The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-05-25


haps associate the word with the ideal remin.
iscences OF "long, long ago,"-possibly peri
cd when his grandfather handled upon his knee
the youthful scion who witnessed the initiatary
of business life in Ottawa. However prone
the reader may be to imbibc such notions, we
beg to assure him that such is not the case.
The buildings, which form the subject ofour
illustration, were built in the years 1S4S and
1858; the brick block in the latter year, and
the old wooden structure in the former one, by
j. Wood, Esq.,-the small wooden structure,
which is seen in the extreme corner, and for a
long time occupied by Degen Bros, rs meat
market, singular enough had wlthstood the
ravages of time to a wonderful extent
The entire space occupied by both buildings
as now being razed is a frontage on LaSalle
street of 70 feet and OH Madison of 60 feet.
The brick block has been occupied more re-
Gently by Pratt Of the 400 cent store" notoriety,
and Smith & Rising, cigar manufacturers, the
entire capacity of the same being two business
rooms with two stories above occupied as Of
fees and manufactures
The new structure, an illustration of which
we will shortly present is being erected by the
original proprietor, Mr.. Wood, from the draw
inVs of Mr.. Furness the architect. The altitude
| is to be the same as the old one, with the same
frontage on both streets as was occupied by the
brick block and wooden building, occupying
an entire and unbroken front on both streets,
reaching from the City bank on Madison street
to the corner west, thence to the wooden build
ing now occupied by Mr.. Wolf, on La Sale
street.
The new edifce is in dimensions 6OXSO
feet, and will be divsioned as follows Sixty
feet front on Madison and eighty feet on La
Sale street. first floor, first business room
west, to be occupied by Mr.. Smith together
with Cd story,-dimensions 20X70 feet on Mad.
lson; second and third room west, to be
occupied by Forbes e Gehring as drug
store, having a capacity ofG0 feet front on Mad
ison street. and 20 feet on LaSalle street En-
frances to their rooms will be from both streets.
On the north end of their two capacious bust
ness rooms, will be convenient bushes square
for office purposes of20x40 feet, with entrance
of course on La Sale street.
The second floor will consist oftitH% rooms,
six of which will have a fruniag' "a La Sale
and five rooms on Madison stree. The third
story will be fitted up ostens;by for the Illinois
National Guards boys to "e.tnp tramp, tramp
as an armory, with such modern architecture
as the occasion and age demand, which will,
when completed, perhaps be the finest armory
| in the state north of the Capital.
TIE architect, 10 whom we are partially IN
debted for the graphic description given, is MIR
! II. C. Furress, who exhibited to us in connec-
ton with Mr. Woods building plans IN per
spectiye and outline of the new Court House,
(which is TO be- cut of which we will, ere
long give to our readers, but Is now being pre-
narrd for the inspection of the county building
committee.
i Asa business corner. and in an architectural
I. noint of view, the new Wood block will not bt
surpassed by any in the city. As substantial
structure il will have no rival.
Thus. one by one, the old wooden piles and
landmarks are giving way to permanent I'M
movements: and, despite the hard times, OF
j ,ows through the indomltable energy of her
trpc business men. is making just such record
ne the historian Will be pleased TO iRdite, and
v;thoutdoubt exceeding in go-a-headitiveneSs
any of her compeerS.