The Lake View House/Hotel
the original the home of Elisha Hundley
with a lakefront view between Grace
& Byron (Sheridan Road) streets
Operated between July 4, 1854-1890ish
The hotel was initial referred to as the Lake View House
The hotel was initial referred to as the Lake View House
- a boarding house for travelers
photo - Art Institute of Chicago
several additions were constructed prior to 1890
several additions were constructed prior to 1890
Some History
of its Beginnings
The Lake View House was originally the home
of E.E. Huntley built in the Township of Ridgeway; the precusor of Evanston Township, Lake View Township. and apparently the north segment of North Chicago Township in the early 1850's.
On July 4th 1854 E.E. Huntley and his new partner James Rees who was an establish real estate appraiser invited potential real estate investors to what was to later to be referred to as the Lake View House/Hotel. This lake-side hotel would not only serve as a vacation venue but a introduction to EE Huntley vast properties south & north of his house/hotel.
Created / Published Chicago, IL : James H. Rees, 1851
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Nicholas Krantz, of Luxembourg, arrived in 1848, and constructed the first known structure in the area, a frame homestead, which he called the Seven Mile House because of its distance from the Chicago City Hall. The Seven Mile House has been reputed as a local tavern, inn, and meeting place; however, as Lois Kransz points out, it was never operated as an official business. The Kranszes provided food, drink, and lodging to travelers passing through the area (for a small [road] toll fee), as was the custom in sparsely-populated areas. Many of these guests were funeral processions from Calvary Cemetery in Evanston. According to Edgewater Historical Society, the building was located on the northeast corner of Clark Street and Ridge Avenue.
came next
A Visit in June 1854A 1854 article below indicates the partnership of surveyor James Rees and Elisha E. Hundley in a subdivision called Pine Grove - today northern Lake View East
James H. Rees,EE Hundley's partnerJames H Rees was a prominent early real estate dealer and land surveyor, primarily remembered today for the set of maps he created of the Chicago area in 1851.image - Chicago Title and Insurance Company
This text below is from the publication called Lake View Saga (1847-1985) indicating the Elisha's home was to be used as an instrument for real estate sales for the travelers who boarded there
in June 1854
A 1854 article below indicates the partnership of surveyor James Rees and Elisha E. Hundley in a subdivision called Pine Grove - today northern Lake View East
James H. Rees,
EE Hundley's partner
James H Rees was a prominent early real estate dealer and land surveyor, primarily remembered today for the set of maps he created of the Chicago area in 1851.
image - Chicago Title and Insurance Company
This text below is from the publication called Lake View Saga (1847-1985) indicating the Elisha's home was to be used as an instrument for real estate sales for the travelers who boarded there
A visitor named Walter Newberry legendarily coined the Huntley House. He stated that that this "watering hole" had a unencumbered view of the lake and that this boarding house should be called
‘The Lake View House’ due to its unique location next to the then existing lakefront - that was positioned on top of a bluff with a pebble beach below. According to legend the new name of Elisha Hundley home 'Lake View' caught-on and the Community of Lake View was to be coined and later used in 1857 to be a township established by the citizens of the area. Both Mr. James Ree & Elisa Hundley used their boarding house/hotel to attract visiting land speculators and wealthy Chicagoans who wished to escape the social and legal restraints of their city life.
Lake View
Becomes a Township in 1857
roughly three years after establishment
of the Lake View House/Hotel
1870 Township Map
Van Vechten Map - Library of Congress
Van Vechten Map - Library of Congress
a closer view
and zoomed below
S.H. Kerfoot (see map) had a creative garden/park space north of the Lake View House that probably added to the area's interest by visiting Chicagoans.
Pine Grove was a subdivision that consisted of parcels of land for sale apparently owned by E.E. Huntley and managed by him and his business partner James Rees who once co-owned a Chicago abstract business from 1852-1860.
Once a Room Boarding House
with assistance from a historican Todd Cannon
text from the Chicago Public Library newspaper section online
1864 May 14th
1864 June 14th
and below 1865 January 9th
A Boat Ride to the Hotel in 1866
HOTEL
FOR SALE ...
The hotel/house may at this time served E. E. Huntley & James Rees profitable purpose
Apparently, the building was sold again in 1868
and resold a few more times before it
apparently was demolished by 1890
A View
from the Hotel
1867 illustrated view
Chicago and Midwest Collection-Newberry Library
about that view ...
