During my time in your Social Science course, I learned a great deal about Chicago and its history. I was surprised to learn that the city of Chicago was built in a swamp. I thought that a city as great as Chicago would’ve started out on a more stable foundation, such as a plain, or maybe a slight hill. Another thing I was surprised to learn was that the name Chicago is actually derived from the Native American word “Chicagou”, which translates to “land of wild garlic.”

I also learned that Chicagoans are a very resourceful and determined group of people, finding solutions to every problem that appears, both large and small. Some examples of this determination and resourcefulness that particularly impressed me is when they literally reversed the flow of the Chicago River! Another example that impressed me is when the water table of the swamp the city was built on interfered with the people of Chicago’s attempts to dig down to build a sewer.

They couldn’t go down, so what did they do instead? They when up, or rather, their buildings did. When I first read about this, I almost couldn’t believe what I was reading. The people of Chicago put jacks (like what you put under your car) under their buildings, hundreds of them for each building, and they literally jacked up their buildings to make room for the sewer! They jacked up their buildings about ten or fifteen feet, shoring up the foundations with bricks as they went up.

With the sewer built, Chicago became a comparatively nice place to live in, and with the Chicago River’s flow reversed, Chicago became a city with a strong trading economy. With these two factors, as well as becoming a hub of railroad transport later on, Chicago was the place to be. It even hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition.

It attracted people from all over, from Chinese to Irish to German, and many more. These people going to an entirely new place naturally stuck to their own, resulting in the various ethnic areas of Chicago, such as Chinatown and Bridgeport. From my excursions to the various neighborhoods, as well as some supplementary research, I learned about the cultures of the people who lived in Chicago after immigrating.

The Chinese in Chinatown brought unique foods and exotic flavors with them when they immigrated here, such as durian flavored candy and bean paste pastries. They also have live seafood on display in their convenience stores and markets. The blacks already in the country were segregated into their own community in Bronzeville. Famous figures in the civil rights movement, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Ida B. Wells, are memorialized in Bronzeville.

The Irish lived in Bridgeport, which was home to one of Chicago’s most famous mayors, mayor Richard J. Daley. Bridgeport is also that one place where all the hipsters live. Pilsen is a very large Czech and Latino community, with a cathedral and plenty of murals to show for it. On my own time with my friends, I visited Devon, which is a prominent Indian community, and Portage Park, an area named for its 36 acre park. I have to admit, I was proud of the joke I made about the coffee shop called Portage Grounds being close to the grounds of Portage park, and whether or not it was a coincidence.

I thoroughly enjoyed each place I visited, but when you compare them, there’s one thing in particular that’s the same between all of them. That one thing is gentrification. There was always that one building that looked too modern to be where it was.

The obvious difference between them is the racial demographics. Chinatown is Chinese, Bronzeville is black, Bridgeport started out Irish, but its also the place where all the hipsters go, so who knows what the demographics are now. Pilsen is Latino and Czech, Devon is completely Indian, and Portage park is roughly split between White and Hispanic. These areas, with their demographics so different, would naturally have different cultures.

Another difference between these areas are the size of the areas themselves. Devon was basically just a single street, while the park in Portage Park was a massive 36 acres. Bridgeport, Bronzeville, Chinatown, and Pilsen were all decently large areas encompassing several streets.

As you have plainly seen, I’m not that good at writing blogs. To be honest, my math/science/autistic brain leave me unsuited for the creative writing world. I have learned that I have some work to do in order to be at least somewhat competent in writing creatively, as opposed to writing plainly.

Before taking this class, I didn’t really think about the city of Chicago at all. I was mainly focused on what happened at home, and what I did on campus, without considering much of anything beyond that. Now that I’ve taken this course, I know that there is a lot more to this place than just my house and the school I go to. Maybe I can visit some of these places again whenever I have some downtime. I could even bring my friends along.

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense that Chicago is considered a global city. I mean, it’s got some of the best infrastructure, and one of the most vibrant economies in the world. Every city ranking list I’ve seen has Chicago somewhere in the top ten, or at least the top fifteen, out of all the cities in the world. Chicago also has great architecture, museums, music, and restaurants. The fact that it is also a transportation hub, along with all its beauty and history, also contribute to Chicago’s global status.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed taking your class. I appreciate how I’ve been introduced to parts of the city that I never thought about before, or that I even knew existed.

