History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 53

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340

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The handsomest and most substantial piece of

194

HISTORY OF CHICAGO.

paving in the city was completed in July, 1857. being the section on State Street, between South Water and Lake. It was a cobble stone pavement. The work was done by David French, of Detroit, who also had the contract for paving Randolph Street, from the bridge to Clark. Later during this same month was finished the first piece of Nicholson pavement, not only in Chicago, but in the West. The work was done on Wells Street, between South Water and Lake. This kind of pavement had already been tested and stamped with the approval of " The Hub," and the people of Chicago took kindly to it from the start, rightly conjec- turing that the "era of cobble-stone pavement" was drawing to a close. The cost of the Nicholson was $2.30 per square yard. During this year the south half of Wells Street was laid with wooden pavement ; also Washington Street, from LaSalle to Clark. In the fall of 1857 the " Plankers " lost the day, in their conflict with the Macadamizers. The former received their coup de grace from N. S. Bouton, the city superin- tendent, who, in August, presented a report to the Common Council, showing conclusively that the first cost of laying the macadam was less than that of plank- ing streets with three-inch oak lumber. Thus the era of plank and cobble-stone pavement may be said to have ended in 1857.

STREET NOMENCLATURE. - The study of street nomenclature is always an interesting one, not alone for the mementoes it presents of citizens, many of whom have ceased to be remembered, but who were intimately indentified with its progress; but also for the indexes it affords to the idiosyncrasies of the civic potentates, to wit : the omission of Adams from the roll of Presidents in naming Chicago streets, and the expurgation of Tyler Street. Arbitrary names of streets become identified with cities also, as Unter den Linden with Berlin, the Prater with Vienna, Boulevard des Italiens with Paris, the Strand with London, Broadway with New York, and Wabash Avenue with Chicago, although in the case of Chicago the boulevards are fast replacing and nullifying any other noted streets or avenues in the city. This fact would appear to be an argument in favor of giving the streets some distinctive name that has some relevance to the city's history, and not designating thoroughfares by names that convey no meaning, annotate no history, neither recall any individual.

The two first roads that received official recognition in Chicago village were those which led to Barney Laughton's, and to the Widow Brown's on Hickory Creek .* The first survey made and platted in 1830, by James Thompson, exhibits the streets that bound the village to be Washington on the south, Jefferson on the west, Kinzie on the north, and Dearborn on the east. From this arrangement which disarranged the presidential succession', the presumption is reason- able that the Chicagoans named the boundary streets after the three most prominent men, according to their ideas, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Kinzie. Dearborn Street, of course, derived its name from Fort Dearborn-so called in honor of Gen. Henry Dearborn. East of Washington was Randolph, named in honor of John Randolph, of Roanoke; then Lake- afier Lake Michigan: next Fulton-after Robert Fulton; then Carroll-after Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and then Kinzie. From Jefferson eastward, came Clinton- after DeWitt Clinton ; then Canal-after the Illinois & Michigan Canal ; then West Water. East of the river was Market-because the market was located on that street : then Franklin-after Benjamin Franklin; then

Wells-after Captain William Wells, massacred at Fort Dearborn, subsequently changed to Fifth Avenue; next LaSalle-after Chevalier LaSalle; then Clarke-after Gen. George Rogers Clark, the conqueror of Kaskaskia, and then Dearborn. Clark Street for a long time was spelt with a terminal e, until it was found that General Clark's name was properly spelled without, when the terminal vowel was dropped from the name of that street.

