USA > Illinois > Warren County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Warren County, Volume I > Part 18
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CHETLAIN, Augustus Louis, soldier, was born in St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 26, 1824, of French Hugue- not stock-his parents having emigrated from Switzerland in 1823, at first becoming members of the Selkirk colony on Red River, in Manitoba. Having received a common school education, he became a merchant at Galena, and was the first to volunteer there in response to the call for troops after tlie bombardment of Fort Sumter, in
1861, being chosen to the captaincy of a company in the Twelfthi Regiment of Illinois Volunteers, which General Grant had declined; participated in the campaign on the Tennessee River which resulted in the capture of Fort Donelson and the battle of Shiloh, meanwhile being commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel; also distinguished himself at Corinth, where he remained in command until May, 1863, and organized the first colored regi- ment raised in the West. In December, 1863, he was promoted Brigadier-General and placed in charge of the organization of colored troops in Tennessee, serving later in Kentucky and being brevetted Major-General in January, 1864. From January to October, 1865, he commanded the post at Memphis, and later the District of Talla- dega, Ala., until January, 1866, when he was mustered out of the service. General Chetlain was Assessor of Internal Revenue for the District of Utah (1867-69), then appointed United States Consul at Brussels, serving until 1872, on his return to the United States establishing himself as a banker and broker in Chicago.
CHICAGO, the county-seat of Cook County, chief city of Illinois and (1890) second city in population in the United States.
SITUATION .- The city is situated at the south- west bend of Lake Michigan, 18 miles north of the extreme southern point of the lake, at the moutlı of the Chicago River; 715 miles west of New York, 590 miles north of west from Wash- ington, and 260 miles northeast of St. Louis. From the Pacific Coast it is distant 2,417 miles. Latitude 41º 52' north; longitude 87° 35' west of Greenwich. Area (1898), 186 square miles.
TOPOGRAPHY .- Chicago stands on the dividing ridge between the Mississippi and St. Lawrence basins. It is 502 feet above sea-level, and its highest point is some 18 feet above Lake Michi- gan. The Chicago River is virtually a bayou, dividing into north and south branches about a half-mile west of the lake. The surrounding country is a low, flat prairie, but engineering science and skill liave done much for it in the way of drainage. The Illinois & Michigan Canal terminates at a point on the south branch of the Chicago River, within the city limits, and unites the waters of Lake Michigan with those of the Illinois River.
COMMERCE .- The Chicago River, with its branches, affords a water frontage of nearly 60 miles, the greater part of which is utilized for the shipment and unloading of grain, lumber, stone, coal, merchandise, etc. Another navigable stream (the Calumet River) also lies within the
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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
corporate limits. Dredging has made the Chi- cago River, with its branches, navigable for vessels of deep draft. The harbor has also been widened and deepened. Well constructed break- waters protect the vessels lying inside, and the port is as safe as any on the great lakes. The . tured leather (notably in boots and shoes) exceeds that of any other market in the country. Ship-building is a leading industry, as are also brick-making, distilling and brewing.
city is a port of entry, and the tonnage of vessels arriving there exceeds that of any other port in the United States. During 1897, 9,156 vessels arrived, with an aggregate tonnage of 7,209,442, while 9,201 cleared, representing a tonnage of 7,185,324. It is the largest grain market in the world, its elevators (in 1897) having a capacity of 32,550,000 bushels.
According to the reports of the Board of Trade, the total receipts and shipments of grain for the year 1898-counting flour as its grain equiva- lent in bushels-amounted to 323,097,453 bushels of the former, to 289,920,028 bushels of the latter. The receipts and shipments of various products for the year (1898) were as follows:
Receipts. 5,316,195
Shipments. 5,032,236
Wheat (bu.)
35,741,555
38,094,900
Corn
127,426,374
130,397,681
Oats
66
110,293,647
Rye
4,935,308
85.057,636 4,453,384 6,755,247
Barley 66
18,116,594
Cured Meats (lbs.)
