Palmer House

The Palmer House Hilton is a famous and historic hotel in downtown Chicago. There have been three Palmer House Hotels in Chicago.

Related Topics:
Hilton - Downtown - Chicago

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The first (known as "The Palmer") was built as a wedding present from Potter Palmer to his bride Bertha Honoré. It opened on September 26, 1871, but burned down just thirteen days later in the Great Chicago Fire.

Related Topics:
Potter Palmer - Bertha Honoré - September 26 - 1871 - Great Chicago Fire

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Palmer immediately set to work rebuilding, and with a $1.7 million signature loan (believed to be the largest individual loan ever secured at the time) constructed one of the fanciest hotels in post-fire Chicago. Its amenities included oversized rooms, luxurious decor, and sumptuous meals served in grand style. The floor of its barber shop was reputedly tiled with silver dollars. Constructed mainly of iron and brick, the hotel was widely advertised as "the World's only Fire Proof Hotel". Famous visitors included presidential hopefuls James Garfield, Grover Cleveland, Ulysses S. Grant, William Jennings Bryan and William McKinley; writers Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Oscar Wilde; and actress Sarah Bernhardt.

Related Topics:
Signature loan - James Garfield - Grover Cleveland - Ulysses S. Grant - William Jennings Bryan - William McKinley - Mark Twain - Charles Dickens - Oscar Wilde - Sarah Bernhardt

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Between 1924 and 1927, the hotel was rebuilt on the same site ? in stages so not a single day of business was lost. In December 1945, Conrad Hilton bought the Palmer House for $20 million.

Related Topics:
1924 - 1927 - 1945 - Conrad Hilton

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