October 9, 1908 – The informal dedication of the
new County Building on Clark Street between Washington and Randolph sees
several thousand Chicagoans tour the new government building. The County Recorder’s office on the first
floor has vases of flowers on each desk while “festoons of autumn leaves [are]
draped from post and pillar.” [Chicago Daily Tribune, October 10, 1908] The County Clerk has a store of carnations
for those passing through. County Board
President Busse receives callers as they move through his offices on the fifth
floor. Busse says at the end of the day,
“First of all I wish to acknowledge the indebtedness of the county board to the
people of Cook County for their constant and general support. No extras, no scandal, not even adverse
criticism grew out of the work, and the cost of the building was kept within
the contract price. The cost per cubic
foot was from 15 to 25 per cent less than that of some of Chicago’s notable
buildings.” The Holabird and Roche
designed building is one-half of the government complex, designed in the
Beaux-Arts style, stretching from Clark Street to La Salle. The Chicago City Hall, also designed by
Holabird and Roche, is a near mirror image of the county building and sits west
of the 1908 structure and was completed two years later. The County Building is pictured above with the old City Hall still standing to the west.
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