229,005,246
923,627,722
Dressed Beef
110,286,652
1,060,859,808
Live-stock-Hogs 66 Cattle
2,480,632
864,408
66
Sheep
3,502,378
545,001
Chicago is also an important lumber market, the receipts in 1895, including shingles, being 1,562,527 M. feet. As a center for beef and pork- packing, the city is without a rival in the amount of its products, there having been 92,459 cattle and 760,514 hogs packed in 1894-95. In bank clearings and general mercantile business it ranks second only to New York, while it is also one of the chief manufacturing centers of the country. The census of 1890 shows 9,959 manu- facturing establishments, with a capital of $292,- 477,038; employing 203,108 hands, and turning out products valued at $633,184,140. Of the out- put by far the largest was that of the slaughter- ing and meat-packing establishments, amounting to $203,825,092; men's clothing came next ($32,- 517,226) ; iron and steel, $31,419,854; foundry and machine shop products, $29,928,616; planed lumber, $17,604,494. Chicago is also the most important live-stock market in the United States. The Union Stock Yards (in the southwest part of the city) are connected with all railroad lines entering the city, and cover many hundreds of
acres. In 1894, there were received 8,788,049 animals (of all descriptions), valued at $148,057,- 626. Chicago is also a primary market for hides and leather, the production and sales being both of large proportions, and the trade in manufac-
TRANSPORTATION, ETC .- Besides being the chief port on the great lakes, Chicago ranks second to no other American city as a railway center. The old "Galena & Chicago Union," its first railroad, was operated in 1849, and within three years a substantial advance had been scored in the way of steam transportation. Since then the multi- plication of railroad lines focusing in or passing through Chicago has been rapid and steady. In 1895 not less than thirty-eight distinct lines enter the city, although these are operated by only twenty-two companies. Some 2,600 miles of railroad track are laid within the city limits. The number of trains daily arriving and depart- ing (suburban and freight included) is about 2,000. Intramural transportation is afforded by electric, steam, cable and horse-car lines. Four tunnels under the Chicago River and its branches. and numerous bridges connect the various divi- sions of the city.
HISTORY .- Point du Sable (a native of San Domingo) was admittedly the first resident of Chicago other than the aborigines. The French missionaries and explorers-Marquette, Joliet, La Salle, Hennepin and others-came a century earlier, their explorations beginning in 1673. After the expulsion of the French at the close of the French and Indian War, the territory passed under British control, though French traders remained in this vicinity after the War of the Revolution. One of these named Le Mai followed Point du Sable about 1796, and was himself suc- ceeded by John Kinzie, the Indian trader, who came in 1803. Fort Dearborn was built near the mouth of the Chicago River in 1804 on land acquired from the Indians by the treaty of Greenville, concluded by Gen. Anthony Wayne in 1795, but was evacuated in 1812, when most of the garrison and the few inhabitants were massa- cred by the savages. (See Fort Dearborn.) The fort was rebuilt in 1816, and another settlement established around it. The first Government survey was made, 1829-30. Early residents were the Kinzies, the Wolcotts, the Beaubiens and the Millers. The Black Hawk War (1832) rather aided in developing the resources and increasing
·
9,360,968
1,334,768
Flour (bbls.)
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
MANZ CHILAGU
La Salle Statue.
Hans Christian Andersen Statue.
Alarm Group. MONUMENTS IN LINCOLN PARK, CHICAGO.
Signal of Peace.
NZ
Buffalo Herd. Bridge Over Lagoon.
Flower Beds. VIEWS IN LINCOLN PARK, CHICAGO.
Artesian Fountain.
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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
the population of the infant settlement by draw- ing to it settlers from the interior for purposes of mutual protection. Town organization was effected on August 10, 1832, the total number of votes polled being 28. The town grew rapidly for a time, but received a set-back in the financial crisis of 1837. During May of that year, how-
ever, a charter was obtained and Chicago became a city. The total number of votes cast at that time was 703. The census of the city for the 1st of July of that year showed a population of 4, 180. The following table shows the names and term of office of the chief city officers from 1837 to 1899:
YEAR.
MAYOR.
CITY CLERK.
CITY ATTORNEY.
CITY TREASURER.
1837
Wm. B. Ogden.
I. N. Arnold, Geo. Davis (1). Geo. Davis.
N. B. Judd.
Hiram Pearsons.
1838
Buckner S. Morris
N. B. Judd ..
Hiram Pearsons.
1839
Benj. W. Raymond
Wm. H. Brackett.
Samuel L. Smith ..
Geo. W. Doie.
1840
Alexander Lloyd
Thomas Hoyne
Mark Skinner.
W. S. Gurnee, N. H. Bolles(2)
1841
F. C. Sherman ..
Thomas Hoyne.
Geo. Manierre ..
