work for new buildings to take the place of those destroyed in the
conflagration of 1S71. Among the buildings planned by them
maybe mentioned the First National Bank, Tribune, Dickey, Man-
ierre, Garrett, Marine Bank, Kingsbury and Ogden buildings,
St. Tames' Church, Grace Church, Sinai Temple, and many others
fullv as well known. After separating from Mr. Burling, Mr.
Adler was engaged in such work as the erection of Central Music
Hall, re-construction of the Hamlin — now Grand Opera House —
Building, the erection of the Ryerson and Borden blocks, and the
arrangements in the Exposition Building for the May Festival of
1SS0-S2 and for the Republican and Democratic Conventions of
1884. In 1S82, he associated with him Louis H. Sullivan, his
present partner, and they planned the erection of Haverly's Thea-
tre, and re-constructed the interior of Hooley's Theatre, the erec-
tion of the Hammond Library and Troescher buildings, and
perfected the arrangements in the Exposition Building for the
Grand Opera Festival of 1885. Mr. Adler was married, in 1872,
to Miss Dila Kohn, daughter of Abraham Kohn, a gentleman well
and favorably known to most of the older residents of Chicago.
Mr. and Mrs. Adler have three children — Abraham, Sidney and
Sarah. Mr. Adler is secretary of Chicago Lodge, No. 437, A. F.
.x. A. M., and was secretary of the United Hebrew Relief Associa-
tion for four years. He was also secretary of the Standard Club
for several years.

Louis H. SULLIVAN, junior member of the firm of Adler &
Sullivan, was born in Boston, Mass., September 3, 1856. After
graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he went
to Philadelphia, Penn., and was in the office of Furness & Hewitt for
about six months. Coming then to this city, in 1873, he continued
his studies with W. L. B. jenney, and in June, 1874, went to Paris
to further perfect himself in his profession. After taking a special
course in the school of Fine Arts, and passing the required exami-
nation, he studied under the famous Parisian architect, M. Vaud-
remer. He returned to Chicago in July, 1875, and after five years
more of faithful and practical study with leading firms, he formed
his present partnership with Dankmar Adler.

EDWARD BaUHANN was born near Dantzic, Prussia, August
18, 1838, and is a son of Albert Haumann, a leading merchant
of that city. lie was given a liberal education, completing his liter-
ary and preparatory course at the age of fifteen, when he entered
the polytechnic school of Graudenz, from which he graduated in
1856. Immediately following this he came to America, and, in
the spring of i s .;7, arrived in this city and entered the office of
Burling & Baumann, architects, with whom he remained several
In i860, he went to Memphis, Tenn., where he began the
practice of his profession on his own account. Tin: breaking out
of the Civil War, in the following year, caused him to leave the
South and to return to this city, where he has since resided. Mr.
Baumann has been eminently successful in his professional work,
and he is likewise highly esteemed both as a man and a citizen.



Among the memorials now standing of his labors may be mentioned
the Metropolitan Block, the Ashland Block, and several of the
large grain elevators of this city. Mr. Baumann married, in ibGS,
Miss Elise Steinbauer, a native of Prussia, and a lady of rare
culture and worth. They have two children — I.ettie and Edgar.

WILLOUGHBY J. Edbrooke. — Among the many architects
and designers of whom our city may be proud, not only for his
social qualities, but also for the eminence he has reached in his high
profession as a designer, is Willoughby J. Edbrooke, who has, for
many years, added 10 the city's architectural beauty in superb blocks
of residences as well as business houses and public buildings. He
was one of the competing architects who submitted plans for the
new Court House, and his design was by many considered the best
submitted to the authorities for approval. Mr. Edbrooke was born
near Chicago, September 3, 1S43, of English parents, who settled
in this city in 1836, where, for many years, his father ranked as
a leading contractor and builder. In the earlier years of his life,
Willoughby manifested a decided taste for designing and con-
struction as well as for architectural drawing, and, during the latter
part of his scholastic education, he devoted all his leisure time
to the study of those branches which were allied to architecture.
Leaving school at the age of seventeen, he served as apprentice to
his father, and applied all his energies to the acquirement of a
thorough practical knowledge of the details of architecture, his
father's business giving him abundant proofs of the practical value
of his theories. In 1S61, he began the business of a contractor
and builder on his own account, combining with that work the
practice of his profession. After seven years in that business he
abandoned it, and devoted himself exclusively to architecture. The
results have shown that Mr. Edbrooke is eminently fitted for his
chosen profession. Mr. Edbrooke has for years been an active as
well as prominent member of the Order of Freemasons as well as
of the Knights of Pythias.

