“Black Boy” By Richard Wright
Edgewater Beach Hotel and Apartments: Key dates
Edgewater Beach Hotel, Apartments, and Edgewater Gulf Hotel - Key Dates
| Date | Event | Source |
| 1908‑04‑00 | Purchase of land by Corbett & Connery | WD, Cook County Recorder of Deeds |
| 1912-08-25 | Swimming contest for boys at Balmoral sponsored by Corbett & Connery Swimming Club | CT, 8-26-1912 |
| 1915-05-22 | Edgewater Beach Hotel Company incorporated | Ill. State Archives |
| 1915-08-00 | Permit issued for hotel (north building) | Economist, 8-28-15; CT, 8-28-15 |
| 1915-08-19 | First meeting of subscribers | Ill. State Archives |
| 1915-10-16 | Announcement of bond issues for EBH Corp | CT, 10-16-1915, p.18 |
| 1915-10-16 | Earliest date on architect drawings for the hotel | Benjamin Marshall archives at the University of Texas, at Austin |
| 1916-06-03 | Hotel opens for business | Ripples, Summer 1930, p.1 |
| 1916-06-06 | First Chicago Tribune display ad | CT, 6-6-1916 |
| 1916-06-17 | First social event; DePaul U commencement promenade | CT, 6-18-1916 |
| 1916-10-15 | Black Cat room first mentioned (display ad) | CT, 10-15-1916 |
| 1916-10-15 | Yacht Room first mentioned (display ad) | CT, 10-15-1916 |
| 1917-03-25 | Luncheon for VIPs on Chicago Motor Bus Co. first run to and from the loop | CT, 3-26-1917 |
| 1919-00-00 | Radio: permission given to Chicago Radio Lab (CRL) to contruct small building at northeast end of property | Marsha Holland article |
| 1919-04-12 | Permit issued for one story addition, 40ft x 90ft to two east wings | Economist, 4-12-1919 |
| 1919-06-27 | John Corbett, one of the founders, dies | CT, 6-28-1919 |
| 1919-11-12 | Connery wedding reception at hotel | Dated photo postcard |
| 1920-03-12 | Circus Night in Marine Dining Room | Dated photo postcard |
| 1921-04-15 | New limosine used for service to loop | postcard |
| 1921-07-19 | Culver Military Academy cadets camp north of hotel | CT, 7-19-1921 |
| 1922-04-00 | Radio:broadcasting studio created in hotel for station WJAZ | Pamphlet, dated May, 1922 |
| 1922-04-17 | Marshall of France, Joseph Joffre visits hotel to pay tribute to WWI US wounded veterans; held in Marine Room. Translatter was Col. U.S. Grant III | CT, 4-18-1922 |
| 1922-09-14 | Johnny Weismuller wins swimming contest sponsored by the EBH | CT, 9-15-1922 |
| 1923-02-29 | Permit issued for addition (south building) | Permit file, CHM |
| 1923-03-00 | Ground breaking for south building (Annex) | Dated photo |
| 1923-08-13 | Womens Swimming Competition | Commemorative Pin CT 8-13-1923 |
| 1924-02-09 | Addition opens for business; Elmer Rich first to sleep in the addition | Ripples, Summer 1930, p.2 |
| 1924-03-29 | Radio:WGN broadcasts from EBH | CT, 3-29-1924 |
| 1924-06-30 | Radio: WEBH begins broadcasting from EBH | Broadcasting.wikia.com |
| 1924-08-03 | Lake Marathon Swim-Women | CT, 8-3-24 |
| 1924-08-13 | First mention of WEBH in Chicago Tribune | CT, 8-13-1924 |
| 1924-08-31 | Lake Marathon Swim- Women | CT, 8-31-1924 |
| 1926-02-26 | Groundbreaking for Edgewater Gulf Hotel | |
| 1926-10-31 | Charles E. Fox (architect & investor) dies | CT, 11-2-1926 |
| 1926-11-01 | First mention of Edgewater Beach Hotel Orchestra; "Gus Edwards 15 piece WEBH Edgewater Beach Hotel Orchestra" | CT, 11-1-1926 |
| 1927-00-00 | Permit issued for Edgewater Beach Apartments | Not found; estimate |
| 1927-01-00 | Edgewater Gulf Hotel opens | CT, bond display ad, 10-13-1927 |
| 1927-10-13 | Bond Issue first announced for Edgewater Beach Apartments | CT, 10-13-1927 |
| 1928-10-01 | Edgewater Beach Apartments opens (before 10-28-1928) | CT, 10-28-1928 Hotel Monthly August 1930 |
| 1928-06-30 | WEBH ends broadcasting | Broadcasting.wikia.com |
| 1928-12-15 | Black Cat Room (last mentioned) | CT, 12-15-1928 |
| 1930-02-00 | Swimming competition, Edgewater Beach Apartments | Program, EHS |
| 1930-04-00 | Blossom Festival begin as an annual event in Marine Room | CT, 21st show, 3-25-1951 |
| 1931-10-01 | EBA fails to pay on bonds due this date | CT |
| 1931-12-04 | EBA committee organized for protection of bond holders | CT |
| 1931-12-17 | EBA, foreclosure procedures initiated | CT, 6-27-37 |
| 1932-09-30 | Babe Ruth before his alleged called home run at Wrigley Field | CT, 10-1-1932, checked in 9-30 |
| 1933-12-00 | Yacht Club Cocktail Lounge resumes serving liquor | End of prohibition |
| 1934-02-20 | EBA, decree of foreclosure entered by court | CT, 6-27-1937 |
| 1934-07-00 | Union Strike | Book |
