Ilinois Club
Life Span: 1884-TBD
Location: 154 Ashland Avenue
Architect: TBD
Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1887
Illinois Club—154 S. Ashland
Illinois Club
1884
The Chicago Clubs Illustrated, 1888
In 1878, an organization was formed by prominent citizens of the West Side, and called the Illinois Club. Its purposes were the cultivation and promotion of literature and the fine arts and of social intercourse. A house was procured at No. 401 Washington Boulevard, and in May the Club took possession, remaining here until May, 1879, when it removed to the southwest corner of Ashland Avenue and Madison Street. In 1881, the property which is the present quarters of the Club (154 Ashland Avenue) was purchased, and, in 1884, a large addition was built. It is a fine roomy house, with every convenience and comfort, parlors, reading rooms, cafe, dining room, billiard room, bowling alley, private rooms, and a superb ball room.
The Illinois is the possessor of a fine collection of pictures, and its list of magazines and periodicals is the most complete of that of any club in the city. Its entertainments given during the winter season are unrivalled in point of elegance and good taste. The admission fee to the Illinois is one hundred dollars, and the annual dues forty dollars.
Mr. John G. Eogers was the first President of the Club. The others have been Messrs. S. H. McCrea, Kichard T. Crane, J. Harley Bradley, Simeon H. Crane, and Eobert J. Smith. The present officers are as follows: President, Alson E. Clark; Vice-President, M. O. Brown; Treasurer, Wm. A. Hammond; Secretary, Chas. N. Bishop; Trustees, Messrs. A. E. Clark, M. O. Brown, W. A. Hammond, C. N. Bishop, S. P. McConnell, J. B. HcDonald, J. W. Skinkle, C. K. G. Billings, Oscar Burdick, W. J. Wilson, Wm. Cochrane, I. H. Holden, and H. J. Jones
The ILLINOIS CLUB was the site of THE WESTERN ART ASSOCIATION, which would be reincorporated as THE SHILOH PANORAMA COMPANY, whose rotunda stood on Michigan Avenue between Madison and Monroe.A.T.Andreas promoted the BATTLE OF SHILOH panorama for Chicago, MONITOR & MERRIMAC for New York City, and BATTLE OF SECOND MANASSAS/ BULL RUN for Washington, D.C. The principal artist was Theophile Poilpot, who was the most prolific panorama artist in Europe