USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume II > Part 6
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"During 1833 the project of opening a steamboat navigation from the lake to the navigable part of the Illinois river has been seriously agitated in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. The project as a natural enterprise is practicable, but it is questioned, even if the general government could be induced to take hold of it, whether the im- mense cost would justify the undertaking and whether a railway would not on the whole be preferable. The latter could be used the whole year whereas a canal could not be used for more than eight months. The importance of opening a communi- cation between Chicago and the foot of the rands of the Illi- nois cannot be placed in too strong a light. It must be done, and whatever must be done, will be done. Already (1834) commerce
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in no small extent is passing along that line. Merchants from St. Louis, from along the Illinois river, from Galena, and from the Wisconsin territory, and especially from the Wabash river as far south as Terre Haute, bring their goods that way."-(J. W. Peck, of Illinois, 1834. )
The estimate of the cost of the canal, made June, 1834, by C. Gratiot, chief engineer at Washington, D. C., was as follows :
Cut across summit.
$2,622,421
Embankment below summit.
589,961
Lockage ..
343,100
Masonry, aqueducts, etc.
343,100
Contingencies
390,855
Total
$4,289,437
A big meeting here, October 31, 1835, to urge the completion of the canal. Present: E. Peck, Peter Temple, Buckner S. Morris, James Grant, H. B. Clarke, J. H. Collins, R. J. Hamilton, W. Jones, H. Hugunin, and Dr. Goodhue. One resolution was as follows : "That in the opinion of this meeting the subject of the Illinois and Michigan canal, from its importance to the State generally, is wor- thy of the most attentive consideration of the Legislature; and that the failure of the loan contemplated by the last session requires the immediate adoption of more efficient measures, based on the faith and credit of the State, and of such a character as will inspire pub- lic confidence and insure the construction of the canal." The meet- ing urged the importance of a canal, the advisability of an immedi- ate system of internal improvements; the importance of prompt action in order to secure the donations of the Government.
It was provided in the act of February 26, 1831, that the canal commissioners might construct a branch canal diverging from the main trunk of the Illinois and Michigan canal through the Sagan- askee swamp and Grassy lake, to intersect the Calumet river at the most practicable point, "whenever they shall be notified that the State of Indiana has commenced the construction of a correspond- ing work to connect her system of internal improvements with the Illinois and Michigan canal," This branch was to be part of the Illinois and Michigan canal.
The act of Congress of March 3, 1837, appropriated a sum of money for a lighthouse at Chicago harbor. Work on the same was begun soon afterward but languished. The light was completed and lighted for the first time June 29, 1859. The light was situated at the east end of the north pier at the mouth of Chicago river. It served the double purpose of a general lake coast light and of a bea- con for entering the Chicago harbor. Its location was 41 degrees, 53 minutes, 24.9 seconds north latitude. The foundation of the iron lighthouse rested upon 146 piles of white oak hewn one foot square and driven from 18 to 22 feet into the soil; at the time of driving the piles, the water there was six to twelve feet deep. The report
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
says, "We believe that both the base and the superstructure will be found capable of resisting any force that can ever be brought to act upon them without any disturbance of their stability." Care was re- quired by vessels in clearing and doubling the south extremity of Chicago bar in entering the harbor.
