The Rise of the Magnificent Mile

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Chicago's North Michigan Avenue, also known throughout the world as The Magnificent Mile, traces its early history to 1837 when the City of Chicago was incorporated. It is difficult to imagine that today's famous avenue, with shopping malls, skyscrapers, condominiums, world class stores, and major hotels was once a dirt road with a few wooden houses. Almost all of the buildings and mansions were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, except for the Water Tower and Pumping Station. The street that would become known as North Michigan Avenue after the Michigan Avenue Bridge was opened in 1920, was originally called Pine Street. The Fourth Presbyterian Church was built in 1914, and, during the 1920s, such structures as the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, Allerton Hotel, Palmolive Building and Drake Hotel, along with numerous low rise and mid rise buildings went up along the avenue. Construction ground to a halt during the Great Depression and World War II, but, beginning in the 1950s and continuing throuhout the rest of the 20th century, there was an explosion in construction on and near North Michigan Avenue. Two of the best known buildings erected during that period were The John Hancock Building and Water Tower Place. The book also covers the development of the Streeterville neighborhood to the east of the avenue with its world reknowned educational and medical complexes. In addition, Rush Street, and its entertainment venues and restaurants gets special treatment in the book, along with the well known Oak Street. Today, the area known as The Magnificent Mile, and the broader Greater North Michigan Avenue District, is a major attraction in a world class city where visitors increasingly come to discover why Chicago is such a special place. The book includes interviews with 25 well known Chicagoans, skillfully blended with more than 275 black and white, duotone and color photographs presented in a then and now format.