Wigwam (Chicago)

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Coordinates: 41°53′7.3″N 87°38′11.2″W / 41.885361°N 87.636444°W / 41.885361; -87.636444
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The Wigwam - 1860 Republican National Convention

The Wigwam was a convention center and meeting hall that served as the site of the

Chicago Landmark on November 6, 2002.[1] The name "Wigwam" was later associated with host locations for both the 1864 Democratic National Convention and the 1892 Democratic National Convention
in Chicago.

The building

Alexander 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 the American Civil War.[6] It also served as a retail space until its demolition. The Wigwam was destroyed by fire on November 13, 1869. Following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, another "Wigwam" building at Washington (one city block south of Lake) and Market served as the temporary home of the Chicago Board of Trade.[8]

It was an

antebellum custom to call a political campaign headquarters a Wigwam.[6] Wigwam is also a Native American (specifically, Eastern Abenaki language) word for "temporary shelter".[7]

History

Sauganash Hotel

The Sauganash Hotel

Mark Beaubien built a

theater,[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

Chicago has hosted the most

Crosby Opera House.[5] The 1892 Democratic National Convention convened in a temporary "Wigwam" in Lake Park for Grover Cleveland's third nomination.[5]

1860 Republican National Convention

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 a Presidency notably marked by the onset of the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery. 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

Today, the corner of W. Lake Street and N. Wacker Drive bears the address of 191 N. Wacker. This address is in the West Loop neighborhood of the

RSM McGladrey.[14] In 2017, the city rededicated plaques gifted in the early 20th century by the Daughters 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 Hotel
    Chicago Landmark
    plaque
  • Chicago Landmark plaque and 191 N. Wacker entrance
    Chicago Landmark
    plaque 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 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.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Site of the Sauganash Hotel/Wigwam". City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
  2. ^ "Wigwam, 1860". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. 2005. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
  3. ^ a b Lupkin, Paula R. (2005). "Places of Assembly". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
  4. ^ Moore, Anne (2005). "Tourism and Conventions". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Sautter, R. Craig (2005). "Political Conventions". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
  6. ^ a b c Karamanski, Theodore J. (2005). "Wigwam". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
  7. ^ a b "The Old Chicago Wigwam". Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project. 2002. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
  8. ^ "Early History". Chicago Board of Trade. 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2007.
  9. ^ a b Berger, Molly (2005). "Hotels". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
  10. ISBN 0-226-31015-9
  11. ^ "The 1864 Democratic National Convention". Chicago Historical Society. 1999. Retrieved May 3, 2007.
  12. ^ "A Convention of Compromise: 1860". Chicago Historical Society. 1999. Retrieved May 3, 2007.
  13. ^ "191 North Wacker". Emporis.com. 2007. Archived from the original on February 6, 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2007.
  14. ^ a b "191 North Wacker Drive". Hines Interests Limited Partnership. 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2007.
  15. ^ "City Officials Rededicate Historic Plaque 'Lost' In City Hall Storage". CBS Chicago. November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.

External links

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41°53′7.3″N 87°38′11.2″W / 41.885361°N 87.636444°W / 41.885361; -87.636444

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