Located in the center of the United States on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is a vibrant, world-class city that is rich in history.
According to explorers' accounts from the 1600's, the Illinois Indians were the first people to claim a land they named "Chicaugou." It meant powerful, strong or great and was used by many tribal chiefs to signify that they were "great" chiefs.
The first European explorers to set foot on the site destined to become Chicago were Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette. The two explorers were commissioned by the French government in 1673. Father Marquette returned to the area one year later to establish an Indian mission.
Chicago's first European settler, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, came to the area around 1780.
Jean married a Potawatomi Indian named Kittihawa and had children named Jean and
Susanne. In 1779 he departed Peoria and explored north to an area
called Eschikagou, (Chicago) by the Indians. DuSable, recognizing it's potential,
decided to settle in Chicago and built the first permanent home on the banks of the
River.
He established a trading post which became the main point of supply for traders and
trappers heading west. Du Sable's trading post did very well and he became quite
wealthy. A granddaughter was born in 1796 becoming the first child born in the newly established Chicago.
Though Chicago suffered a series of setbacks, including the Fort Dearborn Massacre by a tribe of hostile Indians and the 1812 War between the United States and Great Britain, it was able to maintain its territorial possessions and expand its boundaries.
Fort Dearborn - Chicago 1803
With the development of the railroad and the Illinois/Michigan Canal, Chicago advanced as the leader in the cattle, hog, lumber and wheat industries. Word spread that the city was full of opportunities, and by the mid 1850’s, as many as 100,000 immigrants came to the city annually seeking land and jobs.
In 1860, Chicago hosted the Republican National Convention which nominated Illinois' own Abraham Lincoln as the presidential candidate. One year later, during Lincoln's presidential term, the Civil War began.
Post-war Chicago was unstoppable. The population grew, grain shipments doubled and merchants prospered.
On October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed most of the city's central area. It started in the lumber district on the city's West Side. Mrs. O'Leary's cow allegedly knocked over a kerosene lamp that started the fire. By October 10, the fire had destroyed nearly four square miles of the city, claimed at least 250 lives and left 100,000 residents homeless. More than 17,000 buildings were destroyed and property damages were estimated at $200 million.
After the fire, a greater Chicago emerged. Internationally acclaimed architects flocked to the city for its reconstruction. Within a few years, Chicago was resurrected and chosen to host the 1893 World Columbian Exposition for 27.5 million visitors.
The Chicago's World's Fair, known as "A Century
of Progress," was organized as a not-for-profit corporation in January of 1928. Its
charter was to hold a World's Fair in Chicago in 1933.
The "A Century of Progress
Exposition" was conceived as a 100 year anniversary commemorating the city of Chicago
and a testament to the industrial and scientific achievements up to that time.
Located south of the Navy Pier in Chicago, the site of A Century of Progress
had 424 acres of lakeshore and was within walking distance of Chicago's downtown. The Fair
Grounds comprised of two man-made lagoons and Northerly Island.
The fair was opened on May 27, 1933, when the lights were
turned on with energy from the rays of the star Arcturus. The rays were focused on
photo-electric cells in a series of astronomical observatories and then transformed into
electrical energy which was transmitted to Chicago.
Unlike any fair before it, A Century of Progress celebrated
color and lighting. The fair was influenced by economics and the Great
Depression of the time. Rather than focusing on architecture, the fair focused on
scientific and technological progress and the manufacturing processes behind them.
The "A Century of Progress Exposition" was a
unheralded success and hosted over 48 million visitors in two years it ran. It provided an
uplifting glimpse into a future embodied by technology while honoring the achievements
of past.
Today, Chicago is a dynamic and culturally diverse city. It is an international center for business and leisure travel, due in part to the city’s transportation accessibility, a thriving business community, and world-class hotels, restaurants, shopping and attractions.
