The Blackstone: Gangsters, Presidents, and Philanthropists, oh my!

Meet the storied hotel and the railroad tycoon (who refused a salary) it's named for

Each week, discover an historic Chicago landmark and meet the people who built the Windy City. Includes audio recorded by Jim Goodrich.

Before we begin the story of smoke-filled rooms and railroad tycoons…

FLASH SALE!

If you enjoy wild stories of Chicago’s past and of the people who shaped the city, you will LOVE Living Landmarks of Chicago. And guess what! I have a few copies left from my Mensa presentation last week. The book is filled with tantalizing tales like egg-throwing apes, a man cave to end all man caves, and runaways who became millionaires 5 cents at a time.

I normally don’t keep book inventory, so I’m happy to offer these at $20 for paperback and $30 for hardcover. With free shipping! (In the continental US.) Leave a comment or send me an email if you want one and I’ll give you my Venmo/Zelle info.

You can also order through my store, but shipping will be charged.

Now on to the story!

The Blackstone Hotel is woven into the mythology of Chicago. It’s hosted politicians, gangsters, movie stars, jazz greats, and royalty. It’s the Hotel of Presidents and claims the original smoke-filled room.

The day after it opened, the Chicago Tribune declared: “The Blackstone is to be, in fact it already is, one of the landmarks of Chicago.” The April 17, 1910 article praised the design, the amenities, and the location, and while its anticipatory statement proved true, it’s doubtful the reporter had any idea just how important this hotel would become.

Or maybe he did, because The Blackstone was the dream of Tracy and John Drake, sons of John Burroughs Drake, whose Grand Pacific Hotel had been a political hub in a city that hosted more national political conventions than any other. It also didn’t hurt that the hotel was named for one of the biggest movers and shakers of 19th century Chicago.