Board of Trade
Life Span: 1859-
Architect: John M. Van Osdell
Location: South Water Street near Wells
- D. B. Cooke’s City Directory for the Year 1859-60
Board of Trade, Clark nw cor La Salle
Halpin & Bailey’s Chicago City Directory for the Year 1863-64
Board of Trade Building, n s S. Water, bet. LaSalle and Wells streets.
Ballentine Lawrence & Co., (David Ballentine, Benjamin F. Lawrence, Henry A, Ballentine and Edward F. Lawrence,) com. mers. 7 Board of Trade blk.
Chicago Tribune, July 20, 1859
New Board of Trade Building.—The corner stone of the new building being erected for the Board of Trade, was laid to-day, with appropriate ceremonies.
Chicago Tribune, September 2, 1859
The Board of Trade building, on South Water street, near Wells, is being rapidly pushed forward to completion. It hasreached its full height of four high stories.
Chicago Tribune, February 10, 1860
Board of Trade Rooms.—The Board of Trade Room in Newhouse’s Building will be completed in about two weeks.
Chicago Tribune, March 1, 1860
Inauguration of the New Rooms of the Board of Trade.
Description of the Rooms, Decorations, &c.
According to announcement the inauguration of the new rooms of the Chicago Board of Trade took place yesterday evening, where were assembled about four or five hundred citizens of all classes.
About half-past seven o’clock, Julian S. Rumsey, Esq., President of the Board, took the chair, supported by Stephen Clary, Esq,, Vice President. After the meeting was called to order, the President delivered an able and instructive address, in which he gave a history of the various institutions of the same kind in England and America, as well as a faithful history of the rise and progress of the Chicago Board of Trade.
The furniture of the Exchange room consists of sample tables for flour, grain, seeds, grocer-es, aud other articles of merchandise; these mill be all arranged in suitable order so as to keep crory department of trade and commerce distinct.
The walls of the room are frescoed in a style and on a scale, which entirely places in the shade all other institutions of the kind in the United States. To a critical eye it appears as if there was “too much of it;” but the work is universally admired and the members generally are extremely well pleased with the efforts of the Directors.
Between each of the windows a niche has been left upon which is painted some device appropriate to the various branches of trade and commerce. At the centre of the north side of the room is the President’s desk, a semi-circular and elevated table of oak, finely carved and grained. Over the desk is the Board of Trade seal, with the description, “Board of Trade of the City of Chicago,” the whole surmounted by a beautifully painted eagle. The various panels are filled with the following subjects: A reaper, indicating the grain trade; a loom, for manufactures; a Phoenix soaring from the fire, for insurance; a canal boat, for inland transportation; a cattle scene for the provision trade; a propeller under full headway, for lake transportation; the sch. Dean Richmond, gallantly plowing the Atlantic, typical of inter-oceanic trade; a saw-mill for the lumber trade; and a beaver, cautiously stealing down to the water’s edge, emblematic of the fur interests of Chicago. In the alcoves at either end of the room are niches filled with large sized representations of Justice, with her scales, Liberty with her faces, Ceres rejoicing in the harvest, and commerce typified by a mariner grasping a flag. Over each of the smaller apartments are emblems suggestive of their character. Thus, Jove, seated above the world, hurls his lighting over the telegraph office; a newsboy is crying his papers over the reading room, and a careless collection of papers, books and writing materials crowns the Secretary’s room.
Over the two main entrances are representations of Chicago as it was and as it is, while between the arched caps of the double windows are various significant emblems. The ceilings beautifully frescoed, the details and shades of which are worked up admirably. This beautiful specimen of artistic work was the design of Julian S. Rumsey, Esq., the President of the board, together with the committee, Messrs. How, Densmore, Tucker, and the proprietor and artists. The latter are Messrs. Gottig and Fritz, No. 50 Dearborn street. They are certainly deserving of great praise for the very artistic and elegant manner in which they have executed these decorations.
The names of those who have been instrumental in perfecting this noble building, are John M. Van Osdell, architect; Edward Price, mason; Foot and Rice, carpenters; A. T. Merriman, stone; John Champion, painting and graining; Gottig and Fritz, frescoeing and decorating; john Hughs, plumbing; James McGinley, gas fitting and N. S. Bouton, iron work.
It is not inappropriate to note that so “buoyant” was the feeling among the members of the Board at the inauguration of their new rooms, that though the corn market on the old ‘Change was decidedly dull, a transaction took place in the new rooms in the evening at an advance of 1¢ per bushel—1,000 bushels is No. 1 Corn being sold at 44¢ in store.
- Board of Trade
Louis Kurz
1864
- Board of Trade Buildings
1862
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