Today, my friends and I went on a trip to Bridgeport. It’s a really big place, so we weren’t able to see everything, but let me tell you about what we did see.

This is Bridgeport:

Bridgeport is located directly west of our campus, and includes the famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) Guaranteed Rate Field which, if you ask me, is a really stupid name.

We began by walking up to the northern parking lot on campus, taking one of my friend’s cars, and driving to Bridgeport. I was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming feel Bridgeport gave off. The curved roads and quaint houses really sell the place as one that you can easily call home.

After parking the car, we walked about Bridgeport, seeing whatever was there to see. The first place we came across was a location of “Lucky Land Realty, Inc.”, a very small business with only around 4 employees, according to manta.com. Just from looking at the sign, the business is obviously Chinese.

After visiting the realty business, we came across some local restaurants and eateries, such as Ace Bakery and El Churrito. The first place is obviously a bakery, but what sets it apart from every other bakery I’ve visited is the sheer number of choices. Ace Bakery serves every kind of cake, cake flavor, and cake filling that you could care to mention, and more. Their options range from the standard Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Marble, etc. all the way up to the very obscure and very awesome-sounding atomic cake.

The second place is also a bakery, as well as an eatery. El Churrito surprisingly doesn’t serve churros, instead opting for tortas, ice cream, milkshakes, smoothies, and, surprisingly, foot long sandwiches. I was very surprised by the variety of options on the menu.

After seeing the bakeries, we saw another restaurant called Jackie’s Mexican Cuisine. We didn’t have time to stop and eat in, but apparently its a really good place to eat at, if the Yelp reviews are anything to go by. From how worn out the bricks look, the building was probably here for a long time.

Jackie’s Mexican Cuisine offers a wide array of items on its menu, from quesadillas and burritos to, oddly, cheeseburgers and steak. As with El Churrito’s, I was surprised by the diversity of their menu.

From our visit to Jackie’s, we went on to find a small garden of sorts. I don’t know whose garden it is , but my friends and I thought it was strange that there would be a garden in between buildings, seemingly for no reason. While in the garden, I couldn’t help but wonder. How many people visited this very same place, had picnics there, or just spent time with there families? Bridgeport is a very old community, so there would naturally be changes in the structures. Thinking back on it, its not all that strange for there to be a garden in a place such as this.

Along the way, we found the First Lutheran Church of the Trinity. The church was founded in 1865, and was the first Lutheran church in the area. The church started as a German parish, whose name translates to “Evangelical Lutheran Trinity.”  The First Lutheran Church of the Trinity was the daughter of the First Immanuel Church, which was the daughter of the First Saint Paul Church. The First Lutheran Church also used to support an elementary school. Clearly, for many, many years, church was fundamental to the way of life of the people of Bridgeport.

Across the street from the First Lutheran Church of the Trinity is the First Trinity Community Center. I have looked at the church website, but have been unable to ascertain exactly what the community center is used for. It appears that it could be used for theater productions, but I couldn’t find any specific references, except for something called the “Possibility Playhouse” at the same address.

Near the end of our trip, we found a mural. I haven’t been able to find out anything about this particular mural, but I personally believe that it is an homage to old video games. Some specific references I recognized being the flagpole, pipe, and “?” block from Super Mario Bros., and the isometric blocks from Qbert. On further inspection, I noticed that the flag in the pipe has the flag of Chicago in it.

To end our trip, we encountered Car One Auto Repair. The building appears to be fairly new, with fresh paint and no apparent wear. The Yelp reviews were mixed, but average overall. I suppose we were going to find an auto shop, eventually. After all, you can’t have a large number of people owning cars all in one place without a place to take care of your cars. The building itself might be an example of gentrification, with the fresh paint and lack of wear contrasting against the old brick buildings with plenty of wear. On second thought, maybe the new paint job is just the owner of the business taking care of the building.

 

Like I said, Bridgeport is really big, so we didn’t get to see a lot of interesting things that I’m sure are there. Being thoroughly intrigued by the area, I thought I would do some research to learn more about it, and here is what I found:

Bridgeport was founded in 1804 by Charles Lee when he settled there with his family to start a farming business. The farm closed during the War of 1812 because Pottawatomie Native Americans were attacking Fort Dearborn, which was a mere three miles from where the farm was.