N. H. Bolles.
1842
Benj. W. Raymond.
J. Curtis ...
Henry Brown ..
F. C. Sherman.
1843
Augustus Garrett. Aug.Garrett,Alson S.Sherman(4) E. A. Rucker.
G. Manierre, Henry Brown(3) Henry W. Clarke
Walter S. Gurnee.
1845
John P. Chapin.
Henry B. Clarke
Charles H. Larrabee
Win. L. Church.
Henry B. Clarke.
Patrick Ballingall
Andrew Getzler.
1848
James H. Woodworth
Sidney Abe 1.
Giles Spring
Wm. L. Church.
1849
James H. Woodworth
Sidney Abell.
O. R. W. Lull.
Wm. L. Church.
1850
James Curtiss.
Sidney Abell
Henry II. Clark
Edward Manierre.
1851
Walter S. Gurnee.
Henry W. Zimmerman
Henry H. Clark
Edward Manierre.
1852 Walter S. Gurnee.
Arno Voss.
Edward Manierre.
1853 Charles M. Gray
Henry W. Zimmerman
Arno Voss ..
Edward Manierre.
1854 Ira L. Milliken
Henry W. Zimmerman
Patrick BallIngall
Urlah P. Harris.
1855 Levi D. Boone
Henry W. Zimmerman
J. A. Thompson
Wm. F. De Wolf.
1856 Thomas Dyer.
Henry W. Zimmerman
J. L Marsh
O. J. Rose.
1857
John Wentworth
John C. Miller
C. N. Holden.
1858 John C. Haines
H. Kreisman.
Elliott Anthony
Alonzo Harvey.
1859 John C. Haines
H. Kreisman.
Geo. F. Crocker
Alonzo Harvey.
1860 John Wentworth.
Abraham Kohn
John Lyle King.
Alonzo Harvey, C.W.Hunt(6)
1861
Julian S. Rumsey.
A. J. Marble
Ira W. Buel.
W. H. Rice.
1862
F. C. Sherman
A. J. Marble ..
Geo. A. Meech .
F. H. Cutting, W. H. Rice (7)
1863
F. C. Sherman
H. W. Zimmerman
Francis Adams
David A. Gage.
1864 |F. C. Sherman
H. W. Zimmerman
Francis Adams.
David A. Gage.
1865
John B. Rice
Albert H. Bodman
Daniel D. Driscoll.
A. G. Throop.
1866
John B. Rice
Albert H. Bodman
Daniel D. Driscoll
A. G. Throop.
1867
John B. Rice
Albert H. Bodman.
Hasbrouck Davis
Wm. F. Wentworth.
1868
John B. Rice
Albert H. Bodman
Hasbrouck Davis
Wm. F. Wentworth.
1869
John B. Rice (8)
Albert H. Bodman.
Hasbrouck Dayis
Wm. F. Wentworth.
1870
R. B. Mason.
Charles T. Hotchkiss
Israel N. Stiles
David A. Gage.
1871
R. B. Mason.
Charles T. Hotchkiss
Israel N. Stiles
David A. Gage.
1872
Joseph Medill
Charles T. Hotchkiss
Israel N. Stiles
David A. Gage.
1873
Joseph Medill.
Charles T. Hotchkiss.
Israel N. Stiles
David A. Gage.
1874
Harvey D. Colvin
Jos. K. C. Forrest
Egbert Jamieson
Daniel O' Hara.
1875 Harvey D. Colvin
Jos. K. C. Forrest
Egbert Jamieson
Daniel O'Hara.
1876
Monroe Heath,(9) H. D. Colvin, Thomas Hoyne.
Caspar Butz.
R. S. Tuthill.
Clinton Briggs.
1877-78 Monroe Heath
Caspar Butz.
R. S. Tuthill.
Chas. B. Larrabee.
1879-80 Carter H. Harrison
P. J. Howard
Julius S. Grinnell
w. C. Seipp.
1881-82
Carter H. Harrison
P. J. Howard
Julius S. Grinnell
Rudolph Brand.
1883-84 Carter H. Harrison
John G. Neumeister
Julius S. Grinnell
John M. Dunphy.
1885-86
Carter H. Harrison
C. Herman Plautz
Hempstead Washburne.
Wni. M. Devine.
1887-88
John A. Roche.
D. W. Nickerson
Hempstead Washburne
C. Herman Plautz.
1889-90
Dewitt C. Cregier.
