River North in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse

North Chicago Street Railway Co., builder; 1887

— Chicago Landmark —

LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, January 31, 2024

1. LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse Marker

Inscription. This building survives from the heyday of Chicago's cable car system, the largest in the United States during the late nineteenth century. Originally housing a pair of Corliss engines, the Powerhouse served as a critical mass transit link between the Loop and the North Side by powering cable cars through the LaSalle Street tunnel beneath the Chicago River, moving about 100,000 passengers daily during the 1890s and early 1900s.

Designated on June 27, 2001
Richard M. Daley, Mayor

Erected by Commission on Chicago Landmarks; City of Chicago.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Illinois, Chicago Landmarks Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.

Location. 41° 53.456′ N, 87° 37.969′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in River North. It is at the intersection of LaSalle Street and Illinois Street, on the right when traveling south on LaSalle Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 500 North

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LaSalle Street, Chicago IL 60654, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Loop da Loop, 2018 (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); (Former) Engine Company 42 Firehouse (about 700 feet away); Courthouse Plaza (about 800 feet away); 25,000th Convenience Store (approx. 0.2 miles away); William D. Boyce (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named William D. Boyce (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of the First Rush Medical College (approx. 0.2 miles away); James C. "Jim" Tyree (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. The building has been used as a restaurant for many years, its famous past tenants including Michael Jordan's

LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, January 31, 2024

2. LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse

The marker is on the left side of this photo, near LaSalle's intersection with Illinois Street.

Steakhouse and Gino's East, the iconic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza restaurant. As of 2026, it houses a restaurant called Hawksmoor.

Also see . . . Forgotten Chicago: Cable Car Remnants.

Excerpt: "During Chicago’s cable car era (1882 to 1906), three companies provided more than one billion rides using an estimated 3,000 cars. Chicago ended up with the second most miles: 41.2 double-track miles compared with a peak of 52.8 double-track miles in San Francisco. And to operate its systems, Chicago’s cable car companies built 13 powerhouses and countless car barns, office buildings, waiting rooms, repair shops, car building shops and other structures. With a mile of single track costing about $150,000, Chicago’s huge investment in cable car track, infrastructure and equipment added up to $25 million ($600 million in current dollars)."

(Submitted on January 31, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Photographed by Sean Flynn, January 31, 2024

3. LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse

Chicago cable car image. Click for full size.

Library of Congress, circa 1903

4. Chicago cable car

A Chicago cable car travels down State Street amid pedestrians, at a spot that appears to be about a half-mile southeast of the Powerhouse.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 31, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 407 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 31, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.