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Near South Side in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

South Michigan Avenue Motor Row

 
 
South Michigan Avenue Motor Row Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 6, 2021
1. South Michigan Avenue Motor Row Marker
Inscription. In the early 20th Century, South Michigan Avenue was the heart of splenddor in regard to homes wealth, worship, leisure and shopping. South of the Chicago Loop was the only place for the most wealthy, best educated and modern families, whose homes bounded Prairie Avenue, just east of Michigan Avenue.

St. Luke's Hospital, the Second Presbyterian Church and Central Railway Station were built with the community's desires. The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 laced through the area further enriching the surrounding and further establishing Chicago's place among first-class cities. The Burnham Plan for Chicago's lakefront presented the final framework for Michigan Avenue with parks, statues, fountains and museums.

South Michigan Avenue has also been home to the Metropole and Lexington hotels, Chess Records, Chicago Defender and to many major car manufacturer in the world. At its peak, as many as 116 different makes of automobiles were sold on Motor Row, housed in elaborate, almost palace-like showrooms, many of which remain today.

This group of commercial buildings, here on the Near South Side of Chicago, is considered to be the largest, intact early autombile row in the United States. The use of these structures has not diminished. Commercial and retail space has given way to residential dwellings.
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People who want to he close to the downtown area have moved into lofted apartments and condominiums, reinventing the area as a neighborhood that is just as vibrant.
 
Erected by Chicago Department of Transportation.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: ArchitectureIndustry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1893.
 
Location. 41° 51.211′ N, 87° 37.438′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in the Near South Side. Marker is on South Michigan Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL 60616, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Chess Records Recording Studio (here, next to this marker); Chess Records Office and Studio (a few steps from this marker); White Castle #16 (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Second Presbyterian Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); American Book Company Building (approx. ¼ mile away); Wheeler–Kohn House (approx. ¼ mile away); The Platt Luggage Building (approx. ¼ mile away); Henry B. Clarke House (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.
 
Also see . . .  Illinois MPS Motor Row, Chicago, Illinois MPS - NRHP docs (National Archives Catalog).
Excerpt:
South Michigan Avenue Motor Row Marker - wide view, looking north on South Michigan Avenue image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 6, 2021
2. South Michigan Avenue Motor Row Marker - wide view, looking north on South Michigan Avenue
The reverse side of the Motor Row marker is a marker for Chess Records, whose office is the building on the left closest to the marker.
"Chicago's Motor Row District, which roughly centers on South Michigan Avenue between 14th and 24th streets, is considered to be the largest, intact early motor colony in the United Sates. Automobile rows had developed in numerous cities shortly after the turn of the last century as car companies sought to create districts where the sale and repair of cars could become a convenient urban shopping experience. The historic name of the district dates to the first decades of the twentieth century. The area was referred to in newspaper articles, magazine stories, and advertisements as Chicago's "Motor Row". Another name, "Automobile Row", appears to date from the 1930s."
(Submitted on December 21, 2021.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 21, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 197 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on December 21, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.

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Mar. 29, 2024