LONDON GUARANTEE. The Fort Dearborn Commemorative

Alfred Alschuler's London Guarantee Building, 360 North Michigan Avenue, is an excellent example of Chicago's neo-classic architecture. Constructed in 1923, it is covered with detail and ornament. So much so that it is easy to over look the panel commemorating the site of Fort Dearborn at the corner of Michigan and Wacker. The panel is nearly three stories above the ground -- where the richness of detail can be seen ONLY WITH BINOCULARS.

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Who would have guessed that the Settler and the Indian standing on either side of the Fort could have such clear and expressive faces. The Indian certainly seems more confident than the Settler. Let's date this confidence to the evening of August 14, 1812: the night before the famous Massacre.