The district 's period of historic significance was 1872 &ndash; 1949 . In the late 1860s , Potter Palmer improved State Street by building his own Palmer House hotel on State Street in 1870 . He had also convinced Marshall Field and Levi Leiter to move the Field , Leiter & Co. store to State Street in 1868 . Chicago 's retailing center was State Street ( anchored by Marshall Field 's ) in the downtown Loop after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 . Convenient mass transit such as streetcars and elevated trains , supported a retail corridor along State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street . State Street became a shopping destination during the 1900s , and is referred to in Frank Sinatra 's song Chicago ( That Toddlin ' Town ) , where Frank refers it to " State Street , that Great Street . " At one time seven major department stores were situated on State Street : Benson , Rixon , Karolls , Charles A. Stevens and Mandel Brothers ( in addition to Marshall Field 's and Carson , Pirie Scott )
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Loop Retail Historic District