Franz Amberg.
Geo. F. Sugg.
Bernard Roesing.
1891-92
Hempstead Washburne
James R. B. Van Cleave
Jacob J. Kern, G.A.Trude (10)
Peter Kiolbassa.
1893-94
Carter H. Harrison, Geo. B. Swift,(11) John P. Hopkins.(11) Chas. D. Gastfield
Geo. A. Trude.
Michael J. Bransfield.
1895-96
Geo. B. Swift
James R. B. Van Cleave
Roy O. West.
Adam Wolf.
1897-98
Carter H. Harrison, Jr.
William Loeffler.
Miles J. Devine.
Ernst Hummel.
1899 --
Carter H. Harrison, Jr.
William Loeffler.
Andrew J. Ryall
Adamı Ortseifen.
(1) I. N. Arnold resigned, and Geo. Davis appointed, October, 1837.
(2) Gurnee resigned, Bolles appointed his successor, April, 1840.
(3) Manierre resigned, Brown appointed his successor, July, 1843.
(4) Election of Garrett declared illegal, and Sherman elected at new election, held Aprll, 1844.
(5) Brown appointed to fill vacancy caused by resignation of Rucker.
(6) Harvey resigned and Hunt appointed to fill vacancy.
(7) Cutting having failed to qualify, Rice, who was already in office, held over.
(8) Legislature changed date of election from April to November, the persons in office at beginning of 1869 remaining in office to December of that year.
(9) City organized under general Incorporation Act in 1875, and no city election held until April, 1876. The order for a new election omitted the office of Mayor, yet a popular vote was taken which gave a majority to Thomas Hoyne. The Council tlien in office refused to canvass this vote, but its successor, at its first meeting, did so, declaring Hoyne duly elected. Colvin, the incumbent, refused to surrender the office, claiming the right to " hold over;" Hoyne then made a contest for the office, which resulted In a decision by the Supreme Court denying the claims of both contestants. when a new election was ordered by the City Council, July 12, 1876, at which Monroe Heath was elected, serving out the term.
(10) City Attorney Kern, having resigned November 21, 1892, Geo. A. Trude was appointed to serve out the remainder of the term.
(11) Mayor Harrison, having been assassinated, October 28, 1893, the City Council at its next meeting (November 6, 1893) elected Geo. B. Swift (an Alderman from the Eleventh Ward) Mayor ad interim. At a special election held December 19, 1893, John P. Hopkins was elected to fill out the unexpired term of Mayor Harriso ..
1844
Aug.Garrett. Alson S.Sherman(4) E. A. Rucker, Wmn.S. Brown(5) Henry W. Clarke
Wm. L. Church.
1846
1847 James Curtiss
James M. Lowe
Walter S. Gurnee.
Henry W. Zimmerman
H. Kreisman.
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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
THE FIRE OF 1871 .- The city steadily grew in beauty, population and commercial importance until 1871. On Oct. 9 of that year occurred the "great fire" the story of which has passed into history. Recuperation was speedy, and the 2,100 acres burned over were rapidly being rebuilt, when, in 1874, occurred a second conflagration, although by no means so disastrous as that of 1871. The city's recuperative power was again demonstrated, and its subsequent development has been phenomenal. The subjoined statement shows its growth in population :
1837
4,179 .
1840
4,470
1850
28,269
1860
112,162
1870
298,977
1880
503,185
1890
. 1,099,850
1900
. 1,698,575
Notwithstanding a large foreign population and a constant army of unemployed men, Chicago lias witnessed only three disturbances of the peace by mobs-the railroad riots of 1877, the Anarchist disturbance of 1886, and a strike of railroad employés in 1894.
MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION. - Chicago long since outgrew its special charter, and is now incorporated under the broader provisions of the law applicable to "cities of the first class," under which the city is virtually autonomous. The personnel, drill and equipment of the police and fire departments are second to none, if not supe- rior to any, to be found in other American cities. The Chicago River, with its branches, divides the city into three principal divisions, known respec- tively as North, South and West. Each division has its statutory geographical boundaries, and eaclı retains its own distinct township organiza- . tion. This system is anomalous; it has, how- ever, both assailants and defenders.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS .- Chicago has a fine system of parks and boulevards, well developed, well improved and well managed. One of the parks (Jackson in the South Division) was the site of the World's Columbian Exposition. The water supply is obtained from Lake Michigan by means of cribs and tunnels. In this direction new and better facilities are being constantly introduced, and the existing water system will compare favorably with that of any other Ameri- can city.