The Committee on Commerce in Congress in February, 1845, reported favorably on a memorial from the citizens of Chicago rel- ative to the establishment of a marine hospital in that city. It was recited that such hospital was designed to be erected on the govern- ment reserve leaving abundant room however, for the construction of military fortifications when necessary; that the location was healthful and well adapted for such use; that the reservation con- tained valuable water lots which might be sold to defray the expense of erecting the buildings; that the growing commerce of the lakes was one of the most valuable interests of the nation; that the con- struction of hospitals for the relief of sick and disabled seamen was necessary; that there was no such hospital nearer to Chicago than Cleveland; that Rush Medical college had offered free medical at- tendance for the use of a portion of the hospital buildings, etc. It was recommended that the whole matter be placed at the decision of the Secretary of the Treasury .- (28th Congress, 2nd session. )
Thomas J. Cram, captain Topographical Engineers, detailed to report on the harbor at Chicago in 1839-40, set forth the following facts : That the shore generally was of sand, but that clay could be found twenty or more feet down'off 1,200 to 2,000 feet from shore ; that owing to the shifting sands along shore it was desirable to build parallel piers out to water of twenty-four feet depth; that proper shape and position had not been given to the piers at Chicago prior to the transfer of the work to the topographical bureau; that "on commencing operations this year (1839) a sand bar was found ex- tending not only entirely across the entrance of the channel, but to a distance of 450 yards beyond, the total length of the bar estimated from the north pier being 583 yards"; "that the piers had been car- ried out from the commencement without due regard to the direc- tion of the prevailing winds which are from the north and north- east"; that the maximum of cost was required for the north pier which must meet the dead shock of the prevailing winds; that the position of the piers compelled vessels entering the river to do so with wind abeam; that the width between piers of 200 feet was too narrow by half; that the object in limiting such width to 200 feet had been to give the river greater current to remove deposits at its mouth ; that such calculations had been unsound, because the river for six miles, being only an arm of the lake, had no appreciable current except in case of freshets or winds, the total; fall being too small to produce a sensible current; that too much extension had been given the south pier and not enough the north pier; that the latter should be made 1,600 feet longer than the former and should .
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
have greater thickness; that a number of faults of construction had crept in; that the cost of completing the 405 feet of the north pier and of completing and repairing work that had been commenced and left unfinished prior to the then present year would be $25,564; that this amount would be sufficient for only one or two years at the most ; that the harbor was not then adequate to the demands of the general commerce which existed on Lake Michigan; that com- merce would very naturally center more at Chicago than at any other place of deposit and transhipment upon either side of the lake. Among other facts set forth in his report were the following: That in 1833 the building of the city of Chicago was begun ; that it now numbered from 5,000 to 6,000 inhabitants after the lapse of only six years ; that it presented "the lively aspect incident to a thriving commercial town," its position being at the west shore of the lake; the navigable branches of the Chicago river affording "the site for a capacious ship basin in the very heart of the town at the junction of said branches, that being the terminus of the Illinois and Michi- gan canal to connect Lake Michigan and the Illinois river and thus complete a water. way from New York via lakes and rivers to the Gulf of Mexico; the vast extent of adjacent fertile soil were ad- vantages which when collectively or severally considered forcibly impress the mind that the present city of Chicago is but the nucleus about which there will grow up at no remote period one of the most important commercial towns upon the lakes"; that during the year 1839 eight lake steamers averaging 600 tons each had plied regu- larly between Buffalo and. Chicago and two of less tonnage had handled the local shore trade, besides there being several ships, brigs and large schooners plying out from Chicago; that the imports of salt, lumber, iron and goods of less weight during 1839 would be found very large; that the commercial interest of all the states bor- dering upon the lakes was intimately connected with Chicago as a place of transhipment and deposit; that the agircultural prospects of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri would depend largely upon such a place on the lake; that the continuity of a never-failing water communication for so many miles under a temperature favorable to the transit of produce gave advantages peculiar to the lake route ; that the construction of a permanent harbor at some point near the southern extremity of Lake Michigan was desirable; and that the bottom of the lake near the mouth of Chicago river favored such a construction. He recommended that the north pier be extended 1,200 feet in the form of a curve beyond the point where the work was then about to stop on account of lack of funds, to water of twenty-three feet depth; to terminate the extremity of the pier with a circular head so built as to serve as the foundation of a lighthouse. He submitted estimates of cost. All his recommendations were based upon the wants of commerce at Chicago at that time. He suggested that the south pier might be extended southward 2,000
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
feet and then run westward nearly or quite to the lake shore, thus forming a pier-locked harbor. He also noted that the level of Lake Michigan at Chicago then was two feet above its lowest known stage, and one foot four inches below the highest known stage, and that the water was then falling and was believed to have fallen one foot four inches during the past twelve months .- (Sen- ate Documents, 1st Session, 26th Congress, Vol IV.)
The stone used in the public works at Chicago was quarried from a limestone formation within a few miles of the place and cost, in 1836, at the piers, $6 per cord of 128 cubic feet .- (Senate Documents, 1st Session, 24th Congress, Vol. III.)
The survey and estimate for the improvement of Chicago har- bor, in accordance with the resolution of the House on February 11, 1830, carried out by William Howard, civil engineer, was to the effect that the formation of a good harbor there was "so indis- pensable to the efficiency of the proposed canal" that an examination was made when the route of the canal was surveyed; that the town was "destined to become a place of considerable importance ;" that it was "now composed, exclusive of Fort Dearborn, of about a dozen homes, scattered about on both sides of the creek or river of the same name; that it was situated about thirty-five miles from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan and was the point that had been selected for the terminus of the Illinois and Michigan canal; that it was the only situation for a long extent of the shore of the lake which afforded facilities for the construction of a good harbor; that there was no other place south of the Manitou islands, except St. Joseph, where vessels could escape the weather; that the navigation of the lake was already of sufficient extent to warrant an exertion to afford protection; that "when we consider the great extent of fertile land lately acquired (from the Indians?) by the government, to which Chicago must form the entrance from the East, it is plain that its importance must in a very few years be many times multiplied, the more especially on account of the facility which the canal, when made, will afford to the ingress of settlers to the government;" that the river was about fifty yards wide and at least twelve feet deep up for three or four miles except at the mouth, where a sand bar prevented the entrance of craft except small boats and canoes; that "could an entrance be formed through this bar the river would form a most secure and convenient harbor capacious enough for any number of vessels that could ever be expected to use it"; that during the dry season there was no current in the river, and the sand bar almost wholly shut off the river from the lake; but that in wet seasons the water forced its way through the bar in different places from year to year; that "a remarkable circumstance connected with the formation of this bar was that these deposits of sand seem to be brought almost entirely from the north ;" that the bar had gradually extended itself to the south; that
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
in the spring of 1829 the fort commandant had opened a small trench through the bar nearly at the spot where the projected moles have been laid down; that the current in a few days enlarged the opening considerably, but was later reduced and its situation was changed; that "the whole sand composing the western shore of the lake appeared to be traveling slowly to the southward and had already accumulated on the south shore forming those large banks which are seen in the neighborhood of the mouths of the Great and Little Calamic (Calumet)"; that the bar could be cut through, thus affording easy access for large vessels to the river; that the plan was to extend two parallel piers or moles from the mouth of the river through the bar and out into the lake far enough to escape any sand accumulations, the sand being confined near the shore; that there was sufficient timber near for use in building the moles; that limestone could be procured in abundance a few miles up the river, and that the channel once cleared through the bar would doubtless remain clear.
DIMENSIONS AND EXTENT, ESTIMATED.
Each pier, length. .260 yards
Each pier, breadth. 24 feet
Average depth from top to bottom. 21 feet
Distance apart
60 feet
MATERIALS.
2,080 logs of timber, 30 feet long, 14 inches diameter at
small end, at 80 cents. 1,664.00
2,180 tie pieces, 20 feet long, 9 inches diameter at 40 cents 872.00
5,180 cubic feet square oak timber, 14x14 for sills, at 8 cents 414.40
2,590 cubic feet square oak timber for posts, at 8 cents ....
207.20
2,710 cubic feet square oak timber 12x12 cap pieces, at 8 cents 216.80
1,800 feet securing ties, 10x10, at 6 cents. 108.00
26,200 feet two inch plank at 25 cents. 655.00
29,120 cubic yards stone, delivered at pier, 80 cents 23,296.00
Total
$27,433.40
WORKMANSHIP.
One superintendent 720 days, at $4. $ 2,880.00
One chief carpenter 720 days, at $3. 2,160.00
Six carpenters, 24 months each, 164 months, $40. 6,560.00
Twenty laborers and found 24 months each, 480 months, at $24 11,520.00
Total $23,120.00
IRON WORK, TOOLS, ETC.
12,000 pounds iron work for bolts, etc., at 18 cents. $2,160.00
2,800 spikes at 10 cents .. 280.00
Tools for carpenters and laborers. 180.00
Total $2,620.00
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
MACHINERY.
