- Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1870
① Field, Leiter & Co. (Marshall Field, L. Z. Leiter, L. G. Woodhouse, H. J. Willing and Henry and J. S. Field), dry goods, whol. and ret. State, ne. cor. Washington
③ First National Bank, Samuel M. Nickerson, pres. Lyman J. Gage, cash. State, sw. cor. Washington
④ Sturges & Page Block (William M. Ross and C. Gossage), dry goods, 106 and 108 State
⑤ Downs A. G. & Co. (A. G. Downs, R. A. Blair and William Reid) dry goods, 110 and 112 State
⑤ Hollister & Phelps (Eli F. Hollister and William W. Phelps), carpets and oilcloths, 114 and 116 State
⑥ Singer Mnfg, Co. James Bolton, agt. 111 State
⑦ Keen W. B. & Cooke (William B. and Edward H. Keen and David B. Cooke), booksellers and stationers, 113 and 115 State
⑦ Griggs S. C. & Co. (Samuel C. Griggs, Egbert L. Jansen, Alexander C. McClurg and Frederick B. Smith), publishers, booksellers and stationers, 117 and 119 State
⑦ The Western News Co., John R. Walsh, pres. William Cochrane, cashier, 121 and 123 State, and Dearborn, sw. cor. Madison
Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1871
② Hale W. E. 103-107 State
② Bliss & Sharp, druggists and surgical instruments, 105 State
Between 1868 and 1869 there was a marble front building boom along State Street between Madison and Washington streets. This particular strip of State Street could have been called “Marble Front Row.”
There was ① Field & Leiter (93-99 State), the second ③ First National Bank of Chicago (102-104 State), ④ Sturges & Page Block(106-116 State), ⑤ 111 State building which housed the Singer Sewing Machine Co. showroom, and ⑥ Booksellers’ Row (113-123 State).
The marble ② Hale Block on the SE corner of State and Washington (101-107 State) was to open in November, 1871. The St. James Hotel and the Raymond block fronts were of face brick.
Much of it was replaced after the Great Fire of 1871. The Field, Leiter store, was rebuilt by the Singer Company, but used Portland stone instead of marble. Hale Block II, Booksellers’ Row II, and the First National Bank of Chicago III, all had marble fronts.
- Field, Leiter store, 93-99 State.
The two-story building across Washington street (99 State) was torn down in 1870.
- Hale Block, 103-107 State (1871)
- First National Bank, 102-104 State,
Sturges & Page Block, 106-116 State
- Singer’s Block. 111 State
Booksellers’ Row, 113-123 State
Leave a Reply