ARCHITECTURE .- The public and office build- ings, as well as the business blocks, are in some instances classical, but generally severely plain.
Granite and other varieties of stone are used in the City Hall, County Court House, the Board of Trade structure, and in a few commercial build- ings, as well as in many private residences. In the business part of the city, however, steel, iron, brick and fire clay are the materials most largely employed in construction, the exterior walls being of brick. The most approved methods of fire-proof building are followed, and the "Chicago construction" has been recognized and adopted (with modifications) all over the United States. Office buildings range from ten to sixteen, and even, as in the case of the Masonic Temple, twenty stories in height. Most of them are sumptuous as to the interior, and many of the largest will each accommodate 3,000 to 5,000 occupants, including tenants and their employés. In the residence sections wide diversity may be seen; the chaste and the ornate styles being about equally popular. Among the handsome public, or semi-public buildings may be mentioned the Public Library, the Newberry Library, the Art Institute, the Armour Institute, the Academy of Sciences, the Auditorium, the Board of Trade Building, the Masonic Temple, and several of the railroad depots.
EDUCATION AND LIBRARIES. - Chicago has a public school system unsurpassed for excellence in any other city in the country. According to the report of the Board of Education for 1898, the city had a total of 221 primary and grammar schools, besides fourteen high schools, employing 5,268 teachers and giving instruction to over 236,000 pupils in the course of the year. The total expenditures during the year amounted to $6,785,601, of which nearly $4,500,000 was on account of teachers' salaries. The city has nearly $7,500,000 invested in school buildings. Besides pupils attending public schools there are about 100,000 in attendance on private and parochial schools, not reckoning students at higher institutions of learning, such as medical, law, theological, dental and pharmaceutical schools, and the great University of Chicago. Near the city are also the Northwestern and the Lake Forest Universities, the former at Evanston and the latter at Lake Forest. Besides an exten- sive Free Public Library for circulating and refer- ence purposes, maintained by public taxation, and embracing (in 1898) a total of over 235,000 volumes and nearly 50,000 pamphlets, there are the Library of the Chicago Historical Society and the Newberry and Crerar Libraries-the last two the outgrowth of posthumous donations by public-spirited and liberal citizens-all open to
3
DAY AFTER THE FIRE.
5
CHICAGO THOROUGHFARES.
93
HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
the public for purposes of reference under certain conditions. This list does not include the exten- sive library of the University of Chicago and those connected with the Armour Institute and the public schools, intended for the use of the pupils of these various institutions.
CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE, one of the leading commercial exchanges of the world. It was originally organized in the spring of 1843 as a voluntary association, with a membership of eighty-two. Its primary object was the promo- tion of the city's commercial interests by unity of action. On Feb. 8, 1849, the Legislature enacted a general law authorizing the establish- ment of Boards of Trade, and under its provisions an incorporation was effected-a second organi- zation being effected in April, 1850. For several years the association languished, and at times its existence seemed precarious. It was, however, largely instrumental in securing the introduction of the system of measuring grain by weight, which initial step opened the way for subsequent great improvements in the methods of handling, storing, inspecting and grading cereals and seeds. By the close of 1856, the association had overcome the difficulties incident to its earlier years, and the feasibility of erecting a permanent Exchange building began to be agitated, but the project lay dormant for several years. In 1856 was adopted the first system of classification and grading of wheat, which, though crude, formed the founda- tion of the elaborate modern system, which has proved of such benefit to the grain-growing States of the West, and has done so much to give Chicago its commanding influence in the grain markets of the world. In 1858, the privilege of trading on the floor of the Exchange was limited to members. The same year the Board began to receive and send out daily telegraphic market reports at a cost, for the first year, of $500,000, which was defrayed by private subscriptions. New York was the only city with which such communication was then maintained. In Febru- ary, 1859, a special charter was obtained, confer- ring more extensive powers upon the organization, and correspondingly increasing its efficiency. An important era in the Board's history was the Civil War of 1861-65. During this struggle its attitude was one of undeviating loyalty and gener- ous patriotism. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were contributed, by individual members and from the treasury of the organization, for the work of recruiting and equipping regiments, in caring for the wounded on Southern battlefields, and providing for the families of enlisted men. In
1864, the Board waged to a successful issue a war upon the irredeemable currency with which the entire West was then flooded, and secured such action by the banks and by the railroad and express companies as compelled its replacement by United States legal-tender notes and national bank notes. In 1865, handsome, large (and, as then supposed, permanent) quarters were occu- pied in a new building erected by the Chicago Chamber of Commerce under an agreement with the Board of Trade. This structure was destroyed in the fire of October, 1871, but at once rebuilt, and made ready for re-occupancy in precisely one year after the destruction of its predecessor. Spacious and ample as these quarters were then considered, the growing membership and increas- ing business demonstrated their inadequacy before the close of 1877. Steps looking to the erection of a new building were taken in 1881, and, on May 1, 1885, the new edifice-then the largest and most ornate of its class in the world -was opened for occupancy. The membership of the Board for the year 1898 aggregated con- siderably in excess of 1,800. The influence of the association is felt in every quarter of the com- mercial world.
