The French explored the Ohio Valley in the late 17th century and established settlements in present-day Illinois and Indiana, but lost the area to the British by the treaty in 1763 that ended the French and Indian War.
Early developments reflected the massive industrial growth of the Chicago.
Chicago's waterfront, which includes a portion of the shores of Lake Michigan and the banks of the Chicago, Des Plaines, Calumet, Fox and DePage Rivers, was primarily devoted to commerce and industry. From Chicago, deep-draft commercial ships can reach the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence Seaway while barge traffic can reach the Gulf of Mexico through the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.
Near the end of the nineteenth century, concerns over cleaner water and environments and changing industrial patterns marked a move toward increased leisure use of Chicago's waterways.
In the early part of the nineteenth century, Chicago's waterways flowed relatively clear, encouraging leisure pursuits such as fishing, swimming, hunting, walking along the waterfront, and boating. By midcentury, however, people interested in such activities needed to travel away from the city center and the polluted Chicago River, whose use as Chicago's harbor and primary industrial site exacted a devastating toll.
Burlington Hawk Eye, May 12, 1897
Burlington, Iowa, USA
HERE AND THERE
The Importance of lake commerce is clearly shown when the number of vessels that enter at and clear from such a port as t hat of Chicago is compared with the number that enter and clear at any of the Atlantic seaboard ports. New York stands at the head of the list of all American seaports in the importance and volume of business, but while the tonnage of New York is larger than that of any other American seaport, it ranks behind Chicago in the number of vessels that annually enter and clear. In point of duties and tonnage the Chicago port ranks next to San Francisco and fifth on the list. Baltimore and New Orleans both fall below Chicago in duties and tonnage. But in the question of the number of vessels that arrive and depart no port in the United States can equal Chicago. In the fiscal year of 1806 the number of vessels arriving at and departing from the leading ports of the country was as. follows:
- Chicago, 18,687;
- New York, 13,982;
- Philadelphia, 3,910;
- Baltimore, 4943.
The reason for this is that the same vessel will enter and clear at the Chicago port two or three times a week, but it shows the extent of the commerce of the lakes and the importance of the port of Chicago, for these vessels go there with cargoes of some kind and are not pleasure craft that dodge in and out for the fun of it.