Two crane scows, at $250 each $ 500.00
Two open scows, at $120 each
240.00
Two skiffs and oars, at $30 each. 60.00
Blocks and cordage
320.00
Total $1,120.00
Grand total
$54,298.40
Add 10 per cent for contingencies 5,429.84
Total cost of work
$59,728.24
The time estimated for workmanship was three seasons of eight months each. Dredging was not included in the estimate, the ex- tent of the same not having been ascertained.
In 1821 fractional Section 10 contained 165.36 acres, and frac- tional Section 15 contained- 159.45 acres, both of Township 39 north, Range 14 east, and they were surveyed and platted. On September 30, 1824, the Secretary of War requested the Commis- sioner of the General Land Office to reserve the land occupied by Fort Dearborn. On October 1, the General Land Office notified the Secretary of War that it had directed that a portion of fractional Section 10, Township 39 north, Range 14 east, containing 57.50 acres and "within which Fort Dearborn is situated, be reserved from sale for military purposes."
On June 6, 1837, the above reservation was surveyed into streets, blocks and lots by Asa F. Bradley, city and county surveyor, under the directions of Mathew Burchard, agent and attorney for the Secretary of War.
"The whole of fractional Section 15, Township 39, Range 14, was selected for the Illinois and Michigan canal under the act of March 2, 1827. On February 4, 1837, the Surveyor General des- ignated the sand bar as an addition to fractional Sections 10 and 15. This sandbar contained 37.78 acres and was entered by Mark Noble, Sr., and Mark Noble, Jr., on May 31, 1836, but the entries were canceled and the money refunded. The land belonged to fractional Sections 10 and 15. In front of Section 10 were 26.17 acres in front of Section 15 were 11.61 acres. The survey of the bar was unwarranted."-(House Reports, 44th Congress, 1st ses- sion, Vol. III.)
Fort Dearborn reservation was bounded east by the lake and south by Madison street. A small piece of ground between Madi- son and Randolph east of blocks 12 and 15 was called public ground. Michigan avenue ninety feet wide was extended through Fort Dearborn addition. In 1839 the public land east of Michigan avenue was nearly 800 feet long, fifty feet wide at Randolph and about one hundred feet wide at Madison. In 1852 the land was only 221/2 feet wide at Randolph and nil at Madison.
The Illinois Central railway was to occupy a strip 300 feet wide
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
built on piles in front of Sections 10 and 15, providing they would build a breakwater. The inner line of the right of way was located 400 feet east of the west line of Michigan avenue. The Govern- ment had no title to the bed of the lake nor to the bed of the river.
The land about Chicago was surveyed in 1821. Between Michi- gan avenue and the railway track was a narrow strip of water and of low land, both of which the city filled in largely from the fire of 1871. Under a decision of the United States Circuit court (2nd Bissell, p. 174) it was held that the subdivision, platting and re- cording of "Fort Dearborn Addition to Chicago," not having been in strict conformity with the law of Illinois, made a common law and not a statutory dedication of the public grounds therein, and that in consequence the fee of the same still remained in the United States, but that no beneficial interest remained in the United States. The law of Illinois required that a subdivision should be made by metes and bounds, that corner stones and stakes should be set, that the width of streets and alleys and the size of all lots and blocks should be noted on the plat and that the surveyor's certificate to the same should be in a prescribed form. When all these re- quirements were attended to the fee passed. These requirements having been neglected by the Secretary of War, the fee did not pass to the city, and in 1876 Chicago desired the title in order to exer- cise control over the public grounds and a bill was introduced to cure the defects and afford relief.
"Chicago having so recently sprung into existence, its commer- cial importance, I think, is not properly appreciated even in our own State, much less through the Union. I will give you a few facts in relation to the business of the past season, which is well known to have been one of great depression throughout the coun- try. Eight of the largest class of steamboats, ranging from 500 to 800 tons each, have constantly been employed on the route be- tween Buffalo and Chicago. The season of navigation continued about seven months. Having had access to the books of one of these boats, I found her gross receipts for six months to be over $69,000 for freight and passengers. There were besides two small steamboats which plied between Chicago and the ports on the east side of Lake Michigan. The number of ships, brigs and schooners trading between Chicago and the ports below, as far down as the lower end of Lake Ontario, I have no means of ascertaining. I can only say the number was very large, as all heavy and bulky articles, such as salt and lumber and many kinds of heavy mer- chandise, are brought by these vessels, and the produce of the country is generally shipped by them. It was remarked during the season by the forwarding merchants of Buffalo that more goods were shipped from that port to Chicago alone than to the whole State of Michigan; indeed, nearly all the goods destined for west- ern Michigan and northern Indiana were first shipped to Chicago Vol. II-6.
