USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > History of Chicago : historical and commercial statistics, sketches, facts and figures, republished from the "Daily Democratic press" ; What I remember of early Chicago, a lecture, delivered in McCormick's hall, January 23, 1876 (Tribune, January 24th) > Part 5
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The number of letters passing through the office averages over 30,000 daily, and there are 75 bags containing 45,000 news- papers. The average number of letters received by our citizens, and sent out from this office, is about 5,000 per day.
We gather the following items from our friend Calhoun's paper. On the 16th of April, 1834, there was still but one mail per week, and he gives as an excuse for not having more news, that for that week it did not arrive. The same week he commences a marine list, noticing the ar- rival of one schooner from St. Joseph's, and the departure of two for the same port. On the 30th of the same month he says that emigration had fairly com- menced, as more than "a hundred had arrived by boats and otherwise within the last ten days." Astonishing ! an average
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HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
of ten persons per day ! What would our two great Eastern railroads say to such an amount of travel ? On the 4th of June Mr. Calhoun announces with great satis- faction "that arrangements have been made by the proprietors of the steamboats on Lake Erie, whereby Chicago is to be visited by a steamboat once a week till the 25th of August." This was certainly an era in the history of the "Town of Chi- cago." On Saturday, July 11, 1834, the schooner Illinois entered the harbor, and sailed up the river amid the acclamations of the citizens. She was the first large vessel that ever entered the Chicago river. The bar between the piers was worn out by a great freshet the spring previous. Before this, vessels were obliged to an- chor outside the bar, and received and discharged their cargoes by means of scows and lighters. The Illinois was the pioneer of the immense commerce which now finds its centre in Chicago. In the same paper, of the 6th of August, we find the whole number of votes polled in Cook county, which then embraced the present counties of Will and Dupage, was 528. During the summer of 1834 Chicago grew very rapidly, for we find Mr. Cal- houn stating, on the 3d of September, " that one hundred and fifty vessels had discharged their cargoes since the 20th of April previous."
We must not suppose, however, that Chicago was "out of the woods," for there was a fine grove of timber along the river on the east side, extending south from Madison street. Some of these trees are still standing, and we present a plea in their behalf, that they may be spared the "remorseless axe." On Monday morning, Oct. 6th, the citizens of this quiet town were startled by the announce- ment that a large black bear was safely domiciled in this " strip of timber." All the town of course turned out to give Bruin anything but a generous welcome. He was soon found, and following his ancient custom, "took to a tree." This was of course no security, and he was shot near the corner of Market and Jack- son streets. In these woods multitudes of prairie wolves were accustomed to har-
bor, and in the night they would visit all parts of the town. Excited by their suc- cess against poor Bruin, the citizens man- fully determined to give the wolves no quarter. They therefore formed several parties, and at night it was found that they had dispatched forty of these mid- night marauders. We simply make a note, that on the spot where Chicago now stands, less than twenty years ago, a " great hunt" was gotten up, and one bear and-probably within the present city limits-forty wolves were killed in a single day.
Mr. Calhoun was present at the Indian payment in 1834, and has handed us the following account of it. He says :
"On the 28th of October the first an- nuity was paid to the Pottawatomie and other Indians under the treaty which was made the year previous for the purchase of their lands in Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. About $30,000 worth of goods were to be distributed. They as- sembled to the number of about 4,000. The distribution took place by piling the whole quantity in a heap upon the prairie on the west side of the river, near the corner of Randolph and Canal streets. The Indians were made to sit down upon the grass in a circle around the pile of goods-their squaws sitting behind them .. The half breeds and traders were ap- pointed to distribute the goods, and they leisurely walked to the pile, and taking in their arms an armful of goods, proceeded to throw to one and another of those sit- ting on the grass, and to whom they were appointed to distribute, such articles as. they saw fit, and then returned to the pile to replenish. Shortly the Indians began to show an anxiety not to be overlooked in the distribution, and at first got on their knees, vociferating all the time in right lusty Indian 'gibberish.' Then they rose on one foot, and soon all were stand- ing, and then they began to contract the circle, until they finally made a rush for the pile. I saw then a manner of dispers- ing a mob that I never saw exemplified before nor since. The crowd was so great around the pile of goods that those who were back from them could not get to.
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HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
them, and the 'outsiders' at once com - menced hurling into the air whatever missiles they could get hold of, literally filling the air, and causing them to fall in the centre where the crowd was the most dense. These, to save a broken head, rushed away, leaving a space for those who had hurled the missiles to rush in for a share of the spoils. The Indians were paid their annuities for two years after the treaty, before they were removed west of the Mississippi. These Indians were a degraded set, and did not inspire a person with any respect for the prowess and sav- age character which our forefathers had to encounter. A number were killed here at every payment in their drunken brawls."
