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Locomonile Company of America Showroom
Life Span: 1902-About 1978
Location: 1348-54 S. Michigan Avenue
Architect:
The Horseless Age, March 19, 1902
Mandel Brothers, Chicago, Ill., are said to have contracted with the Locomobile Company of America to build for the latter at the northwest corner of Michigan boulevard and Fourteenth street a structure 90×84 feet, and to rent it to the Locomobile Company for a term of ten years at $45,000 a year.
Inter Ocean, May 2, 1902
The Locomobile Company of America moved into its new quarters yesterday, Michigan avenue and Fourteenth street. There were no cumbersome moving vans, tired horses, or noisy drivers in the change from the former salesrooms in Wabash avenue, only a slight line of swiftly moving automobile carriages, each loaded with a portion of the stock. In two hours the moving operations had been completed and the last to arrive at the new Michigan avenue home was the stenographer. She sailed in through the livery entrance snugly seated in velvet cushions in a Victoria.
“We are glad to get in so soon,” said C. A. Wardle, manager of the Locomobile company, “and most of our automobiles were pressed into use in moving the things from the old quarters. Everything from a package of envelopes to the tourist carriage came over here on pneumatic wheels and we dispensed with express wagons entirely. I guess many a housewife who is still fumbling around with furniture and the like, fighting it out with expressmen and van teamsters would have envied us if she could have seen the way we did it.”
Has Modest Building.
The building into which the company have moved was built especially for its use, and is a model of its kind. There are at present thirty-two touring cars, victorias, and runabouts housed, with room for as many more. It is planned to run a livery in connection, together with a storage-house and what is known as an extra room. Arrangements are under way to establish throughout the country a supply station every fifty miles, and Chicago will be the distributing point for the middle and Western states. At these points it is intended to have a mechanic who will be supplied with every portion of a machine and act as a relief man.
Many Intereseting Things.
Among the many interesting duplicate machines which have attracted attention throughout the country and have been sent out by the Locomotive company are one of the runabouts that climbed Pike’s peak, and the only automobile to accomplish this feat. Another is owned by Miss Bessie Johnson, daughter of Mayor Tom Johnson of Cleveland, and one on the way is a sister production to the locomobile used by Fire Chief Croker of New York city in going to fires.
Miss Johnson has one of the swiftest machines made, and challenges any one for a long or short run. She long since took the record in Cleveland.
Inter Ocean, August 15, 1902
Inter Ocean, January 16, 1910
In January, 1910, Locomobile moved to their new building at 2000 S. Michigan Ave. Kissel Kars moved into 1348-54 S. Michigan the following month.
Locomobile Company of America’s New Branch Building
2000 Michigan Avenue
The Locomobile Company Building
1348-54 S. Michigan Ave.
Northwest Corner of Michigan and Fourteenth Streets
1911 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
The Locomobile Building on Wabash Avenu
Horseless Age
March 1901