S. B. Cobb’s Block

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Building Name(s): 3-13 Lake, S. B. Cobb’s Block
Life Span: 1865-1871
Address: 3 to 13 Lake, Southwest corner, Michigan avenue
Block and Subdivision: 10, Fort Dearborn Addition
Architect: John M. Van Osdel

Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1866

Cobb’s Block

Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1867
Cobb’s Block, southwest corner Lake street and Michigan av.
Cobb’s Block, southwest corner Lake street and Michigan av.

John C. W. Bailey’s Chicago City Directory for 1867
Hunt, Barbour & Hale, (James F. and Frederick A. Hunt, Edward Barbour and Robert W. Hale,) whol dry goods, 3, 5 and 7 Lake
Day, Tilden & Co., (William H. Day, John B. Tilden, James E. Humphrey, Jacob B. Smith,) whol fancy dry goods and notions 11 and 13 Lake
Whittemore, Carter & Brown (H, Whittemore, John F. Carter, Samuel Brown), hats, caps and furs, wholesale 11 and 13 Lake

Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1869
Cobb’s Block,—Southwest corner of Lake street and Wabash avenue.
Whittemore, Carter & Brown (Horace Whittemore, John F. Carter and Samuel Brown), hats, caps and furs, whol. 11 and 13 Lake

Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1870
Cobb’s Block—Southwest corner Lake street and Wabash av.

Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1871
Cobb’s Block—Lake, sw. cor. Wabash av.

Chicago Tribune, January 7, 1864

Real Estate Improvements.—S. B. Cobb, Esq., is about to erect, on Lake street and Michigan avenue, a marble front block, containing five stores. The building will be five stories in height, and a basement excavated under the street and alley. The plans are not as perfected, but as soon as they are, the building will be commenced without delay. Three of the stores have already been leased at rental of $6,500, and since the agreement was signed another of $1,000 additional has been made. Property is worth Something in Chicago.

Chicago Tribune, July 21, 1864

On the southwest corner of Michigan avenue and Lake street, a magnificent structure, to be called Cobb’s Block, is in course of erectlon for Silas B. Cobb. The block will have a front on Lake street of 130 leet, and on Michigan avenue of 96 feet. It will be fire stories in height, the first being of iron and the remainder of cut stone, The first floor is to be divided into three stores, two of which will have a front of 52 feet each, and the third, dividing the two, will have a frontage of 22 feet. The corner store is already engaged by a first class wholesale dry goods firm. This bock will be ready for occupancy by September. It will cost about $90,000, and be undoubtedly one of the finest in appearance on Lake street.

Chicago Tribune, January 2, 1865

Cobb’s Block.—This block is built on the south-west corner of Michigan avenue and Lake street, by Silas B. Cobb, Esq., of this city. It has a front on Lake street of 120 feet, and one on Michigan avenue of 96 feet. The block is five stories in height, (with the exception of the lower one, which is of iron) being of cut stone. The third floor contains among other stores, two which have a frontage of 52 feet and proportionate depth. The total cost exceeds $90,000.

Chicago Evening Post, March 31, 1869

DRY GOODS.
A Look Through the Establishment of Hunt, Barbour and Hale.
The last few days of warm weather have started up the long-deferred spring trade, and our streets and stores begin to resound with the sound of business. The general feeling seems to prevail that the coming season will be one of prosperity and profit, and our great wholesale houses are preparing for a large trade with the merchants of the great Northwest. Among those who have enlarged their borders and extended their facilities to meet the demands of their increasing business, we notice the extensive house of Hunt, Barbour & Hale, Nos. 3, 5 and 7 Lake street, corner of Michigan avenue.

Already occupying the basement and first floor of this fine double store, fronting fifty feet on Lake street, they have now been obliged to take in the upper stories of the building, which they occupy from top to bottom with a magnificent stock of everything pertaining to the dry goods trade. Commencing with heavy sheetings in the basement, and going up to delicate laces and is ribbons upper story, everything arranged in the most syetematic order for the convenience of buyers, and country merchants can make out their full lists without the necessity of picking them up from various establishments. The location of this house is remarkably convenient, being within a block of the great Central Depot, and the interior is finely adapted to the display of goods.

Messrs. Hunt, Barbour & Hale established themselves here five years ago, and have built up a most enviable reputation all over the Northwest, where their customers are counted by hundreds. They are excellent men to deal with and are cordially commended to the buying public.

Chicago Evening Mail, January 5, 1871

The old firm of Whittemore, Carter & Brown has expired by limitation, and a new partnership is formed, of which Horace Whittemore and John F. Carter are the constituent members.

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