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & NORTHERN RAILROAD. (See Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.)
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY RAIL- ROAD (known as the "Burlington Route") is the parent organization of an extensive system which operates railroads in eleven Western and Northwestern States, furnishing connections from Chicago with Omaha, Denver, St. Paul and Minneapolis, St. Louis and Kansas City, Chey- enne (Wyo.), Billings (Mont.), Deadwood (So. Dak,), and intermediate points, and having con- nections by affiliated roads with the Pacific Coast. The main line extends from Chicago to Denver (Colo.), 1,025.41 miles. The mileage of the various branches and leased proprietary lines (1898) aggregates 4,627.06 miles. The Company uses 207.23 miles in conjunction with other roads, besides subsidiary standard-gauge lines controlled through the ownership of securities amounting to 1,440 miles more. In addition to these the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy controls 179 miles of narrow-gauge road. The whole number of miles of standard-gauge road operated by the Burlington system, and known as the Burlington Route, on June 30, 1899, is estimated at 7,419, of which 1,509 is in Illinois, all but 47 miles being owned by the Company. The system in Illinois connects many important commercial
94
HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
points, including Chicago, Aurora, Galesburg, Quincy, Peoria, Streator, Sterling, Mendota, Ful- ton, Lewistown, Rushville, Geneva, Keithsburg, Rock Island, Beardstown, Alton, etc. The entire capitalization of the line (including stock, bonds and floating debt) amounted, in 1898, to $234,884, - 600, which was equivalent to about $33,000 per mile. The total earnings of the road in Illinois, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898, amounted to $8,724,997, and the total disburse- ments of the Company within the State, during the same period, to $7,469,456. Taxes paid in 1898, $377,968 .- (HISTORY). The first section of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was constructed under a charter granted, in 1849, to the Aurora Branch Railroad Company, the name being changed in 1852 to the Chicago & Aurora Railroad Company. The line was completed in 1853, from the junction with the old Galena & Chicago Union Railroad, 30 miles west of Chi- cago, to Aurora, later being extended to Mendota. In 1855 the name of the Company was changed by act of the Legislature to the Chicago, Burling- ton & Quincy. The section between Mendota and Galesburg (80 miles) was built under a charter granted in 1851 to the Central Military Tract Railroad Company, and completed in 1854. July 9, 1856, the two companies were consolidated under the name of the former. Previous to this consolidation the Company had extended aid to the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad (from Peoria to the Mississippi River, nearly opposite Burlington, Iowa), and to the Northern Cross Railroad from Quincy to Galesburg, both of which were com- pleted in 1855 and operated by the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy. In 1857 the name of the Northern Cross was changed to the Quincy & Chicago Railroad. In 1860 the latter was sold under foreclosure to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and, in 1863, the Peoria & Oquawka was acquired in the same way -- the former constitut- ing the Quincy branch of the main line and the latter giving it its Burlington connection. Up to 1863, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy used the track of the Galena & Chicago Union Rail- road to enter the city of Chicago, but that year began the construction of its line from Aurora to Chicago, which was completed in 1864. In 1872 it acquired control, by perpetual lease, of the Burlington & Missouri River Road in Iowa, and, in 1880, extended this line into Nebraska, now reaching Billings, Mont., with a lateral branch to Deadwood, So. Dak. Other branches in Illinois, built or acquired by this corporation, include the Peoria & Hannibal; Carthage & Bur-
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