Rufus Blanchard

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Rufus Blanchard
Location: 52 La Salle, Between Lake and Randolph; 146 Lake Street
Life Span: 1865-1871
Architect: TBD

Halpin & Bailey’s City Directory for the Year 1863

Whitefield

Blanchard Rufus

Shober Charles

New Map of Chicago.
Rufus Blanchard, the celebrated map publisher of Chicago, at No, 146 Lake street, has just brought out a splendid large-steed map of Chicago as it is, with the new ward boundaries correctly designated, the new additions to the city distinctly defined, and the new parks, boulevards, additions to parks, etc., clearly located. The map was drawn by Frank Davenport draughtsman in the Tax Commissioner’s office, and is handsomely mounted. It comes just in the nick of time in view of the recent important changes made to the geography of Chicago, and will be eagerly sought for by all classes of citizens.

Western Railroad Gazette, July 24, 1869

A NEW MAP OF ILLINOIS.
We have received from Rufus Blanchard, the well known map publisher of Chicago, a copy of a new copper-plate map of Illinois, on a scale of nine miles to the inch, forming a sheet 34 by 44 inches. It gives the public land surveys falthfully, showing fractional as well as whole sections, and the meridians, base lines and offsets, The townships are all shown, and the positions of nearly all villages of any importance and of railroad stations are carefully marked. Marginal maps exhibit the physical features of the State, and these give at a glance information which could not be imparted by long written chapters. We have seen no map which shows so fully and accurately the railroads now in operation or in progress. The map is more convenient than a larger one and almost equally clear and full. It is very handsomely engraved and printed, and so good in all particulars that we wonder how it can be afforded so cheaply-$3.00 mounted on rollers, and $1.50 in pocket form.

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Speed

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Map of the Business Portion of Chicago; E. Whitefield for Rufus Blanchard, 1862

Chicago Tribune. May 22, 1953

EARLY STATE, CITY SCENES ON VIEW AT EXHIBIT
Historical Society Spends Year on Collection
By Genevieve Flavin
(Pictures on page 1)
Pattern of a state’s beginnings can be viewed in an exhibition of early Illinois prints currently on view in the Chicago Historical society, Clark st. and North av.

The compilation contains 38 handmade lithografs, prints, and drawings of towns and cities, most of which sprang up along the gently flowing rivers of Illinois. Galena undulates gently towards a river bank; Aurora and Elgin, Fox river valley towns, vie in the race for importance, and Chicago, cradled by the Chicago river and Lake Michigan, as early as 1838 was moving into the forefrönt of ports. The import business of this city was in excess of 4 million dollars, tho the population in 1840 was but 4,470.

Assembling Took Year
The assembling of the exhibit has taken more than a year of research. It helps fill in the society’s Illinois print collection.

It was not until society directors decided to establish an Illinois print show, that the members learned how rare and valuable some of its holdings are, admitted Mason Holloway, the curator.

The collection now contains three of the first prints of early Chicago ever printed. One, by Francis de Castelnou, shows Chicago in 1838. It was published in 1842 in Paris.

Log Fences Down
Contrasting it is the frontispiece taken from a Chicago City directory of 1845. Gone are the log fencing of a fort like town, shown by the French lithografer. Instead, the city lies in a great expanse of unfenced prairie, reaching towards the horizon. Al-ready, the citizens have established an academy of learning for its children; there is a postoffice, water works, and the residents have fire insurance protection.

Proud possession of the society is the Edwin Whitefield document of the city, containing seven hand made lithografs.

The Englishman, Whitefield, came to the United States from Canada in 1816, and most of his “views” of major cities are of those along the eastern coast.

Listed As Artist
However, he came to Chicago, and the city directories of 1860-64 list his name and identify him as an artist. It was during this time that he must have executed the seven famous Chicago views.

The picture “View of Rush Street Bridge” shows the buildings that lined the north side of Chicago river from Rush st. to Lake. It shows Lake House, Silvester March’s Mill; McCormick’s Reaper Factory; and the Chicago, Kenosha, Racine, and Grand Haven sidewheeler, the Comet, resting at the wharf.

Of interest is “Michigan Terrace,” Michigan av. looking towards the central depot, which in 1863 stood at Lake st. and Michigan av. Here are shown the fine residences of J. Y. Scammon, J. L. Clark, B. F. Sherman, H. T. Dickey, Tuthill King, S. C. Griggs, P. F. W. Peck, W. Bross, Charles Walker, P. L. Yoe, and Denton Gurney.

Some Pieces Fanciful
Many of the 38 pieces in the collection can be termed “fanciful” in part, but the Whitefield views are an accurate document of the city and its social and business trends and manners from 1850 to 1860.

For the out of town Illinois visitor, there are prints or lithografs of early Peoria, Navoo, Cairo, Moline, Louistown, Spring-field, Ottawa, and Rock Island, and other settlements important in days pre-dating the Chicago fire of 1871. The show will continue thru June.

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