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Chicago’s Tribune Tower has piece of Rīga

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A stone from the Power Tower in Rīga is among 138 embedded in the Tribune Tower in downtown Chicago. (Photo by Andris Straumanis)

March 21, 2008

A piece of Rīga can be found in the wall of the Tribune Tower in Chicago. The stone is from the Powder Tower, or Pulvertornis, the only surviving tower of the 14th Century wall that once protected the Latvian capital.

Completed in 1925, the Tribune Tower is the headquarters of the daily Chicago Tribune and is an architectural landmark. Often featured in establishing shots for films set in Chicago, the 36-story skyscraper faces Michigan Avenue and is just north of the Chicago River.

As a way to honor great builders of the past, the board of directors of the newspaper decided to seek submissions of stones from around the world. Stones were embedded in the base of the tower from 1930 to 1950, according to a 1992 article by Chris Santilli.

Stones date from 150 million years ago—a chunk from the Petrified Forest in Arizona—to more recent times. One stone is from the shore near where the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, occurred in 1941.

For a virtual look at all 138 stones, visit the Web site of retired North Carolina teacher Glenn Gurley, who with a partner has photographed all of them. The images are part of his virtual exhibit, If Stones Could Speak.

The Powder Tower in Rīga’s Old Town now is home to the Latvian War Museum.

— Andris Straumanis