On the 9th of September, 1833, our fel- low citizen, Col. J. B. F. Russell, adver- tises for forty ox teams, each team to be composed of two yoke of oxen, to remove the Indians to the country "allotted to them West." On the first of October Colonel Russell started with the "forty ox teams," containing the children and baggage of the last remaining remnant of the Red Men, about 1,500 in all, and was twenty days in reaching the Mississippi. They were twenty days more in reaching the land allotted to them west of Missouri. It is not, therefore, nineteen years since Chicago was surrounded by Pottawatomie Indians.
In Mr. Calhoun's paper of November 25th, 1835, we find the first census.of the town of Chicago, and the county of Cook. The town then contained 3,265, and the county 9,773 inhabitants. Mr. Calhoun speaks of this as a very encouraging in- crease, as the county contained only a very few inhabitants when it was organ- ized in 1830. As late as the 20th of Janu- ary, 1836, he regrets to learn that Will county is to be set off from Cook, as it will probably "lessen our political influ- ence in the State." On Thursday, May 18, 1836, the sloop Clarissa, the first ves- * sel ever built in Chicago, was launched. It was an occasion of much interest.
The Fire Department was organized on the 19th of September. 1835, as appears by the following resolution passed by the Board of Trustees on that day :
" Resolved, That the President order two engines for the use of the Corpora- tion, of such description as he shall deem necessary, and also 1,000 feet of hose, on the credit of the Corporation."
The first lawyer's bill we find on the records was paid to James H. Collins, Esq., on the 16th day of August, 1834. Some differences had arisen in reference to the right of the city to lease certain water lots. Mr. Collins was applied to for' an opinion, for which he charged and re- ceived $5. On the 7th of October, 1835, John Dean Caton's bill against the Corpo- ration for counsel fees and services ren- dered during the years 1833-34 was paid. The amount of the bill was $75. Our friends, the lawyers, manage at present to get a much larger slice from the public loaf.
On the 13th of February, 1836, notice was given that the " Trustees of the Town of Chicago will not hold them- selves accountable for any damages which may arise to any person by reason of crossing the bridges over the Chicago river, or over the north and south branch- es thereof, the said bridges being con- sidered dangerous, and the said Trustees not having funds out of which to repair the said bridges." Rather a sad state of affairs that. *
On the 26th day of October, 1836, initia- tory steps were taken towards obtaining a City Charter. The town being then in three districts, the President of the Board of Trustees invited the inhabitants of each district to select three persons to meet with the Board, and consult upon the expediency of applying to the Legis-
* The bridges over the Chicago river in 1848, when I came here, were a curiosity. One end was fixed on a pivot in the wooden abutment, and the other was placed upon a large square box or boat. When it was necessary to open the bridge for the passage of vessels, a chain, fastened on or near the shore on the side of the pier at some distance from it, was wound up by a capstan on the float-end of the bridge, thus opening it. It was closed in the same manner by a chain on the opposite side of it. Our present excellent pivot bridges were, if I mis- take not, introduced, and I think invented, by Mr. City Superintendent Harper, about 1850, or soon after that year.
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HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
lature for a City Charter, and to adopt a draft to accompany such application. The district meeting was held, and the following delegates chosen :
From 1st district-Ebenezer Peck, Wil- liam Stuart, E. W. Casey.
From 2d district-J. D. Caton
Chadwick, W. Forsyth.
From 3d district-John H. Kinzie, W. L. Newberry, T. W. Smith.
· The above delegates met with the Board on Friday evening, November 25th, at the Trustees' room, opposite the Mansion House, and it was resolved "that it is expedient for the citizens of Chicago to petition the Legislature for a City Charter. Also, that a committee of five, consisting of one delegate from each district, and two members of the Board, be appointed by the chair to prepare a draft of a City Charter, to be submitted to this conven- tion. Whereupon the chair (E. B. Wil- liams) appointed Messrs. E. Peck, District No. 1, J. D. Caton, District No. 2, and T. W. Smith, District No. 3, and from the Trustees, Messrs. Bolles and Ogden. The committee met again, Dec. 9th, and through E. Peck, Esq., presented their draft of a City Charter. After some dis- cussion and amendment, it was adopted for presentation to the citizens, and 500 copies were ordered to be printed.
