The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-10-21
BRIEF HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
From the New Orleans Times.

patches, the destruction of the greater
portion of Chicago seems inevitable
and in this. the hour of her distress
it might not be inappropriate to give
some history of her past prosperity
and to briefly sketch the giant strides
by which that devoted city, in. less
than a third of a century, moved
from comparative insigniticance t6
her place among the wealthiest, most
energetic and public spirited com
mmitics in the land.
4 writer dating his description in
1910, speaks Of Chicago as contain
ing a courthouse, jail, United States
land office, six churches, one Prcsby
terrain, one Methodist, one Baptist
one Episcopal, one Roman Catholic.
an academy, a fire and marine insu
rance company, fire companies, and
a company for supplying the city
with water from the lake. Thirty
one years ago its trade was limited
to four foreign commission houses,
with a capital of s35,3O0, ninety
seven retail stores of S4OO,jOO capi
tai eleven lumber yards with S3S,.
800 capital, one furnace with 100000
capital, two Touring mills, one dis
tillery, a bindery, two daily and two
weekly newspapers.
The advancement Of the city even
at that time was considered unparal.
leled, as seven years before--in 1928
the entire sottlcmcntpossessed but
ten or twelve houses and between
sixty and seventy inhabitants. In
1882 five small stores were added
and it's census showed an increase OF
one hundred and ninety inhabitants
From this small beginning-oris.
inally Fort Dearborn, and surren-
dered by Gen. Hullin 1Sl2-the city
has risen to be one of the chief cen,
tres OF trade in the country, and GER
tainly the most important mart in
the Northwest.
Chicago, as all are aware, is stu,
ated on the southwestern shore OF
Lake Michigan, and along the banks
of the Chicago River and it's two
branches. One of the latter runs
north and the other south, and the
limits stretch out to the westward a
distance Of five miles. The river
originally was but a small creek emp,
tying into the lake, but it has been
widened by artificial means, and
rendered navigable to vessels of six
hundred tons burden. Skirting it's
banks are immense grain elevators
and warehouses, many of the. latter
being of one million and a half bush
els capacity, and at these vessels can
be laden or un1oaded in but a few
hours. The city is laid out in rec.
tangular blocks, and the streets are
nearly all eighty feet wide. From
the lake it extends to the westward
five miles and north and south eight
miles. coyeringan area Of about forty
square miles.
Apparently this area is level, but
a gradual rise to the westward is
quite sufficient to drain it thoroughly.
The principal tloroughfares are
paved with square blocks of wood
closely driven down and coated with
tar, and to this is attributed the
rapid spread Of the devouring cle-
ment,
During the past eight years the en-.
tire city, at cost of millions of dol
lars, was raised from four to eight
feet, and the thoroughfares and foun.
dations of buildings were filled with
material brought from other places.
the buildings of the business portion
of the city are composed chiefly OF
brick, but many Of the habitations
are constructed of Athens marble, a
stone found sixteen miles to the
southwest Of the city, and highly
priced in the West.
Prominent among the public build.
ings are the Courthouse, which is
constructed of stone, brought from
Loekport, New York, the Chamber
of Commerce, built of Athens stone
at a cost of nearly 100000; the Sec
ond Presbyterian Church, construc.
ted Of an Oily stone dug from a prai
RE west of the city, the First Presby
terian Church, Trinity Church, St
James Church, Church Of the Re
deemer, First Unitarian Church, the
Church of the Holy Family, and
the Sherman House.
The latter are nearly all of Athens
stone and exhibit in their design
great architectural ability. The city
is confessedly the commercial metro
polls of the Northwest. Here aboHt
twenty-four distinctline ofrailroads
all leading to different. sections OF
the country centre. and more thai
40 trains Of cars arrive and depart
daily.
The Illinois and Michigan canal
one hundred miles in length, connects
it with Illinois river and the Missis
sippi. AS an evidence of its ilnpor
tance as a grain market, it might bt
stated that since 1888, when the frs
shipment (seyenty-eight bushels) ar
rived the increase q year or two age
reached the enormous amount of IS,
2O3,312 bushels, including cereals 0
every class.
During the same year it received
5O1 80, ,4O6 feet of lumber, 100, ,1G9,
$50 shingles, and 81, ,953, 900 laths.
In that year also it received 336,
627 head of cattle, packed 92,4j!
head W beef, and 76o,5l4 head 0
hoes.