History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 37

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 875

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* Pierre Margry, in Magazine of American History.

+ fbid.

a New York author, took a trip through the West, and by him there was further expatiating on the wonderful portage and the importance of the canal. The United States commissioners, with their surveyor, Mr. Sullivan, were then running their lines to mark the lands which had been ceded by the Indians in' 1816 .* A map was therefore made of Chicago and vicinity. The main river flowed northeast and east, for about three-fifths of a mile, to a point nine hundred feet west of the parade ground. From that point it commenced to make a complete bend around Fort Dearborn, and entering upon its direct course south, flowed between the great sand-bank on the east and the marsh on the west. entering the lake when it could , abont eight hundred yards south of a line drawn east from the present south- west corner of River Street and Michigan Avenue. Some two hundred and fifty yards from the confinence of the river and the North Branch a small creek entered the main channel from the north, while from the south, at a point north of the present Wabash Avenue, another stream entered the river. Opposite Fort Dearborn a small bayon stretched back from the river to the north- west. The entire length of the main river in 1818 was about one and a half miles. No suggestion was made, however, to improve the harbor. It was reserved for H. R. Schoolcraft, secretary of the Indian commission which visited Chicago in 1821, to first call attention to the matter as a measure of general utility and humanity. It is observed that he expressed some doubt as to whether a harbor could ever be formed, but his plan was definite and bordered upon the prophetic :

"We allude," he says, "to the formation of a harbor on Lake Michigan where vessels may lie in safety while they are discharging the commodities destined for Illinois, or encountering the delays which commerce frequently imposes. It Is well known that after passing the Manitou Islands there is no harbor or shelter for vessels in the southern part of Lake Michigan, and That every vessel which passes into that lake after the month of September, runs an immi- nent hazard of shipwreck. Vessels bound to Chicago come to an- chor upon a gravelly bottom in the lake, and, discharging with all possible speed, hasten on their return. The sand which is driven up into the mouth of Chicago Creek will admit boals only lo pass over the bar, though the water is deep enough to allow vessels lo lie above. Among the expedients which have been proposed for keeping the mouth of the river clear of sand, one of the most in- genious, and perhaps practicable, is that of turning the Konomic (Calumet), by a canal of sixteen miles, into the Chicago, above the fort, and by The increased body and pressure of water, drive out the accumulated sands. It is yet somewhat problematical whether a safe and permanent harbor can be constructed by any effort of hu- man Ingenuity, upon the bleak and naked shores of these lakes, ex- posed, as they are, to the most furious tempests. And we are in- clined to think it would be feasible to construct an artificial island off the mouth of the Chicago Creek, which might be connected by a bridge with the main land, with more permanent benefit to the country al large, if not with less expense, than to keep the Chi- cago clear of sand. Stone for such a work is abundant near the entrance Into Green Bay, and, if built on a scale sufficiently liberal, it would afford convenient sites for all storehouses required."

The Government breakwater, with the sandbars which it has been the means of forming, may be likened to Schoolcraft's bridge connecting the artificial island

* The map of 1811 was presented in the case of George C. Bates vy, Illinois Central Railroad Company, before the United States Circuit Court, Northern District of Illinois, in October, 1859.

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with the main land, and his storehouses to the huge ele- vators which now cover those convenient sites. But when Schoolcraft wrote, there was little to be seen but an old stockade fort and John Kinzie's block-house : and although his general idea of protecting the river's month seems to have been the correct one, he did not see the necessity of forming an artificial channel, so that the river's course could be made more direct to the lake, and its current thereby strengthened. This idea, however, was left to be clearly brought ont by the en- gineers who made the surveys for the canal route in 1830. In February of that year William Howard, U. S. C. E., proposed a plan for "improving the month of Chicago River." His idea was to close the original outlet, and cut a channel through the conformation of sand and gravel which prevented the river from flowing eastwardly, in nearly a direct course, north and south piers were to extend out into the lake, in a direction south of east ; the artificial channel being somewhat wver one thousand feet north of the natural outlet of the river. The map, and a well-conceived correspon- dence between residents of the settlement and influen- tial members of Congress, caused general attention to be called to the improvement of the harbor, in counce- tion with the building of the canal. When in August of this year 1830, the town of Chicago was surveyed, pro- vision was maile for a public levee on the general plan adopted by Western river villages, and extending along South Water Street. But the system applicable to the light-draught river boats was not applicable to the large lake craft. So the levee plan was abandoned, and the location became a part of the wharfing property, which. in later years, gave the corporation so much trouble. The continued efforts made to improve Chicago's har- bor bore fruit in 1833. For the purpose of obtaining an appropriation, a map was sent to Congress, designed to show what a growing town Chicago was. It indi- cated the course of the river, the platted sections of the town, and the contemplated subdivisions. This map, undoubtedly, assisted in securing the appropriation of $25,000, which was obtained from Congress, March 2, 1833. The works were immediately put in charge of Major George Bender, his assistant superintendent be- ing Henry S. Handy. Samuel Jackson was foreman of construction, and held the position for some time. A. V. Knickerbocker was appointed clerk, and continued so to act for a number of years .* Mr. Jackson arrived from Buffalo June 27, 1833, in company with Joseph Chandler and Morgan 1 .. Shapley, and work was at once commenced on the south side of the river, in front of the fort. The first stone was procured about three miles up the South Branch. The ties and timber were cut upon the Calumet, and were rafted down the river into the lake and thence along its shore to the harbor. under the direction of Jones & MeGregory, the con- tractors for the wood work. Major Bender resigned October 31, 1833 : but under his direction between four hundred and five hundred feet of the south pier were

finished.t Lieutenant James Allen took charge of the works in January, 1834, serving until September. 1838. During this season the appropriation of $32,801 was ap-

* Morgan I .. Shapley's letter tu Juhn Wentworth, May 19, 1879. + Subsequently he was commissioned Captain of the First Dragoons, and died at Fort Leavenworth August 33, 1846.

plied chiefly upon the work of extending the north pier ; and, as a rule, for several years that structure was kept from two hundred to three hundred feet ahead of the south pier. The most of the stone was taken from the quarry opened up on the South Branch. Subse- quently ties and timber were procured in Wisconsin and Michigan, with the exception of a small lot taken from the North Branch in 1834-35. The appropriation of 1835 amounted to $32,800, and under Lieutenant Allen's energetie management the work progressed most favor- ably .* By the close of the season the north, or weather. pier had been extended one thousand two hundred and sixty fect into the lake, where a depth of twelve feet of water was found, and most of the structure had been completed to its full height of seven feet. The pier- head was not constructed, for the reason that a new bar commenced to form in the spring, at a point on the lake shore about half a mile from the pier, and was now run- ning obliquely, in a direction which threatened to form an obstruction across the harbor entrance, a short dis- tance from the end of the work. Already the depth of the water on the line of the pier had been reduced from ten and twelve feet to eight. It was therefore resolved to wait until winter was over, when it could be deter- mined whether it would be necessary to extend the pier across the new sandhar and shut out the threatened for- mation from the harbor entrance. It is to be remarked, however, that at the end of the north pier constructed in 1834. and for sixty feet beyond, nine feet of sand had been washed away, leaving a clear clay bottom, at a depth of eighteen feet from the surface. Many vessels had already found shelter there while discharging their cargoes. The south pier, in 1835, was extended five hundred feet, making its total length into the lake seven hundred feet. It will be remembered that during the season of 1833 a portion of it had been constructed across the river and bar. The two piers now enclosed a channel of two hundred feet in breadth, containing from three to seven feet of water, and all was ready for the dredging machines, Up to that time the current of the river had made no great impression upon the sand in the channel. Lieutenant Allen noticed that when the season's work was completed $6,900 of the 832,000 would remain to be applied in 1836, and that $6,000 had been reserved for dredging purposes. Since the opening of navigation until September, two hundred and twelve vessels had arrived and discharged their cargnes at the' harbor. Concerning the effects of the "land craze" upon his workmen he said :

** The great and continued emigration to the town and coun- Iry has kept all kinds of grain and provisions scarce and dear, and often difficult to procure at any price. The very great demand for laborers and mechanics on the buildings and improvements of the town has maintained a very high rate of wages for workmen. The influx of this class of emigrants has been great, 100; but the apparent facilities offered them of securing valuable portions of public land by settling on it-and which were confirmed to settlers and claimants at the recent land sales here-have encouraged me- chanics and laborers on arriving, or soon after, to abandon their appropriate trades or occupations for a bright hope of soon making their fortunes under the pre-emption laws. Some of my best workmen, and who had been on the works since their commence- ment, have, since the sales at this place, refused to continue at a rate of wages from $).50 to $2 per day. They have gone to Milwaukee and elsewhere to make locations on public lands. The constant changes of workmen thus made has been embarrassing and expensive to the work."

Captain Allen's map, drawn in October, 1837, indi- cates that, at this time, the south pier had been finished from a point opposite Fort Dearborn, across the old channel of the river, and so on out into the lake, a total

* See report of Lieutenant Allen to Brigadier-General C. Gratiot, chief en. gineer, dated September Ju, 1835.

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distance of one thousand eight hundred and fifty feet. Some five hundred feet of the lake end with the bulk- head was unfinished or only projected. The shore end of the north pier for seven hundred feet had not been finished, but it had been pushed out into the lake for twelve hundred feet, with four hundred feet of pier and bulkhead projected, in order to shut out the outer sand- bar, which now extended beyond the end of this, the weather pier, Of the old sandbar, between the river and the lake, only a small tongue remained, about one hundred and seventy-five by one hundred and twelve feet. Although the eastern bank of the original chan- nel was mostly washed away, its western boundary the swamp east of the fort was visible then. In 1838 $30,000 was appropriated, but it became now evident that the improvement was progressing under a wrong plan. The prevailing currents of the lake had been rapidly depositing sediment in the shape of sandbars, which were backing up against the north pier, their general trend being a little more to the north than the old sandbar. Within the outer sandbar, which in 1837 extended beyond the finished portion of the north pier, had been formed two bars. By the continued process of deposit these were lifted further and further into view, and the intervening space filled with sand, until the second bar of 1837 virtually became the shore line of 1838. Since the commencement of improvements in 1833, the shore line had extended seven hun- dred feet ont into the lake along the north pier, and was rapidly pushing farther in that direction. It was only a question of short time before the third sand- bar, which had already been formed beyond the pier, would become a new shore line ; and it would seem, un- less the direction of the work was changed, that the task of protecting the harbor entrance would be an indefinite contest between the governmental purse and the natural forces of wind, wave and current. As the sandbars and the shore line extended out into the lake, the pier, in order to be of any benefit, would have to keep pace with its progress, It was therefore decided to change the direction of the pier 2516° more to the north+ but the appropriation of 1838 having been expended in extend- ing the under-work four hundred and five feet in the new direction and dredging the bar already formed, it was found that this plan was no better than the old. The bar continued to form not only because of the cur- rents of the lake, but the wind blowing from the north across the pier carried the sand from the beach into the harbor itself. Vessels now made the entrance with great difficulty in fair weather, and were entirely excluded from shelter during storms. At the commencement of operations in 1839 it was found that the bar had ex- tended across the entrance to the channel, and four hun- dred and fifty yards beyond. In the latter part of Marclı, 1839. Lieutenant now General, A. A. Hum- phreys, who had succeeded Captain Allen, was relieved, at his own request, by Captain T. J. Cram. Under him Captain J. H. Leavenworth acted as agent in charge of the harbor works, the only thing attempted up to 1842 being to preserve the protections already built. Under him the superstructure of the pier was extended in the new direction, and then further appropriations were cut off. In April the board of engineers decided that all expenditures upon the harbor would be for only such work as might be necessary to protect what had been completed up to that date. A few days later, lake cap- tains were notified of the formation of the bar across the harbor's entrance. Under date of September 1, 1839, when work was entirely suspended, Captain Cram · Memonal to Congress of 1841.

reported as still unfinished several hundred feet on the west end and four hundred and five feet on the east end of the north pier ; also two hundred and fifty feet on the west, and three hundred and eighty feet on the cast end of the south pier. Repeated but unsuccessful ef- forts were made by Chicago citizens to obtain appropria- tions in 1839 aud 1840; the apathy of Congress and the evident attempt of that body to ignore the claims of Chicago creating much dissatisfaction, and suggesting the memorial of 1841. This document was signed by Mayor Sherman, the Board of Aldermen and City Clerk Hoyne. It exhibited the commercial importance of Chicago, showing that her average import trade for the past six years had reached $1,500,000, her export trade $348,362. The progress of work upon the harbor was reviewed and the deplorable condition of affairs at that time noticed. Piles and timbers from the upper end of the north pier were being carried away, and the dredg- ing machines and sand scows were going to pieces. Not less than $4,000 would repair the damage already done. The appropriation had run out and a permanent sand- bar was rapidly forming. If assistance should not be granted soon, "commerce would be without shelter and human life and property endangered to a lamentable extent." The memorialists not only prayed for " im- mediate temporary," but for " immediate permanent " relief. Chicago's claims continued to be pressed upon Congress, and the result was that in 1843 an "item " of $25.000 was obtained, to be expended upon the harbor. With this sum a series of repairs and some new work was effected, under the superintendence of Captain George B. MeClellan. Another appropriation 830,000 was obtained in 1844, and during that year and the next the height of the north pier was -increased from one to two feet. The appropriation was soon exhausted and Congress was again begged for assistance. Citizens of Chicago poured in upon that body facts and figures, showing her importance as a lake port and the suprem. acy of the commerce of the Great Lakes in which this city led the way.

Including the appropriation of 1844 over $247,000 had been expended upon the harbor, with what results the reader is informed. Two years followed, during which the engineers made estimates, and the citizens presented memorials. Even Congressman Wentworth's speech in favor of the river and harbor bill, in Febru- ary, 1846, did not break the monotony of the " No- appropriation " period. President Jackson, the friend of internal improvement, was dead, and President Polk was his antipode. The estimate of 1846 to provide for the completion of the north pier and for necessary repairs was $24.297. It is well known that in August of that year the river and harbor bill received the pres. idential veto, which included $12,000 to be expended on Chicago harbor and $15,000 for a steam dredge boat to be used on Lake Michigan. The bill had, through the endeavors of Mr. Wentworth, received the powerful support of Daniel Webster, who addressed an able letter to the convention which met in 1847. This statesman had visited Chicago in 1837, had a fair knowledge of the lake region, and was thoroughly able to lay before the Senate his reasons for supporting the appropriation. He pictured a terrific storm on Lake Michigan, the despair of the crew, the wreck of the vessel and remarked : "What but a merciful Providence saved me from such a catastrophe when I passed over Lake Michigan in 1837 ?" Notwithstanding the able support which the bill received, and the decisive major- ity which it obtained, President Polk vetoed it and the whole Northwest arose against him. The summary

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action of the Chief Executive attracted the attention of the people, and, within a year, the great River and Har- bor Convention was an accomplished fact .* William M. Hall, agent of the Lake Steamboat Association, with headquarters in St. Louis, is the acknowledged father of this gathering, wherein was assembled much of the political and commercial ability of the country, protest- ing against the narrow views and action of the Presi- clent of the United States

At the close of the season of 1846 Mr. Hall gave an editorial dinner in the city of St. Louis, at which the proceedings of the River and Harbor Convention, lately held in Memphis, came up for informal discussion. The conferenre concinded by Colonel A. B. Chambers, of the Missouri Republican,turning to Mr. Hall, and suggesting that the latter was the man of all others best fitted to move in the matter of calling a river and harbor convent- tion, irrespective of party, to urge upon Congress the necessity of improving the water-ways of the West. Mr. Hall thereupon visited Chicago, where he met R. L. Wilson, Dr. W. B. Egan, S. Liste Smith, and others. who approved of the plan, and pledged themselves to support the enterprise. Captain E. B. Ward and Oliver Newberry, of Detroit, Millard Fillmore and E.G. Spauld- ing of Buffalo-in fact most of the influential commer- cial and broad-minded men of the lake cities, of Springfield, of Boston and of New York, were as a unit in recognizing the grandeur and the beneficial effects of the movement. Finally, at New York, Mr. Hall met William Duane Wilson, Robert Fergus and a few other Western gentlemen, and made arrangements to hold a meeting, in furtherance of his project, at Rathbun's Hotel. The meeting was quite largely at- tended, and the committee recommended that a con- vention be held in Chicago, June 17. The time was subsequently changed to July 5. The committees on arrangements appointed were as follows : Chicago, William B. Ogden, S. Lisle Smith, George W. Dole ; Milwaukee, Byran Kilbourne, W. D. Wilson ; Detroit, Augustus J. Porter ; Cleveland, J. W. Allen ; Buffalo, James L. Barton ; St. Louis, David Chambers, The Chicago committee called a meeting in this city on No- vember t3. It was largely attended, and resulted in the preparation of an address, which so fairly presents the prevailing sentiment and the aims of the July con- vention that it is given entire :

"The high prices of freight, taken in connection with the loss of life and property upon the Western waters last season, caused sev- eral public meetings to be held in various sections of the country. for the purpose of devising the best means of remedying those and other evils of which the great mass of the people interested in com- merce were complaining. At all these meetings the propriety of holding a convention at some convenient point was discussed and universally concorred in. In consequence of Chicago having been generally named as the proper point, its citizens called a meeting. named the 5th of July as the appropriate time, and chose the under- signed a committee to draft an address, setting forth the objects of the convention. The movers in this matter have been, from the first, like the undersigned, of entirely different politics, and, so far from there being. even in the remotest degree, any political design in the contemplated convention, one of the chief objects of it is to call together for a common object the men of all parties, and to con- vince the people everywhere that the improvements desired are nol now, never have been, and never should be, connected with "party politics," In the ordinary use of that term. Such a connection would, in theminds of all interested, have a very deleterious tenden- cy. It can not be denied that there is a predisposition among all politicians to support the measure of a chief magistrate of their own party, and hence we have seen Western representatives, originally supporting harbor and river improvements, and elected upon ex- press pledges to do so, finally vote tosupport a tro of bills provid- ing for that purpose, and assigning as a reason therefor that it was their duty to sustain an executive of their own selection, even

. For full, reliable and interesting account of River and Harbor Convention of 1847, see Fergus's Historical Series.

though it be in express opposition to the wishes and interests of their constituents. Repeated Instances of this kind must eventually give this question somewhat of a political cast, which the under signed and all who cooperate with them would seriously regret.

The construction of harkurs upon our northern lakes, as well as upon the Atlantic, with the improvement of our great rivers, where commerce is of a national character, necessarily involves no questions of party difference. They are malters that must interest all parties, as they do all classes, alike, and harbor and river bills have been supported by the ablest men of both the great political parties which divide this country. This subject has never entered into any presidential canvass, since each party has always taken it for granted that the candidate of the other was above suspicion upon a matter of such preeminent importance. The first congress that ever assembled under the present constitution, many of whose members helped to frame it, passed a law defraying all expenses which should accrue after the t5th of August, 1789. in the necessary support, maintenance, and repairs of all light-houses, beacons, buoys, and public piers, erected, placed, or sunk, before the pass. age of this act, at the entrance of, or within any bay, inlet, harker, or poris of the United States, for nadering the navigation thereof msr and safe. General Washington signed this bill, and bills for the continuance of such work were also successively signed by presidents the elder Adams, Jefferson, and Madison. The fira hake harbor bill was signed by Mr. Monroe. He never raised the constitutional question, nor do the congressional debates of those days show that any members of either branch of Congress made any distinction between salt and fresh water improvements, or ber tween foreign and domestie commerce. All at that time were acknowledged alike deserving the fostering care of the General Government, as They also were during the administrations of the granger Adams, General Jackson and Mr. Van Buren. Though remarkably scrupulons as to the extent of which the power to con. struct works of internal improvements should be exercised, General Jackson and Mr. Van Buren signed bills for the improvement of rivers and construction of harbors to the amount of $7.500,000, and the two bfils signed by General Jackson in 1836 contained no less than eighty.nine items, and the bill of 1837 no less than fifty- nine. After the General Government has expended upward of seventeen millions of dollars for works of internal improvement. and mostly in the old States, by the consent and support of the very framers of the constitution and their cotemporaries, and by men, too, of all political parties, there can now be but little consideration due the cry that ' it is unconstitutional,' or the plan of a single political party to extend the advantages of such works to the new Stales, and to such portions of the old States as have thus far been neglected.

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History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 37

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas Number of Pages: 875

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 875