, 1864-01-29
the COMMERCE or CHICAGO.
ITS ORIGN AND EARLY ulsfORf'
Thirty -Four Years Ago-1hs Starting Point
Illinois and Michigan Cioal-0ur First
Nerchant.-Log Huts-T Beginning
o. Our Packing TFade-Ths Ha1bor
Is it W-s-Appropriations-
The Fauic-list Of Msy- ~"
camille Tirms,


The Panic-1ist Of Her
camille Tir1ns.
sTATIsT1cs TO THE YEAR 1892.
The city OF Chicago, which today controls
large potafon OF the commerce oi wcll populated
md fertile continent, IL after all very rlehetan
place. To say nothing Of her extsaction-pu1led
out Of tic praItie mud-sEc ie without antcccdent,
sndin her rapid progress has eertsinly been with
ont precedent As legitimate consequence OF
this, abe has no history, and, though little moro
than thirty ycaza old, In commercial point Of
view, her early deeds arc as much lost In the msse
Of obecurity aa If ahe couniel lcr existence by
centuries instead Of s1pgle YEAR,. 1twoulda'most
Pecm as IT, like some Other atfstocratlc payCenuss
che ie more than half ashamed OF he: lowly origin
and wiehcs to conceal or s.udsouH1y Ignore it.
Tho following IL brief sketch Of some OF the
norc important features attendant upon her carly
struggles Into life ns commercial city. Thetsadc
and commerce Of Chicago. though now established
on firm basis, and exhibiting ali the vigor Of
early manhood, has not long sinco cut Its teeth,
and the diseases Of its ch,lhood were most appal
ing. Like the dtful cauale her tenure Of existence
was for = time very uncertain We're the history
OF those struggles to be written, It would form one
OF the most attractive Of volumes; but that may
not be: glimpse here and there into the already
deeply buried past IL ali that can be afforded. The
contrast between then and now Is a great one.
VIC propose not now to 20 back into those earl1-
CT traneactIona between the traders aod the 1n-
dl8ns, who 50 late aB thirty-one years ngo were
virtual lords Of tho SOIL to tell how many packs Of
daIB We obtained from, and how many Euns aad
Kegs Of whiaky and tobacco were sold to the red
men OF the forest. These things wonld be pleas
ineto recitc, and gire rise to melancholy pleas
u.e In reading them. The mind loves to dwell on
the picture which is faded from view, where tho
outlines are indistinct and become more dim with
each succeeding yeaf, and whose place Ia the only
basis OF copg1nity, circumstances being totally diff
fereut, the tntarest L. perhaps greater than when
Eo.h harmoniee are preserved. but It ia with the
history Of Chicago as commercial city that We
hsve to do, and that history begins Al much more
recent period than the advent Of the fur traders.
THE BE0MElHo.
A Afort-Dearborn-had existed here from 1894 10
1879, being then destroyed by the indians, and was
rebuilt in 1916; but the country WIS howling
wilderness, md the city Of Chicago though n{ter-
wards protected BY the fort. docs not lis origin
to It. Chicago, with Its fmmensc commerce, Is
legitimate consequence OF that great commercial
measure, the Illinois and Michigan Cannl, which
rnnnerta .he vvatcr. of the St LAWRENCE with tho
nnu;no 1rto 4hc Cnlf of Mcx;co. Az Inn time of
its State organization, in 1918, the whole OF the
State north Of the sangamon River and Fulton
County, WIS under the dominion Of the wolf and
the savage, the first citizens Of the State
ear.hn.-d hi ao ~a,, d;a tber
unae,atond 4be imnor4ance of ,b,t vort that on
-. ,,a-. 1,-t .oss,e, ~ ~ ctsto 1as1,t--. .ho
snh,.1 ,r,s discnascd r. uns m, r1si1 fire re,rs
af,crasr5s that a Roard ~ canal co,nm;s sinners
,v,s s,mofrtod and tbe rontc WAS mt snrvevas
tn 1874; in the earay part the alternate sec
tions were cedcd By Congress In belt Of country
extending TO distance Of six miles on each side
Of the canal, but financial emoarassmcnts pre-.
vented anything from being done TIL January d,
1ssa, when the Legislature passed . law organic
ing Canal Board, which was empowered to 10
cate the canal Lay ont towns sell lots, and apply
the proceeds foWards the construction Of the ca-
| nal In the came year the Commissioners cameto
chicago ana me Town was so5se5eo os james
thompson; ms afst map oears aate Augost a1h
$50 Sncn Wks the origin o1 Inc Traue and Com
netce OF ohaeaso'
STATUS II 1ss'.
| COOK county was organized IN hAfen, '6s's ant
then embraced AL tne tlaet o1 country now IN
cluded IN the counties OF Cook, Lake, Acaenss
DRpnEe, VIZ and 4Foauoas. Ine commescia
strength Of Chicago ut that early period stoot
| T.v.-o.- -E,;iah wentvrorth. nnrtb aide ~ III
1 ,,yer near thc fork. Samuel Miiler west s,de n
,ha vsrer ,n.t ,,o,+h NJ thr fo,t M.rl- I,a.nb,an
| s.st a,ds ~ 4he -iver ina, son+h of ~. fort
4 1aa,s. t.sa..--p.1>a-t . 49,. 20,
,ra-.h,. +.~s-n ~ Fon,,ssa ,.a.asa;.ts,r ~ " 'aa, 80
atns.n,,sn,s t,vs- - r.,,a ,.ss- 10 <oot =
ne.rhnr, et,aat ~nntb sfds n Rss,h;s, 49,.
snt .,ta ~ I11,no,. r~ntrs, denot f''0N
| F.mf,,-a-T1rs,vs. .nd 49, co,,,.r,., ~ ~,
49, ~''- WV ~s>~' " ~
-. -.-- -.4 l., AGO, 1 .,,hz,,..,
Clybouzne, for the purpose Of supplyingthe troop
In the fort
The Commissioners Court, which was opene,
on the Sth Of March In that year, proceeded fmme
diafely to legtsAte for the benefit Of the mercaut
interests OF the plaee A special session was he'll
April 18th, at which, after authorizing the levin,
OF tax on property, for the purpose OF dettayin,
the expenses Of the local government, license
were granted to Messrs- Wentworth and Miller t.
keep tavern at n license fec Of 81 and S. respee,
1reiy, and the following order was passed axin
the tariff Of prices:
0rderd-That the following rates be aIlowe,
to thre1n keepers. Each half pint OF wine, rum o
brandy, &c; each pint Of do, S7kc: each half pfn
gin, 1sxc; each pint. 4c; ell Of whisky, e4c
haE pint, 1shc; pint, 1es<c. Each breakfast an,
inc horsa one ,1cht sr ~ s.,, 80, ~,
- ~. Co.. w ~. - ~ 1ot .aeu mau ou
uEnt. '@,ees pea@ u cl0el Or oe1, oAc9 qu6l1 Q
DO, 12hC"