On a map of 1835, the town of Chicago is delin- eated as having grown one street to the south-Madison, named after James Madison. Westward the streets were increased by Desplaines-the road to the town of that name, and by Union, which then terminated at Kinzie on the south. North of Kinzie on the West Side were Hubbard Street, named after Henry George Hub- bard, the brother of Gurdon S. Hubbard ; then Owen (now West Indiana), named after T. J. V. Owen ; then' Fourth, Third, Second and First. On the North Side was Wolcott (now North State), named after Alexander Wolcott ; east of Wolcott was Cass-named after Gen- eral Lewis Cass; then Rush-named after Benjamin Rush ; then Pine-so-called because there were some scattered pine trees along its site ; then Sand (now St. Clair) so-called because of the nature of the soil. The subsequent name of this street was given in honor of General Arthur St. Clair. North of the river running east and west, were Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, named after the four States ; then Ontario, Erie, Huron and Superior, christened in honor of the four lakes. Upon the juncture of these streets with First, Second, Third and Fourth the latter took the names of the streets of which they were a western continuation. Kane (or Cane) 'Street, Dunn and Water streets, in an angle bounded by the river, Jefferson and Kinzie, have ceased to exist as streets ; Kane was named after James Kane, an early inhabitant. The North Side Water Street ran at right angles to the present Water Street-then also named Water-and appears to have derived its name, as many other streets did, because of its proximity to the river. Two nomenclative last resorts were used by the street sponsors of old ; the numbers one, two, three and four and the designation Water ; and these five ap- pellations were indiscriminately dispersed around the town and city. From Chicago Avenue to the river and west of Halsted, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth streets flourished in 1854, and there was a First Street west of the South Western Plank Road, a continuation of Tyler Street. In Section 30 a number of streets were laid out that are now extinct, the lumber yards and slips having usurped their localities, namely, Russell Street, after J. B. F. Russell ; Johnson (subsequently Hoosier), after Colonel Johnson who slew Tecum- seh ; Kinzie (subsequently Sharp;, after John Kin- zie ; Hogan, after John S. C. Hogan; Hubbard (subsequently Kedzie), after Gurdon S. Hubbard and John Hume Kedzie ; Cornelia (subsequently Amelia) ; Archer, after W. B. Archer ; Clybourne subsequently Kearney), after Archibald Clybourne and General Philip Kearney ; Owen, after T. J. V. Owen ; Hamilton, after Richard Jones Hamilton ; Canal (subsequently Rich- ard, also after Hamilton, and now Canalport Avenue ; Clinton 'subsequently Dexter, after De Witt Clinton ; Pearsons, after Hiram Pearsons ; Ewing, Cohen, Ker- cheval-after Gholson Kercheval ; Dole, after George W. Dole ; Campbell, Garrett, after Augustus Garrett ; Bond 'subsequently Fir, ; Wilson (subsequently Sand ; Edwards (subsequently Warden,; Cook (subsequently Rock : Slade : Robinson, after Alexander Robinson ; Kane ; May subsequently May Flower, ; Reynolds.

. Vide Map in chapter upon Early History.

CREATION OF THE CITY.

195

after Eri Reynolds ; Casey, after E. W. Casey ; Henry (subsequently Cicero) ; and Thornton streets. Union Park absorbed three short streets : Wright Place, after John Wright ; Webster Piace, after Daniel Webster ; and Larned Place, after Edwin C. Larned. Shields Avenue, after General Shields, was formerly Garibaldi Street, and prior to that Kossuth Street ; named in honor of the Italian and Hungarian heroes. The pres- ent - Kossuth Street is also named in honor of Louis Kossuth. The following streets that bear the same

. names now that they did anterior to 1857, have arbitrary names that require no explanation. Aberdeen, Ash, Berlin, Blucher, Bremen, Bloomingdale Road, Calumet Avenue, Canalport Avenue, Cedar, Cherry, Chestnut, Chicago Avenue, Central Avenue, near I. C. R. R.

depot, Cypress, Coblentz, Courtland, Center, Commer -.

