Chicago History, Illinois

The site where Chicago stands had long been considered as an important portage point on the water route linking the Great Lakes with the Mississippi river.  Aside from this important fact, there are a lot of interesting things you need to know about the events that made the city even more popular to a lot of individuals - locals and tourists as well.  Its history is as rich as other cities’ history in the United States.  Important people and occasions are notable for its existence.

Pullman Era

The name George Pullman certainly rings a bell.  He was famous for starting a luxury car.  He is also remembered for a neighborhood in Illinois and regarded as an industrialist in the area.  He was born as a New Yorker in 1831.  After 28 years, in the year 1859, Pullman transferred to Chicago and started building his dream there.  He was able to build the utopian worker community which resulted in one of the greatest disputes in Chicago making the ideal and perfect situation end.

Chicago Fire

The year 1871 was a very dry hot summer for Chicago.  It was a Sunday evening dated October 8, 1871 when a fire broke out at around 9:00 PM.  It was a barn behind the home of then couples Patrick and Catherine O’Leary.  The fire is actually associated with O’Leary’s cow. 

The Great Chicago Fire was considered one of the most tragic points in the history of Chicago.  The fact that firefighters were sent to a wrong neighborhood lead the fire to crumble up the walls of wooden houses and other properties found near the area.  It even reached the north and the east of DeKoven Street leaving a lot of infrastructures to ashes.  This left the city embarked to a rebuilding program replacing wooden buildings with stone.  They even created the first modern fire department in America.

World’s Columbian Exposition

In the year 1890, around 19 years after the tragedy, Chicago was one of the chosen cities to hold the World’s Columbian Exposition.  It was a close fight with other chosen cities such as St. Louis, Washington DC and New York.  On April 25, 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed the act making Chicago the foregrounds of the exposition.  It took three years of preparation before the event finally took place on May 1, 1893.  The exposition lasted for almost six months ending on October 30 of the same year.

Century of Progress

The 100th anniversary of Chicago’s incorporation was held in the year 1933 which the locals named as A Century of Progress Chicago International Exposition.  They basically included in this event the importance of scientific inventions and discoveries as well as the methods of how to achieve them.  The process was introduced to the public by means of making miniature replicas of their propositions.

Indeed, Chicago is rich in cultural heritages making it one of the most commendable cities of all times.  Despite all the tragedies that passed by, they were able to stand up as one community.  Up to these days, they uphold each part of their history embracing them as present day motivators.

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