Chicago
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Chicago. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
city, port of entry, and railway facilities. In 1919 its lake trade, county-seat of Cook co., III.; second city the United States. It is in population in built on the S. W. shore of Lake Michigan, about 18 miles N. of its S. extremity. It is the center of the Western and Lake front of commerce and has a large water N. shore is 30 miles. A portion of the protected by a massive wall. The city is centers one of the greatest commercial , railand is connected by steamship and road lines with all parts of the world. The , lake shore is protected by breakwaters the mouth forming a splendid harbor at exterior breakof the Chicago river. The water is 5,436 feet long, and extends in direction about one a N. E. and S. W. mile from the shore. Piers and breakwaters, built as continuations of the , form a harbor shores of Chicago river of about 455 acres, with an average depth of the Calumet of 16 feet. At the mouth river, in South Chicago, is another har- . The bor 300 feet wide between piers Erie canal, terminating at Buffalo, provides a means of commercial communica- 000,000,000 a year. Federal government tion with the Atlantic ports. Area, 199.37 square miles; pop. (1890) 1,099,- 850; (1900) 1,698,575; (1910), 2,185,283; (1920) 2,701,705. Topography. The city was built origelevation inally on the flat prairie, at an When too low to secure proper drainage. of the this became apparent the grade the whole city was raised 7 feet and new streets and buildings brought to the traverses the level. The Chicago river city, and by its peculiar course divides it the North into three sections, known as , which are con- South, and West Sides, nected by many bridges and tunnels. Commerce. Chicago is the commercial is distributing center of the country; it region the heart of the greatest producing Tailway of the country and the greatest rai center in the world. It is the principal induscenter of the world's meat packing live stock try; it is the world's greatest , leads all grain, and lumber market; it distriother cities of the country in the bution of dry goods, general merchandise, , musical foodstuffs, machinery, jewelry , automoinstruments, wearing apparel articles biles, furniture, and household . With few exceptions it holds a commanding place in every American industry. Chicago's estimated earning power is than $1,000,000,000 a year. It has more 30,000 factories and its manufacturing 6,500,000,zone has a normal output of $ 000 a year. Its wholesale trade is fully as large, while its lumber receipts are 2,329,071,000 feet a year. The city has one hundred and one miles of water front, of which fifty-two miles are equipped with both dock and comprising vessel arrivals and clearances district, was 60,769,from the Chicago thirty- 234 tons. It is the terminus of nine railways and has 1,400 miles of belt line. Its railway yards number more capacity of 10 than 100, one having a rail- 000 freight cars a day. Another way is now building the largest freight yard in the world. Chicago is in close commercial touch with every producing and consuming of region of the country. Because its unequaled railcentral position and its market way facilities it is the natural place for a vast part of the North American continent and products manufactured natural diselsewhere find here their tributing point. Thus, more automobiles any are sold from Chicago than from other city although Chicago is not the manufacturing center of the automobile district. The same is true in many other lines. The city's foreign trade is close to $2,figures show the city's foreign trade as being about $100,000,000 a year. The reason for this is that the government gives credit for shipments to the port of entry, or exit. Therefore the seaboard business cities get entire credit for the merely that is really done in Chicago, and Under the passes through these ports. trade British system, credit for foreign the city goes to the point of origin, not to happens to through which the business pass on its way to its destination. This find out method makes it possible to of England is exactly what each city . Were doing in originating business such a system in force in the United States Chicago's export business would billion dollars be shown to be close to two annually. The packers and the manufacturers of agricultural machinery are among Chitheir prodcago's heaviest exporters and ucts are shipped all over the world. Many foreign other lines likewise have many markets and a movement is on foot to stamped on all have "made in Chicago" city's products of this market that the may be importance as a producing center. brought home to the rest of the world. Chicago commerce will be greatly increased with the completing of the various waterway plans, especially south through the Mississippi and eastward by St. way of the Great Lakes and the Lawrence river. Finance. Chicago has made great strides as a financial center in recent years. Its bank clearings now run more than $100,000,000 a day and its banks share with those of New York City in the most important financial undertakings of the day. The Continental and Commercial National Bank has a capital of $25,000,000, a figure surpassed by no bank in America and equaled ualed only by two, both of which are in New York City. The city has, in all, 150 banks; of these 27 are National and 123 State institutions. They have a capital of approximately $125,000,000 and surplus and excess profits of about $113,000,000. No other city in the country, except New York, has larger resources, although the banking history of Chicago dates back only to 1837 when the first bank charter was issued. Not only has the number of banks in the city increased rapidly in recent years but the size of the individual institutions has grown remarkably remarkably. In addition to the Continental and Commercial National, already mentioned, the First National has just increased its capital to $12,500,000 and a great new bank, or rather two associated banks, is in process of formation, being the consolidation of the Corn Exchange National, the Merchants Loan & Trust Company and the Illinois Trust and Savings Banks. These will be called the Corn Exchange National and the Illinois Merchants Trust, the latter being the State bank. Chicago banks in 1920 had out in loans and discounts the sum of $1,575,640,158. Deposits stood at $1,825,576,473. Of these deposits $443,840,093 is represented by savings accounts. The total assessed realty valuation of Chicago in 1920 was $1,653,171,362. The net funded debt (less sinking fund) was $53,624,924. The annual budget was $131,943,672. The tax levy was $84,973,008. Cash resources were $514,770,161. Education. Chicago had in 1920 305 public schools with 377,058 pupils and 8,558 teachers. It has numerous universities and colleges of high rank, its two largest, the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, having more than 15,000 students. The city is a great medical school center, containing some of the highest rank in the country. It has very many special schools of all kinds and the art school of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the largest in America. The city's progress in education has been as rapid as its development along Velopment along other lines. Thus, in 1841 the public school enrollment was only 410 and the teachers numbered 5. In small parks and play grounds which are closely connected with the school system of the city, Chicago is unsurpassed by any American city. The University of Chicago, founded in 1890, now has an endowment of $30,- 000,000 while its total assets in land, buildings, and securities exceed $50,000,- 000. 