The charter was passed by the Legisla- ture, and approved March 4th, 1837. The city of Chicago is therefore not "out of her teens." She is a buxom maiden of only SEVENTEEN summers, and what she is destined to be when she becomes a matron of sixty, we dare not venture to predict.
The first election for city officers was held on the 1st Tuesday of May, 1837. It resulted as follows :
Wm. B. Ogden, Mayor.
J. C. Goodhue, Alderman 1st Ward.
J. S. C. Hogan, 66 2d
J. D. Caton, 3d
A. Pierce, 4th
B. Ward,
5th 66
S. Jackson, 6th
John Shrigley was elected High Con- stable, and at the first meeting of the Council, May 3d, 1837, N. B. Judd, Esq.,
was elected City Attorney. The total number of votes, as appears from the canvass for Mayor, then in the city, was 703.
The first census of Chicago was taken, July 1st, 1837.
WARDS.
Under 5 Over 5. Ye'rs of und'r 21 Years.
21 and over.
Persons of Color.
Male.
Fem.
Male.
Fem.
Male.
Fem.
Male.
Fem.
First,
57
59
109
135
444
218
10
7
Second,
76
77
120
148
630
262
13
18
Third,
11
16
33
19
70
46
Fourth,
15
15
31
27
101
42
5
2
Fifth
32
37
26
20
135
70
Sixth,
53
65
72
101
420
207
13
9
244 269, 381
450 1,800
845
41
36
244
381
1,800
41
Totals
513
1831|
2,645
77
Males and Females, 21 and over 2,645
Males and Females over 5 and under 21 years 831
Males and Females under 5 years of age. 513
Total white
3,989
Total black
77
Total
4,066
Sailors belonging to vessels owned here. 104
Grand Total 4,170
The census shows that there were :
4 Warehouses, 19 Grocery and Provision
398 Dwellings, Stores,
29 Dry Goods Stores, 10 Taverns,
5 Hardware Stores,
26 Groceries,
3 Drug Stores,
17 Lawyers' Offices,
5 Churches.
LIST OF MAYORS.
1837-W. B. Ogden.
1838-B. S. Morris.
1839-Benj. W. Raymond.
1840-A. Lloyd.
1841-Francis C. Sherman.
1842-Benj. W. Raymond.
1843-Augustus Garrett.
1844-A. S. Sherman.
1845-Augustus Garrett.
1846-John P. Chapin.
1647-James Curtiss.
1848-James H. Woodworth.
1849-James H. Woodworth.
1850-James Curtiss.
1851-Walter S. Gurnee.
1852-Walter S. Gurnee.
1853-C. M. Grav.
1854-I. L. Milliken.
We left the history of the Illinois and Michigan canal at the laying out of the town of Chicago in 1829, by the Canal Commissioners. Nothing effectual was done till the special session of the Legisla- ture in 1835-6, when the canal board was
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Age.
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HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
reorganized, and an act was passed au- thorizing a loan of half a million of dol- lars to construct the canal. Ground was broken at Bridgeport, on the fourth of July, 1836.
At the session of the Legislature in 1836-7, the State entered upon a splendid scheme of "internal improvements." The State was completely chequered with rail- road projects, and many millions were squandered. The total length of the roads to be at once completed was some thirteen hundred miles, and five millions of dollars were expended in locating and grading“ them. Amid the general financial embar- rassment which followed those years of madness and folly, the credit of the State went down, and bankruptcy and a general suspension of the public works were the consequence. In 1841 the total State in- debtedness amounted to fifteen millions of dollars.
It is worthy of remark, however, that the only mistake the statesmen of that pe- riod made, was to embark the State in a general system of internal improvements, and in addition to this, their plans were in advance of the times in which they lived. Twenty years will accomplish by private enterprise for the State of Illinois much more than the statesmen of 1836-7 expected to realize. Extravagant as their schemes then appeared, in another year we shall have more than twice as many miles of railroad in operation as their plan embraced. They deserve, therefore, more credit than they have been accustomed to receive, for the result has shown that their calculations were based upon a proper ap- preciation of the immense resources of our glorious Prairie State.