Cord H. Gottig was born in Hamburg, Germany, in Febru-
ary, 1S29. He was educated at the Academy at Munich, giving all
of his attention to the study of architecture. After finishing his
studies, he went into the employ of the government, and remained
until 1852, when he became the architect of the Attona-Kiel Rail-
road running from Hamburg to Kiel and was in their service for
about three years. In 1S57, he came to Chicago, and, after his ar-
rival, went into an office as a draughtsman, in order to become
familiar with our style of architecture, and the year following acted
as architect for the Illinois Central Railroad Company in erecting
the buildings along its line, and was three years in charge of this
work. In 1861, he opened an office for himself on Washington,
near LaSalle Street. The building was destroyed by fire in 1871,
when he lost the entire contents of his office, and was compelled to
erect a temporary shanty in Reed's lumber yard, on the West Side,
where he at once commenced work. He removed afterward to the
Exchange Building, corner of Clark and Washington streets, and
finally located in his .present quarters. He has been a persistent
worker in his profession, and has matured plans for many fine
structures in this city. He was married, in Chicago, in 1S77, to
Mrs. Amelia Van Hacke, and has one child — Delia.

William Thomas was born in New York City on May 7,
1839, and is descended from a long line of ancestors who followed
architecture as a profession. His grandfather was named Thomas
Thomas, and was a prominent architect of London. England, hav-
ing studied his profession in that city, his three sons — Griffith,
Thomas, Jr., and William, father of the subject of this notice — also
following in that business. In 1S56, William Thomas, Sr., came
to Chicago, and in 1857, William Thomas, Jr., followed him, and
continued the study of his profession with his father, who estab-
lished himself as an architect here upon his arrival. After two
years, he formed a partnership with his father, under the firm name
of William Thomas & Son, which continued until the former's
death in 1S6S; after which Mr. Thomas sustained the business
alone. He has made a specialty of private residences, some of
which are among the finest in the city. He also made the plans
for, and superintended the construction of, Lill & Diversey's ex-
tensive brewing establishment, as well as that of the J. J Sands'
Union Brewing Company, and several other similar buildings that
were destroyed in the fire of 1871. Mr. Thomas is a member of
Hesperia Lodge, No. 411, A. F. & A. M.; of York Chapter, No.
148, R.A.M.; and of Chicago Commandery, No. 19, K.T. lie is
also a member of the Royal Arcanum. lie was married in this
city, in 1862, to Emma E. Davies, daughter of the late John Da-
vies, a silk manufacturer of Staffordshire, Fngland, where Mrs.
Thomas was born. They have seven children — Emma, Lillian,
Grace, Maud, William, Eugene and Harry. Mr. Thomas and
family are members of the First Congregational Church.

JOHN CROMBIE COCHRANE was born November 8, 1S33 in
New Boston, llillsboro' Co., N. II., the son of William C. and
Harriet C. Cochrane. Mr. Cochrane's education was obtained in
the common school and the academy. After completing his studies,



REAL ESTATE INTERESTS.



567



he entered the office of his uncle, to study engineering and archi-
tecture. In 1855, he came West, and obtained employment in an
architect's office in Chicago, remaining nine months. After that
he opened an office in Davenport, Iowa, and during the years 185(1,
to 1858, he designed and superintended the erection of all the
prominent buildings in that city, among which was the Burtis
House, St. Luke's Church and Metropolitan Hall. In the spring
of 1S59, Mr. Cochrane removed to St. Louis, where he practiced
his profession until 1861, when he returned to the East, and for
four years divided his time between Boston and Manchester, N. H.
In 1S64, he returned to Chicago, and opened an office on Monroe
Street. He designed the Iowa State House in connection with his
partner, and they were employed as architects. He was the archi-
tect for the cour-thouses at Bloomington, Olney, Pontiac and Joliet,
111.; for the court-houses at Crown Point and Valparaiso, Ind.
Marshall, Mo. , and at Atlantic and Marshalltown, Iowa; for the



Cook County and Michael Reese hospitals in Chicago, Cook County
Infirmary at Jefferson, Rush Medical College al Chicago, and the

State University Medical College al Iowa City; the Chamber of
Commerce, First Presbyterian Church, Jefferson I'ark Presbyterian
Church, Central Baptist Church, and the Church of the Messiah
in Chicago; also a large number of churches, colleges and school-
houses throughout the Northwest. Mr. Cochrane's practice in the
line of private residences has been extensive, and there are many
streets in Chicago indebted to him for the architectural beauty of
their buildings. No man has left a deeper impress on the style of
Chicago architecture. In June, 1S66, Mr. Cochrane married Anna
E. Coates, daughter of William A. Coates, formerly of Buffalo,
N. Y. From this union there are three children — Nellie French;
Florence, and Anna. Mr. Cochrane had been married to Miss
Nellie W. French, of Nashua, N. II., on August 23, 1S60.