Chicago and Midwest Collection-Newberry Library
Apparently, this is a view looking south from roughly where Inner Lake Shore Drive and Grace intersect as of 1867 and probably drawn from the
My Framed Lithograph
of the View
The Route
to the Lake View House/Hotel
A Perspective from the
a publication about the years 1857-1974
A Plank Road to the Hotel
by 1870
The owners of the hotel
needed a better route to the hotel
sectional 1
sectional 2
the zoomed map below highlights the name of the plank road as
Lake Shore Plank Road (Broadway & formerly Evanston Avenue)
A Reference to the Hotel
& New Roadway alone the lake in 1874
zoomed from above
The Lake View Hotel Property
used for ...
The Lake View Rifle Club
was established in 1870 on the former hotel grounds
text - Marquis Handbook of Chicago 1885
photo below - Ebay and now part of my collection
1887 Rascher' Atlas
X marks the spot
The Neighborhood
Changed a Little ...
A decade or so later a roadway was constructed in front of the razed Huntley House/Lake View Hotel to be named later named Sheridan Road
by 1898. It was initially designed for the extension of North-Lake Shore Drive
but after General Sheridan's death in 1888 the City of Chicago renamed this
roadway in his honor for services rendered after the Chicago Fire of 1871. This roadway would connect to Fort Sheridan (a federal post) in the Town of Highwood; by the 1993 renamed Town of Fort Sheridan. The fort would be used as a reminder not only of the general but a route to Chicago to potental subdue strikers and rioters in the manufactering areas. The Haymarket riots placed fear in the business community. I have a separate post called The Inner & Outer Drive.
1898 photo - Ravenswood-Lake View Community Collection
A view of the Sheridan Road (inner LSD) along the lakefront
a southern view from north of Grace Street. The building was an apparent store that sold ice cream to travelers. A zoomed view shows folks sitting along the broadwalk and walking on the road
a 1913 Chicago History Museum/Explore Chicago Collection below
1912 photo - Chicago History Museum
This is Sheridan Road (inner LSD) view north as the road routes west towards Sheffield Avenue. The photo above this one was probably taken from the building on the left once located on the north side of West Sheridan Road.
a postcard view below - Ebay
view south from Grace Street
a 1923 view of the same area
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map sectional
This photo shows inner LSD (Sheridan Road) to the left and the landfill construction of the current N. Lake Shore Drive to the right. The future Sheridan Triangle Garden (shed) is also shown.
a 1950 view of the same area
zoomed below
2019 Google view below
1937 UIC/Explore Chicago Collection photo
this photo shows the shed
Lake Shore Drive is leveled and trees planted in the landfill; the car is heading north.
by Wikipedia
from Diversey Parkway to Racine Wisconsin
(Facebook Album)
This project began by me, Garry Albrecht, one of the directors of the
Ravenswood-Lake View Historical Association in 2018 with the collaboration from the manager of the Sheridan Triangle Garden and the 46th Chicago ward office - James Cappleman, alderman.
I devoted a few years promoting this project.
The dedication was held in September of 2019
The site/garden was selected due to its proximity to the hotel that at the time was located 150 yards from the then existing lakefront
the proto-type in 2018
and the final design in 2019
We used the photo of the hotel from the RLVHA collection
The garden is located at the 3800 block of inner Lake Shore Drive which is less than a block west of the former hotel location.
Note: Prior to 1890's Sheridan Road (to became inner Lake Shore Drive) was part of waters of Lake Michigan as well as the
DuSable Lake Shore Drive
the plaque was mounted on the north wall of the shed
- once used as for the Chicago Rapid Transit Agency, a precusor
of the CTA
The Final Product
Dayle Murphy, Vice President of RLVHA, who was project manager of this project, presented the plaque at an association's meeting in June 2019 held at Sulzer Regional Library - their meeting place
The Day of the Event
zoomed below
the event blueprint
illustrated by Jill Weinberg - manager of the garden
for the ribbon cutting segment of program
me and a very interested attendee
Alderman James Capplemen of the 46th ward and me
I told the attendees about the popularity of the name of the hotel that what allow the founders of the new township in 1857 to called it Lake View - two words not one!
Post Notes:
A Booklet Reference from 1924
I would love to obtain this magazine!!
Note: Not until about 1930 did the official 'Community Areas' of Chicago develop and take hold so the title of the bottom of the cover of the booklet is actually about Lake View not Uptown
Note: Not until about 1930 did the official 'Community Areas' of Chicago develop and take hold so the title of the bottom of the cover of the booklet is actually about Lake View not Uptown
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Important Note:
These posts are exclusively used for educational purposes. I do not wish to gain monetary profit from this blog nor should anyone else without permission for the original source - thanks!
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