The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-09-01
'STREETERV|LLE >
AGA|N TO THE FRONT
FAMOUS STRIP OF mo MANS
LAND" IN CHICAGO HAS
INTERESTING HISTORY.

CHICAGO "Streeterville, in the
District of Lake Michigan" part
Of Chicago's famous "Gold Coast" is
about to be the scene of the thousand
and first battles in its history, ac-
cording to notice served on United
States Marshal Bradley by Captain
George Wellington Streeter, 80-year
old claimant to $50,000,000 portion
of the exclusive Lake Shore Drice
section.
Captain Streeter and William H.
Niles, one time military governor"
and commanding general of the army
of the "deestrict," having notified the
federal authorities that they are
about to again try to enforce their
claim that Streeterville is not in any
state in the union, have invited the
American Legion to assist them and
set the date for the opening Of hos
tilities as September 6. A letter to
the Legion posts, a copy of which
was also sent to Marshal Bradley,
invites former soldiers to meet me
at the foot Of Superior street in uni
form, armed and carrying flag, and
held to end by force of arms the
REASONABLE acts of judges or stand
up against a wall before a, firing
squad A postscript invites the le-
gionaires to bring their lunch.
Captain Streeter has been fighting
since 1886 to establish his claim to
one of the most valuable sections Of
Chicago's lake front. In that year
his steamer, the Reutan, stranded on
the beach during storm. Captain
Streeter built a breakwater about the
stranded boat, 45O feet off shore, and
made it his home. The rapidly shift
ing sands filled in the space between
boat and shore and added 1913 acres to
the city's area. To this land Captain
Streeter laid claim, and in the next
quarter of a century battles by hun
dreds were fought in an effort to oust
him.
On one occasion 500 police besieged
General" Niles pro-
claimed himself military governor
Of the district of Lake Michigan" and
with so men of his escort" erected
surmounted by barbed
wire and stood off the police for sew
eral days before desertions in the I
.anks so weakened the defending
'orce that lone policeman finally I
a-flank attack and carried
he fort.
The courts in 1915 ruled that
Streeter had no title to the property
md his brick castle, which had sue
eeded the steamboat home, was
wrecked by deputy sheriffs and then
'urned.
In 1902 Streeter and two friends
we're convicted of man slaughter in
onnection with the death of John S.
2 Ill III ~ H. Ev-a< ~ |
ssaults on the castle. All were SEN
enced to life Imprisonment, but after
few months we're released.
The site of the "deestrict" is now
overed by more than a dozen sky
craper apartment buildings and
otels. The land is valued at more
han s50,OOO,000 Many of the pres
mt owners have purchased deeds :
rom Streeter as well as the state in
rde rthat their occupancy may not be !
1terfered with by the 80-year old
re-eating veteran. :
Streeter's claim is based on the con-
sntion that the act creating the state :
{ Illinois fixed the "meander line" /
the lake as the boundary, and that :
lerefore his "deestrict" was outside .
le state and owed allegiance to no I
ae except the United States. The .
,urts held, however, that Illinois ex- >
.nded to the center of Lake Michi-
an, that all land created by natural
'cretions of the lake belonged to the
ljoining property owners; and that '
land created artifically belonged g
the state. The stranding Of Street
3 steamship created land artificial r
it was held. q