Oakland Club,
Life Span: 1887-
Location: Drexel Boulevard, near Oakland av
Architect:
Chicago Tribune, July 24, 1887
Two new club buildings of a most pretentious character will shortly be erected on the South Side. One club building of lesser pretensions is already in course of erection, making three new club buildings on the South Side within the year. Within the last day or two the Oakland Club has purchased a lot on the east side of Drexel boulevard, near Oakwood avenue. 40×105, at a cost of $15,000, and purposes to erect thereon a club building costing from 5150,000 to $300,000. Architect Edbrooke is at work on the plans for the building, and building operations will begin within two months.
The Oakland Club is a new organization. It has about 150 members, all prominent persons, living in the vicinity of Oakland say between Thirtieth and Fiftieth streets, east of State. It was organized only two months ago. It has had no regular headquarters up to the present, all the meetings having been held at the residence of Mr. L. H. Bisbee, the gentleman who is noted at present as one of the prominent lawyers defending the boodlers. The club will not try to secure any habitation until it erects its own building. It is intended that the building shall be one of the most attractive on the South Side. The club will differ from other clubs in that it will be a place where the lady friends of the members can congregate and enjoy club privileges every day in the year if they wish. There will be no intoxicating liquors in the building, but there will be card-rooms, dancing-rooms, dining-rooms, reading and library rooms, smoking-rooms, billiard-rooms, and all the other attractions to be found in first-class clubs.
Chicago Tribune, December 18, 1887
OAKLAND.
There are two questions uppermost just at present in the mind of the average citizen residing in the north end of the new Twenty-fifth Ward. One of these is in regard to his new citizenship, and the other relates to the new social club which has recently been organized at Oakland, and which will open their new club-house some time during the holidays. Oakland has been one of the last of the fine residence localities along the Illinois Central which has formed a club, but though last she is by no means least, and the Oakland Club and club-house will be among the best in the city. Ample financial and social backing has enabled it to provide royal quarters, and to fit them up in the latest style.
The commodious building on Oakwood avenue, at Ellis avenue, has been secured for the club-house, and having been divided off into parlors, reception-rooms, reading rooms, bowling alley, card and billiard rooms, gymnasium, and one large and one small ball-room, besides the other necessary apartments, all on the main floor of the building, it makes an unexceptional club-house. With Hyde Park annexed, Oakland is situated in about the center of the city, and it is already one of the best known localities of Chicago. The new club has met so much encouragement from the prominent citizens of Oakland, and the promise of so much aid, that it is already contemplating the erection of a magnificent club-house on one of the boneyards, though long as it can remain in the present house it needs no new one. The officers will give a formal opening reception Thursday evening. Jan. 5, and as this promises to be the social event of the season in Oakland, society is dividing its attention between the preparations for the club and the holidays.
The club officers are as follows: President, John R. Beusley; Vice Presidents, C. T. Trego and James R. Mann; Secretary, J. C. Thomas; Treasurer, Dr. F. B. Ullery; Directors, S. A. Maxwell, W. A Merigold, J. H. Conrad, Frank Shepard, William Turkington, L H. Bisbee, J. H. Trumbull, and E. F. Gorton..
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