A night of debauchery could be spent between the 37 bordellos, 46 bars, 11 pawn shops, a shooting gallery, and too many small time gambling houses to count. No, it is not modern day Amsterdam or Las Vegas. This was a small area of Chicago that was spared by the great fire of 1871. At this time it was best known as the Levee District; a collection of warehouses and shanties that represented the underbelly of the city until 1910. The mayor’s campaign to rid the city of the blight worked and the area was forever transformed into Printer’s Row.
As Chicago was becoming the crossroads of America due to the railroads, companies like Montgomery Ward and Sears & Roebuck had a flourishing mail order catalog business. The previously derilict area of of the Levee District was transformed into Printer’s Row to meet the areas printing needs. The industrial architecture of the warehouse spaces that littered the area were equally attractive to printing and publishing companies – large windows for natural light, cavernous floor space, and solid construction. The nearby Dearborn train station was another logistical bonus. Trains carrying printer’s supplies like ink and paper could off load at the train station at which point the material could be moved via an underground rail network directly to the print shops.
In 1886, fresh with his new movable type invention, Ottmar Mergenthaler setup operations in the aptly named Mergenthaler Linotype Building. Other large printing operations like Lakeside Press (eventually RR Donnelley) and M.A. Donohue took up residence in the area. Printering outfits continued in the area until 1970 at which point the need to be in close proximity to the city center and railroad hubs diminished. The freeway system and cheap, abundant land made the suburbs more attractive for the print shops.
Today, Printer’s Row is a residential area in the South Loop. If you want to take a glimpse at days past, check out the Printer’s Row Printing Museum located in the bottom floor of the Donohue Building at 711 South Dearborn Street. The Chicago Architecture Foundation also offers a walking tour of the area on September 19th, 2009 at 9:30 AM for $15.
Printer’s Row in Pictures
(Click on image to enlarge.)
photo by: puroticorico
photo by: Artefaqs photo by: moonrat42
photo by: JOE M500 photo by:swanksalot
