148-152 Lake Street

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148-152 Lake Street, Keen & Lee Building
Life Span: 1855-1871
Location: 148-152 Lake Street, between Clark and LaSalle
Architect:

Fergus’ Chicago City Directory, for the Year 1855

Keen & Lee

Wellstood, Hanks, Hay & Whiting

Downs & Van Wyck

D. B. Cooke & Co.’s City Directory for the Year 1859
Keen William B., bookseller, 148 Lake, h 198 Michigan av
Downs A. G. & Co., (Augustus G. Downs, W. W. Carr, John Harvey and Joseph N. Olmsted), dry goods, 150 Lake

Halpin & Bailey’s City Directory for the Year 1863
Keen William B., bookseller, 148 Lake, h. 198 Michigan av.
Downs A. G. & Co., (Augustus G. Downs, John Harvey and William W. Carr,) dry goods, whol. and ret. 150 Lake
Herzog Ignatz, hats, caps and furs whol and retail, 152 Lake, h. same

Halpin’s Chicago City Directory for 1864
Keen W. B. & Co., (William B. Keen, William H. Adams and Edward H. Keen,) booksellers and stationers, 148 Lake
Downs A. G. & Co., (Augustus G. Downs, John Harvey and William W. Carr,) dry goods, whol. and ret. 150 Lake
Herzog Ignatz, millinary and straw goods, 152 Lake, and hats, caps and furs, 213 Lake, r. 152 Lake

John C. W. Bailey’s Chicago City Directory for 1867
Keen W. B. & Co., (William B. Keen, Edwin H. Keen, William H. Adams and Edwin H. Keen,) booksellers and stationers 148 Lake.
Goodspeed & Co., (Henry S. Goodspeed & Co.,) publishers and general agents 148 Lake
Downs A. G. & Co., (A. G. Downs and John Harvey,) dry goods, hosiery, gloves, &c., 150 Lake
Perlinsky & Lewis, (Abram P. Perlinsky and George Lewis,) hats, caps and furs, whol and ret, 152 Lake

Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1870
Holmes William G. bookseller and stationer, whol. and ret. 148 Lake, r. 115 S. Peoria
Schweitzer & Beer, importers of toys, fancy goods, baskets, etc. 150 Lake

Chicago Weekly Tribune, February 9, 1856

LITHOGRAPHY, ENGRAVING, &C.
Lithography, as the word signifies, is writing on stone, from which impressions are taken. The stone used is a kind of lime-stone, and capable of an extremely fine polish. It is principally quarried in Bavaria, where it exists in large quantities, though it has been found in other parts of Europe, and even in this country, but of an inferior quality. The peculiarity of it consists in its power to absorb water and oil, which, with the mutual antipathy which these have for each other, constitutes the fundamental principle of the art. So susceptible is this stone, that to lay the hand upon it, and after passing it through the process of printing, the form and lines of the hand will be distinctly visible.

Edward Mendel, Lithographer, Map-Drawer and Engraver, 170 Lake street. This establishment has turned out some of the finest work in the city. Mr. Mendel is a superior draughtsman, and is largely engaged in the map printing. He has recently imported from Europe at considerable cost, a splendid machine, which can engrave all kinds of ruled and medallion work of every variety of complicated patterns. No figures.

H. Acheson, Lithographer, &c., 132 Lake st. No returns.

J. J. O’Shannesey, Bank Note and General Engraver, Copper-Plate Printer, &c., 148 Lake street. This establishment was commenced about a year since. It is a branch of the extensive graving house of Wellstood, Hanks & Haywood, in New York. Some beautiful specimens of engraving have been shown us from his hand.

MISSING LAST PARAGRAPH.

Chicago Tribune, March 15, 1856

REMOVAL.
Keen & Lee, Booksellers and Stationers,
have removed one door West of their former location.

They will as heretofore carry on a Wholesale and Retail Book and Stationary business, but keep the two branches entirely separate.

Our lower floor will be devoted to the retail department, and it is our intention to keep it supplied with all the late publications as fast as issued. Ladies will always find a full and complete assortment of fancy stationers.

Business men will be able to find all kinds and sizes of Blank Books and Office stationery.

Blank Books made to order. A full assortment of Books, Legal Paper, &c.

Medical Books Medical Journals.

Our second floor will be used and for our wholesale business, and the country merchant and bookseller, will always find the best assortment of books as the and stationery in the city, the prices will be as low same goods are sold in the Eastern market.
Keen & Lee,
Wholesale and Retail Booksellers and Stationers,
No. 148 Lake street.

Chicago Tribune, July 8, 1864

DISASTROUS FIRE
A Stock of Furs In Flames—Loss Over $50,000.
About 6 o’clock last evening the Court House bell rang the alarm of fire for the first district. The fire department promptly turned out, and after some little trouble the scene of the conflagration was discovered to be the upper part of the wholesale and retail fur, hat and cap establishment of Ignatz Herzog, No. 152 Lake street. No flames were visible, but large volumes of smoke rolled furs from the fourth story, where the manufactured furs of the establishment were stored. The contents of this story were of the most valuable nature, there being probably over $80,000 worth of manufactured material contained in it.

Some little time elapsed before the firemen could make a good stream of water bear upon the combustion, for their progress was much retarded both by the volumes awkward position of the room and the dense volumes of smoke which rolled up from the smouldering goods, hiding their real situation. Before long, however, the hose of the steamer “Long John” was introduced into the room and conveyed a large volume of water over the ignited materials, and from that moment all danger of the flames spreading to other parts of the building ceased. More of the fluid antagonist was hurled upon the consuming element, and, in less than an hour, all signs of active combustion had been washed out of existence.

Although the external of the fire’s ravages are but insignificant, it is feared that the damage inflicted be very heavy. A large quantity of water poured from the fourth story through every lower room in the house, spoiling even the furs and other articles exhibited at retail in the shop. Considering the present high prices of all varieties of furs, it is estimated that between $50,000 and $60,000 worth of material are seriously injured, if not utterly destroyed. The loss, however, will not fall upon Mr. Herzog, for he has insurances on hie stock amounting to nearly $80,000.

The most mysterious part of the whole occurrence is the origin of the fire. There are fifty or sixty hands employed in the establishment, but they are all engaged either in lower rooms or in the story above the scene of the disaster. It is also not known that any one connected with the establishment entered the room during the day. These circumstances, connected with the fact that no fire of any kind was in the vicinity of the apartment, and as hats and caps are not “spontaneously combustible,” give rise to the supposition that the conflagration was the work of some dastardly incendiary.

Chicago Evening Post, April 1, 1867

THE CASE OF IGNATZ HERZOG.
It will be remembered that about twelve months ago, Ignatz Herzog, a prominent fur-dealer of this city, was arrested on a requisition from the Governor of Indiana, charged with burning bis store in Terre Haute in that State. The case was not tried till last Monday, when it was clearly proved that at the time of the fire Mr. Herzog was in St. Joseph, Mo., and so could not possibly bave been guilty of the arson. Of course he was immediately discharged.

Chicago Tribune, February 27, 1870

A. G. Downs & Co., 150 Lake-st., will remove to their spacious New Store, 110 & 112 State-st., On or about March 15.

Chicago Tribune, April 29, 1870

REMOVAL.
We have removed our business from No. 184 Lake-st. to
Our New Store, No. 150 Lake-st.,
Where with large convenience me shall, as heretofore, keep the best assortment in this city, of Toys and Fancy Goods. Baskets, Heads, &c., &c. Children’s Carriages in Great Variety, Wholesale and Retail.
SCHWEITZER & BEER,
150 Lake-st.

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