cial, Desplaines, Eleventh, Elm, Eagle, Front, Frank-

fort, Fifth, Grove, Goethe, Gold, Hope, Hawthorn, Hickory, Lexington, Linden, Locust, Lumber, Lubeck, Lafayette and Washington places, on the North Side ; Maple, Meridian, Michigan, Indiana, Milwaukee and Wabash avenues ; Mohawk, Main, Napoleon Place, North Branch, Water, North Avenue, Oak, Olive, Orchard, Park Avenue, Peoria, Pleasant, Prairie Avenue, Quarry, River, Sangamon, Schiller, School, Silver, Southport Avenue, State, Twelfth, Union, Vine, Walnut, Wisconsin and Willow. When the streets upon the South and West sides were designated by numbers in lieu of names, the following lost any historic, or specific, nomenclature : Fenimore (after Cooper), now East Thirteenth ; Dobyns and Sampson (after William H. Sampson), now West Thirteenth ; Liberty, now East Fourteenth; Mitchell (after the Presiding Elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1834) ; and Davidson (after Dr. Alfred W. Davidson), now West Fourteenth ; Springer (after George A. Springer), now East Fifteenth; Catherine and Halleck, now West Fifteenth ; North, now Sixteenth; New, now Seventeenth ; Oid, now East Eighteenth ; and Evans (after Dr. John Evans), now West Eighteenth ; Cross, now Nineteenth ; and Harbine (after Thomas Harbine), now West Nineteenth ; Bridge, now Twen- tieth ; Commerce, now East, and Clayton, now West, Twenty-first; South and Ringgold* Place, now Twenty-second; Palo Alto Place, now Twenty-third; Monterey Place, now Twenty-fourth; Buena Vista Place, now Twenty-fifth; Rio Grande Place, now Twenty-sixth; Sycamore Street, Douglas Place, and Northern Avenue, now Twenty-seventh; Southern Avenue, now Twenty-eighth; Hardin Place (after Colonel Hardin), now Twenty-ninth; Yates, now Thir- tieth; Ridgley Place (after N. H. Ridgley), now Thirty-first; Smith Place 'after George Smith), now Thirty-second; Douglas Place (then Douglas Avenue, after Stephen A. Douglas, as are all the Douglas Places), now Thirty-fifth Street, or Douglas Avenue; Wah-pan-seht Avenue, now Thirty-seventh, and Egan Avenue (after William Bradshaw Egan , now Thirty- ninth Street and Egan Avenue: the names Douglas and Egan cling to the renamed streets. The streets named after the Presidents arc: Washington, Madison-Adams was ignored, and Jefferson was the boundary on the West Side in 1830-Monroe ; then the Chicagoans, swallowing their anti-federalism, named Adams Street after John Adams, but could not forgive the election of John Quincy Adams hy the House of Representatives. so named the little street that abuts upon the Govern- ment Building after him; Jackson, Van Buren, Harrison,

*Ringgold. Palu Mto, Monterey, Buena Vista, and Riu Grande were com- inemorative of General Taylor.

*Tyler, now West Congress Street, Polk, Taylor (Fil- more is ignored), and Pierce Place, now Elgin Street. It must be remembered by the reader of this chapter that no streets are mentioned herein that did not have an existence prior to, or in, the year 1857 ; and the fol- lowing list completes the catalogue of such thorough- fares : Alexander, after Alexander Wolcott ; Ann, after the wife of Philo Carpenter ; Augusta, after his daughter, now Mrs. Cheney ; Armour, after G. Armour ; Armitage Avenue, after A. Armitage ; Astor, after John Jacob Astor ; Arnold, after Isaac Newton Arnold ; Archer Road, formerly called State, or Archer, Road, after W. B. Archer, canal commissioner; Asylum Place, so called because of the Orphan Asylum there. now called Webster Avenue, east of the Elston road ; Ada ; Beach, after John Beach : Bickerdike, after George Bickerdike ; Bissell, after William H. Bissell ; Black Hawk, after the Indian chieftain ; Blackwell, after Robert S. Blackwell ; Blanche, Blue Island Avenue, the road to that place ; Bond, after Shadrach Bond, now Homer, after the poet of multifarious birth-places ; Bradley, after Asa F. Bradley ; Bremer, after Fredrika Bremer, now Milton Avenue, after the blind poet ; Brigham ; Broadway Avenue, now Iglehart Place, after Nicholas P. Iglehart ; Brown, after William H. Brown ; Buddan, now Portland Avenue ; Bunker, after Bunker Hill ; Burling, after Edward Burling : Bushnell, after O. Bushnell ; Butler, after Lorin G. Butler ; Butter- field, after Justin Butterfield ; Buffalo, after the city, or the animal, now Fourth Avenue ; Baker Avenue, after E. D. Baker ; Beers, after Cyrenius Beers ; Barry Point road, now Colorado Avenue, for the Widow Barryt ; Bishop, now Division Street from State to the lake, after either the Catholic or Episcopal office ; Boone, after Levi D. Boone, extended from Canal to Stephen- son streets, now extinct ; Campbell, now Hoyne Avenue, after Colonel. James B. Campbell, the latter designation after the lamented Thomas Hoyne : Carpenter, after Philo Carpenter ; Center, now Waldo Place ; Chapin, after John P. Chapin ; Chittenden, now Crittenden- the first name after old man Chittenden who kept shoot- ing headquarters on Lake Calumet, the latter after John J Crittenden ; Church, now merged in Schiller, after William L. Church ; Clarinda, formerly called Clarkina ; Cleaver, after Charles Cleaver ; Clybourne Avenue, after Archibald Clybourne ; Cochrane, now Robey, after James Cochrane ; Cook, after Daniel P. Cook, first representative in Congress ; Coolidge, now Thirteenth ·Place ; Cornelia, now Robey ; Cornell, after Paul Cor- nel! ; Cottage Grove Avenue, after a cottage that once stood there ; Crosby, after Uriah H. Crosby ; Currier; Curtis, after James Curtis, Mayor ; Dayton, after William L. Dayton ; Dean, after Philip Dean ; DeKoven, after John F. DeKoven; DePeyster ; Dinet, after J. Dinet (this street is extinct); Division, the section line ; Dyer Avenue, now Halsted, after Charles Volney Dyer and Halsted, a Philadelphian whose money was invested in Chicago by William B. Ogden ; North Division, now Banks Street ; Dodge, after A. R. Dodge ; Eastman, after Zebina Eastman ; Edina Place, now Third Avenue ; Eldridge Court, after John W. Eldridge; Elizabeth, after Elizabeth ( May' Cur- tiss : Ellen ; Ellsworth, after Joseph Ellsworth; Elston Road, now Elston Avenue, after Daniel Elston ; Emily, after Emily (Carpenter) Bridges ; Eugenia: Ewing, after William L. D. Ewing ; Edwards, after Ninian, or Cyrus