REAL ESTATE INTERESTS.



In the first volume will be found frequent mention
of early transactions in real estate, and the instances
cited will serve as a basis for this narrative. The prices
quoted as given for certain " lots, parcels and pieces "
of ground, necessarily appear remarkably cheap to the
reader of the present date; whether they were cheap
for the city of four thousand one hundred and seventy-
nine inhabitants is a mooted question. Apparently, from
the manner in which these bargains had to be forced
upon those who realized from them, they were not
deemed the most eligible investments that presented
themselves to early residents.

Many early settlers have claimed prophetic vision
as to the phenomenal growth of Chicago and the con-
sequent augmentation of value of her real estate. John
S. Wright was esteemed a visionary fanatic in his
vaticinations, yet his prophecies are dwarfed by the
actualities of our city. The various "old-boots,"
" cords-of-wood," and other real-estate trades, where-
in the man who disposed of his realty at any price was
ostensibly the gainer, do not manifest any great con-
fidence in the future of the commodity sold. And, in
reason, why should such confidence have been evinced?
The resident of Chicago of 1S50, i860, 1870, or 1880
had data whereon to base his estimates, and from these
he could make computations, as to values, with almost
mathematical certainty. But the resident of early
Chicago had no experience upon which he could found
his calculations, and no one need wonder, under such
circumstances, that the speculator deemed present value
of more importance than future value.

One other fact in connection with the value of real
estate, as compared with what it was fifty years since,
is often overlooked, the commentator being oblivious of
the fact that property has advanced in price, not alone
from increased demand for actual or possible purposes,
but also from the augmentation resulting from a large
amount of money having been spent upon the land
without return. During all these years, taxes and
assessments have been levied and assessed with regu-
larity, and one question seemes pertinent for each would-
be buyer of fifty years ago and holder until the present
to ask himself, Whether he is sure he would have had
the money to bestow upon the property requisite to its
being thus held? No real estate owner in Chicago
needs to be reminded of the vast amount of property,
in city and suburbs, whose value has been eaten up over
and over in accessory expenses — some property having
become in twelve years, exactly double in cost to the
owner, from such expenses, while its market price was



but slightly advanced. This of course, applies solely
to unimproved real estate.

In improved real estate, then, the profits derived
from improvements must be considered apart from the
possibilities of profit on the real estate. There are
those who contend that an owner of improved real
estate would have done far better if he had placed his
improvements upon leased ground, with a five-year
re-valuation clause in the lease. The fact is that, in the
growth of Chicago, there have been multitudes of
opportunities for aggrandizement in every line of
trade; and when a scale of prices is instituted as to
real estate, it is an index of values generally in this
city at that period, as well as of the market price
of the land whereon such values obtained; so that,
whether augmented prices of real estate, or realizations
from rents, are discussed, a profit of sufficient magnitude
is evolved to make an unsuccessful person keenly aware
of the grand possibilities that he has failed to realize.

In the following pages one fact is unmistakeably
presented, that, whatever their opinions may be as to the
desirability of real-estate over other investments in the
past, its value as a savings-bank for the future is unsur-
passed, this statement being predicated upon sound
bases.

In a resume of the real estate market during the
epoch prior to 1857, there appears to be but two periods
whereon it is needful to continent, besides the land craze
of 1837, and they are the years 1855-56, when property
again became an object of speculative investment, and
in 1857, when financial embarrassment reduced its sala-
ble price far below its intrinsic worth.

It is, however, germane to this article to state some
facts connected with real estate anterior to 1858. One
of such is recapitulated in a letter written to Hon. John
Wentworth by Father St. Cyr, and in the possession of
the Chicago Historical Society:

Carondelet, Mo., Jan. 30, 1SS0.

