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Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
nordsider
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 11, 2014 04:26PM
An item from Chicago's early life.
Chicago's first gas company and first gas works, used for lighting, in 1850, was built on the south side of Monroe Street, near Market Street ( now Wacker Drive), and later extended to Adams.
The city was lighted with gas for the first time on September 4, 1850; illuminating only 260 gas lamps, including 36 in city hall.
The gas works included these features:
"Brick retort house to contain a bench of seven furnaces.
A brick building for the purifying apparatus.
Station meter and governor, which was to house the counting room.
A gas holder with the capacity of 60,000 cubic feet,
The gas was to be carbureted hydrogen (coal gas), actually of about 14 candle power, though this remained unspecified."
For those who may be interested in the operation of a typical gas works, the National Gas Museum in Leicester UK, has an excellent diagram called "Making gas from coal."
http://www.nationalgasmuseum.org.uk/index.asp?page=history-02
https://archive.org/details/75yearsofgasserv00rice
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2014 10:01AM by nordsider.
Chicago's first gas company and first gas works, used for lighting, in 1850, was built on the south side of Monroe Street, near Market Street ( now Wacker Drive), and later extended to Adams.
The city was lighted with gas for the first time on September 4, 1850; illuminating only 260 gas lamps, including 36 in city hall.
The gas works included these features:
"Brick retort house to contain a bench of seven furnaces.
A brick building for the purifying apparatus.
Station meter and governor, which was to house the counting room.
A gas holder with the capacity of 60,000 cubic feet,
The gas was to be carbureted hydrogen (coal gas), actually of about 14 candle power, though this remained unspecified."
For those who may be interested in the operation of a typical gas works, the National Gas Museum in Leicester UK, has an excellent diagram called "Making gas from coal."
http://www.nationalgasmuseum.org.uk/index.asp?page=history-02
https://archive.org/details/75yearsofgasserv00rice
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2014 10:01AM by nordsider.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
(---.sub-70-194-69.myvzw.com)
Date: June 13, 2014 02:47PM
Any idea when the plant was closed and demolished?
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
nordsider
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 13, 2014 04:38PM
Jeff_Weiner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Any idea when the plant was closed and demolished?
Jeff,
I have not found the date when the gas works at Monroe and Market ended operation; it is not shown on Robinson's Atlas of the City of Chicago, 1886 , except that the area is labeled "Ogden's Sub", this is a good detailed map that does show some other gas works locations.
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11064.html
Volume 1, plate 1
My source "75 years of gas service in Chicago" written in 1925:
http://archive.org/stream/75yearsofgasserv00rice/75yearsofgasserv00rice_djvu.txt
-------------------------------------------------------
> Any idea when the plant was closed and demolished?
Jeff,
I have not found the date when the gas works at Monroe and Market ended operation; it is not shown on Robinson's Atlas of the City of Chicago, 1886 , except that the area is labeled "Ogden's Sub", this is a good detailed map that does show some other gas works locations.
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11064.html
Volume 1, plate 1
My source "75 years of gas service in Chicago" written in 1925:
http://archive.org/stream/75yearsofgasserv00rice/75yearsofgasserv00rice_djvu.txt
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
nordsider
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 18, 2014 12:28PM
Jeff_Weiner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Any idea when the plant was closed and demolished?
Jeff,
According to "100 years of gas service in Chicago, 1850-1950",
http://archive.org/stream/100yearsofgasser00peop/100yearsofgasser00peop_djvu.txt
the gas works at Monroe and Markret (Wacker Drive) was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1871.
https://archive.org/details/100yearsofgasser00peop
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2014 09:57AM by nordsider.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Any idea when the plant was closed and demolished?
