Old Lake View's
The City of Lake View (former township) was annexed in 1889 to the City of Chicago becaming the District of Lake View until official 'communities' were established by 1930. The same territorial space of the City of Lake View was the same territory of the new Chicago Lake View District - Western Avenue to the west, Devon Avenue to the north, Fullerton Avenue to the south, and east to the then existing lakefront
(Facebook Album)
View and read about the shoreline of Lake Michigan before the existence of roads along the lakefront from my sister site
LakeView Historical-Facebook
1910 photo - Chicago History Museum
along with interior of the crib - Library of Congress
The Supply of Water in 1891
Extension of the tunnel and
construction of the crib
Crib and Tunnel
The Tunnel
The tunnel from the Crib to the pumping station
was completed in 1891
text - Dept of Chicago Public Works 1891
Mapping the Water Works/Tunnel/Crib/Piping
in 1896
the proposed crib on map would be the Wilson Crib by 1917
that facilitated the elimination of the Lake View Crib by 1924
due to storm damage
photo - Chicago History Museum
built 1875
a zoomed 1887 Sanborn Fire Map of the location
Lake View's first pumping station was authorized for construction by the township in 1875. The second station was constructed just yards south of the original by 1915 when the area was then referred to as the District of Lake View. Both stations were located on Clarendon & Montrose Avenues. The station supplied a large portion of Chicago's northside water needs throughout the first half of the 20th century. The equipment at the second site included three Nordberg pumping engines & a Bethlehem Steel Company pumping engine, all with a capacity of pumping 25 million gallons per day. The second & last station, abandon for decades, was demolished in 1979 and remained a park district area for decades.
1894 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
a 1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
zoomed below
The first Lake View Township Water Works Pumping Station was operational from 1876-1913 and then replaced
by a more modern facility
by a more modern facility
second station construction photos below
A temporary building was constructed to streamline the process from one building to another
the temporary centrifuge
A temporary station needed to be built so continue the water supply to the residents of Lake View
one building is razed while the building rises
The second pumping station 1913-1959
View of Montrose Avenue after the pipe vault was buried
Second Building

a Lawrence Avenue Beach view
with pumping station chimney in background - unknown date
Ravenswood-Lake View Community Collection
a 1928 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
photos - Friends of Cuneo-Facebook
view west on Montrose Avenue east of razed hospital
view west on Montrose Avenue east of razed hospital
an aerial view of the smoke stack to the right of the photo
Clarendon at Irving Park Road 1960ish
with a view of the plants chimney
in the distance east of the hospital
The abandoned pumping station - view west 1970's below
Plans for the old station in 1971
The Planned Development
of the Area
The general scope of the planned development was a major concern to neighborhood associations & block clubs due to the traffic concerns of a massive project like this one.
the area with inserts
of the past and future
The New
'Lake View Station'
this development named after the original Water Works will be located across the street on the west side of Clarendon. Must of the property of the old station would
remain in the hands of the park district
the original planned development above
the last rendition below

Planned Development 2013
via the 46th Chicago Ward office
at the tennis courts
the last rendition below

Planned Development 2013
via the 46th Chicago Ward office
A mid 2018 view from Google Maps
the original Lake View Water Works was located at the tennis courts
Post Notes:
Historical Summary of theWater Works
page 2
page 3
page 3
View another source of photos of the
from The Library of Congress
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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!