For a business to celebrate its 186th anniversary is a great achievement, but to be named the oldest in the whole of Illinois is also, you must agree, extremely good.
A salon in Montana, a funeral home in Nebraska and a paint shop in South Dakota are just some of the oldest businesses in America. In Illinois, this honor belongs to a jeweler who has been selling diamonds, jewelry, gifts and watches for 186 years!
The doors of C.D. Peacock Jeweler have been open since 1837, and they certainly went through a lot: the collapse of the market, a global pandemic, and even the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which destroyed everything except the most important — the jeweler’s vault. Then it remained untouched and helped the owners to recover quickly and continue working.
Part of the history of this business is that they were also the first registered business in Illinois. In 1841, the store owner placed an ad in a local Chicago newspaper, leaving another mark on the history of this business as the oldest permanent jewelry seller in America. Yes, not only in Illinois, but all over America!
After several moves around Chicago, C.D. Peacock is now located in three locations: Oakbrook Center, Woodfield Mall and Old Orchard.