In 1816, Fort Dearborn was rebuilt, the farmland was purchased by “Mack and Conant”, and a fur trading society was established on the farmland. In 1836, a quarry was opened, which attracted immigrants to the settlement. Most of the immigrant workers were Irish. There was also a sizable portion of German and Norwegian immigrants there in the 1840s.

Fast forward to the 1950’s, where we have a particular mayor in office, one Richard J. Daley. Now this guy, he was big, like, Really big. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he put Bridgeport on the map. He greatly improved Bridgeport through police department reforms, highway construction projects, and urban renewal projects. He was a really positive figure in the community, such that when members of his administration were caught in scandals, he himself wasn’t affected by them. After Richard J. Daley came Richard M. Daley, who served as mayor from 1989 to 2011.

 

Overall, the impression I got from Bridgeport is that it was, and continues to be, a home for a wide variety of people from many cultures. It’s the kind of place where you can find a Spanish bakery down the street from a Chinese Realty business. People live here together in harmony, raising their families, and going about their day-to-day lives.

 

——————————————————–Citations———————————————————

Manta. (n.d.). Lucky Land Realty, Inc. Retrieved from https://www.manta.com/c/mbd7n13/lucky-land-realty-inc

Zomato. (n.d.). El Churrito – Chicago. Retrieved from https://www.zomato.com/chicago/el-churrito-bridgeport/menu

Foursquare. (n.d.). Menu – Ace Bakery – Bakery in Chicago. Retrieved from https://foursquare.com/v/ace-bakery/4cfa8fbba9042c0f26e8e00a/menu

Yelp. (2018, September 28). Jackie’s Mexican Cuisine – Bridgeport – Chicago, IL. Retrieved from https://www.yelp.com/biz/jackies-mexican-cuisine-chicago-2

Foursquare. (n.d.). Menu – Jackie’s Mexican – Mexican Restaurant. Retrieved from https://foursquare.com/v/jackies-mexican/4c435e25dcd61b8d1edf7956/menu

First Trinity Chicago. (2016, January 19). History. Retrieved from https://firsttrinitychicago.com/history/

Time Out. (2014, February 6). First Trinity Community Center | Theater in Bridgeport, Chicago. Retrieved from https://www.timeout.com/chicago/theater/first-trinity-community-center#tab_panel_2

643 W. 31st St., Chicago, IL | Possibility Playhouse | Metromix Chicago. (2018). Retrieved from http://chicago.metromix.com/venues/mmxchi-possibility-playhouse-venue/address

Yelp. (2011, February 9). Car One Auto Repair and More – Bridgeport – Chicago, IL. Retrieved from https://www.yelp.com/biz/car-one-auto-repair-and-more-chicago

Research Citations:

Chicago Gang History. (n.d.). Bridgeport | Chicago Gang History. Retrieved from https://chicagoganghistory.com/neighborhood/bridgeport/

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2018, May 11). Richard J. Daley | Biography, Facts, & Role in 1968 Democratic National Convention. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-J-Daley

 

Today, some friends and I went on an excursion to Pilsen. It was very far away from campus. We met on campus, then we took the Green line to the McCormick Place, then we took a bus to Carpenter St. When we got off the bus, we went under an overhang to avoid a bulldozer on the street next to where the bus dropped us off. The construction worker operating the bulldozer was actually doing something illegal, by keeping the scooper in the air on a public street. Something could fall out, y’know?

Anyway, we hang a left after the bulldozer, and we begin to discuss how industrially zoned areas protect streetlights with concrete pylons known as bollards. I made a reference to that one Starcraft meme. Y’know, the “You must construct additional pylons” meme. My friends didn’t get the reference because they don’t play Starcraft. I don’t play it either, but memes quickly spread far and wide on the internet.

After making the reference, we encountered a building that was conspicuously more modern-looking than the brick buildings around it. It seems that not even places as ethnically and culturally diverse as Pilsen are immune to gentrification. Or perhaps it’s because of it’s diversity, that Pilsen is experiencing gentrification.

After the example of gentrification, we came across multiple murals painted on the sides of buildings. Murals are a big part of Latino culture, and the murals in Pilsen were made by famous Latino artists, such as Delilah Salgado.

After admiring the murals, we came across a building of the 18th Street Development Corporation, which has devoted itself to the economic growth of Pilsen through the support of small businesses and through the planning of infrastructure. The Corporation has been supporting Pilsen since 1976.