*Fast Congress was formerly Tyler Street, and was changed to Congress when Tyler left the Whig party; then the street south of Van Buren, on the West Side, was named I yler, and this was chatord In Congress likewise, iu late years,

t See Chapter on kurty History.

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HISTORY OF CHICAGO.

Edwards (now extinct); Elk Grove Avenue, after Eik Grove ; Ferdinand ; Finnel ; Fisk ; Fleetwood, after Stanley H. Fleetwood ; Flournoy, after Lafayette M. Flournoy ; Forquer, after George Forquer; Foster, after John H. Foster, now Law Avenue, after Robert Law ; Fremont, after General John C. Fremont ; Fullerton, after Alexander N. Fullerton ; Fond du Lac Road, now North Robey (from Milwaukee Avenue ; George, named by John Noble in honor of one of the gentle- men who disgraced the British 'I'hrone ; Hanover, now Rhine, and Sovereign streets were also named by John Noble ; Grace ; Grand Haven Slip, merged in Goethe ; Granger ; Greene, after W. Greene ; Green Bay was a continuation of Rush north of Chicago Avenue, merged in Rush Street ; Green Bay Road is now North Clark from North Avenue ; Griswold, after Charles E. Griswold ; Gurnee, after Walter S. Gurnee ; Gurley, after Jason Gurley ; Hamilton Avenue, now Harrison Street, after Richard Jones Hamilton; Harmon Court, after Eli- jah Dewey Harmon ; Hastings, after Hiram Hastings ; Henry ; High, after John High, Jr .; Hills, after D. Ho- bart Hills ; Hinsdale, now Chestnut, after John Hins- dale ; Holt, after Thomas J. Holt ; Hoyne Avenue, af- ter Thomas Hoyne ; Hubbard Street, now Hudson Av- enue, and Hubbard Court, after Gurdon S. Hubbard ; Hurlbut, after Horatio N. Hurlbut ; Hoosier Avenue, now Blue Island Avenue, as a compliment to the Hoo- siers ; Harbour Street used to be at the southern ex- tremity of Rush Street bridge but is now extinct; Hobbie (now extinct), after Albert G. Hobbie ; Hamburgh, now West Fullerton Avenue ; Hervey, after Robert Hervey; Iglehart Avenne, now Oakley, after Nicholas P. Iglehart; Ingraham ; Jane ; Johnson, now Rumsey, after Captain Seth Johnson, formerly of the garrison ; Johnson Ave- nue, after W. F. Johnson ; Johnston, now Johnson, West Division, after W. S. Johnson ; Judd, after Norman B. Judd ; Julian, after Julian S. Rumsey ; Kansas, named in honor of Bleeding Kansas, is now West Eleventh ; Kedzie, now Lincoln, was named after John H. Kedzie; Kernon, now Keenon ; Kankakee Avenue was rechrist- ened Douglas Avenue, is now South Park and Grand Boulevard ; Lafin, after Matthew Laflin ; Larrabee, af- ter William M. Larrabee ; Leavitt, after David Leavitt, canal commissioner ; Lee, now Morgan, after David S. Lee ; Little Fort Road, now Lincoln Avenue, northwest from North Wells, so called because it was the road to Little Fort, now Waukegan ; Loomis, after H. G. Loo- mis ; Lydia ; Long John, after John Wentworth ; Lock, because of its contiguity to the Bridgeport lock ; Legg, near Lill's Brewery, after Isaac Legg ; Lake View, now Lake Avenue ; Mau-te-ne, after an Indian chief, now Langley, after Esther Langley ; Margaret ; Marie, or Mary, now Wood ; Mather, after Thomas Mather ; May, after Elizabeth May Curtiss ; Maxwell, after Dr. Philip Maxwell ; Meagher, after Thomas Francis Meagher ; Miller, after Samuel Miller ; Morgan, after Caleb Mor- gan ; Myrick Avenue, now Vernon Avenue, after W. F. Myrick ; Moo-nah-way, then Moonaway Place, after an Indian chief, now Stanton Avenue ; Mills, now extinct, after Benjamin Mills ; McGlashan, af- ter John McGlashan ; McGregor, after Alexander Mc- Gregor ; MacHenry, in honor of the adjoining county ; McLean, after Judge John L. McLean, now ex- tinct ; MeReynolds, after A. T. McReynolds ; Nebraska Avenue, now extinct; Northwestern Plank Road now Mil- waukee Avenue ; Newberry, after Walter L. Newberry; Nevins, now extinct; Noble, after the Noble family; Norton, now extinct, after Theron A. Norton; North Division, now Banks; North Park, now Ems; Oakley, after Charles Oakley, canal commissioner; ('Brien, after

