Clarke, early Chicago banker, still stands. The Ogden home disappeared long since, of course, but at 650 Rush st., the home of John V. Built in 1837, it was the first house in Chicago to be designed by an architect. Toward the north, at the northwest corner of Rush and Ontario, the new Cadillac building occupies a part of the site of Mayor William B. McLaughlin, the coffee merchant, once lived in a square brick house on this site. At the southeast corner of Rush and Ontario streets is rising the Decorative Arts building, where the fashion Arts club will have its new home. Hamilton McCormick house to the south has long been occupied by the Kungsholm restaurant, partly rebuilt following a fire. Blaine still lives in this fine residence at the southeast corner of Rush and Erie streets. Emmons Blaine, built in the ’90s, is partly surrounded by a high brick wall, Mrs. Opposite, on the east side of Rush street, were two early apartment buildings, the Marquette and the Charlevoix, which housed many socially prominent residents, including some of the town’s most eligible bachelors in the early days.

It was demolished in the ’30s to make way for a parking lot. The famous Virginia family hotel, built by Leander McCormick, brother of Cyrus McCormick, the “Reaper King,” once stood in this area. The Croydon-hotel, farther north, occupies the site of the gray stone mansion built by Judge Mark Skinner, friend of Abraham Lincoln.

On the west side of Rush street are the Milner hotel, at Grand avenue, and the Alexandria, at Ohio street, withe the Shriners’ Medinah temple nearby. So let’s stroll along Rush street, from Grand avenue to Chicago avenue, recalling other days! But enough remain for us to be able to recapture something of the flavor of old times, if we look about a bit. Since that time many of the fine homes have been razed, remodeled, changed. With the building of Michigan Avenue bridge in 1920, traffic was diverted and Rush street became like a quiet eddy near a rushing river. At 5:30 in the afternoon, Rush street once resounded to the tread of horses’ hoofs and the jingle of silver chains on expensive harnesses as liveried coachmen drove the rich men of the near north side to their homes. But in the ’80s and ’90s, and even into the present century, it was “Elegant Rush street,” home of the most prominent families of Chicago. “Quaint little Rush street,” they call it today, noting the old mansions, falling into decay.

Tavern on rush street