Walking down the street from the Corporation building, we saw a building for Bobi Joa Korean Kitchen across the street. I haven’t been able to find out what kind of food is served there, exactly, But as the name suggests, it most likely serves traditional Korean food.

As an example of how different Pilsen is from other neighborhoods, we found a restaurant that used to be an auto shop. The restaurant has been declared permanently closed, But i’m not sure for how long. I couldn’t find when it closed.

Some time after visiting the repurposesd auto shop, we came across Josefina’s Bakery on West 18th Street. We didn’t have time to go in, but from what I’ve heard of it, it seems pretty good.

After visiting Josefina’s, we came across the Saint Procopius Catholic Church, with a memorial to Saint Mary out in front. The Church was founded after Czech Catholics immigrated to America in 1863, when it began as the St. Wenceslaus Parish. After the Chicago Fire of 1871, Czechs from other Neighborhoods moved to Pilsen, and Fr. William Coka organized funds to help build a new school and Parish, which was named after St. Procopius.

Some time after visiting the church, we came across Belli’s Juice Bar. Despite being called a “bar”, it doesn’t serve any alcoholic drinks. Just cold press juices, smoothies and avocado toasts. It also doesn’t look much like a bar, but I suppose there isn’t a standard appearance for a bar.

While we were walking through Pilsen, we found these symbols set into street corners. They appear to be Aztec or Mayan in design, which is probably due to the Mexican culture in Pilsen. I wanted to look more into it , but google’s image search was unreliable, and I couldn’t find anything through other means.

Along the way, we saw a sign for what appears to be a Bilingual law firm. I suppose its to be expected, considering how diverse Pilsen is. Actually, being multilingual is probably necessary to run a business in a place like Pilsen.

Some time after the Bilingual Law Firm, we came across a Mexican bakery, titled Panaderia Del Refugio. The title is Spanish for “Shelter Bakery”. We actually went inside and bought some confectioneries. it was just bread and some frosting, but it was still good. I was surprised to see that a Cantonese Restaurant titled “Happy Panda” was literally right next door to the bakery.

 

After visiting the bakery, we visited the Lozano branch of the Chicago Public  Library. The library is actually very large, taking up about a whole block by itself. As a true testament to the diversity of Pilsen, there’s a sign on the door that reads “All are welcome here.” in seven languages. Seven! Across the street from the library is a statue. I tried finding out what the significance of the statue is, but search results haven’t been forthcoming.

After some walking, we found a park with statues devoted to famous people in Mexican history, such as Mexican Priests and Revolutionaries Jose Marie Morelos y Pavon and Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Close to the park is a mural devoted to the students of the Benito  Juarez Community Academy. The Benito Juarez Community Academy is a prevalent high school in the Pilsen area.

Famous Mexican Figures Including Jose and Miguel and the mural devoted to Benito Juarez Academy

After the park with the statues, were starting to run out of time so we started to make our way back. While we were walking, we saw some more murals. A couple were religious in content, while the other one was sports related.

Religious Murals and a Sports Mural

After we saw everything we had time for, we went to the pink line station, got on board, transferred to the green line, and got back to the campus. I was very glad I went to Pilsen, all things considered. It was pleasantly surprising to see a Mexican Bakery next door to a Cantonese restaurant. I was also surprised by the fact that so many of the places we visited were all on the same street. I mean, I’ve heard of shopping districts, but it was still unexpected.

References:

Purpose & Mission. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://esdcpilsen.org/mission-values/

History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://esdcpilsen.org/past-and-current-success-stories/

Parish History : St Procopius/Providence of God. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://stprocopiuschurch.org/about-us/parish-history/

Josefina’s Bakery. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://foursquare.com/v/josefinas-bakery/4df13d41d4c01ff6b2e26967

Belli’s Juicebar. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://places.singleplatform.com/bellis-juicebar/menu

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). José María Morelos | Mexican priest and revolutionary. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jose-Maria-Morelos

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla | Facts, Accomplishments, & Biography. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Miguel-Hidalgo-y-Costilla

Juarez HS. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://schoolinfo.cps.edu/schoolprofile/schooldetails.aspx?SchoolId=609764

My compatriots and I walked from campus to Bronzeville, seeing several land marks along the way.

While nearing the edge of campus, we saw an obelisk. It appeared to be made of granite, and it had bronze plaques attached to it’s sides. There was also an image with multiple symbols reminiscent of Egyptian Hieroglyphics on one of the sides, which appear to be out of place. Why would Egyptian hieroglyphics be on an obelisk in America, in a place other than a museum? That aside, the plaques detail some of the history of Chicago as it pertains to the success of black people.

