It was in 1868 when young Peter McKim's family moved to Rocane from Wilmington, Delaware, where Peter was born. Peter's family was poor, so he soon started working on construction sites in the fast growing city to help his father feed the family. With his wits and keen business sense Peter swiftly climbed the ladder and by the turn of the century he was the number one real estate tycoon in Rocane. The 15-story Delaware Building on Main Street was completed in 1903 to serve as headquarters for Peter's Delaware Construction Company. It is 184 feet (56 m) high and was Rocane's tallest building from 1903 to 1907.
The first floor of the Delaware Building is occupied by the Rocane Restaurant and Bar (known as the Rocane Restaurant during the Prohibition). It was opened in 1917 (this picture is taken in 1920) and is still operating, making it the oldest restaurant in Rocane.
The Chicago Apartments (at the corner of 2nd North Street and 8th Avenue), constructed by Delaware Construction Company and completed 1905, is still one of the most expensive apartment buildings in Rocane. Peter McKim, the owner of Delaware Construction Company, kept the top three floors to himself as a residence for him and his family. He lived in the building until 1925, when his declining health and the worsening street pollution forced him to move to the suburbs.
The building took its name from the park it faces. In 1891 Chicago-born multi-industrialist Augustus Gilbert moved west to Rocane and donated a park bearing the name of his old home town to the city of Rocane.
Chicago Apartments is 161 feet (49 m) tall and has 13 stories.
