Chicago Illustrated, April, 1866
SOUTH-EAST of the corner of Washington street, looking north, is the point we have selected for our view of the north end of State street. On the left hand is the Merchants’ Hotel (formerly the Stewart House), adjoined on the north by Crosby’s Building, the latter of which connects at the rear with the Opera House building, a view of which has already been given in this work. This building is of brick, and finished in very fine style. The main floor is occupied by Rice and Allen, print publishers; Pardridge, dry goods; Brown and Mathews, merchant tailors. In this building is a very commodious and well arranged music hall or concert room, fifty by ninety feet. It is connected with the Opera House, to which persons can enter by a wide and convenient entrance from State street. It constitutes part of the Crosby Building, and is appropriately finished throughout. North of the edifice is the four-story building, the central point of whose interest is DeGraff’s mammoth clothing store, situated at the south-west corner of Randolph street.
North of this point the view extends to Lake street, thence to water street, and a glimpse of State-street bridge is to be had in the distance.
This part of State street presents at all hours a very lively interest. On the east side of the street, between the point from which the view is taken and Randolph street, are the offices of the South and West Chicago railways. From these offices, or the immediate vicinity, start all the cars that go south on State street for their different points in the South Division; also, the cars on the five roads of the West Division. Further north, near Lake street, the cars of the North Division railway leave and arrive every five minutes to and from their several destinations.
State street at this point is one-third wider than further south. In the centre of the street, fronting on Randolph, was at one time, a spacious market-house, with a public hall over it. Some eight years ago public opinion triumphed over the conservation that abhors change of any kind, even to the abatement of nuisances, and the obstruction, which had become almost a public grievance, was sold and removed.
The theaters, opera house, and principal hotels are all in the immediate vicinity of this part of State street. Tobey’s celebrated furniture establishment and Thonas’s dining hall are on the east side of the street, near the city railway offices. Volk’s gallery of statuary and his studio are located in the building at the south-east corner of Washington and State streets.
James W. Sheehan, Esq.,
April 1866
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