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But to return to the canal. The funds borrowed for the purpose of completing the canal were kept separate ; but it shared the fate of being in bad company, and all work was abandoned in 1842. The con- tractors had large claims against the State, and in 1843 a law was passed to settle the claims of the contractors and liquidate the damages, provided the sum should not exceed two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The summit level of the canal, extending from Bridgeport to Lockport, a
distance of twenty-eight miles, is only from six to eight feet above the level of the Lake, and as originally planned, this level was to be fed from the Lake, thereby practically making a southern outlet to Lake Michigan by the Illinois and Missis- sippi rivers. The depth and width of the canal gave it a capacity sufficient to admit the passage of large sail vessels. About one-half of the summit level was com- pleted in accordance with these plans be- fore the work was abandoned in 1842 .*
* It should have been stated in the text that the summit was supplied with water in the spring and wet seasons, mainly from the Calumet through the "Sag," by damming the river near Blue Island. To provide for any deficiency, pumping works of great capacity were built at Bridgeport, which, when the supply from the Calumet failed, not only furnished the canal with water, but pumping the stagnant liquid from the river rendered it pure, for its place was supplied from the lake.
By 1865 the population of Chicago had increased to 178,900; the city had inaugurated and completed an extensive system of sewers, most of which ' emptied into the river. For perhaps nine or ten months of the year it had no current, and hence it became the source of the foulest smells that a suf . fering people were ever forced to endure; and, be- sides, it was evident that something must be done effectively to cleanse it, or the city would soon be- come so unhealthy as to be uninhabitable. Accord- ingly, on the 15th and 16th of February, 1865, the Legislature passed Acts authorizing the city of Chi- cago to lower the summit of the canal, as originally proposed, so that the pure waters of Lake Michigan would flow south, thus cleansing the river and dis- pensing with the dam on the Calumet and the pumping works at Bridgeport. Authority was granted to borrow $2,000,000 to do this work, and with Col. R. B. Mason, of this city, and Wm. Good- ing, of Lockport, added to the Board of Public Works, the work of lowering the summit of the canal was commenced, and it was completed June 15th, 1871. On that day the hoisting of the gates at Bridgeport was made known throughout the city by the merry ringing of the bells, and joy pervaded all circles and all classes of citizens.
Thenceforward Lake Michigan has contributed a portion of its waters to the Illinois river, and thence it has flowed on to the Gulf of Mexico.
On Tuesday, July 25th, the Common Council, with a large number of guests, made an excursion to Lockport-other fluids besides pure Lake Michi- gan water contributing largely to the hilarity of the party. The South Branch, except in exceptional cases, has since been filled with pure water; and the North Branch is to be made so, by the Fullerton . Avenue conduit.
The State reserved the right to resume control of the canal at any time, by paying the city the money
34
HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
In the session of the Legislature of 1843-4, a bill providing for the completion of the canal on the " shallow cut" was passed, the substance of which was, that the hold- ers of the canal bonds should advance $1,600,000 to complete the work. The canal lands yet remaining unsold, and the canal itself, with the revenue to be derived from it, were placed in the hands of three trustees, two of whom were chosen by the bondholders, and one by the State. There were in all about two hundred and thirty thousand acres of land, and several hun- dred lots in the cities of Chicago, Ottawa, LaSalle, and the towns along the line placed in the hands of the trustees. The money was advanced by the bondholders, and the canal was completed and went into operation in the spring of 1848. It gave an impetus to the commerce and pros- perity of Chicago far beyond the anticipa- tions of its most sanguine friends, and since then Chicago has grown very rapidly, having more than trebled her population in the short space of six years.
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These lands have been offered for sale every six months, and owing to the en- hanced value which the rapid increase of population in this part of the State has given them, the loan of one million six hundred thousand dollars was all paid off last fall, and quite a large amount is still due on the lands sold, and no inconsidera- ble portion of them is still in the hands of the Trustees. The finances of the State, as shown in the recent message of His Excellency, Governor Matteson, are in a very prosperous condition. Though the debt is still large, without imposing any
it had expended in deepening the canal. In accord- ance with that noble spirit which seemed to pervade the whole world, immediately after our great fire on the 9th of October, 1871, the Legislature, on October 20th, passed a law to refund to the city the amount she had expended, (in all, $2,955,340 principal and interest,) and to again assume the control and own- ership of the canal. In her dire necessity after the fire, this was a great boon to the city. It need only be added here that the National and State Govern -. ments are building a series of locks and dams on the Illinois river, which, when completed a very few years hence, will give us one of the finest water lines of transit in the world. The connection be- tween the Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, and also with the Mississippi and all its tributaries, will be complete.
additional burdens upon our citizens, it will all be paid off in a few years. It is worthy of special remark, that when the New Constitution was formed in 1847, a clause was introduced in it by which, if approved by the people, a special tax of two mills upon the dollar was levied, and was to be applied to extinguishing the principal of this debt. The people in 1848 voted upon this provision separately, and adopted it by ten thousand majority. This, so far as we know, is the first in- stance in which the people of a State de- liberately taxed themselves in order to pay an old and burdensome debt. It is a fine compliment to the integrity of the citizens of Illinois, and has done much to establish her character in commercial circles, both in this country and in Europe.
