Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-05-12
A Great Business House.

The tendency Of trade from Lake TO State
street, in this city, Is apparently something
very wonderful. Only five years ago the
great crowd and rush we're on Lake street
and State street, down town, was as quiet as
q country village. To-day the policeman
stands on duty at the crossing, and the crowd
surgos by from morning until night.
But strange as this wonderful transforma-
tion may appear TO one who only visits Chi
cago occasionally, the reason for 1t is quite
apparent to all who have watched the pro-
gress Of events. The turning of the tide be
gan with the removal of the great dry goods
house of Field. Letter. q Go, These gentle
men, foreseeiig that trade would ultimately
drift uptown, as IL has done In New York,
were among the first to select State street as
tho scene of their future operations. The
magnificent marble store they now occupy
was built expressly for them. 1t is perfectly
safe to say that so costly an edifce, adapted
to the occupancy of single firm, would not
have been erected had not this great mer-
camille house been In existence; for no other
firm doing btsiness In the, West could have
made use of so vast building. The marble
building itself was sufficient to create furor
hriohg property-owners, and set them at
work rearing costly structures In the imme-
date neighborhood. Built In the finest style
of the renaissance, of Vermont marble, o
hundred and one feet of frontage on State
street, and one hundred and ffty-hve on
Washington, six stories In height, 1t marked
an era In the building history Of Chicago !;
and STRANGERS visiting the city 20 to see 1t
with the same degree of curiosity that leads
them to inspect the lake and river tunnels.
But when Messrs. Field, Letter 81 Co. re-
moved from Lake street to this building they
brought their trade with them. Their vast
Wholesale trade reaches every city and hamlet
| of the Northwest. The country merchant
finds here everything his customer calls for,
| from the most elaborate piece of dress goods
| to the simplest notion! The building Itself
| was constructed with reference TO furnishing
every possible facility for the rapid transae-
| tion of business. And so 1t may be truly said
that Messrs. Field, Letter & Co. have
brought the army of merchants who visit
Chicago three or four times year to this
part of the city.
If the appearance Of crowded street were
not considered sufficient proof of all this,
why, then, 1t is only necessary to state that
the annual sales of this great mercantile
| house now amount to fifteen millions Of dollars
The retail department of Messrs. Field,
| Letter u Co. is the largest and most attractive
IN the country, If we except Stewards, ofNew
| York,
Strangers who visit Chicago to make pur-
chases almost invariably go direct to Field,
| Letter ~ Co.'s, 1t being not only the Oldest,
| but the best advertised house Of note. Very
few of the readers of the Advocate who have
visited Chicago during the last two years,
have gone away without looking through this
palatial store. We have not had sufficient
space to give a full description of it, and
therefore may return to the subject again. In
the meantime we heartily commend the estab-
| lishment to all. 1t is great business house,
managed with strict honor and integrity, and
| the West should be proud of its existence
From the Northleestern Christian Advocate.