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/Hotel was originally the home of EE 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 of the hotel.
image above - Chicago Title Insurance Company
Created / Published Chicago, IL : James H. Rees, 1851
The 7 Mile House Tavern
X marks the spot on the map
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 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. Also. in the zoomed map below is the name of Anderson Hoods; probably the precusor to Andersonville??. The other names on the map above are probably names of property owners.
A Visit in June 1854A 1854 article below indicates the partnership of surveyor James Rees and Elisha Hundley in a subdivision called Pine Grove - today Lake View East
James H. ReesEE 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 Hundley in a subdivision called Pine Grove - today 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.
zoomed below
Room Boarding
at the Hotel
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
Elisha Hundley's Holdings
in relationship to his hotel
in 1868
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
This map highlights the location of the hotel
along Grace Street
Lake View
Becomes a Township in 1857
1862 Township Map
W.L. Flower Map-Library of Congress
W.L. Flower Map-Library of Congress
The View from the Hotel
1867 illustrated view
Chicago and Midwest Collection-Newberry Library
about the 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 Lake View Hotel.
My Framed Lithograph
The Route
to the Lake View House/Hotel
A Perspective from the
a publication about the years 1857-1974
The Plank Road to the Hotel in 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)
A Reference to the Hotel
& New Roadway alone the lake in 1874
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
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 death in mid-1890's 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 in the Town of Highwood; by the 1993 renamed Town of Fort Sheridan.
1898 photo - Ravenswood-Lake View Community Collection
A view of the Sheridan Road along the lakefront
a southern view from north of Grace Street by the 1910's
(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
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
Behind me in 1854 would have been the lake at the time.
I was taking the audience back to year 1854 - the first dinner party at the hotel and the area's surroundings at that time
I was taking the audience back to year 1854 - the first dinner party at the hotel and the area's surroundings at that time
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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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!