There are some interesting facts in ref- erence to the topography of Chicago, only a few of which we have space to give. On the south side of the river there were two sloughs between the Garrison and "the point." The first emptied into the river at the foot of State street. It ran a little north of the Sherman House, crossing Clark street near the Post Office, thence crossing Lake street nearly in front of the Tremont House. The "old Tremont House " was on the northwest corner of Lake and Dearborn streets, and as late as 1834 sportsmen would sit in the door of the " Tremont" and shoot ducks in the slough. The other slough entered the river at the foot of LaSalle street. The store built in 1831-2 by P. F. W. Peck, Esq., at the southeast "corner of LaSalle and Water streets, was situated on a " high point of land," formed by a bend in this slough. Poles were laid across these sloughs, on which the people going east and west crossed for want of a better bridge.
The dwelling now occupied by Mrs. Wright, at the corner of Michigan avenue and Madison street, was built by John Wright, Esq., in 1839. Then it was " way out of town in the prairie." Randolph and Washington streets were not even " turnpiked," and there was nothing to in- dicate their "local habitation " save only here and there a few stakes driven eight years previous by Surveyor Thompson and
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HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
his assistants. There were a few scattered houses along Lake and South Water streets.
The first deed on record is made by Gov- ernor Reynolds, in behalf of the State, to Robert Kinzie, assignee of B. B. Kerche- val, and conveys lots 5 and 6, block 29, Original Town, for the sum of $109. It is recorded December 2, 1831, by R. J. Ham- ilton, Recorder. The first will on record is that of Alexander Wolcott, filed April 27, 1831, before R. J. Hamilton, Judge of Probate.
It is a feature of our city, more noticed by strangers than by ourselves, who are accustomed to it, that we are a community of workers. Every man apparently has his head and hands full, and seems to be hurried along by an irresistible impulse that allows him neither rest nor leisure. An amusing evidence of this characteristic of Chicago occurs in connection with the first census of the city, taken July 1st, 1837, when the occupation, as well as names and residences of every citizen were duly entered. In the record of the popu- lation of four thousand one hundred and seventy, among the names of professors, mechanics, artisans and laborers, appears, in unenviable singularity, the entry, "Richard Harper, loafer," the only repre- sentative of the class at that time in the city. From this feeble ancestry the de- scendants have been few and unimportant; and we believe there is not a city in the Union where the proportion of vagabonds and loafers is so small as in Chicago .*
We might extend our sketches at pleas- ure, but we have already greatly exceeded the limits we at first assigned them. It is not yet quite seventeen years since the city government was first organized. Then it contained only four thousand one hundred and seventy inhabitants ; now it has over sixty thousand. Then there was not a canal, railroad or plank road leading out of
the city, and only three years previous there was but one mail from the East per week, and that was brought from Niles on horseback. The changes which have been wrought in seventeen years are truly amazing.
The question naturally arises, what will the next seventeen years accomplish ? With less than the ratio of her past in- crease of population from the time she first became a city, she will, in 1871, contain more than half a million of people. Few, perhaps, would dare to predict such a re- sult ; but let us look at a few facts, and leave each one to draw his own conclu- sion. We are now in direct railroad con- nection with all the Atlantic cities from Portland to Baltimore. Five, and at most eight years, will extend the circle to New Orleans. By that time also we shall shake hands with the rich copper and iron mines of Lake Superior, both by canal and rail- road ; and long ere another seventeen years have passed away, we shall have a great National Railroad from Chicago to Puget's Sound, with a branch to San Fran- cisco. Situated in the centre of one of the most extensive and the richest agricultural regions in the world ; at the head of our magnificent inland seas, and holding the key to their commerce on each side for fifteen hundred miles ; with the certainty that she must become the great central city of the Continent, where the produc- tions of Asia, Europe and America must concentrate for exchange and distribution throughout the Mississippi Valley, with unrivalled facilities for manufactories of all kinds; and with railroads centering here from every principal city upon the Continent-he must be dull indeed who can predict anything but a glorious future for the Garden City. We have given but the outlines of the picture ; time, we are satisfied, will fill it up with colors more vivid and glorious than the most sanguine imagination would dare now to contem- plate. The results of the past seventeen years are now matters of history, and we leave the editors of the Democratic Press in 1871 to prepare the record-may be we be spared to do it-of what the next seven- teen years shall accomplish.
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