Plaques and symbols on the sides of the Obelisk

After seeing the obelisk, we walked some more, and encountered a mural on the side of the 35th-Bronzeville-IIT Green Line handicap entrance building. The mural was dedicated to black artists, such as R. Kelly. There was also a colorful  mosaic next to the building entrance.

The mural on the side and the mosaic next to the entrance

After walking past the handicap Green Line entrance building, we found a paved area between streets. That area has a map of Bronzeville made of Bronze set into the ground. next to the bronze map is a map of Chicago’s boulevards.

Bronze map of Bronzeville and the map of Chicago’s boulevards

After looking at the maps, we circled back around to look at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. library. I was pleasantly surprised by the library’s selection. despite it’s plain appearance, it had well known works, such as George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm. In front of the library there were tarnished copper plaques set into the ground, honoring famous black people, such as playwright Loraine Hansberry.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, the books on display, and the copper plaques out in front of the library

After visiting the library, we went to the Victory Monument, which was placed across the street from the bronze map. Set into the ground around the monument are bronze plaques honoring important black people who served in the US military, such as the first black astronaut Mjr. Robert E. Lawrence and Lt. George R. Giles.

The Victory Monument and the Bronze plaques honoring black soldiers

After visiting the Victory Monument, and several minutes of walking, We found the house that Ida B. Wells lived in, 3624 S. Martin Luther King Dr. For a place that’s supposed to be closed off to the public, it was surprisingly easy to just walk up to. Well, I suppose a house can’t get much more closed off than a fence around the front yard. There was also a sign out front detailing who she is and what she did.

The house built at, and the sign in front of 3624 Martin Luther King Dr.

On our way back to campus, we encountered a building with a plaque inscribed Organizations founded by two prominent black members of the community in the past.

Plaque inscribed with the organizations founded by the Palmers

After seeing the plaque, we came across the Chicago military Academy at Bronzeville. I didn’t know that there was a military academy in Bronzeville, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. What I was surprised by was the large number of doors leading into and out of the academy. There were were at least seven doors, and I noticed that some of the doors appeared to be fashioned after the wooden doors of castles and fortresses. Perhaps posing as a veritable fortress is the point of a military academy.

One of the several doors and the flag of Illinois in front of that same door

The last place we visited before returning to campus was the Chicago Bee headquarters in Bronzeville. The front is boarded up because the building was being renovated.

Going on this journey helped me realize just how big the Chicago land area is. After walking past the Green Line entrance building, it took several minutes of walking to reach Bronzeville proper, and another hour or so just to reach the landmarks we actually did see. And we didn’t even see all of Bronzeville.

Today, some classmates and I went to Chinatown. Our excursion actually started off with a bit of a foible. I was dropped off at the 33^rd street red line station, while my compatriots were already at Chinatown, waiting for me. After some time looking for them throughout the station, I eventually called one of them, asking where they are. One of them said to just get on the train because they were waiting for me. A short train ride later, and I was at Chinatown. We met up at the Cermak-Chinatown red line station, and went out into Chinatown proper.

Pagodas in the distance from the red line station and the Chinatown gate

The first location we went to was a simple grocery store. One of my compatriots, who frequents Chinatown with his fraternity, said that the store sold vegetables at a cheaper price than my local Jewel-Osco, which I was pleasantly surprised to hear. I didn’t expect such a small place to be undercutting a store chain as large as Jewel. The store also sold exotic candies in uncommon flavors, such as pineapple and durian. The store also had live lobster for sale, which amazed me. You would think that only fisherman sold live seafood.

Grocery store storefront and live lobster

After that, we paid a visit to the Chinatown library. To be honest, I didn’t know it was a library until one of my compatriots told me that it was. That’s how avant-garde the design of it was compared to everything else around it. I didn’t notice any books that were particularly special, but I probably just didn’t look hard enough. The library’s design allowed for a lot of space on the inside.

The Chicago Public Library Chinatown branch

After the library, we walked through a street that was just packed with storefronts. The street wasn’t paved with asphalt, it was a stone walkway. I suppose that being used to wide open streets means that you would be surprised by narrow, compact walkways. There was even a second floor! Well, not a floor per se, but some stairs leading up to some elevated walkways which led to more storefronts.