Jeff,
According to "100 years of gas service in Chicago, 1850-1950",
http://archive.org/stream/100yearsofgasser00peop/100yearsofgasser00peop_djvu.txt
the gas works at Monroe and Markret (Wacker Drive) was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1871.
https://archive.org/details/100yearsofgasser00peop
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2014 09:57AM by nordsider.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
nordsider
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 22, 2014 11:10AM
Of the several gasworks shown on the map "Robinson's Atlas of the City of Chicago, 1886",
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11064.html
one example, in Volume 2, plate 27, is a gasworks shown as "Chicago Gaslight & Coke Co.", located within a block bounded by the streets: 31st, Halsted, 32nd and Lituanica (was Auburn).
When the 1886 map is compared with an aerial view in "Historical Aerials" http://www.historicaerials.com/ , of the block, the 1938 photo shows no buildings within it; however, the 1952 photo shows buildings similar to a present-day Google Satellite view -- https://maps.google.com/maps?q=31st+and+halsted,+chicago&hl=en&ll=41.837325,-87.647215&spn=0.003301,0.005429&sll=39.739318,-89.266507&sspn=9.863297,22.236328&hnear=S+Halsted+St+%26+W+31st+St,+Chicago,+Illinois&t=h&z=18
I presume that few residents, if any, that are now living within the block, are aware that a late 19th century gas works once existed there.; and curious to see a Sanborn Insurance Map of the site.
http://web.mst.edu/~rogersda/umrcourses/ge441/sanborn_maps.pdf
Also, another interesting item: during the Railroad Riots in 1877, the 9th Infantry, United States army company was stationed [ "One company at retort, corner of Halsted and 31st street." ]
http://books.google.com/books?id=0zYbAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA107&dq=31st+and+halsted+streets+chicago+gas+works&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wI-tU-OdCsifyASHp4KwCg&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=31st%20and%20halsted%20streets%20chicago%20gas%20works&f=false
Examples of a gasworks "retort" or "retort house" :
https://www.google.com/search?q=gas+works+retort+house&hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=lpStU5r9K4-eyASunIGgBA&ved=0CDoQsAQ&biw=1393&bih=642
Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2014 09:22AM by nordsider.
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11064.html
one example, in Volume 2, plate 27, is a gasworks shown as "Chicago Gaslight & Coke Co.", located within a block bounded by the streets: 31st, Halsted, 32nd and Lituanica (was Auburn).
When the 1886 map is compared with an aerial view in "Historical Aerials" http://www.historicaerials.com/ , of the block, the 1938 photo shows no buildings within it; however, the 1952 photo shows buildings similar to a present-day Google Satellite view -- https://maps.google.com/maps?q=31st+and+halsted,+chicago&hl=en&ll=41.837325,-87.647215&spn=0.003301,0.005429&sll=39.739318,-89.266507&sspn=9.863297,22.236328&hnear=S+Halsted+St+%26+W+31st+St,+Chicago,+Illinois&t=h&z=18
I presume that few residents, if any, that are now living within the block, are aware that a late 19th century gas works once existed there.; and curious to see a Sanborn Insurance Map of the site.
http://web.mst.edu/~rogersda/umrcourses/ge441/sanborn_maps.pdf
Also, another interesting item: during the Railroad Riots in 1877, the 9th Infantry, United States army company was stationed [ "One company at retort, corner of Halsted and 31st street." ]
http://books.google.com/books?id=0zYbAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA107&dq=31st+and+halsted+streets+chicago+gas+works&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wI-tU-OdCsifyASHp4KwCg&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=31st%20and%20halsted%20streets%20chicago%20gas%20works&f=false
Examples of a gasworks "retort" or "retort house" :
https://www.google.com/search?q=gas+works+retort+house&hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=lpStU5r9K4-eyASunIGgBA&ved=0CDoQsAQ&biw=1393&bih=642
Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2014 09:22AM by nordsider.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
davey7
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: July 01, 2014 12:10PM
When did natural gas replace town gas? I'm assuming sometime in the 60's in earnest since that's when the bulk of old coal heating switched to gas (partially pushed by pollution laws partially but easier operation, i.e. no stoking). My building was built with oil heat and town gas ranges in the mid-20's - there is an abandoned flue for the ranges in the kitchen wall.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
nordsider
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: July 01, 2014 03:22PM
davey7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When did natural gas replace town gas? I'm
> assuming sometime in the 60's in earnest since
> that's when the bulk of old coal heating switched
> to gas (partially pushed by pollution laws
> partially but easier operation, i.e. no stoking).
> My building was built with oil heat and town gas
> ranges in the mid-20's - there is an abandoned
> flue for the ranges in the kitchen wall.
Natural gas entered the mains all over Chicago on October 16, 1931; according to "100 years of gas service in Chicago, 1850-1950" https://archive.org/stream/100yearsofgasser00peop#page/16/mode/2up
-------------------------------------------------------
> When did natural gas replace town gas? I'm
> assuming sometime in the 60's in earnest since
> that's when the bulk of old coal heating switched
> to gas (partially pushed by pollution laws
> partially but easier operation, i.e. no stoking).
> My building was built with oil heat and town gas
> ranges in the mid-20's - there is an abandoned
> flue for the ranges in the kitchen wall.
Natural gas entered the mains all over Chicago on October 16, 1931; according to "100 years of gas service in Chicago, 1850-1950" https://archive.org/stream/100yearsofgasser00peop#page/16/mode/2up
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
nordsider
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: July 03, 2014 11:40AM
Some additional information and photograph - before 1936 - about the gas-works near 31st and Halsted " Gas Distribution Service Station @ 31st, Just West of Halsted ", from the book Bridgeport Chicago:
http://bridgeportchicagobook.com/gas-distribution-service-station-31st-just-west-of-halsted/?doing_wp_cron=1404390864.8887948989868164062500
An interesting photo of the remnants of the gas-works built in the 1870s; the "gas storage tanks", described in the photo caption is puzzling, since they both have many windows.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2014 11:58AM by nordsider.
http://bridgeportchicagobook.com/gas-distribution-service-station-31st-just-west-of-halsted/?doing_wp_cron=1404390864.8887948989868164062500
An interesting photo of the remnants of the gas-works built in the 1870s; the "gas storage tanks", described in the photo caption is puzzling, since they both have many windows.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2014 11:58AM by nordsider.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
davey7
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: July 03, 2014 04:47PM
I hadn't realized that it was so early.... Thanks.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
rjmachon
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: July 22, 2014 12:30AM
I was working in an very old apartment building years back (1993) around Sheridan Road and North Shore installing a ceiling fan in the kitchen and I found a active gas line in the same junction box as the electric. Plus the gas was leaking a little as well. It turns out that this building had active gas lines for lighting all over this two story building.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
davey7
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: July 22, 2014 06:39PM
Not a surprise. In the building I grew up in there was always a fear that some of the gas lines were active.
rjmachon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was working in an very old apartment building
> years back (1993) around Sheridan Road and North
> Shore installing a ceiling fan in the kitchen and
> I found a active gas line in the same junction box
> as the electric. Plus the gas was leaking a little
> as well. It turns out that this building had
> active gas lines for lighting all over this two
> story building.
rjmachon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was working in an very old apartment building
> years back (1993) around Sheridan Road and North
> Shore installing a ceiling fan in the kitchen and
> I found a active gas line in the same junction box
> as the electric. Plus the gas was leaking a little
> as well. It turns out that this building had
> active gas lines for lighting all over this two
> story building.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
(---.sub-70-194-111.myvzw.com)
Date: July 22, 2014 08:37PM
rjmachon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was working in an very old apartment building
> years back (1993) around Sheridan Road and North
> Shore installing a ceiling fan in the kitchen and
> I found a active gas line in the same junction box
> as the electric. Plus the gas was leaking a little
> as well. It turns out that this building had
> active gas lines for lighting all over this two
> story building.
My grandparents lived in an apartment building on the SW corner of Halsted and Roscoe, and there were a number of old gas jets sticking out of the walls. They were so covered with layers of paint that the valves were inoperative, but my grandfather always warned us to leave them alone.
I also had a coworker who owned a 2-flat that apparently had combination lights at one time, as he discovered when he was doing some painting in one of the apartments. The ceiling cap had been screwed into the gas line, and it started leaking when he tried to take it off to paint the ceiling.
I've read that the first conduits in some building were disconnected gas pipes, rather than installing knob-and-tube lines. Never encountered that, or anyone who had that, though.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was working in an very old apartment building
> years back (1993) around Sheridan Road and North
> Shore installing a ceiling fan in the kitchen and
> I found a active gas line in the same junction box
> as the electric. Plus the gas was leaking a little
> as well. It turns out that this building had
> active gas lines for lighting all over this two
> story building.
My grandparents lived in an apartment building on the SW corner of Halsted and Roscoe, and there were a number of old gas jets sticking out of the walls. They were so covered with layers of paint that the valves were inoperative, but my grandfather always warned us to leave them alone.
I also had a coworker who owned a 2-flat that apparently had combination lights at one time, as he discovered when he was doing some painting in one of the apartments. The ceiling cap had been screwed into the gas line, and it started leaking when he tried to take it off to paint the ceiling.
I've read that the first conduits in some building were disconnected gas pipes, rather than installing knob-and-tube lines. Never encountered that, or anyone who had that, though.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
PKDickman
(---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: July 23, 2014 12:21AM
My building, ca 1909, was built when electricity was new fangled. So was indoor plumbing and central heat.
All the ceiling boxes had a gas pipe in the center and rigid conduit around.
The building meter had a line to a manifold on the basement wall.
I was checking the lines and opened one of the valves. The gas meter started whirring like a helicopter.
When I tracked it down, the third floor bathroom ceiling had a half inch gas line with no cap.
All the ceiling boxes had a gas pipe in the center and rigid conduit around.
The building meter had a line to a manifold on the basement wall.
I was checking the lines and opened one of the valves. The gas meter started whirring like a helicopter.
When I tracked it down, the third floor bathroom ceiling had a half inch gas line with no cap.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
(---.sub-70-194-101.myvzw.com)
Date: July 23, 2014 03:41PM
PKDickman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My building, ca 1909, was built when electricity
> was new fangled. So was indoor plumbing and
> central heat.
>
> All the ceiling boxes had a gas pipe in the center
> and rigid conduit around.
>
> The building meter had a line to a manifold on the
> basement wall.
> I was checking the lines and opened one of the
> valves. The gas meter started whirring like a
> helicopter.
>
> When I tracked it down, the third floor bathroom
> ceiling had a half inch gas line with no cap.
Oops! I'd consider hiring a plumber to trace some of those lines off of the manifold, then having those that served gas lights disconnected and the valves capped. That sound like an accident waiting to happen.
-------------------------------------------------------
> My building, ca 1909, was built when electricity
> was new fangled. So was indoor plumbing and
> central heat.
>
> All the ceiling boxes had a gas pipe in the center
> and rigid conduit around.
>
> The building meter had a line to a manifold on the
> basement wall.
> I was checking the lines and opened one of the
> valves. The gas meter started whirring like a
> helicopter.
>
> When I tracked it down, the third floor bathroom
> ceiling had a half inch gas line with no cap.
Oops! I'd consider hiring a plumber to trace some of those lines off of the manifold, then having those that served gas lights disconnected and the valves capped. That sound like an accident waiting to happen.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
davey7
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: July 23, 2014 04:42PM
That's how the apartment I grew up in was too - gas and electricity to every ceiling box. The gas line went right down the middle of the apartment and nice tree branches to each box while the electric conduit went from box to box haphazardly. There had been gas jets in the back bathrooms until the 40's - they had been used for science experiments by college students. You still see the stubs in Victorian houses quite a bit.
For those of you familiar with St. Stephens in Hyde Park, it had dual conduit - a round conduit split in half with gas in one half and wiring in the other half.
For those of you familiar with St. Stephens in Hyde Park, it had dual conduit - a round conduit split in half with gas in one half and wiring in the other half.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
PKDickman
(---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: July 23, 2014 06:44PM
Jeff_Weiner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PKDickman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > My building, ca 1909, was built when
> electricity
> > was new fangled. So was indoor plumbing and
> > central heat.
> >
> > All the ceiling boxes had a gas pipe in the
> center
> > and rigid conduit around.
> >
> > The building meter had a line to a manifold on
> the
> > basement wall.
> > I was checking the lines and opened one of the
> > valves. The gas meter started whirring like a
> > helicopter.
> >
> > When I tracked it down, the third floor
> bathroom
> > ceiling had a half inch gas line with no cap.
>
> Oops! I'd consider hiring a plumber to trace some
> of those lines off of the manifold, then having
> those that served gas lights disconnected and the
> valves capped. That sound like an accident waiting
> to happen.
It was nearly thirty years ago. Luckily I was near enough to hear the meter spin and shut it off long before it could even purge the air out of the 50 feet of pipe it had to go through.
It was a cluster %^&* of pipe down there, but we were able to work out which lines fed the stoves and water heaters. They were an after thought to the building as well. The pipes were completely separate except at the manifold. It was easy to separate them once you knew which ones were which.
We bypassed the lighting lines and sawed the pipes off flush with the basement ceiling. They're still in the walls though, just not connected to anything.
Over the years I have retrofitted dozen of antique light fixtures that were combination gas and electric. They all had some sort of wacky patented fittings to allow both electric and gas, and they all were different.
-------------------------------------------------------
> PKDickman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > My building, ca 1909, was built when
> electricity
> > was new fangled. So was indoor plumbing and
> > central heat.
> >
> > All the ceiling boxes had a gas pipe in the
> center
> > and rigid conduit around.
> >
> > The building meter had a line to a manifold on
> the
> > basement wall.
> > I was checking the lines and opened one of the
> > valves. The gas meter started whirring like a
> > helicopter.
> >
> > When I tracked it down, the third floor
> bathroom
> > ceiling had a half inch gas line with no cap.
>
> Oops! I'd consider hiring a plumber to trace some
> of those lines off of the manifold, then having
> those that served gas lights disconnected and the
> valves capped. That sound like an accident waiting
> to happen.
It was nearly thirty years ago. Luckily I was near enough to hear the meter spin and shut it off long before it could even purge the air out of the 50 feet of pipe it had to go through.
It was a cluster %^&* of pipe down there, but we were able to work out which lines fed the stoves and water heaters. They were an after thought to the building as well. The pipes were completely separate except at the manifold. It was easy to separate them once you knew which ones were which.
We bypassed the lighting lines and sawed the pipes off flush with the basement ceiling. They're still in the walls though, just not connected to anything.
Over the years I have retrofitted dozen of antique light fixtures that were combination gas and electric. They all had some sort of wacky patented fittings to allow both electric and gas, and they all were different.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
(---.sub-70-194-111.myvzw.com)
Date: July 24, 2014 09:23PM
I just remembered an interesting feature that existed in an old courtyard building I lived in briefly in East Rogers Park. The base had a bunch of old gas rings which I suspect were for laundry boilers. They looked like they may have still been connected, too.
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
nordsider
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: August 13, 2014 09:51AM
A new coal-to-gas plant may be built on Chicago's southeast side.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20110713/NEWS02/110719950/quinn-signs-bill-boosting-leucadias-coal-to-gas-plant#
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20110713/NEWS02/110719950/quinn-signs-bill-boosting-leucadias-coal-to-gas-plant#
Re: Chicago's first gas works
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
(---.sub-70-194-71.myvzw.com)
Date: August 13, 2014 05:55PM
nordsider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A new coal-to-gas plant may be built on Chicago's
> southeast side.
>
> http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20110713/NE
> WS02/110719950/quinn-signs-bill-boosting-leucadias
> -coal-to-gas-plant#
What could go wrong?
-------------------------------------------------------
> A new coal-to-gas plant may be built on Chicago's
> southeast side.
>
> http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20110713/NE
> WS02/110719950/quinn-signs-bill-boosting-leucadias
> -coal-to-gas-plant#
What could go wrong?