George O'Brien; Otis, after L. B. Otis; Oakwook, after- ward Oak, now Bellevue Place; Page, after Peter Page; Park Place, now Dearborn Place; Park Row, by Dear- born Park, now extinct: Paulina,after Paulina Edy Taylor, deceased wife of Reuben Taylor; Peyton, now Kings- bury, after Francis Peyton, partner of James Grant; Peck Court, after Ebenezer Peck: Prairie, now Carroll Avenue, from North Halsted to North Reuben; Price Place, now Boston Avenue, after Jeremiah Price; Pur- ple, after the jurist Norman H. Purple; Pearce, now Frank, after Asahel Pierce, as was Pierce, now Wilmot Avenue; Pine, now Kendall Avenue; Pearson, after Hiram Pearson; Pennsylvania Avenue, now West Lake from Ashland Avenue to west city limits; Peterson; Racine Road, now Racine Avenue; Rebecca; Rees, after James H. Rees; Reuben, now Ashland Avenue, after Reuben Tayler; Ridgeville Road, now Paulina, so named because it ran along the top of a sand ridge; Roberts, now North Jefferson, after Edmund Roberts; Robey, after James Robey; Rucker, now Centre Avenue, after Henry L. Rucker; Rural Lane is now extinct, but used to be between Johnson Avenue and Iglehart Place: Rolker, now Throop; Robbins' Road is now part of Western Avenue; So-mo-nauk, after an Indian chief, now Ellis Avenue, after Samuel Ellis; Stephenson, after Robert Stephenson; Shurtleff Avenue, now Fifth Avenue, south of Twenty-sixth, after B. Shurtleff; Samuel; Sanger, after J. Y. Sanger; South Park, now Hamburg; Scott, now York, after General Winfield Scott; Sebor; Sedgwick, after Robert Sedgwick; Selah, now extinct, from the Hebrew word; Sharp, now Leavitt, after J. W. Sharp; Sheffield Avenue, after Joseph E. Sheffield; Sherman, after Alanson S. Sherman, Mayor; Spring, after Charles Spring; Sheldon, occa- sionally erroneously spelt Shelton, after Edwin H. Sheldon; Sholto; Sloan, after W. B. Sloan, manufacturer of horse liniment, etc .; Smith, now Ogden Place, after S. F. Smith; Smith, now De Kalb, and Smith Avenue, after George Smith; Snider, misspelt, and should be Schneider, after George Schneider, of the National Bank of Illinois; Southwestern Plank Road, now Ogden Avenue, after William B. Ogden; Stetson, now extinct, after Sandford H. Stetson; Stewart Avenue, after Hart L. Stewart; Stinson, now Paulina, after T. Stinson; Saint Michael, now Hudson Avenue, named by Michael Tuomey, in honor of the archangel; Swift, after R. K. Swift; Thorn is now merged in Elm; Throop, after A. G. Throop; Townsend; Tuomey, now Twomey, after Michael Tuomey; Telegraph, now Wood, presumably the street whereon the telegraph line was first introduced into Chicago; Van Horn, after John Van Horn; Ved- der, after Volkhart Vedder; Chicago and Vincennes Road, or Min-ne-mang Avenue, after an Indian chief, is now Vincennes Avenue; Wallace, after John S. Wallace; Waller, after Charles S. Waller: Warren, after Daniel Warren; Washington Avenue, now Walnut Street and Place, after George Washington; Wayman, after G. B. Wayman; Wendell, after John Wendell; Wentworth Avenue, after John Wentworth: Wesson; Western Avenue, south of Twenty-second Street, used to be called Blue Island Avenue Plank Road; Wheeler, now extinct, after William Wheeler; White, now Locust, after Julius White; Whitehouse Place, after Bishop Whitehouse; Whiting, after William L. Whiting; Whit- ney, now Delaware Place, after William Whitney; William, now North Paulina, after William Sampson; Williams, afterward Mitchell, then West Fourteenth. after Eli B. Williams; Wilson, after John L. Wilson; Wisconsin Avenue, now North Wells: Wolcott, now North State. after Alexander Wolcott: Wood. after

