Chicago Board of Trade - Chicago, IL - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

The CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE BUILDING, Jackson Blvd. and La Salle St., the tallest building in Chicago, has also the most dramatic location. Typifying the Board of Trade's importance in Chicago's economy, it stands as a climax to La Salle Street, at the apparent end of its long gorge. Designed by Holabird and Root and completed iin 1930, the building towers in huge set-back masses to a statue of Ceres, goddess of grain, a 31-foot aluminum figure by John Storrs. Ornament throughout the building contains symbols of the harvest.

Organized in 1848, the Board of Trade, with a present membership of more than 1,500, is by far the largest grain exchange in the world. More than 85 per cent of the United States trade in grain futures and approximately one-half of the world's total, is transacted here.

Since 1930 the Board of Trade has been housed in this 605 foot building by Holabird and Root. The building is designed in the art deco style and is the tallest art deco building in the world outside of New York. An interesting note is that the statue of Ceres that sits atop the building is faceless, because at the time it was thought that the building was so tall that no one would see her face anyhow. Now, the building is surrounded by other skyscrapers in the busy downtown loop district. The Chicago Board of Trade is the oldest futures and options exchange in the world. Currently it has 3,600 members and in July, 2007 its shareholders approved a merger with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, creating the largest derivatives market in the world.

The famous building has been featured in many movies and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.