Palmer’s Dry Goods & Carpets, Field, Palmer & Leiter, Field Leter Wholesale Dry Goods
Life Span: 1858-1871
Location: Lake Street Between Dearborn and Clark Streets
Architect: Unknown, but owners were Walter and Edward Wright, Chicago Lawyers.
D. B. Cooke & Co.’s City Directory for the Year 1859-60
Palmer P. & Co., (Potter Palmer, John M. Phelps and John H. Allen), dry goods and carpets, 112, 114 and 116 Lake
Halpin & Bailey’s City Directory for the Year 1863-64
Palmer P. & Co., whol. and retail dry goods and carpets, 112, 114 and 116 Lake
- Palmer’s Dry Goods and Carpets
110-116 Lake Street
Chicago Tribune, September 30, 1858
A BUSINESS PALACE.—It is less than a year since, with attendant horrors that will give to the Great Calamity of Oct. 19th, 1857, a place in our annals never, as we trust, to know a parallel, were totally destroyed, with their costly contents of merchandise, two of our most splendid five story store, on Lake street.
These stores with the their joining, occupying four lots, giving each a width of twenty-eight feet and have been restored to their original fine proportions and now stand as probably one of the finest and most costly blocks in the United States, reflecting the highest credit upon the liberality and taste of Messrs. Edward and Walter Wright, their owners, and worthily filling their fine location on our finest business street.
The two new stores with their ample and lofty basements, giving an aggregate of two floors each fifty-six feet in width by one hundred and fifty in depth, have been by arches thrown into an immense establishment, and opened as a first-class Dry Goods House by P. Palmer, one of our best established and most widely known merchants, who removes from his old stand on the south side of Lake street and one block west, carrying with him to new quarters, a business reputation and standing in itself a fortune to any house, and prepared, or rather necessitated by the actual demands of his business, to expand to the complete occupation of his new premises.
The west division of the main floor is devoted tp a magnificent sales room fitted up tastefully and well, and after the manner of first-class stores in the matter of securing convenience and comfort to shoppers. Everything here as elsewhere on the premises is subject to the necessary and inviolate rule of perfect system, as much to the convenience of patrons as to the advantage of all parties.
The east division is devoted to the Carpet Hall, the connection being midway in length of the store through a wide archway, where is stationed the cashier’s desk, thus commanding the entire area.
At the rear of the carpet hall, a gem of an apartment which the fair shopper will readily appreciate is set apart as a shawl and mantilla room, adjacent to and yet distinct from the general departments, and, just the place as regards location, light, and its luxurious fixtures, and attractive stock, to be visited once and again, and be widely well spoken of by its fair visitors.
The basements are devoted to the wholesale department, and are lofty, airy and well lighted.
The new establishment throughout is one eminently credible to Chicago in all its complete appointments, and is worthy of especial notice, as being a growth instead of a promise, a development of Mr. Palmer’s already established success, rather than a brilliant venture on future business. As the latter, it would be noteworthy, as the former, even more so.
Chicago Tribune, January 7, 1865
Chicago’s Dry Goods Market.
Since the commencement of the new year, several important changes have taken place in the Dry goods trade in this city. The firm of Farwell, Field & Co., has been dissolved by the withdrawal of Messrs. Field and Leiter, and is succeeded by the firm of John V. Farwell, C.B. Farwell, S.N. Kellogg, W.D. Farwell and J.K. Harmon. The latter gentleman is a young man long and honorably connected with this house, and who would be an acquisition to any wholesale establishment in the city. We are glad to see him attain a position which he has long since earned. The other gentlemen are well known to the trade.
Messrs. Field & Leiter, we understand, have purchased the wholesale establishment of Potter Palmer, and will take possession immediately. The stock of goods is very heavy, and is an enterprise of no common magnitude; but Messrs. F. & L. are young and active, and having all that experience and thorough business qualifications can impart, there is not much doubt but they will be successful.
- 110-116 Lake Street
1862
- 110-116 Lake Street
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
1869
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