| 1934-08-14 | Bomb blast injures three | Photo dated 8-14-1934 |
| 1937-02-12 | EBA, IL Supreme Court approves reorganization plan | CT, 6-27-1937 |
| 1937-06-06 | John T. Connery, founder, dies | NYT 6-7-1937 |
| 1938-06-16 | Shirley Temple (age 9) arrives at hotel | CT, 6-17-1938 |
| 1941-04-26 | 1st advertisement for the Dewey Apts | CT, 4-26-1941 |
| 1943-10-10 | Last Tribune advertisement for the Dewey Apts | CT, 10-10-1943 |
| 1944-00-00 | Dorothy Hild hired to produce shows for hotel | CT 7-13-1984 |
| 1944-06-19 | Benjamin Marshall, architect and major investor dies | CT, 6-20-1944 |
| 1947-02-10 | Saudi Crown Prince stays at hotel | CT, 2-10-1947 |
| 1947-04-06 | Bing Crosby stays at hotel | Bing: Day by Day |
| 1948-10-29 | First sale of hotel: to Boston Foundation | QC, Cook County Recorder of Deeds |
| 1949-06-15 | Shooting of Eddie Waitkus (29) by Ruth Ann Steinhagen (19), 12th fl | CT, 6-16-1949 |
| 1949-09-00 | Edgewater Beach Apartments purchased at auction by group of tenants | |
| 1949-10-07 | First day of 3 day convention of American Air Mail Society | First day cancellation of commemorative envelope |
| 1950-00-00 | Closing of beach prior to land fill for the drive | Estimate |
| 1950-09-03 1950-09-06 | Lambda Chi Alpha Alumni Convention | CT 8-28-1950 |
| 1951-01-23 | Xaviar Cugat alleged affair with Aby Lane | CT, 1-24-1951 |
| 1952-00-00 | William M. Dewey retires as manager | CT, 5-15-1954 |
| 1952-03-19 | George Gobel performs in the Marine Room | CT, 3-19-1952 |
| 1952-07-15 | Bob Hope and wife stay at hotel | CT, 7-15-1952 |
| 1953-03-31 | Permit issued for swimming pool and cabana | Building Permit Ledger card |
| 1953-06-27 | Opening of outdoor swimming pool and cabana | CT photo |
| 1954-01-00 | Rib Room opens (replaced Village Green room) | CT, 12-20-1953; 2-7-1954 |
| 1954-02-02 | Amendment filed to change name to 5300 Sheridan Road Company | Ill. State Archives |
| 1954-05-14 | William M. Dewey dies (age 74) | CT, 5-15-1954 |
| 1955-00-00 | Polynesian Village opens in former Marine Room space | CT, 5-1-1955 |
| 1955-01-00 | Marine Room closed (replaced by Polynesian Village) | CT, 4-16-1964 |
| 1955-02-01 | Second sale of Hotel, Boston Foundation to Edgewater Beach Hotel Company | WD, Cook County Recorder of Deeds |
| 1955-08-09 | First mention in Chicago Tribune of Edgewater Beach Playhouse | CT, 8-9-1955 |
| 1958-03-14 | Articles of dissolution of the company filed | Ill. State Archives |
| 1958-04-07 | 2nd WEBH begins broadcasting (Buddy Black owner 93.9 FM) | Internet site |
| 1961-07-09 | Alan Marshall, actor, died at the EBH | NYT, 7-10-61 |
| 1962-01-04 | Johnny Carson & Jackie Cooper perform | CT, 1-5-1962 |
| 1962-09-25 | Third sale of hotel, to H.P. Weissberg Corp | WD, Cook County Recorder of Deeds |
| 1963-01-17 | Martin Luther King Jr gives address at hotel | Chicago Defender, 1-17-63 |
| 1963-09-00 | Polynesian Village replaced by restored Marine Room (fall 1963) | CT, 3-24-1963 |
| 1964-06 | Hillary Rodham (later Clinton) attended junior prom | |
| 1967-03-00 | Foundation begun for 5455 apartment building | Photo dated 4-4-1967 |
| 1967-12-19 | Hotel files for bankruptcy | CT, 12-20-1967 |
| 1967-12-20 | George Gobel and Maggie Whiting perform w/o pay for audience | CT, 12-22-1967 |
| 1967-12-21 | Announcement of closing | CT, 12-22-1967 |
| 1967-12-24 | Last resident leaves (Ms. Lima Kim) | CT, 12-24-1967 |
| 1968-09-00 | Start of use by Loyola U as a dorm | CT, 9-29-1968 |
| 1968-11-24 | Party for parents of Loyola dorm students | CT, 11-25-1968 |
| 1969-03-00 | End of use by Loyola U as a dorm (estimate) | CT, 9-29-1968 |
| 1969-07-01 | 60-day sale of hotel items begins (Pitt Liquidators) | CT, 7-2-1969 |
| 1969-12-19 | Sale of door knobs and unsold items by demolition company (Boyas Excavation) | CT, 12-19-1969 |
| 1970-01-05 | Demolition of Edgewater Beach Hotel begins | CT, 1-6-1970 |
| 1971-03-00 | Demolition of Edgewater Beach Hotel ends | CT, 2-7-1971 a few more weeks |
| 1971-07-00 | Edgewater Gulf Hotel is demolished (by implosion) | Dated press photo |
| 1972-09-16 | Eddie Watkus dies | CT, 9-17-1972 |
| 1979-02-21 | Joseph Gallucchio dies (first EBH Orchestra leader) | CT, 2-22-1979 |
| 1984-07-09 | Dorothy Hild dies at age 74 | CT, 7-13-1984 |
| 2012-12-29 | Ruth Ann Steinhagen dies | CT, 3-15-2013 |
Notes: CT = Chicago Tribune; Ripples was the magazine of the Edgewater Beach Hotel; WD = Warranty Deed
–prepared by LeRoy Blommaert; last revised January 30, 2021