WWI:
You may have read in another post how part of the east end of the pier was used as a temporary military prison for draft dodgers.   The other tower at that end of the pier was also enlisted for military use - as a carrier-pigeon station.

WWII:

When it came to war production, Chicago, like many urban centers, stepped up to the task at hand.   Did you know that more than 50 area companies manufactured parts for the B-29 bomber?   Did you know that the Chicago Roller Skate Company converted their plant from making skates to the manufacturing of nose sections for those bombers?   Local jukebox manufacturer, Rock-Ola, switched over to rifle production.  Navy Pier was enlisted to train troops for aircraft carrier duty as well as other military duties.   Many a young pilot learned their take-offs and landings on Lake Michigan on two ships converted/rigged to act as aircraft carriers.  One of those pilots happened to be a young George H W Bush.

True or false:

In July 1918 at #WrigleyField (then #Cubs Park) during a double header against Boston, Justice Department agents sealed off the park and did a sweep of all draft-aged men in there looking at their military status. All dodgers were then sent to a military detention center in one of the two towers at the east end of #NavyPier

Weird but true

You know when you have out-of-town guests who suggest going to Navy Pier you get that sort of "errr....well...." kind of feeling?

(Well, at least I do.)  

But who am I to judge?   I just finished reading a book on the history of Navy Pier and it was excellent!   Let me share some tidbits:

To promote the pier as a social center, the city held a Pageant of Progress there in 1921.   It was a big hoopalah, let me tell you!   Diving competitions, fashion show, fireworks, international typewriter contests (I kid you not) plus so much more.

One of my favorites would have been the Aeroplanes & Pigeon Race.   Considering those were propeller planes, this could not have turned out well for the pigeons.  

Besides the slicing and dicing of pigeons, my next most favorite moment would have been the crowning of Chicago's Queen, young Miss Evelyn Slader.    Evelyn is a Chicago legend by now because as you know, she was already crowned earlier that year as Queen of the Stockyards District (again, I kid you not.)

The local fancy shmancy real estate firm may be great at putting ads in magazines...that people see until the nurse calls them in for their doctor appointment.    

Does that really make sense?

Why not list your home with the world's largest real estate firm that happens to have the real estate websites with exponentially more traffic than any other?   

That makes sense to me.

Your buyer may be from a few blocks away or they may be from thousands of miles away.    Coldwell Banker is worldwide and will show your home where the buyers are looking - online all over the world.