisioned the rehabilitated building as a historical entry way for tourists and guests traveling to McCormick Place Convention Center and an example of 19th Century architecture. What's worse to see, a big crane demolishing the building from one end to the other, or a group of salvaging scrappers pulling pieces of copper, cornices, and ornaments from its exterior, eradicating the 109 year old property's historical value. The picture below is what the property looks like now. Either way, another piece of Chicago's history is lost. Immediately west on the same city block is the former site of the Lexington Hotel, once home to Al Capone. It's amazing how large Chicago is but yet so much history can be found on any street corner.

2016 Olympics

2008-06-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

As Chicago prepares in its bid to host the 2016 Olympics I am struck by the similarity in which this planning committee found and is preparing a site on which to hold the event. The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was located in Jackson Park on the Midway Plaisance. People familiar with Chicago will know that this is where the Museum of Science and Industry now resides. This building and one other are the only two of over 200 buildings that survived the wrecking ball from that 1893 event. The proposed site of the 2016 Olympics is Washington Park. The fact that Chicago has so much free and open land from which to choose a venue to host world-wide events, is one of the things that makes the city so amazing.

Michigan Avenue Streetwall

2008-06-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't know about Michigan Avenue and its famous "mag mile." Besides the wonderful shopping experience found here, Michigan Avenue's historical value is unprecedented because it contains 12 blocks of historical buildings dating back to the 1880's. Dubbed Michigan Avenue "streetwall" the National Trust for Historic Preservation has added this area to the 2008's 11 Most Endangered list. Find out how you can help to save this historic area by clicking on "streetwall" above.

Prairie Avenue

2008-05-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

For history buffs like me who love old architecture and are fascinated by the people that once lived in these buildings there is a wonderful area in South Loop that has been reborn. Designated a Chicago Landmark on December 27, 1979 the Prairie Avenue District located about two miles from downtown Chicago, is truly a historical area. What makes it so unique after all these years is its rebirth. Once an area known for its opulence and considered Chicago’s most fashionable residential street, it also experienced years of steady decline and was home to vice, scandal, and crime. Now, less than 100 years later, its character has come full circle through the mansions that grace its street. On-going construction has revived this area and made it one of the most highly sought after neighborhoods in which to live. In doing so, Prairie Avenue has been re-designed to incorporate new with the old. The handful of existing restored mansions, built over 100 years ago, costing over $200,000, now stand along side grand new homes costing millions of dollars. Some of the famous people who helped make Prairie Avenue a historical venue worth remembering are Marshall Field, Philip Armour, George M. Pullman, Joseph Sears, William Wallace Kimble, and Fernando Jones, to name a few.

Chicago's newest landmarks

2008-05-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

Gravity-fed rooftop water tanks are among Chicago's newest landmarks. When Chicago rebuilt after the 1871 fire, rooftop tanks were considered a practical addition to prevent widespread damage to the city if another devastating fire occurred. But by the 1990's thousands of tanks had been demolished severing the history of the way people were tied to these tanks. Currently there are only 178 tanks remaining, 91 of which are still operating. Ronald Carlson of Johnson & Carlson, 3312 W. 111th Street, has studied these tanks and knows how to service them as well. Many of us who grew up in Chicago remember these magical tanks that often advertised companies' wares. It's sad to see them slowly disappear.

2008-05-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

In 1884 William Le Baron Jenney built the first completely iron-and-steel building in Chicago at the corner of LaSalle and Adams. It was called the Home Insurance building. This feat kicked off what would be transformational architecture catapulting Chicago as the leader in erecting skyscrapers. This building was demolished in 1931. The LaSalle Bank Building now stands on this corner.

2008-05-21T07:35:00.001-07:00

Check out the articles about preservation efforts in Chicago at http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/historic_preservation/index.html

2008-05-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

I recently reviewed The Complete Public Enemy Almanac by William J. Helmer and Rick Mattix for ReaderViews. This beautifully bound 889 page hardcopy book is a must have for any person interested in true-crime. Chock full of gangster and outlaw events of the 1920’s to 1940’s era, the authors have succeeded in presenting in chronological order, many little know facts that occurred in what they call the golden age of crime. The book may be a little daunting with its dialogue and graphic pictures, but it gives the reader a true sense of how life in America really was in those days and is an example of good stories often ignored because of the negative connotation they portray.

Each of the seven chapters is filled with nuggets of factual information that has been researched and documented by the authors. Besides just telling about the events that took place during this era, the authors provide in-depth information about the evolution of official police departments, passage of amendments, inception of cooperative crime control, and the development of criminal identification in crime detection laboratories in Chicago. Throughout the book, events occur in chronological order giving the reader a sense of order enabling an easy transition from one event to the next.

An entire chapter is devoted to “quotable quotes.” You can read about Al Capone’s colorful remark about prohibition in which he says “When I sell liquor, they call it bootlegging. When my patrons serve it on silver trays on Lake Shore Drive, they call it hospitality” and “You can get much farther with a smile, a kind word, and a gun than you can with a smile and a kind word.” One chapter’s focus is on mobsters and outlaws and explains the difference between consensual crime and violent crime. Included in this chapter are short biographies of gangsters and outlaws who achieved notoriety.

Countless hours of research went in to gathering and documenting all of the information found in this book. It could never be read in one sitting, nor would you want to rush through the meticulously scribed information. To aid in taking your research even further, the authors provide nearly 60 pages of bibliographical resources. That in itself is an added treat.

I would recommend this book for any historical researcher who needs accurate facts and information on how crime has influenced politics and culture. In addition, the book is filled with newspaper headlines, cartoons, pictures, and biographies about the golden age of crime. This would make a great bedside book on a dark, stormy night.

Pick it up at your local library today and learn all about Chicago's infamous gangsters.

Saving Historic Chicago

2008-05-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

We must all do our part in preserving the few historical buildings that remain in Chicago. One group that actively fights for the remaining historical landmarks and landmark neighborhoods is Preservation Chicago. Recently appointed Executive Director Jonathan Fine spends countless hours advocating for the prevention of the demolition of these buildings. Preservation Chicago consists of volunteers as well as elected members. Anyone can join this organization.

2008-04-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

I will be sharing information about historical areas in Chicago. Some of the information will be very intense consisting of many years of research. Other information will be a nugget, spur of the moment fact that just jumped out at me that I want to share. I will work at organizing the information as I become more familiar with blogging.

Historic Chicago

2008-04-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

Historic Chicago keeps readers informed about the preservation of Chicago's architecture and history.