Tremont House (Chicago)

Tremont House (1850-1871, pictured right) was a leading hotel in Chicago, United States, that served as the Headquarters for the Illinois Republican Party during the 1860 Republican National Convention held at the nearby Wigwam as they lobbied for Abraham Lincoln's nomination.cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/603.html|author=Berger, Molly|accessdate=March 28|accessdate=2007|date=2005|publisher=Chicago Historical Society|title=Hotels|work=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago] cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1355.html|accessdate=March 28|accessdate=2007|date=2005|publisher=Chicago Historical Society|author=Karamanski, Theodore J.|title=Wigwam|work=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago] Both Lincoln and Stephen Douglas started their Senatorial campaigns from the balcony of this hotel.Host, William R. and Brooke Ahne Portmann, "Early Chicago Hotels," Arcadia Publishing, 2006, p. 11., ISBN 0-7385-4041-2.] It was the third hotel bearing this name constructed at the Southeast corner of Lake Street and Dearborn in Chicago. ] It was a 260-room hotel by early Chicago architect John M. Van Osdel, ] who is known as the architect of the Illinois Executive Mansion. It was a block masonry structure with the finest amenities of the day. The original Tremont House built in 1833 had been named after the Boston Tremont House. In 1861, this building served as Douglas' deathplace. [DN-0060398, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society.]

Today, a Tremont Hotel is part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide network and is located at 100 East Chestnut Street, between Michigan Avenue on the Magnificent Mile and Rush Street. [cite web|url=http://www.tremontchicago.com/|title=The Tremont Hotel|accessdate=2008-05-20|publisher=Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.] The Hotel houses the Chicago location of Mike Ditka's restaurant. [cite web|url=http://www.mikeditkaschicago.com/|title=Mike Ditka's|accessdate=2008-05-20|publisher=Mike Ditka’s Resturants] This block of Chestnut is also known as Mike Ditka Way. [cite web|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ1099-OCT_DITKA|title=Is Ditka Nuts?|accessdate=2008-05-20|date=1999-10-01|publisher=Hearst Communications, Inc.|work=Esquire|author=Sager, Mike]

George M. Pullman made his reputation as a building raiser before becoming famous for sleeping cars. [cite web| publisher=Encyclopedia of Chicago| title=George Pullman and His Town| accessdate= February 27| accessyear=2007| author=Leyendecker, Liston E. |date=2005|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1721.html] In 1861, Ely, Smith and Pullman raised the Tremont House six feet in the air; [Chicago Daily Tribune, January 22nd, 1861, [http://www.jonathanriley.net/chicsrc.html#january_22nd_1861] ] it was just one of many Chicago buildings that was lifted to match the upward shifting street grade during the mid nineteenth century.

The hotel burned to the ground a third time during the Great Chicago Fire. During the interim, John Drake (1826-1895) bought a hotel at Michigan Avenue and Congress that served as the temporary New Tremont House.Host, William R. and Brooke Ahne Portmann, "Early Chicago Hotels," Arcadia Publishing, 2006, p. 29., ISBN 0-7385-4041-2.] Drake bought this temporary Hotel as a successful bet that it would escape the fire the day the Tremont caught fire. ]

Some sources ambiguously cite this as the Headquarters of the 1860 National Republican Convention. The Wigwam served as the convention center. This hotel provided the hotel and meeting accommodations for the Illinois Republican Party during the convention.

A Tremont Hotel (1873-1937, pictured left) was built on the site. The rebuilt hotel remained along with The Palmer House, The Grand Pacific Hotel and the Sherman House a leading hotel after the Great Fire. ] It was built in the commercial palazzo architecture style of the day and claimed to be fireproof. ]

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