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Influence and Chicago History

Influence And Chicago History

I was reading an excerpt from a magazine called the Mens Book sharing the spicy details of the life of Palmer Potter and his wife, Bertha Honore. The history lesson shares these insights:

English: Photo of Potter Palmer I (1826-1902)

English: Photo of Potter Palmer I (1826-1902) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

  • Bertha Honoré Palmer

    Bertha Honoré Palmer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    Palmer built the beautiful Palmer House as a wedding present to his wife but it burned down just 13 days after during the Chicago fire of 1871.

  • Palmer wanted to move away after that but Bertha admonished him stating that it was his duty as a resident of Chicago to help rebuild it.
  • Palmer later built a mansion for  in what became the Gold Coast but was originally a swampland that his contemporaries referred to as “Frog Pond.”
  • Bertha was passionate about impressionistic art and bought a number of pieces from Renoir, Degas and Monet. After she passed these pieces were given to the Art Institute.
  • Bertha was a staunch advocate of women’s equality and lead the initiative to build The Women’s Building honoring women at the 1893 Word’s Fair.
  • Both Bertha and Palmer’s influence created an interest in their new home’s location, what we now know as Lake Shore Drive.
  • Prairie Avenue was abandoned eventually by Chicago’s elite for the new Millionaire’s Row–Lake Shore Drive.
Influence is a powerful thing. It pays to lead the pack rather than follow it. Besides, it’s much more fun!

 

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