Market Square: Market Square

              Market Square
Robert Koepke
January, 1999

I. Pre-Market Square
1.  The Lake Forest Association promoted Lake Forest as a summer retreat.
a.  Implored prestigious Chicagoans to escape the filth and poverty of the city and participate in an educated community of beautiful homes.
-  Could do so because of the start of commuter service to the North Shore by the Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad in the 1850’s.
2.  Business district before 1917 was a “disgrace to civilization.”
a.  Reminded Arthur T. Aldis of “the business section of Sun Dance, Wyoming in the early [18]80’s.”
b.  Two story brick and frame shanties with false fronts, varying heights, and high steps.
c.  Street was just mud or gravel, making it very dusty when dry and very muddy when wet.
-  Tar was later put down on Western Avenue.
d.  Extended flush along Western Avenue (no courtyard) for 400 feet.
e.  Set on 260 foot deep lots, building taking up the front 60 feet with the remaining 200 feet occupied by garbage, barns, storehouses, and the city weigh scale, and the dog pound.
-  These structures all abutted a road known as “The Alley,” which is now known as Bank Lane.
f.  Western Avenue very congested near the train station by carriages and cars, especially at train time.
3.  Residents included:  Monahan Chocolate Shop; S.C. Orr groceries; W.H. O’Neils cigar store and billiards room; Burgess and Bleier’s clothing store; Mrs. Luther’s candy store; Austin McDonough’s meat market; Jim Smith’s barber shop;  John Schier’s cigar and newspaper shop’ Lawrence Speidel’s gasoline, kerosene, and oil shop;  John Gordon’s Shoes and Bicycles; Tom Eastwood’s Cigar Store; Tom Porter’s Café; George Shearer’s cigar store and bowling alley; Katherine Scott’s Restaurant; Julia Matthews’ Café; French’s Drug Store; and G. L. Harder & Co. hardware store.
4.  Mayor, city council, and city of Lake Forest never seemed to be able to improve physical and aesthetic conditions.
b.  Impetus had to come from the residents who came from Chicago.

II. The Making of Market Square
1.  In 1912, Arthur T. Aldis, a realtor, and Howard Van Doren Shaw, an architect, wanted to replace row of shabby buildings with a “market square” reminiscent of a European village.
a.  Aldis would take care of business end and Shaw would deal with the design.
b.  Thought that with a frontage of 400 feet and a depth of almost 300 feet they could make a hollow square.