McNulty Materials Archives - William J. Bowe

Architectural Boat Tour: The Movie

Architectural Boat Tour: The Movie Editor's Note: The first event of the Canavan Family Reunion in 2021 was an exclusive Chicago River tour with a docent with the Chicago Architectural Foundation as our guide. The group assembled early at [...]

6 The Canavans Abandon Ship

The Canavan related crowd abandoned ship in good order and surprisingly quickly. The rapidity of their departure was driven no doubt by the desire not to miss a minute of the approaching cocktail hour at The Cliff Dwellers.

5 Eastbound to Navy Pier & a Return to Riverwalk

The next leg of the Canavan Family Reunion architectural boat tour took us east to the turning basin by the Chicago locks. There, adjacent to nearby Navy Pier, we stared into the sun and took in Chicago’s striking skyline.

The Impossible Dream – Renaming the Reid Murdoch Building

Unfortunately I got carried away at the end and proposed that the name of the Reid Murdoch Building be changed to the Bowe Building. From the laughter and smirks on the faces of my kin, I could see they hadn’t been persuaded. That night I cried myself to sleep, knowing the Bowe Building would never come to be.

3 The South Branch and River City

Passing Wolf Point a second time as we started down the South Branch we first encountered the new Bank of America building and the Boeing Building, both with unusual cantilevered supports of their enormous office buildings above.

1 From the Riverwalk to Wolf Point
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1 From the Riverwalk to Wolf Point

Out chartered tour boat proceeded west towards Wolf Point, passing under the DuSable, Rush, State, Dearborn, Clark, LaSalle, Wells and Franklin bascule bridges over the Chicago River. Our docent guide from the Chicago Architectural Foundation filled us in on the significance of the City’s famous buildings along this stretch of the River.

2 From Wolf Point to Montgomery Ward on The North Branch

Rounding the confluence of the North and South Branches of the Chicago River at Wolf Point, Chicago’s Classic Lady headed up the North Branch to the turning basin at Goose Island by the original Montgomery Ward warehouse and office complex.