MERCANTILE BUILDING II
Life Span: 1873-1893
Location: NW corner LaSalle and Calhoun
Architect: Burling & Adler
- Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1873
Williams & Montgomery, 122 LaSalle. (See adv’t page 1110)
Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1880
Mercantile Building.—112 to 118 LaSalle.
Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1887
Mercantile Building.—112 to 118 LaSalle.
Chicago Tribune, March 26, 1873
Charles Busbee, Esq., has leased from Dr. D. S. Smith 80×100 feet on LaSalle street, opposite the Chamber of Commerce, the site of the destroyed Mercantile Building, and will proceed to erect at once a magnificent office structure worthy of that locality. When C. B. puts his hand to an undertaking of that class everybody believes in the result. Mr. Busbee has built about four miles front of the best blocks in Chicago. He has also bought the State street front of the Opera-House site from Albert Crosby, and will put up an elegant block of stores, to be finished in September.
Chicago Tribune, April 20, 1873
For Charles Busby, Esq., on the site of the old Mercantile Building, an office building fully equal in general character to its neighbors, the Union Building, Chamber of Commerce, and the Oriental Building. The front of basement and first story will be of iron, that of the remainder of lime-stone. The design is quite unique and original. The cost of the building—80×100 feet in size—will be $65,000.
The Land Owner, January, 1874
All our citizens remember the Mercantile Building, situated just north of the Oriental, in La Salle street, as it existed before the fire, and all will rejoice at its rebuilding. The new structure which we present on page 4 of this number (below), is equal in all respects to the one destroyed, and was built by Charles Busby, a gentleman who has erected a large number of buildings since the fire. The architects are Messrs. Burling & Adler, the building being designed particularly for office purposes. The Mercantile is 80 feet front on La Salle st., by 100 feet deep, with an alley on the south side, four stories and basement in height. The style of the architecture is the Renaissance, and the stone comes from Joliet. The iron columns are from the Union Foundry. The locks are from Sargent, Greenleaf & Brooks. The cost of the structure is $75,000.
Williams & Montgomery.
This insurance firm occupy one of the main front offices in the new Mercantile, which they have fitted up in a very elegant and tasty manner, and where they transact a large business. Mr. A. Williams is an insurance agent of large experience, having been for seven years manager of the Western business of the old Yonkers and New York Insurance Company. Mr. Geo. W. Montgomery is late of the firm of O. W. Barrett & Co. This agency represents at the present time the old American Insurance Company of Newark, which was organized in 1846, and which has assets of one and a-half millions, with a net cash surplus of nearly half a million over all liabilities; the New York and Yonkers, and the Com-merce, two strong, sterling New York city companies. All these companies have been particularly fortunate in the class of business done by their agents, and are building up for themselves a good record of conservatism and strength.
Goodman’s Insurance Agency.
Located in the new Mercantile is also Goodman’s Insurance Agency, which was opened on March 1st, 1870. The senior had previously been President, and before that Secretary, of the Lumberman’s Insurance Company. The junior had been Cashier in the same company. Bringing to their agency the benefits of a ripe experience, they had on their books only the choicest risks in the city when the great fre of October, 1871, occurred. Their losses were adjusted with a promptness and fairness which commanded universal respect.
They represent the Fireman’s Fund, of San Francisco, and the Citizens’ Insurance Company, of Newark, N. J. The former paid $529,364 92 to the sufferers by the great Chicago fire, and $120,000 to the sufferers at Boston. With $700,000 of assets remaining, they stand eminent in the fraternity for fair dealing. The latter was not represented in Chicago before the fire, but with a spotless record and $360,000 of assets, they entered the field immediately thereafter.
The office of this agency is one of the most elegant in all its appointments of any in the city, and their business is steadily increasing.
The Western Department of the Atlas Insurance Co., of Hartford, Conn.
This company occupies a neat and tastefully arranged office on the second floor of the new Mercantile. It was organized in July of the present year by an association of prominent underwriters of the city of Hartford, Conn., who, by their own ripe experience and by the establishment of responsible agencies with men of ability at their head, could conduct the business to a successful issue. Its record thus far has been one of eminent success, its stock being above par. It has secured a strong position with the money lending interest and the leading life insurance companies of Hartford. The savings banks and the Commissioners of the State School fund have announced the Atlas policies satisfactory collateral for their loans. Knowing well the immense income to be derived from our rapidly growing West, they sought out men of prominence and extensive acquaintance with our business interests as well as experienced underwriters, and selected as their Western managers Mr. J. O. Wilson, who s? successfully conducted
the business of the old substantial Franklin, of Philadelphia, before the fire, and who was at one time President of the Board of Underwriters for Iowa and Nebraska; and Mr. Geo. H. Redfield, who has been prominently identified with insurance matters for the past seven years, having been President of the Wisconsin and Minnesota Board of Underwriters. The business of their agency is constantly increasing, and as the true character of the company becomes known we predict for it a brilliant future.
The record of the company for the past five months has been marked with unexampled success, and the insurance fraternity throughout the Northwest will do well to inquire further of the managers as above stated.
Insurance Agency of Geo. F. Treadway & Company.
A handsome basement office in the new Mercantile is occupied by the insurance agency of Geo. P. Treadway & Co. Mr. Treadway is one of our oldest and best-known insurance men, and has long enjoyed an enviable reputation in this city. His firm was formerly Treadway & Jewell, but having lately disolved the copartnership, he has associated with himself Mr. Samuel T. Cockey, formerly State agent of the Lycoming Ins. Co. and the firm is now Geo. P. Treadway & Co. These gentlemen represent the Lycoming and the Penn Fire, both Pennsylvania companies, but both well and favorably known in Chicago. The Lycoming is one of the oldest companies in America, having rendered thirty three annual statements, the last of which, rendered on the 10th of June, 1873, showed total assets of $5,587,926.14, of which $330,874.14 were cash. It is also shown by the records of the company that since its organization the Lycoming has paid a total of 6 348 claims for losses, covering the round sum of $4,725,314.84, a large share of which has been paid to Chicago citizens. A considerable number of parties in this city, who were directly interested in the fate of the company at the time of the great fire, will remember for a long time to come the enormous losses which it promptly paid in that conflagration. The Penn Fire is only about two years old, but it is rapidly making for itself a creditable reputation. A statement of its condition, rendered July 1st of this year, showed assets of $328,091.98.
The Land Owner bespeaks for the new firm abundant success. Mr. Treadway has
a large circle of friends and acquaintances, each of whom will vouch for his integrity and business talents. Their new office in the Mercantile building is tastefully fitted up, and well arranged to accommodate the business of the firm.
The Mercantile Building II
La Salle and Calhoun Streets
Robinson Fire Map
1886
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