Site A
 Walk
south on Michigan to Randolph Street. The site of the Michigan Avenue
Bridge marks the point of origin of the settlement of Chicago. The
cabin of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, Chicago's first permanent resident,
was located near the north pylon of the bridge in what is now Pioneer Court.
Fort Dearborn stood on the south bank of the river. Sidewalk markers commemorate
the military base established here in 1803. The bridge, part of the 1909
Burnham Plan for Chicago, opened in 1920 and paved he way for the development
of the Near North Side. Within ten years the old warehouses that once lined
the river disappeared and were replaced by the office buildings which still
accent this entranceway to the city.
Alfred S. Alschuler designed the Stone Container Building (1923)
at the southwest corner of Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue. This
structure, originally know as the London Guarantee Building, is
distinctive for the Greco-Roman lantern on its roof. It faces
the Chicago River and with the Wrigley Building forms an impressive
architectural gateway to the city. The photograph above shows
the Stone Container Building in 1985.
 Across
Michigan Avenue at the southeast corner is the 333 North Michigan
Avenue Building (1928) designed by Holabird and Root. This
Art Moderne structure includes exquisite elevator doors done in
relief by Chicago artist Edgar Miller. The photograph to the right,
taken in 1985, shows a pair of elevator doors in the Michigan
building which carry figures sculpted by Edgar Miller.
One block south at 230 North Michigan stands the Carbide and Carbon
Building by the Burnham Brothers, sons of the great planner and architect.
This forty-story structure was designed just before the Great Depression.
It is distinguished by a dark green and gold terra-cotta tower.
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