* * * " It may be interesting to your Historical Club to know
who where the first owners of that tract of land, that lies north of
Chicago River. It first belonged, by a concession of the Indians,
to a man who lived at Crosse Pointe, called Bonhomme (whether it
was his real name I don't know) Being in need of money he one
day — long before Chicago was a village, town or city — nut Mr.
Peter Menhard,* who wished to buy some land in that direction.
Mr. Bonhomme told him that he would sell to him all that tract of
land. P. M. asked : For how much? $50,00 was the reply "I P.;
and, in consequence, they drew up a contract in due form by which
that tract of land extending along the river passed into the hands of
P. Menhard as second owner. Put returning home to Taz[e]well
County, I".- and finding land much cheaper near Peoria and of

• Pierre Menard.



563



HISTORY OF CHICAGO.



much better quality for cultivation, he repented of his first bargain,
went back to Chicago, and sold his land to the Kenzies for the
same amount for which he had bought it : $50.00. Consequently
the want of foresight in P. M. was the cause of J. & R. Kenzie's
great fortune. I hold this from P. M., who came to Chicago in
1S35, and whilst we were walking together in the street he pointed
with his right hand to that tract of land and said : Would you be-
lieve Fath. St. Cyr, that I was once the owner of that land there,
for which I paid $50.00 and which I sold again to the K — for the
same price. How foolish I was, he said with great agitation.

" \ ou ask for my full name. It is that of your obedient servant,
" Rev. John Mary Ireneus St. Cyr."

This letter is given just as it was written at Father
" St. Cyr's dictation, he being blind at the time, his signa-
ture, evidently, having been written tactilely, and not
by sight. This may be classed among the very first of
the real-estate transactions of Chicago, and is inserted
on that account.

Some of John S. Wright's transactions in real estate
are interesting as mementoes, and are here given. On
Friday, March 7, 1834, he bought of Lieutenant Jami-
son, Lot 4, Block 17, Original Town, containing Sox 150
feet, for $3. 5°°- On March 12, 1834, he purchased 90^2
acres for $3,500, 73 acres of this tract were on the North
Branch, the west half of the southwest quarter of Sec-
tion 4, in Township 39. On March 17, 1834, he bought
Lot 5. Block 19, Original Town, for $1,200, paying
$300 cash. Mr. Wright says, annotating this transac-
tion : " $17 from father's store and $283 borrowed from
C. cc I. Harmon, William McCorristen (a soldier) and
Peter Cohen." On October 15, 1834, he bought 43
87-100 acres in Section 22, Township 39 north, of
Range 14 east — being comprised within Lake and State
streets, and running from Twelfth Street south — at $80
an acre. On January 2, 1835, he bought 40 acres — after-
ward Butler, Wright & Webster's Addition — and sold
them on April 10, 1835, for $10,000. On January 27,
1835, he bought eighty acres, the south half of the
southeast quarter of Section 34, Township 39, for $800.
On May 11, 1835, he bought 80 acres — afterward Bush-
nell's Addition — for $6,000. Mr. Wright failed, in
1837, and had to close out a large number of his real-
estate deals at a sacrifice.

He made herculean efforts to sell Chicago real estate
in 1849, by compiling a statistical table of increase in
values of realty, so that foreign capitalists might be-
come interested in such property, and, seeing the great
inducements offered, would invest. This schedule of
probable growth was indorsed by Benjamin W. Raymond,
George W. Dole, George Steel, John H. Kinzie, Elisha
S. Wadsworth, Thomas Dyer, John P. Chapin, W. H.
Brown and George Gibbs. But capitalists failed to be
allured by Mr. Wright's statements — proved far beyond
his most glowing anticipations by the lapse of time.

Among the very early real -estate dealers, were
Gurdon S. Hubbard, and John Wright, the father of
John S. Wright, who advertised, in 1833, that he rented
houses and did a real - estate business. His son was in
the business in 1835, as was William G. Hubbard, while
the firm of Kinzie & Hunter and Dr. W. B. Egan seem
to have gone into the business in 1836. The directory

of 1839 designates the following as pioneers in this
profession, and the ante-types of the numerous gentle-
men who have follower! in their footsteps: Hiram
Baker, attorney and real-estate agent ; Francis G.



