Shifting Grounds: The Earliest Years

The opening and closing of Pine Street between Chicago Avenue and Pearson Street was an ongoing affair from 1855 when landowners were first approached to relinquish edges of their property for the expansion and extension of Pine Street from Ohio St. to Oak St. (See William Lill's Property tab, above.)

In 1866, with the expansion of the new water works to include a standpipe west of the pumping station, city officials acquired William Lill's property that spanned Pine Street to Rush Street - and moved Pine Street 100 feet westward. The standpipe was housed in a stone tower that remains on that site today.
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All documents on this page courtesy of the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) at Northeastern Illinois University.

The 1870 documents to the right detail the attempt to re-connect Pine Street between the new water tower and pumping station. In the photograph, below, taken within days of the 1871 Chicago Fire it appears that the street had been opened. Soon thereafter the entire site was fenced, closing off the street again until 1926 when the Michigan Avenue bridge opened and the streets assumed the same name.

July 11, 1870

Office of the Board of Public Works,
Chiago July 11th 1870.

To the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Chicago in Common Council assembled:

The Board of Public Works recommend the passage of the Ordinance hereto appended, providing for the opening of Pine Street, on the West line of and through the land owned by the City of Chicago, from Chicago Avenue to East Pearson Street; and for the vacation of Pine Street, from Chicago Avenue to East Pearson Street, as originally laid out by the Canal Trustees Sub. of South fractl. Section 3 T 29 N. R 14 E.

The recommendation for the above vacation is made in view of the fact that Pine Street as originally opened and recorded by the Canal Trustees Sub, as above, is now occupied by the Chicago Water Works and cannot, nor has it been for years past, used as a Street, as shown on the annexed Plat, is necessary and proper in lien of the occupation by the city of the original Pine St.

August 17, 1870

An Ordinance
Providing for the vacation of the original Pine Street from Chicago avenue to East Pearson Street and the opening of a new Pine Street from Chicago avenue to East Pearson Street.

Be it ordained by the Common Council of the City of Chicago;

Section 1. That a street 66 feet wide be and is hereby ordered opened running North and South from Chicago Avenue to East Pearson Street making the west line thereof 187 25/100 feet West of and parallel to the west line of original Pine Street as recorded by the Canal Trustees Subd of South Fracl section 3.T. 29.N. R.14 E the same so opened to be called Pine Street and that Pine Street as originally opened and recorded by the Canal Trustees Subd of South facl Section 3 T. 29. N.R. 14 E. from Chicago Avenue to East Pearson Street be and the same is hereby ordered vacated,

Provided, however that nothing herein contained shall be so

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construed as to close up a drive way for carriages and light vehicles thirty feet in width through said block from said Chicago Avenue to said east Pearson Street on the line of old Pine Street thus extended, and the said thirty feet is hereby declared to be and shall forever remain a public drive way for carriages and light vehicles.

Section 2. That the ordinance passed by the Common Council May 7th 1866 for the vacation of original Pine street from Chicago avenue to East Pearson Street, and for the opening of a new Pine Street West of said portion of Pine Street West of said portion of Pine Street so ordered to be vacated be and the same hereby ordered repealed.