HISTORY OF EARLY CHICAGO MODERN CHICAGO AND ITS SETTLEMENT EARLY CHICAGO, AND THE NORTHWEST BY ALBERT D. HAGER page 228 Another hotel and scarcely less noted in its time was the Green Tree Tavern, which stood on the northeast corner of Canal and Lake streets. It was built by James Kinzie in 1833, and opened for business by David Clock, who in a short time relinquished his proprietorship to Edward Parsons. The next proprietors were two young men, Snow and Spear, who kept it until 1838, when John Gray managed it until 1841. He sold out to George W. Rogers, who was its owner until 1845. During his time the house was known as the Chicago Hotel. The following year he was succeeded by F. A. Mcintyre. From the directory of 1848 it is learned that J. w. Noyes was then running it under the name of Noyes Hotel. In the next year it again changed hands and names, being called the Rail Road House, which title it held until 1851, when it became the Atlantic Hotel. Shortly after that year, Fred Meher took charge of the house and, in 1854, changed its name to the (West) Lake Street House. He continued to run it until 1859. Afterward it became a tenement house, having, however, a saloon in the lower front part. It remained standing at the corner of West Lake and Canal streets until 1880, when it was removed to Nos. 33, 35 and 37 Milwaukee Avenue, in order to make room for the American Iron Company's buildings which now occupy its former site. At this time (1884) the house still stands at the above numbers, and perhaps scarcely one among the thousands who pass it daily are aware of its historic character or that it is one of the -oldest buildings in existence in the city. There stands to-day on the southeast corner of Canal and Randolph streets a small two-story frame building, sadly dinged by age and exposure to the weather, for which the claim is made that it was the first frame house built on the West Side. In years now long since past it was known as the Western Hotel, and was built in 1835, as near as can be learned, by W. H. Stow, who came to Chicago in 1833. Mr. Stow was by trade an iron founder, and at one time had his shops on the rear end of the lot on which he later built his hotel. As he employed a number of men, his house was more of a boardinghouse for local custom than for the accommodation of the transient public. Mr. Stow kept the house until 1852, at which time he rented it to Martin Dodge and William R. Irish, who, trader the firm name of Dodge and Irish, conducted it until the following year. when Irish retired from the firm, being succeeded by A. P. Collar. The name of the house was, on the retirement of Mr. Stow from its management, chauged to Commercial Hotel. Dodge & Collar remained the proprietors until early in 1854. when the building was partially destroyed byq fire. After this it was rebuilt and in the years 1855-56 appears in the city directories as the Wilson House, kept by T. O. Wilson. With this terminated its career as a hotel or boarding-house. it is now occupied as a saloon, which is kept and owned by a son of the man who originally built and owned the house.