Blanchard, real-estate dealer; Major James B. Camp-
bell, teal-estate agent ; Charles H. Chapman, real-estate
dealer ; George H. Chapman, real-estate dealer ; Nor-
man Clarke, dealer in land claims ; Stephen M. Edgel,
Dr. William B. Egan and William Bailey French, real-
estate dealers ; Larned B. Harkness, real-estate opera-
tor ; Leonard C. Hugunin, speculator ; Gholson Ker-
cheval, real - estate ; James Kinzie, real-estate agent ;






Isaac Legg and John R. Livingston, real-estate dealers
James A. Marshall, auction, commission, etc. ; Walter
L. Newberry, attorney and real - estate office ; John
Noble and Mark Noble, each real-estate ; AVilliam B
Ogden, real-estate dealer ; Colonel Hiram Pearsons
real-estate dealer ; Philip F. W. Peck, real-estate spec
ulator; Dr. Peter Temple, real-estate agent; J. B
Wetherell, George Wheeler and Lot Whitcomb, real-
estate dealers ; and John S. Wright, forwarding and
commission merchant. In 1844, the following addi-
tional real-estate men are found : Julius Wadsworth,




/facets t^Kcu^i dj/fcc^



Ogden & Jones (comprising William B. Ogden and
William E. Jones), R. C. Bristol, Theron Pardee,
George Smith & Co., the bankers, J. B. F. Russell, S.
B. Collins & Co., Augustus Garrett, J. T. Whitney and
B. W. Raymond ; while in 1848, James H. Rees and
Stout & Sampson are noted, the latter firm consisting
of A. H. Stout and William H. Sampson.

A syllabus of the information contained in the direc-
tories from 1854 to 1 87 1 is as follows :



1S54-

1855-

1856-

1858

1859

1S60

1861

1862

1863

1864

1865 .

1866

1867 .

1868 .

1869 .

1870 .
1871



Keal

ESTATE


Dealers.


Agents.




43




48





89





9'





57





137





3i


30


118





94




109




93





104




179




167


35


47


2 5


1 go


S5


1 So


S4



hence this pour showing of real-estate men.



1 from the first of the Kd-
" classified " paid for the privilege,



REAL ESTATE INTERESTS.



560



Ogden, Sheldon & Co.— In May, 1835, William B. Ogden
came to Chicago to manage an estate that had been purchased b)
himself and other gentlemen. This was the embryo out of which
grew the real estate firm of Ogden, Sheldon & Co., whose history
is hereafter recounted. In 1S44, Mr. Ogden associated with him
William E. Jones, of Xew York City, who had been secretarj of
the American Land Company and possessed a general experience
in real-estate matters, the firm becoming Ogden & Jones. In 1846,
Edwin II. Sheldon entered their office, and Mahlon I). Ogden fol-
lowed his example during the ensuing year. In 1850, these gentle-
men were admitted to partnership, the firm comprising William B.
and Mahlon D. Ogden, William E. Jones and Edwin II. Sheldon,
the firm name being changed to Ogden, Jones & Co. In 1S51,
Mr. Jones died, and in 1S56, Stanley H. Fleetwood having joined
the linn, the firm-name was altered to Ogden, Fleetwood & Co.
In 186S, William B. Ogden and Stanley H, Fleetwood retired, and
the corporate name again became Ogden, Sheldon & Co., which
name is still borne by this, the oldest of Chicago's real estate
houses. Some of the large properties managed by this firm have
been in their hands for a long time;j for instance, in 1851 they
were selected as the agents of the Chicago Land Company — they
still continue its management, although the Company has been
placed in the hands of a receiver by the United States Court, E.
H. Sheldon, however, having been appointed receiver. Samuel
Russell, who originated the celebrated house of Russell & Co., at
Hong Kong, designated them as the agents of his estate in 1S44;
they administered his estate, and now represent his grandchildren.
In 1845, Ogden & Jones purchased the property now known as
Sheffield's Addition, on joint account for Joseph E. Sheffield and
the firm, and they now represent "his estate. The first account cur-
rent made out by William B. Ogden in 1S35 is still in existence; —
their papers, deeds, etc., being fortunately saved by the vault in
which they were stored at the time of the fire. Many persons have
expatiated, in glowing terms, upon the sentiments they experienced
when they have been in the treasure-houses of banks and safety-
deposit companies, but, standing amid these evidences of forty-nine
years of titles to the fundamental source of wealth — Chicago's real
estate — it was not difficult to imagine the magnitude of the interests
that Messrs Ogden, Sheldon & Co. conserve, nor the hundreds of
thousands — aye millions — of dollars' worth of property these papers
represent. Only a short time since, Edwin H. Sheldon prepared a
document for the celebrated jurist, Charles O'Conor, to be used in
evidence, wherein were specific accounts running through forty
years. The first sale made by William B. Ogden was on June 12,
1835, of Block 1, Original Town of Chicago, to Royal Stewart,