Andrew J. Wright Livery Stables
Life Span: 1866-1871
Location: North State Street and Kinzie, near bridge
Architect:
Halpin & Bailey’s City Directory for the Year 1863-64
Wright & Currier, (Andrew J. Wright and Leonard W. Currier,) livery stable, 164 Michigan
Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1866
Wright Bros. (Andrew J. and Samuel F. Wright), livery stable, 246 Kinzie
Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1867
Wright Bros. (Andrew J. and Samuel F.), livery stable, 246 Kinzie, cor. N. State
Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1870-71
Wright Bros. (A. J. and S. F.), livery stable, 246 E. Kinzie
Chicago Evening Post, November 29, 1867
The News Boys’ Dinner.
Which took place at half-past 12 o’clock, was a joyful occasion and numerously attended by the young lads who sell the dally papers. They were attended by a number of benevolent ladies and gentlemen who had been instrumental in getting up and furnishing the bountiful repast. The rooms over Wright’s livery stable, corner of State and Kinzie streets, North Division, were well decorated and put in excellent order for the occasion.
At Home.
Those who had not the misfortune to be employed on evening papers, were generally able to prepare their Thanksgiving turkey and enjoy at least a portion of the day at home with their families. And here were, perhaps, to be found the most enjoyable of all the various occasions of yesterday. Those who were not at their own firesides, were of course at some place of amusement, or at the fireside of some other person. There were many occasions for the exercise of charity, and many there were who took advantage of the occasion to do some little act which made them happier, as well as brightened and made more pleasant the hearts of some others. All in all, it may well be said that thanksgiving, yesterday, was Thanksgiving in Chicago, and it passed off as such a day should, marred by no great calamity, no great crimes, but all being perfectly calm and serene-after a morning of excitement-and enjoyed in such a manner as to cause many to wish for many happy returns of the occasion.
History of Chicago, A. T. Andreas, 1884
The Fire Reaches the North Side.—The first authentic account of the presence of the fire on the North Side is furnished by Judge Lambert Tree, whose valuable statement is given in succeeding pages. At not later than half-past one o’clock a.m., Judge Tree crossed from his office, on the South Side, and discovered little fires burning in the State street bridge, and at different points along the street, where dried leaves had become ignited by vagrant sparks which fell incessantly from the Southside fire. But these incipient fires were not the cause of the destruction of that vast area, extending from the main branch of the river to Lincoln Park at Fullerton Avenue, and from the lake, sweeping, with an irregular western boundary, a territory of about fourteen hundred and eighty-eight acres.
On the authority of Andrew J. Wright, who observed the time by his office clock, as he was driven from the building by the flames, we state that Wright’s stables took fire at half-past ywop a.m., October 9.
There was a huge quantity of oil in a train of cars which stood on the North-Western Railroad track, south of the stables. This highly combustible substance ignited in some manner unknown, and instantky enwrapped the stables in flames. The proprietor, anticipating danger, had caused his more valuable horses to be harnessed, ready to escape if the situation appeared perilous; but so suddenly did the flames envelop the entire structure that the noble animals, many of which were of high value, could not be driven out in time to save them. There has been much litigation over the losses entailed by this disaster, but only those points which are historically important are here mentioned.
- Wright Brothers Stables
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
1869
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