Storefronts in the walkway

Upon reaching the other side of the walkway, we made our way to the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago. The museum building is surprisingly nondescript. If the sign wasn’t out front, you wouldn’t know it was a museum. I wasn’t expecting anything in particular from the museum, But I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of items on display. It mainly displayed Chinese clothing that was common and/or popular in the past, in a myriad of colors. i was also surprised when I saw what appeared to be an ancient sewing machine. I supposed that the people of ancient China made clothing by hand with a needle and some string. In hindsight, the sewing machine probably came from a more recent time. Regrettably, we didn’t have time to watch the video on the second floor.

Clothing, paintings and what appears to be an ancient sewing machine on display in the museum

After leaving the museum, we came across the Chinese-American Veteran’s Memorial. The memorial was very well made and well maintained. It had the symbols of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and even the relatively obscure Merchant Marines, which I was pleasantly surprised to see.

The symbols of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines

After visiting the memorial, we visited the Chinatown Square, and beheld it’s zodiac statues. I already knew that my zodiac animal is the Tiger, because I was born on October 15th. I was intrigued by the strange cage-like structure in the square. Maybe it’s just a tower for just looking around. I was also intrigued by the main building on the square. The symbols on the main building, and on the gates of the square, caught my attention.

The zodiac statues, the symbols on the main building and gates to the square, and the cage-like structure

On our way out of Chinatown, we came across the Nine Dragon Wall. It was actually very beautiful, with it’s many colors. According to the plaque placed in front of it, the Nine Dragon Walls ( the other two are in Datong, Shanxi Province and Beijing) began as screen walls in ancient Chinese Architecture. The number nine was considered the most prestigious number in Ancient China, and the Ancient Chinese people believed the dragon to be the symbol of their national spirit. The Nine Dragon Walls were constructed by Ancient Chinese emperors to show off how powerful and influential they were.

The Nine Dragon  Wall and it’s Plaque

After visiting the wall, we got on the train and went back to campus. And that wraps up my excursion to Chinatown. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience.

All pictures taken By myself or by one of my compatriots.

From when the first European explorers found the marsh full of garlic in 1675, to the time of its founding in 1833 to the present day, Chicago’s history was rife with perseverance, innovation, and  advancement.

Like most other settlements and towns, the people of Chicago (Chicagou until 1833) relied on grain and wheat for food. But the process of harvesting wheat was very difficult. The workers needed to harvest as much wheat as they could in about two or three days. Any longer, and the wheat would die in the field.

Then along came Cyrus McCormick with a revolutionary idea. In 1831, he invented a machine that would reap the wheat. All the user had to do was push or pull it through the field. It was called the McCormick Reaper.

The invention of the Reaper also lead to the concept of credit. When a farmer who needed a reaper couldn’t afford one, McCormick took what money the farmer could spare, and gave him the Reaper anyway, saying he could pay him back after the harvest.

As the city grew, Chicago eventually became the largest lumber market in all the world. This came to be due to Chicago’s location near a dense forest and the great lakes. Lumber could have also become become valuable in Chicago for the vast number of wooden rail ties used in the sprawling railway system of which Chicago is the center.

For a city as large as Chicago, sufficient foodstuff production was necessary. Enter, the meatpacking industry. For a time, Chicago was the largest meatpacking center in America. This was due in part to the disassembly line, a process developed for the sole purpose of dismantling pigs and cows. This disassembly line was the the inspiration for Henry Ford’s assembly line.

With the development of an expansive railway system, transportation of not only people, but food (to a certain extent) and other commodities. this lead to a mail order system, where you could place orders for not only building materials for a house, but pieces of that house already made. The materials and/or house pieces were shipped to you on the train. Perhaps this is where the idea of ordering things online came from.

As you can see, the people of Chicago are a determined people. Every problem they encountered, they persevered, and overcame through advancement, technological or otherwise.

References:

Spinney, R.G. (2000). City of Big Shoulders: A History of Chicago. DeKalb, Illinois: Northern Illinois University Press

Karamanski, T. J. (n.d.). Lumber. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/767.html

Wade, L. C. (n.d.). Meatpacking. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/804.html

Alchin, L. (2014, July 1). Cyrus McCormick and the mechanical reaper. Retrieved from http://www.american-historama.org/1829-1841-jacksonian-era/mccormick-reaper.htm

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton