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Chapter
10 Building Projects Of John Newquist A. The Contractor & The Stair Builder We know John went to Minneapolis in the fall of 1868. He probably was engaged in carpentry and cabinet making, but we have no other record of his three-year stay there. On a visit to Chicago in October 1871, he arrived a few days after the historic Chicago Fire. As he wandered the devastated area, a contractor clearing debris asked him why he was walking around in a suit and not lending a helping hand. Once informed of the circumstance and John's skills, the contractor convinced him to remain in the city, hired him on the spot, and bought him all his tools and necessities.  Aftermath of The Chicago Fire He never returned to Minnesota. The National School Furniture Co. employed him for a short time in the manufacture of school desks. He started his own stair and home construction firm in 1875. This contracting firm worked very closely with several prominent Chicago architects - some of them for a period of twenty years. His many extensive woodworking projects would include interior framing, flooring, staircases, and the construction and installation of doors and windows. He built ninety-two flights of hardwood stairs for John V. Farwell & Co. wholesale store at a cost of $25,000. He also built stairs for the warehouses and residences of John and Charles Farwell and many others in the "Gold Coast" and other areas all over the city. He was the Farwell's contractor for over 15 years. During this time he constructed the stairs for Mandel Bros. (now Wieboldts) on State Street. His firm was a contractor for the developer John Van Osdell for over 17 years. John married Genevieve Coughlin on April 14, 1882. She was born in Dubuque, IA and educated at the BVM academy. The Comiskey family had employed her in Chicago. On an occasion when she went to Dubuque to assist her ailing mother for a period of time, she returned to find that John had built a brand new home for them to live in! In later years she would reflect on the fact that they had lived quite extravagantly. President Benjamin Harrison once borrowed John's horse and buggy while on a visit to Chicago. John and Jennie Newquist were friends of Potter and Bertha Palmer, and they attended many social functions together over the years. John worked for Potter Palmer for almost 20 years. His first project was the Palmer House Hotel completed in 1875. He also built construction projects for four Palmer residences. The most significant one was the Palmer Castle. John had worked with the architects, Henry Ives Cobb and Charles Sumner Frost, before. The exterior was completed in 1883, but work on the lavish interiors continued for another two years. A multitude of exotic woods was utilized throughout the castle to help make a strong artistic and social statement as to the ways and means of its owner. The castle also had one of Chicago's earliest domestic elevators. The basic footprint of the building covered an area of approximately 80' x 56'. He constructed the stairs and other areas in the Palmer Castle. Of special significance was his magnificent spiral staircase without a center support. It provided access from the 20-foot high octagonal great entrance hall to the second-story 75-foot long picture gallery. Visitors marveled at this design feature.  Palmer Castle Several of John's projects in Chicago during this time included contract work for John Borden who had struck it rich in silver mining in Leadville, Colorado. A major boom occurred there and in New Mexico between 1877 and 1880, with an influx of businessmen traveling by train from Chicago to seek their wealth. Known for his wanderlust tendency, John is reported to have traveled to Colorado and New Mexico during the construction off-season for several months on a mining expedition. It is very likely that he may have accompanied Borden to the West and visited Santa Fe during this time period. This unique type of spiral staircase without a center support that John was noted for constructing in many places in Chicago in the late 1870's and early 1880's is strikingly identical to the "Miraculous Spiral Staircase" constructed near that time in the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM. The chapel was finished and dedicated on April 25, 1878. The circular staircase without a center support to the 20-foot high choir loft did not exist at this time. The record of Lt. John G. Bourke, an army officer and aide-de-camp in Santa Fe, documents the existence of the spiral staircase in April 1881. (The balusters and handrailing were added in 1886-1887.) While the itinerant builder is unknown (legend attributes it to St. Joseph), John had the skills and possible opportunity to easily construct this staircase by himself.  Loretto Chapel Staircase A visitor to Chicago in the early 1900s once gazed at the Gold Coast's elaborate mansions and noted, 'They are of different sizes and styles. All are attempts to create something impressive'' Nearly a century later, many of those buildings still stand, but nobody is 'attempting' anything: today, the neighborhood - bounded by Chicago and North Avenues, Clark Street and the lake - is home to Chicago's high-society set, titans of business, and young up-and-comers. In 1885 John installed stairs at a four story first-class building called The Imperial Building. It was a favorite for sporting men. Its occupants were the Postal Telegraph Cable Company, the Ives Billiard Hall, grain merchants, and stock operators. The A.T. Andreas's "History of Chicago" published that year stated that he was doing an annual business of $100,000 and employed between 25 and 50 men. A good carpenter made 25 cents an hour during this time period. He should have cleared $50,000 a year. He had a magnificent home on Michigan Avenue, where the Hilton Hotel (formerly Stevens Hotel) is today. He again had the wanderlust, disappearing for days and his wife never knew where he was. She would have to look after the building business. In time she would get a message from him from New Orleans, Albuquerque or Denver to send money so he could come home. These are only brief descriptions of some of John's residential and commercial building projects in Chicago, and reflect many inputs from Mike Newquist. He is planning a book that will contain a time line and the whole family experience. He will announce a future release as information becomes available, and he would welcome participation by others. The following excerpt indicates the level of details he has acquired: "While oral tradition speaks to a residence on Michigan Avenue the various city directories do not show a listing other than for one year, 1884. In 1884 he and Jennie rent an apartment at the McCoys European Hotel. In 1890 while residing at 875 W. Harrison, they make the Blue Book. This house is a stone front with basement and two stories. Many of his neighbors were doctors and lumber merchants. A Charles Bigelow, at 745 W. Harrison, was a lumber merchant. At the Southwest corner of Jackson Boulevard and 308 South Sangamon Street, the lumber king, Jacob Beider had a residence. He was a close friend of J. V. Farwell. His lumber firm, South Branch Lumber Company, was located close to John's business addresses along the South branch of the Chicago River. A Thomas Kelly resided at 464 W. Harrison. A Tom Kelly would become a paving contractor and one of the most influential political figures of Chicago in the 1890's. Jane Addams used the Charles J. Hull Home at 800 South Halsted Street in 1890. Jennie could have walked the short distance from her house on W. Harrison to the Hull Home but no middle-class Victorian lady would do such. In 1888 John is listed as a member of The Builder and Traders Exchange. It's founder, Henry Lord Gay, was a member of the Cleveland Mason Lodge, number 211, which was housed on Halsted Street within walking distance of the Hull House. Other building-trade members of the Cleveland Lodge were Malcolm McDonald, G. H. Richey and James Batchen.This lodge was located on the corner of Halsted and Randolph. I suspect this to be John's lodge." B. The 1893 Columbian Exposition In 1892, John took on a major undertaking for the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition. While he was involved in many projects at the site - including the staircases for the Fine Arts Building and Administrative Building - his largest endeavor was the Cold Storage Warehouse. He was also an investor in this massive building. Jackson Park in Chicago was selected as the site for the historic exposition. Smaller buildings and concessions were located on a small strip of land connecting Jackson Park to Washington Park. This 80-acre strip became known as the Midway Pleasance. The Exposition opened May 1, 1893, ran for six months and attracted 27,539,000 visitors--almost half of the total number of people then living in the United States. The potential fate of this heavily-powered poorly-built temporary site was sealed. There were at least four fires on the site within six months, the most recent one occurring on June 17, 1893. With each ensuing fire the various fire departments noted the construction errors, and insurance companies cancelled fire insurance for major buildings. At the southwest corner of the "improved" portion of Jackson Park stood the large Cold Storage Warehouse, covered with staff, and bearing the typical appearance of an Exposition building, save that it was without windows, except on a line near the cornice. The structure was severely rectangular in its ground plan; 130x277 ft. with 2.5 million ft. of lumber. The roof was 60 ft.8inches high. At each corner were towers 115 ft. in height. The building had 5 floors with the 3rd and 4th floors used for cold storage. The fifth floor was being fitted with a skating rink. The cold storage contents consisted largely of German, Spanish, and French wines, imported beer, mineral water, watermelons, California fruits, cheese and some meat. It was one of the largest buildings on the site. In the center there rose a square tower, made of wood, from the middle of which a sheet-iron smokestack protruded, and belched black smoke over the grounds. The tower had a colonnade and balcony. To reach the tower one used a wooden spiral stairway from the main building. Shortly after noon of Monday, the 10th of July, fire was discovered in the top of this tower, and about twenty-five of Chicago's bravest and most experienced firemen were soon on the platform of observation that had been built near the summit. When the first fire company arrived they found fire in the tower area and proceeded fighting the fire much the same as the June 17th fire. The wooden spiral staircase was used to secure a hose to the main roof. No sooner had they reached this elevation, however, than flames broke forth beneath them; and, as the tower was made of pine and plaster, which had been dried both by sun outside and hot sheet-iron chimneys within, it burned fiercely. A moment later, and in the presence of at least fifty thousand horrified spectators, an explosion of gases followed, the roof heaved and gave way, the men leaped over the bulwarks, and perished almost instantly, falling into a pit of gaseous flame. Seventeen firemen died as a direct result of poor construction, improper understanding of the law of heat flow, fire containment, flame spread and the fact that this building lacked secondary exits. It is still the worst loss of life in a single fire in Chicago Fire Department History. John helped fight the fire, and in so doing he ran a nail into his foot. When he came home, his wife removed his shoe and the blood was pasted to his sock.  The Cold Storage Fire The fire marshal's report placed the value of the building at $437,000. The July 11th Chicago Times stated that insurance of $80,000 had been cancelled less than a month before the July fire. About $100,000 were subscribed for the families of the victims, and the committee was criticized for the deliberation with which this money was apportioned. And more Exposition fires continued the destruction. A fire on January 8, 1894 burned the Casino, Peristyle, Music Hall, and Manufactures Building. A fire the following month burned the Colonnade. A massive fire on July 5, 1894 burned the Court of Honor, Machinery Hall, Electricity Building, Administration Building, Mining Building, and the Manufactures Building. Flames had consumed almost the entire site, recalling the 1871 fire. The only remaining building was the Palace of Fine Arts, which is now the Museum of Science and Industry. It's huge Rotunda stairs to the Upper Gallery were provided by the Newquist firm. 
Chicago Musuem of Science and Industry This disaster all but wiped out John Newquist financially. He had to sell some of his holdings in Chicago to meet his financial obligations. The irony is that two of Chicago's historic fires had significantly affected his career. But he recovered and continued his business success in Chicago for nine more years. This was the period that ushered in the famous "Chicago Skyscrapers", and many of his projects still exist in approximately two dozen landmark buildings in the Loop. John employed his two brothers as carpenters and stair builders in his business during the construction phase of the Columbian Exposition and for several subsequent years. Carl returned to Sweden in 1894. In a rather diversified venture, John was a partner with Thomas F. Hunt in a saloon located at 183 Washington Blvd. Thomas Hunt was listed as owner until 1896. A pole was placed in front, with a light operated by a generator inside the bar. The owners were arrested for this illegal light, and had to remove what may have been the first electric light in Chicago. Dorothy Labrose, August's daughter, said her father and his brothers traveled to Cripple Creek, Colorado. She said they stayed together until her father went on to New Mexico, Arizona, and California. August recorded in his diary that he left Chicago the first day of 1896 and stayed at Cripple Creek until July 27, 1897, " and we ran a business of our own for a while ". August appeared in the 1889 Lakeside directory as a stairbuilder on his own account, and by 1901 he started South Side Interior Finish Company, a door and sash firm. C. The Steger Homes John had developed a close relationship with John V. Steger. They arrived in Chicago the same year, 1871. Their carpentry background in Europe was similar. They knew each other for many years, perhaps 40 or more. Mr. Steger became very successful by remembering and appreciating the craftsmen in all that he produced, and he appears to have employed John many times. He certainly was a strong influence on John's decision to relocate from Chicago to Steger in 1902. John had to promise his wife that she would have a house there similar to their Michigan Ave. mansion. He did that, and his home and Mr. Steger's house still stand in Steger, and both are quite impressive. Steger worked at a series of different jobs and lived in various households where he noticed that the most prominent piece of household furniture was a piano. In the booming post-Civil War United States, the piano was not merely a musical instrument but a status symbol, sole purveyor of entertainment to thousands of homes. Built by a master craftsman and his apprentices, the ornate piece of decorative furniture was expensive. Thus, although in great demand, only the wealthy could afford them. Steger's dream was to make the piano affordable for everyone through mass production. Steger moved eventually from employee to shop owner after following his self-imposed golden rule of saving half of his earnings. In ten years he managed to accumulate nearly $4,000, which allowed him to rent a store right in the heart of Chicago's busiest district on State Street, buy some pianos, and start selling them. In a few years after opening his piano store, he leased larger quarters where he could assemble the instruments, thereby cutting a costly step and lowering the selling price. From there, Steger moved on to manufacturing; in 1891, he purchased twenty acres in the south suburb of Colombia Heights and built his factory--Steger and Sons Piano Manufacturing Company. 
Steger and Sons Piano Manufacturing Company Years before Olds and Ford had even started their assembly lines, Steger had one operating that mass-produced pianos. The factory produced 100 pianos a day, shipping them in its own blue and white fleet of railroad cars emblazoned with the Steger name. As years went by, the Steger piano enjoyed immense popularity, not only because of its low price but also its musical quality. The locally made Steger grand piano was used in the Vatican and in many European concert halls. Steger built not only a factory but also housing for his employees, patterning the businessman George Pullman's town of Pullman, Illinois. John Newquist built almost 500 homes for Steger employees. He also built many homes for Pullman employees. But unlike Pullman, who charged his workers higher than normal rent, Steger sold his houses on contract to his employees so that they too could realize the great American dream of home ownership. John Newquist's sons worked at the Steger plant. His son, Harvey, was office manager and a star pitcher for the Steger & Sons baseball team. In 1921 he married Mabel Hartmann, a concert pianist in Chicago who lived in neighboring Dyer, IN. Her piano teacher, Mrs. Brown, was a close friend of Jennie Newquist. Steger presented the newlyweds with a Steger grand piano. In 2001, that piano is still a prominent, fully operating centerpiece of the Newquist home in Scottsdale, AZ. Steger died in 1916 at the height of his prominence and popularity and at the pinnacle of his company's prosperity. He was spared from experiencing consumer whim-switching from the piano to the newfangled contraption, the radio. No longer the most sought after household item, demand for the mass- produced piano dwindled away. Sales plummeted, and ten years later, Steger's grand dream suffered the market place's deathblow. Steger and Sons Piano Manufacturing Company declared bankruptcy in 1926. The extensive home-building projects in Steger, IL were the final ventures for John Newquist. He and Jennie lived out their remaining years there, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in 1932 with a large number of family and friends. Although he was afflicted with deafness, he remained physically active until the time of his death on December 27, 1937. This poor immigrant carpenter had achieved many successes throughout his business career. Many of his building projects and staircases still remain in the Chicago and Steger areas. They are a tangible tribute to his initiative and perseverance, and a source of pride to his descendants. |
