Raising Chicago Out of the Mud-- Part 4: How to Raise a Building

But in Chicago's center it wouldn't do to leave buildings below the new ground level.  Not only single large buildings were raised, but often whole blocks

They would be raised by a large array of jack screws.  An Indiana visitor described this effort:  "All being ready, the superintendent takes his position at some central point, and by a signal, usually a shrill whistle, directs the movements of the men.  he continues his whistle long enough for every man to turn every screw one complete round of the thread.  Thus the building is raised at every point precisely at the same moment, and to the same extent."

In 1860 a whole block of buildings on Lake Street between Clark and LaSalle streets lifted 6 feet by the simultaneous movement of 6,000 screws.

The following year, the Tremont House, a six-story hotel at lake and Dearborn, was lifted six feet.  George Pullman, then in the building raising business, got the job by promising he could do it without disturbing a guest or breaking a pane of glass.  The huge hotel was occupied throughout the project.  It went off according to his word.

Quite the Accomplishment.  --DaCoot