building chicago history

Chicago, 1831

Chicago, 2009

Chicago, 1831

Climate• Perfect!• Great soil for farming left behind by glaciers.• Extensive growth (trees, plants) prevent erosion;

good for building and eating.• 4 seasons provides for diverse ecosystem.• Both Winter, Summer, livable extremes.• Native animal population good for food, not too

hard to survive. • Abundance of Water.

Water

• Plentiful access to freshwater for drinking (Lake Michigan, various inland lakes).

• Plentiful access to freshwater for sewage (Lake Michigan, various inland rivers).

• Low altitude + lots of water = frequent flooding.

• Extensive network of rivers (and later canals) make transportation ideal.

• Cold winters make transportation impossible.

Trade Partners• French are first Europeans to enter area.• Benign relations with Native American groups

(Pottawatomi, Miami, Fox Indians). They neither fought them nor traded freely.

• John Baptiste Pointe du Sable was first permanent settler in 1776.

• More Europeans would come, and they would trade with one another freely. JBPdS established the town as one open to anyone wanting to make money and trade.

Motive

• Chicago was established by traders. Their desire to build a city FOR trade and making money would make it succeed.

• Ft. Dearborn was later built by the British (1800).

• Before and after the Fire (1871), has been a city of survival.

• “Make no small plans” exemplifies the desire to be great (1909).

Money• Established as a city to trade – money is motive for

creation of a city!• Profit from early transportation development.• First becomes major meatpacking & processing town

(Union Stockyards).• Next becomes home to the first retailers (Sears, Wards,

Fields, etc.)• Is home to the first skyscrapers.• Hosts the worlds fair to boost economy, make advances in

technology, science.• Home to some of the world's biggest corporations

(Boeing, Wrigley, United Airlines, Morton, Tootsie Rolls!).