Location: 1620 S. Prairie (Old 838)
Occupants: Robert H. Law, Dr. Lyman Ware (1898), Rev. Dr. John Balcom Shaw (1904)
Life Span: 1872-TBD
Architect:
Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1874-5
Law, Robert, coal, 280 Madison, 126 Market, North Pier and 292 Lumber, r. 838 Prairie av.
Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1876
Law, Robert (Robert Law) 280 Madison. house 838 Prairie av.
Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1880
Law, Robert coal 124 Market and agt. 280 Madison and 292 Lumber and North Pier. home 1620 Prairie av.
Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1884
Law Robert (Robert Law & Co.) 143 Dearborn, house 1620 Prairie av.
Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1885
Law Robert (Robert Law & Co.) 141 Dearborn, house 1620 Prairie av.
Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1887
Law Robert (Robert Law & Co.) 196 Dearborn, h. 1620 Prairie av.
Lakeside Directory for the City of Chicago for the Year of 1904
Hibbard Frank 4th v pres Hibbard Spencer Bartlett & Co 1 State h 1620 Prairie av.
The Land Owner, May, 1874
Inter Ocean, January 2, 1887
The venerable and well-preserved Mr. Robert Law, the pioneer coat merchant, makes No. 1620 his abode. The house is commodious, olive green in color, and affords a fine view of the lake. Mr. Law shares the honors, as a dealer in black diamonds, with Mr. William P. Rend, in ranking.
Chicago Tribune, January 9, 1898
Chicago Tribune, February 25, 1898
Death ended the long and active business career of Robert Law, head of the coal firm of Robert Law & Co., yesterday. After an illness of only three weeks, and just one week after completing his seventy-sixth year, Mr. Law passed away at his house, 1620 Prairie avenue, and with him a figure that has been prominent in the business world of Chicago for forty-two years.
The funeral arrangements have not been made, but, in accordance with Mr. Law’s expressed wish, the remains will be cremated at Graceland and the ashes interred there beside those of his wife.
Up to three weeks ago Mr. Law was at hts desk in his office, 225 Dearborn street. He
went there, just as he had for the last forty. two years, before many of his office employes had arrived, and remained there all day, attending to the details of his business. It was during the period of severely cold weather, and exposure from his drive in an open carriage is supposed to have brought on the complication of troubles that caused his death. Even up to a few days ago his illness was not regarded as dangerous, in spite of his age. Then the sickness took a fatal turn.
Becomes Interested in Coal.
Robert Law’s name is inseparably con-mected with the coal business in Chicago, and with the big firm of which he was the head, though he had large interests in other lines of business, particularly in real estate. It was to sell coal that he came to Chicago from Galena forty-two years ago, and he never retired from the business. Prior to that Mr. Law had been a fruit grower, a contractor, and the owner of a Mississippi River steamboat. He constructed what is now the Illinois Central railroad between Freeport and Galena, and it was while he was interested in this project that he made his first venture in coal. He became interested in a mine at La Salle, and when his railroad contract was finished he removed from Galena to Chicago to sell the product of his mine. At that time, with the exception of his son, Robert H. Law, he never had a business partner.
When he first started in the coal business his sales amounted to 100 tons a year. Now the firm is said to dispose of 200,000 tons of coal a year. At that time the firm had three coal yards, just as it has now, and two of them in the same location. The principal yard was located near the Madison street bridge, and for a month after the great Chicago fire the coal in this yard burned and gave trouble to the firemen. At that time the family home was on the present site of Bullen’s malthouse in Cedar street, near the river, a neighborhood long since given over to big warehouses.
Mr. Law’s careeras a Mississippi steamboat owner lasted only one year-1854. His boat ran from St. Louis to New Orleans, and while attending to the running of this craft he also did considerable contract work for the government on the Mississippi River levees.
Englishman by Birth.
Mr. Law was an Englishman by birth. He started for America on the night of his 21st birthday, after waiting four years for his majority that he might settle his father’s estate. He first engaged in peach growing in Delaware and Maryland, but gave that up to remove to St. Louis and engage in steamboating.
Mr. Law was a Democrat and had been elected as a Democratic member of the City Council three different times—in 1861, 1862, and in 1880. During the civil war he was active in relief work. He signed a call for a meting held in Bryan Hall Jan. 5, 1861, to declare loyalty to the union cause, and he was a member of the first local war relief committee. He was a warm personal friend of Douglas. He was a member of the Board
of Directors of the World’s Fair.
Mr. Law’s wife, who was Miss Sarah Young of Louisville, died twenty-five years ago. Their two children, Robert H. Law, junior member of the firm, And Mrs. Lyman Ware, are both well-known residents of Chicago.
Outside of his coal business Mr. Law’s chief interests were in Chicago real estate. His holdings of down-town business property are said to be considerable, and he is said to have left a large fortune besides. He had lived at 1620 Prairie avenue for the last twenty-six years.
Chicago Tribune, February 10, 1910
PRAIRIE AVENUE. Frederick R. Mitchell has purchased from Charles S. Hankins of Decatur, Ill., the old W. G. Hibbard residence at 1620 Prairie avenue, with 77×177 feet of ground, the consideration being withheld. There is an encumbrance of $10,000 upon the property which the purchaser assumes. Mr. Mitchell bought this property as an investment. Both parties to the transaction were represented by Peabody, Houghtellng & Co.
- 1620 S. Prairie Ave.
Robinson Fire Insurance Map
1886
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