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by the large steamboats that ply regularly to that port and are then transshipped by the smaller boats to the ports of those States. There being no custom house at Chicago, I cannot give you in detail the · amount of her exports and imports; but from these general facts you can form some idea of the amount of commercial business which has grown up from nothing in the short space of seven years." Mr. Newberry, writing this letter from Utica, New York, in 1841, ended by urging the importance of keeping at least one harbor on Lake Michigan open.
In January, 1842, the Mayor and aldermen of Chicago peti- tioned Congress for the completion of the harbor. It seems that work on the harbor had been suspended in 1839 and had not been resumed by 1842 much to the "regret of all classes"; that the city was giving evidences of "extraordinary commercial advantages"; that it was an extremely important point of deposit and transship- ment for the adjoining states and territories, and that on Decem- ber 11, 1841, a committee to report on the business done had been appointed.
This committee among other important acts reported on the following facts: That the importance of Chicago harbor to the ad- jacent States had been duly and officially reported upon in 1840 by Capt. T. J. Cram, of the topographical corps; that there was no city of equal age in the Union and laboring under similar embar- rassments, presenting so unexampled a rise to commercial dis- tinction and of so much promise in opening the sources of agri- cultural wealth; that it was only eight years since the first pioneers found here a wilderness; that the last census gave the county a population of nearly eleven thousand; that the city then (Decem- ber, 1841), contained a population of between five thousand and six thousand; that the import trade was over $1,500,000 annually and the export trade in 1841 was $348,362; that 150 vessels left and entered Chicago harbor monthly during the navigable seasons ; that owing to lack of records only about two thirds of the import and export trade could be arrived at; that fifty-seven commer- cial houses, some large wholesale dealers, had discontinued busi- ness since 1838, of whose trade no record could be obtained; that a large quantity of the imports had no connection with any house in Chicago, but had been taken directly into the interior from the vessels. "For these reasons the committee allowed a deduction of one-third from the amount known to be added for what is un- known"; that the subjoined figures were from the merchants then in the city.
Making allowance for deficiencies, it was argued that the city's imports from 1836 to 1841 inclusive aggregated $7,473,259; that during 1841 they were nearly $2,000,000. In 1836 the exports of the city amounted to only $1,000 while in 1841 they were $348,362. The total exports for the six years were nearly $700,000, among
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
which were 282,000 bushels of wheat employing $282,000 capital ; 50,000 barrels of beef, pork and flour ; 18,591 hides ; 50 tons of lead ; 8,750 pounds of butter, 1,300 packs of fur and a proportionate quan- tity of flax, corn, beans, ham, etc. ; that it was due to Chicago, in the interest of commerce throughout the West, to grant the prayer of the petition ; that Chicago owing to its superior facilities, should have the harbor, rather than any other point on the west coast.
It was recited that the harbor then (1841) in existence consisted of two piers (north and south) extending on parallel lines out from the Chicago river into Lake Michigan, with a mean distance of 200 feet between; that work thereon had been suspended since the fall of 1839; that the unfinished state of the work could be seen from the map exhibited; that there still remained unfinished 700 feet in the west end and 405 feet on the east end of the north pier ; also 250 feet on the west end and 380 feet on the east end of the south pier; that owing to the unfinished condition and the stop- page of work, great damage had been done; that in 1839 a sand bar had formed across the mouth of the channel so that vessels with greater draught than seven feet could not enter the river; that the balance of the original appropriation had been expended to protect the work already done; that the direction of the piers would have to be changed owing to this sand bar; that the direc- tions of extensions had been changed and 405 feet of additional underwork had been done and the bar dredged off to admit the largest class of vessels; that the latter work had suffered most of the delay in work; that relief should not be temporary, but permanent and immediate-certainly before May 1, 1842.
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