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CREATION OF THE CITY.

Alonzo Church Wood; Woodstock Avenue, now Ash- land Avenue, north of Chicago Avenue, the latter after the home of Henry Clay; Wright, after John S. Wright; Waubansia Avenue, after the Indian chieftain, and Wheeling Avenue, now North Wood, after Wheel- ing, W. Va. There are several streets herein named, whose eponyms are entirely forgotten, and others whose nomenclature, if known, would convey nothing of his- toric interest. .

PLANK ROADS .- Very early in the history of plank roads, Chicago became quite a "center." The first road of this kind constructed in the State was commenced in May, 1848, and was called the Southwestern Plank Road. In 1850 it was completed from Chicago to Brush Hill, sixteen miles. An extension of this road was built soon afterward, known as the Naperville & Oswego. The Northwestern was constructed in 1849-50 from Chicago to Wheeling, a branch running west to Des- plaines River, and the main line extending to Dutchman's Point-a total of eighteen miles. The Western was organized in the winter of 1850-51, connecting with the Desplaines River branch, at Robinson's, and extending west to the west line of Du Page County, through Bloom- ingdale, seventeen miles. The company operated a saw mill. The Elgin & Genoa, organized in the spring of 1850, connected with the Western Plank Road Company and passed through Elgin to Genoa, in De Kalb County, twenty-eight miles. Two saw mills were erected by the company. Thus from Chicago west there was a con- tinuous line of plank road of over fifty miles. In Feb- ruary, 1850, the Southern was organized with the inten- tion of building to the southern county line, but in conformity with the general desire of citizens, it was only constructed to Kile's Tavern, ten miles. By the latter part of 1850 fifty miles of plank road had been built out of Chicago, at a total cost of $150,000.

As the railroads centering in Chicago came into general use, the plank roads, as beaten ways of travel, were abandoned. The city was furnished with a new and more perfect system of commercial arteries. It is merely intended in presenting the few facts above given, to bring forth another proof of Chicago's enterprise in the way of public improvements and commercial growth.

As a specimen of the unbounded confidence with which the plank roads were looked upon as a means of developing a country, the following communication is given, taken from the Democrat, of February 16, 1848. It is an earnest and honest argument in favor of plank roads and against the building of railroads, at that time :

"Will you be so kind as to allow me to say a few words through your paper, showing the very many advantages our country will derive by the introduction of plank roads over that of railroad communication ? The former can be brought into every street and alley, to every warehouse and manufactory in our city-in the country all sections are alike benefitted by them. They do not enhance one man's property and depress that of another. The farmer can take his produce to market when his time is of little or no valne. When a sudden advance in the staples of the country takes place, there is no railroad directory to reap the benefits of it, by refusing to carry only that which they may be interested in. Such has been the operations in a neighboring State. * * * Do railroads give the same facilities for traveling that plank roads do, even to those living by the side of them? Their stations are gener- ally ten and twelve miles apart. They will only take in and put ont passengers at these places. Our plank road passengers travel at the rate of ten miles an hour, which is as fast as they are con- veyed (and with ten times the safety) on the Michigan Central Rail- road. The charges made by the railroad for the transportation of produce are more than it would cost the farmer by plank roads and very little less than common roads. On the Michigan Central Rail- road they charge sixty-two and one half cents per harrel for four. and fifty cents per hundred pounds for merchandise between Kala- mazoo and Detroit, 140 miles. On a plank road, a two-horse team

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History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 53

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340