Boone Block II

Boone Block II
Life Span: 1872-1888
Location:
Architect:

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1874

Boone Blk.

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1880
Boone Blk.—129-133 LaSalle

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1887
Boone Blk.—129-133 LaSalle

Chicago Tribune, October 18, 1871

Operations have been commenced for tho immediate rebuilding of the Boone Block, and the proprietors, Dr. Boone and William Mansborough, expect to occupy their offices in sixty days.

Lakeside Monthly, October, 1872

The Boone block, on La Salle street, between Madison and Washington streets, has a frontage of 55 feet by 93 feet in depth. It is four stories high above the basement, and cost $65,000. It was commenced immediately after the fire, and was one of the first blocks built from the foundation after that event. The rapid completion of this building was due to the wisdom and foresight of the managers of the Union Mutual Life Insurance Company, whose offices occupy a part of the building—the company, with Dr. L. D. Boone, being interested in the property. Dr. Boone, who has been a citizen of Chicago for thirty-six years, has the charge of the financial department of this company. The action of this company in Chicago is worthy of notice. It has invested about two and a half millions of its assets in loans upon real estate in this city, thus adding to the prosperity of the city from which it draws a liberal support. Several other companies follow this example, but the fact that this company has always followed this wise and just course, entitles it to its full meed of credit. Mr. L. C. Clark, the general manager of the Policy Department for Illinois and Iowa, has also an office in this building.

This street from Washington to Monroe street is, at present, the financial centre of the city, and is likely to contain for some time a great share of the banking, insurance and law offices of the city. The Chamber of Commerce, situated on an adjacent corner, must. tend to draw about it the more important financial institutions of the city. The Boone block is, in appearance, about the same as before the fire, but its interior is much improved, having twenty of the finest vaults in the city. It is occupied exclusively for offices, the basement being occupied by the Chicago Savings Institution and Adolph Loeb & Bro., brokers; and the first floor by the International Bank, the Cook County National Bank, the Mechanics’ Institute, and Wm. Hansbrough, the superintendent of the building. In the second story we find the offices of the Union Mutual Life Insurance Company, the office of the Canada Southern Rail Road Company, and the Hartford Life Insurance Company. The third story is occupied entirely by law firms; and the fourth is occupied by the Law Department of the University of Chicago, and every other room is occupied by architects and contractors.

Inter Ocean, February 5, 1888

Judge Tooley entered a decree in the case of Samuel P. Parmly against Wirt D. Walker. The latter owns the lot on the northeast corner of Madison and LaSalle streets, and Mr. Parmly owns the Boone Block, which adjoins Walker’s property. Walker intended to connect the three upper floors of his building with the three corresponding floors of the Brevoort House on the east by hallways or galleries, to be covered with roofs. Such an improvement, complainant declared, would diminish the light and air coming to his building. Besides, he claimed that Walker had no authority under his deed to interfere with the alley, because one of the provisions of the contract made a restriction in that regard. The Court finds that the construction of bridges across the alley will create a nuisance and result in irreparable injury to complainant. The defendant is perpetually enjoined from making the construction.

Chicago Tribune, March 18, 1888

THE WALKER-PARMEY TRANSACTIONS.
The negotiations between Wirt D. Walker and the Parmlys for the Boone property, just north of Mr. Walker’s corner of La Salle and Madison streets, are still uncompleted, owing to some legal questions, but there is no doubt that they will soon be consummated. As has already been stated, the price which Mr. Walker is supposed to pay for the Boone lot and building, 55×101 feet, is about $250,000. The transaction is not for cash, however, but involves an exchange. Mr. Waiker will turn over to Messrs. Parmly his property at the southwest corner of Indiana avenue and Eighteenth street, and his land at Grand boulevard and Forty-seventh street. The former is 96×158 feet. The buildings are an apartment house of five stories and five three-story and basement houses. The income on this property is not far from $15,000. The boulevard tract is 300×315 feet, and is thought to be worth $150 per foot. These two properties would be worth more than the Boone lot, but there are some other elements in the transaction which have not yet been fully figured out. The plans for the building on the corner of La Saile and Madison are not yet complete, but there is no doubt that the structure will be one of the finest in the city. A careful study has been made of the question how to get the most light with the least sacrifice of space, and an important feature will be a court in the northeast part of the Boone lot. It will have a width of thirty feet or more. One set of rooms will face on this court, the rest facing the streets. There will be four passenger elevators near the centre of the building and one freight elevator.

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