The orphan who built Chicago’s most famous hotels

The Drake Brothers’ Boulevard Link Hotel Empire

The Drake Hotel stands as a monument to one man’s rise from orphan to hotel king. John Drake started with nothing at age 11 but built a hotel empire by 1855.

When the Great Chicago Fire struck in 1871, he bought a hotel during the blaze itself. His sons Tracy and John Jr. learned the trade from dawn trips to markets and turkey-carving drills.

After their father died, they built The Drake Hotel in 1920, placing it where the new Boulevard Link bridge would soon connect the city.

Today, you can sip tea in the same Palm Court where Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana once visited.

From Orphan to Hotel Tycoon: John Drake’s Rags-to-Riches Story

John Burroughs Drake was born to a harness-maker in Lebanon, Ohio on January 17, 1826. When his father died, he became an orphan at just 11 years old.

The boy worked in stores while getting basic schooling, then got a job at a Lebanon tavern at 16. Moving to Cincinnati at 19, Drake worked as a hotel clerk and saved his money.

His hard work paid off when he bought a quarter share of Chicago’s top Tremont House hotel in 1855. Through smart business moves, Drake became the only owner within 15 years.

Quick Thinking Saved His Business During the Great Chicago Fire

The Great Chicago Fire of October 1871 totally destroyed Drake’s Tremont House hotel, but he refused to give up.

While flames still burned through the city, Drake boldly bought the Michigan Avenue Hotel at Congress Street. Fire burned right across the street from his new purchase, but somehow the building stayed intact.

This lucky break left Drake with the only hotel on Chicago’s South Side that escaped the flames. He quickly renamed it the “New Tremont House” to keep his brand with customers.

Republicans Found Their Unofficial Headquarters at Drake’s Grand Pacific

In 1873, Drake took over the rebuilt Grand Pacific Hotel, making it one of Chicago’s best places to stay. The hotel soon became where Republicans liked to meet under his careful management.

Politicians and rich Republicans came to the Grand Pacific for meetings and events, while the rival Palmer House served as the meeting spot for wealthy Democrats.

Drake ran the Grand Pacific for over twenty years, from 1874 until 1895.

No Silver Spoons for Drake’s Sons Who Learned the Business from Scratch

John Drake didn’t raise spoiled kids. His sons Tracy and John Jr. got no special treatment and learned hotel management through hands-on work. Young Tracy woke at 5:30 a.m. to buy fresh food at farmer’s markets for the hotel kitchens.

Both boys spent mornings in kitchens learning skills like carving 15-pound turkeys in under five minutes. Their afternoons focused on business tasks, accounting, and customer service.

A Fortune Built on Turkey Dinners and Smart Investments

When John Burroughs Drake died on November 12, 1895, he left behind $2 million.

His yearly Thanksgiving Game Dinners had become a Chicago social event over 50 years, bringing in the city’s top people.

The smart businessman grew his wealth through many investments in the Union Stock Yards, railroads, banks, and utility companies.

His sons got not just money but also their father’s knowledge, business contacts, and good name in Chicago society.

The Brothers Make Their Mark with a Presidential Hotspot

Tracy and John Drake Jr. stepped out of their father’s shadow when they opened the Blackstone Hotel on April 6, 1910.

They hired famous singer Enrico Caruso to perform at the opening, right away making the hotel seem fancy.

Built where Timothy Blackstone’s mansion once stood at Michigan Avenue and Hubbard Court, the 23-story, 290-foot hotel was created by architect Benjamin Marshall.

The Blackstone got the nickname “Hotel of Presidents” as it hosted political meetings and important visitors.

A Prime Piece of Real Estate Catches the Brothers’ Eyes

The Drake brothers spotted their next big chance in 1916 when they bought land from Potter Palmer’s estate.

The spot sat at the perfect curve where Lake Shore Drive turned from north to east, with Oak Street Beach right across from the site. Rich Gold Coast mansions surrounded the area, including Potter Palmer’s famous castle.

The brothers knew this spot would bring in the wealthy guests they wanted for their next big hotel project.

Smart Timing Connects Their Hotel to Chicago’s Future

The brothers timed their new hotel building to match the city’s Boulevard Link bridge project. Pine Street, then just a one-lane dirt road, was changing into what would become Michigan Avenue.

The new bridge would link Chicago’s north and south sides with a wide street for shops, creating a main road through the city.

The Drakes started building knowing the bridge would open within four months of their hotel’s finish.

A Cornerstone Ceremony Honors Their Father’s Legacy

On January 17, 1920, Tracy and John Drake laid the cornerstone for The Drake Hotel, picking this date to honor what would have been their father’s 94th birthday.

The ceremony happened exactly 25 years after their father’s death, a meaningful tribute to the man who taught them everything about running hotels.

By 1920, the brothers had already shown their skills with ten years of success at the Blackstone.

Perfect Timing Turns a Quiet Neighborhood into a Bustling Hotspot

The Boulevard Link bridge (later called Michigan Avenue Bridge) opened on May 14, 1920, just four months after the Drake cornerstone ceremony.

Pine Street got renamed Michigan Avenue, creating the famous thoroughfare we know today. The bridge connected the Drake Hotel location to Chicago’s commercial and financial districts.

Within months, the quiet residential neighborhood transformed into a bustling commercial zone. The brothers’ timing positioned their new hotel at the center of Chicago’s development boom.

Two Hotels Bookend Chicago’s Most Famous Street

The Drake Hotel welcomed 2,000 of Chicago’s most distinguished citizens at its grand opening on New Year’s Eve 1920.

With this second successful venture, the brothers now controlled Chicago’s two most prominent hotels as “Michigan Avenue bookends.”

The Drake served the fashionable Gold Coast while the Blackstone dominated the downtown political scene two miles south.

Both hotels maintained the family’s reputation as centers of Chicago’s social, commercial, and political life.

The Drake dynasty established the template for luxury hotel development on what later became known as the Magnificent Mile.

Visiting The Drake Hotel

The Drake Hotel at 140 East Walton Place carries on the Drake family’s hotel legacy that began when brothers Tracy and John Drake Jr. honored their father by laying the cornerstone on his 94th birthday in 1920.

You can enjoy afternoon tea with live harp music in Palm Court on weekends, visit the historic Gold Coast Room where Walt Disney and Charles Lindbergh once gathered, or grab drinks at Coq d’Or, Chicago’s first post-Prohibition cocktail lounge.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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