The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1920-08-27
'sTREETERV|LLE DEEsTRIC1
IS AGAIN IN LIME LIGHT
Another Battle Is In the Making
if Big Interests Try To
Gust 80-Year Old
Claimant

Chicago Aug. 2T.--"Streeteryile G
in the "Deestrict OF Lake Michigan
part of Chicago's famous "Goa
/ Coast Is about to be the scene OF tn
thousand and first battle in its his
tory. according to notice served o.
United States Marshal Bradley b.
CAPTAIN George Wellington Stree;er
sl-year old claimant to s5O,O00,oo'
por,lon OF the Exclusive Lake shor.
Drive section.
"Capp" streeter and William II
Niles, one time military governor
and commanding general OF the army
Of the "deestrict". having notified he
! federal authorities that they are
about to again try 10 enforce ihei.
claim that Streeterville is not In Any
state in the union. have invited he
American Legion to assist them and
set the date for the opening OF hos
Titles as September 6, A letter tt
the Legion posts. copy TO which
vas also gent TO Marshal Bradley in
,.tes former soldiers to meet me al
the foot OF Superior street in uniform
armed and carrying a flag. and help
% end by force OF arms the treason
able acts Of judges or stand up
...~. - ..,nn I.gara a ftrlnu cnua1
4 postscript invites the legionaires 10
bring their lunch,
Captain Streeter has been fighting
since 1856 TO establish his claim TO-
one OF the most valuable sections ..
Chicago's lake front In that year
his steamer, the Reutan, stranded en-
the beach during a storm Caotain
Streeter built breakwater about the
stranded boat. $50 feet off shore, and
made 1t his home The rapidly shitt
Ing sands filled in the space between
boat and shore and added 1873 acces
10 the ictys area. To this land Cap
tain Streeter laid claim, and In the
next quarter of a century battles by
the hundreds were Tough in an effort
% oust him
On one occasion 500 police beseiged
General Niles pro
claimed himself military governor OF
the district OF Lake Michigan" ana
sith 80 men OF his escort" erected
surmounted by bachej |
wire and stood off the police for cev
ara days. before desertions in the
ranks so weakened the defending
force that lone policeman finally
executed flank attack and carrici |
he fort.
The courts IN 1915 ruled thai
Streeter had no title to the property
and his castle, which had succeeded
the steamboat home, was wrecked by
deputy sheriffs and then burned.
In 1902 Streeter and two friends
were convicted OF manslaughter in
connection with the death of joan !
s. Kirke, killed in one OF the freqnen,
assaults on the castle All were sen
fenced TO life Imprisonment, but II |
ter few months were released
The site OF the "deestriet" is. now
covered by more than a dozen sky |
apartment buildings ard |
hotels, The land Is valued at more
han s50,0O0,O0O Many OF the pres
ant owners have purchased deeds
rom Streeter as well as the state IN |
order that their occupancy may not
be interfered with by the 80 year old
lire eating veteran.
Streeter's claim is bassed on the !.
that the act creating he
state of Illinois fixed the "meander
inc of the lake as the boundary.
md that therefore his "deestrict" was
,utside the state and owed allegiancs
o no one except the United States
rhe courts held. however that III
lois extended to the center OF Lake
Michigan, that all land created by ns-
ural secretions of the lake helonaef
o the adjoining property owners;
md that all land created artifically
to the state. The stranding
If Streeter's steamship created land
Ii was held.