Baltic House, Colby House
Life Span: abt 1850-TBD
Location: Corner Wells and Washington
Architect:
- D. B. Cooke & Co.’s City Directory for the Year 1859
Colby House, R. Cooke & Son proprs, Washington sw cor S. Wells
Chicago Tribune, September 16, 1854
Colby House.
The Hotel formerly known as the Baltic House, located on the corner of Wells and Washington streets, has during the past Summer been remodeled, re-painted inside and out, thoroughly re-furnished from basement to garrett, and is now christened as the Colby House.
On Tharsday evening last, a party from this city drove to the Lake View House, where a few hours were spent in a social dance. On their return, a halt was made at the Colby House, where one of the most pleasant re-unions of the season was participated in.
Most of the company were Bostonians and descendants from the New England States, and “Old proprietor of the House also being from Bay State,” the occasion was improved as a gathering of old friends, and band cherishing kindred feelings of love and admiration for homes of their childhood. A most sumptuous feast was spread for the entertainment of party, and after doing justice to the “viands, a abort time was occupied in “the feast of reason and flow of soul”—exchanging sentiment speech till the small hours of morning admonished all that it was time to be “scattering.”
The landlord of the Hotel, Mr. O. F. Colby, gentleman of experience in his business, and has commenced in this city with a determination of keeping a public house that cannot fail giving satisfaction. May success attend him.
Chicago Tribune, April 21, 1862
A Grand Pull by the Police.
On Saturday night the police made a descent upon the Colby House, corner of Wells and Washington streets, long known as one of the most public cribs of iniquity in the city, and pulled upwards of sixty persons as inmates, consisting of fast young men and equally swift young women, staid and middle-aged men and equally staid and middle-aged females, men about town, loafers, nymphs du pave, et id omne genus.
The fact that one apparently respectable married woman from the northern part of the city was found there with her paramour speaks loudly for the necessity there existed for the breaking up of the den. To all intents and purposes—that is to the eye of the uninitiated—a pulibc hotel of about second or third class, the Colby House was nothing more nor less than a house of assignation on a gigantic scale and most unblushing character. It has been nothing else for a long time. People from the country, without knowing where they were, stopped at this house, and went away perhaps without a suspicion of the evil practices there unblushingly carried on. One such person was captured there on Saturday but it being apparent that he was innocent, and that he had arrived on the cars and put up there as he would have done at any other hotel, he was allowed to depart. The remainder of the sweet scented collection were taken to the Armory, where they reposed on the sawdust during yesterday and last night. Their examination will take place this morning at the Police Court.
Chicago Daily Tribune, May 17, 1862
ALLEGED ADULTERY.
A man named L. B. Scott and a woman named Mrs. Nancy Hurd were arrested in this city yesterday upon charge of living together in a state of adultery. Both the parties resided in Freeport where the first intimacy between originated. Mr. Scott’s wife was aware of these intimacies, but suspected nothing criminal nature until a few weeks since, her husband suddenly left Freeport for Rockford, ostensibly for business purposes. The same day the woman Hurd also left. Her suspicions were at once aroused, and she followed the guilty couple to the latter where, at a hotel, registered as man and she found them in flagrante delictu. Alarmed at the discovery which at once revealed the full extent of their guilt, the twain once more fled, and before the betrayed could get out a writ. They came to this city some eight weeks since and put up Colby House, where they have been living together in the same illegal manner as witnesses testify. The wife again in discovering their whereabouts, and this time had a writ issued in season for their arrest. They have been committed to jail in of $400 bail each, to await trial at the term of the Recorder’s Court.
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