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Wigwam (Chicago)

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Coordinates:41°53′7.3″N87°38′11.2″W/ 41.885361°N 87.636444°W/41.885361; -87.636444
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The Wigwam - 1860Republican National Convention

TheWigwamwas a convention center and meeting hall that served as the site of the1860 Republican National Convention.[1]It was located inChicago, Illinois,at Lake Street and Market (laterWacker Drive) near the Chicago River, on property owned byGarrett Theological Seminary.[2]This site had previously been the site of theSauganash Hotel,Chicago's first hotel.[1]This is where supporters usheredAbraham Lincolnto the party nomination and the eventualU.S. Presidency.The location at Lake and Wacker was designated aChicago Landmarkon November 6, 2002.[1]The name "Wigwam" was later associated with host locations for both the1864 Democratic National Conventionand the1892 Democratic National Conventionin Chicago.

The building

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1907 photograph of the building byAlexander Hessler

The two-story Wigwam was built by Chicago business leaders to attract the 1860 Convention.[3][4]It was a temporary structure, built entirely of wood in little more than a month, and it could accommodate 10–12,000 people.[5][6][7]The building was used for political and patriotic meetings during the Convention and theAmerican Civil War.[6]It also served as a retail space until its demolition. The Wigwam was destroyed by fire on November 13, 1869. Following theGreat Chicago Fireof 1871, another "Wigwam" building at Washington (one city block south of Lake) and Market served as the temporary home of theChicago Board of Trade.[8]

It was anantebellumcustom to call a political campaign headquarters a Wigwam.[6]Wigwamis also aNative American(specifically,Eastern Abenakilanguage) word for "temporary shelter".[7]

History

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Sauganash Hotel

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The Sauganash Hotel

Mark Beaubien built atavernon the site of the later Wigwam in 1829–30.[9]In 1831, he added a frame to the log structure to create Chicago's first hotel, the Sauganash Hotel,[9]on the east bank of the south branch of theChicago Riverat the point where the north and south branches meet.[1]The newly formed Town of Chicago elected its first town trustees in 1833 in the hotel.[1]The building briefly served as Chicago's firsttheater,[1]and it hosted the first Chicago Theatre company in 1837 in an abandoned dining room.[10]The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1851,[1]and the Wigwam was built in its place nine years later.

Conventions

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Chicago has hosted the mostUnited States presidential nominating conventions(14Republican National Conventionsand 11Democratic National Conventions,in addition to one notableProgressive Partyassembly).[5]The 1860 Republican National Convention (the second Republican National Convention) was held at the Wigwam. The1864 Democratic National Conventionwas hosted in a different "Wigwam" built for the convention as a semicircular roofedamphitheater.[3][11]These were the first Chicago visits for each party's national convention.[5]Baltimore has hosted 10 and Philadelphia has hosted 9.[5]The1868 Republican National Conventionreturned to Chicago, but it was located at theCrosby Opera House.[5]The1892 Democratic National Conventionconvened in a temporary "Wigwam" inLake ParkforGrover Cleveland's third nomination.[5]

1860 Republican National Convention

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Main article:1860 Republican National Convention
Drawing of the Wigwam interior during the 1860 nominating convention. Note the second story gallery and curved ceiling structure to allow for better acoustics.

The 1860 Republican National Convention was eventful for its nomination of Abraham Lincoln, who went on to aPresidencynotably marked by the onset of theAmerican Civil Warand the abolition ofslavery.During the convention, backroom dealing and political scheming played a role in the outcome.[5]Nevertheless, Lincoln, who had stayed in Springfield during the convention, received vociferous support and carried the nomination.[12]

Today

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Today, the corner of W. Lake Street and N. Wacker Drive bears the address of 191 N. Wacker. This address is in theLoopcommunity areain Chicago. The 157 m (516 ft), 37-story office tower, named 191 North Wacker, was designed byKohn Pedersen Foxand built in 2002.[13][14]The major tenants includeDrinker, Biddle & Reath,Much Shelist,Watson Wyatt Worldwide,Heitman Financial,andRSM McGladrey.[14]In 2017, the city rededicated plaques gifted in the early 20th century by theDaughters of the American Revolution,which commemorate the nomination of Lincoln at the Wigwam, and the Saganaush Hotel.[15]

  • 191 N. Wacker
    191 N. Wacker
  • Wigwam Building/Sauganash Hotel Chicago Landmark plaque
    Wigwam Building/Sauganash HotelChicago Landmarkplaque
  • Chicago Landmark plaque and 191 N. Wacker entrance
    Chicago Landmarkplaque and 191 N. Wacker entrance
  • A plaque dedicated by the Daughters of the American Revolution, marking the spot of the Wigwam. First unveiled in 1909, it was found in storage and rededicated in 2017. The backside is a plaque that marks the spot of the Sauganash Hotel.
    A plaque dedicated by theDaughters of the American Revolution,marking the spot of the Wigwam. First unveiled in 1909, it was found in storage and rededicated in 2017. The backside is a plaque that marks the spot of the Sauganash Hotel.

References

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  1. ^abcdefg"Site of the Sauganash Hotel/Wigwam".City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division.RetrievedJuly 15,2010.
  2. ^"Wigwam, 1860".The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago.Chicago Historical Society. 2005.RetrievedMarch 28,2007.
  3. ^abLupkin, Paula R. (2005)."Places of Assembly".The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago.Chicago Historical Society.RetrievedMarch 28,2007.
  4. ^Moore, Anne (2005)."Tourism and Conventions".The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago.Chicago Historical Society.RetrievedMarch 28,2007.
  5. ^abcdefgSautter, R. Craig (2005)."Political Conventions".The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago.Chicago Historical Society.RetrievedMarch 28,2007.
  6. ^abcKaramanski, Theodore J. (2005)."Wigwam".The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago.Chicago Historical Society.RetrievedMarch 28,2007.
  7. ^ab"The Old Chicago Wigwam".Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project. 2002.RetrievedMarch 28,2007.
  8. ^"Early History".Chicago Board of Trade. 2007.RetrievedMarch 31,2007.
  9. ^abBerger, Molly (2005)."Hotels".The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago.Chicago Historical Society.RetrievedMarch 28,2007.
  10. ^Adler, Tony,Theater,pp. 815-6, Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004The Encyclopedia of Chicago.The University of Chicago Press,ISBN0-226-31015-9
  11. ^"The 1864 Democratic National Convention".Chicago Historical Society. 1999.RetrievedMay 3,2007.
  12. ^"A Convention of Compromise: 1860".Chicago Historical Society. 1999.RetrievedMay 3,2007.
  13. ^"191 North Wacker".Emporis.com. 2007. Archived from the original on February 6, 2007.RetrievedApril 15,2007.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ^ab"191 North Wacker Drive".Hines Interests Limited Partnership. 2007.RetrievedApril 15,2007.
  15. ^"City Officials Rededicate Historic Plaque 'Lost' In City Hall Storage".CBS Chicago.November 6, 2017.RetrievedNovember 13,2017.
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