000. Northwestern University, a much older institution, was organized organized in 1850. It recently has undertaken a campaign to raise $25,000,000, a part of which will be used to create a magnificent educational center for its medical and other professional schools on the lake shore. Chicago is particularly proud of its libraries. Chief among them from the popular point of view is the public library, which was started in the years following the great fire of 1871 with books sent from England. The library now contains more than a million books with an aggregate circulation during the last fiscal year of 995,000 volumes. This does not include books on the open shelves or books consulted in the reference rooms. The calls for books in reference use numbered 744,991 during 1919. The Newberry is a free reference library including in its scope books on history, literature, religion, philosophy, biography, language and the fine arts. The library has undertaken the task of photographing entire series of rare books is some of the great European libraries, thus bringing to American students a mass of material hitherto beyond their reach. Another of Chicago's great libraries is the John Crerar, a reference institution chiefly scientific and technical, and containing 400,000 books, 150,000 pamphlets and an immense number of maps and periodicals. Its collection of works on labor and the American labor question is one of the finest in the country. Its largest section is that of medicine. The Harper Memorial Library at the University of Chicago includes more than 500,000 books. Other important libraries in the city are the Ryerson at the Art Institute, the Chicago Historical Society, and that of the Field Museum of Natural History. Chicago has many important musical institutions, including the Grand Opera Association and the Symphony Orchestra, founded by Theodore Thomas. Among other leading musical organizations in the city are the Apollo Musical Club, the Civic Music Association, the Mendelssohn Club, the Musicians' Club and the Glee Club of the Chicago Association of Commerce. Public Buildings. The total number of churches, chapels and missions in Chicago is 1,200. Its resident church dignitaries include a Roman Catholic archbishop and bishops of the Methodist, Episcopal, and other Protestant denominations. The Y. M. C. A., the Y. W. C. A., the Salvation Army , the Knights of Columbus, and similar organizations play an important part in the city's life. There are divinity schools at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. The city is one of the chief centers of the Christian Science church . There are two Jesuit colleges in the city, St. Ignatius and Loyola. The Jews have many fine synagogues throughout the city. The terrible conflagration that visited Chicago in 1871 was a blessing in disguise, for it cleared away the hastily built and inadequate buildings dating from the pioneer period and enabled it to be rebuilt on a scale commensurate with its commercial destiny. Its municipal utilities, water works , lighting , transportation, fire protection and sewerage systems are not surpassed by those of any city in the country . It has a magnificent park and boulevard system connecting all parts of the city. A superb driveway runs north along the Lake shore to Fort Sheridan , twentyfive miles distant . The city is noted for the size, height and beauty of its public and business buildings , among which may be noted the Auditorium, the Coliseum, the Blackstone Hotel, the Stock Exchange, the Masonic Temple, the Public Library , while beautiful homes abound in the choice residential sections of the city. History. The site of Chicago was first visited by Joliet and Marquette, French missionaries and explorers, in 1673. In 1685 a fort was built there commanded by an officer in the Canadian service and before the end of the 17th century the Jesuits made it a mission post. Indian hostilities prevented further occupation till the United States Government established there the frontier post of Fort Dearborn in 1804 , which was destroyed by Indians in the War of 1812, but rebuilt in 1816, when a permanent settlement began. In 1830 the population was only 70 persons, but in 1835 a town was organized, and in 1837 it was incorporated as a city with 4,000 inhabitants and an area of 10 square miles. On Oct. 8 and 9, 1871 , occurred the memorable fire which reduced the greater part of the city to ashes, destroyed its entire business center, and swept over an area of more than three square miles, causing a loss of about $190,000,000. Nearly 20,000 buildings were consumed, 100,000 people were made homeless, and 200 lives were lost. Another disastrous fire broke out in 1874 in the heart of the city, which consumed 18 blocks and over 600 homes, with a loss of over $4,000,000. Within a very short time after these disasters Chicago was rebuilt in a much more substantial and elegant manner, and it has since continued its steady march to In May, 1886, anarchist prosperity. riots at the Haymarket resulted in the death of six police officers, the wounding of several others , the conviction of eight rioters, and the execution of four. The World's Columbian Exposition was held . in Chicago from May 1 to Oct. 30, 1893.. CHICAGO DRAINAGE CANAL. See CANAL.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
a city of Illinois, situated on the west shore of Lake Michigan. It is the sixth city in the world. It is exceeded in size by London, New York , Paris, Canton, and Berlin. The population increased from 100 people in 1830 to 1,698,575 in 1900, and to 2,250,000 in 1905,--the most wonderful growth on record. The territorial growth of the city is equally remarkable. A French trader's house of squared logs, erected in 1774 during the Revolution, was reinforced in 1804 by an American stockade, called Fort Dearborn. It was built on a military reservation on the south bank of the Chicago River, adjoining the lake. After the War of 1812 a trading village sprang up under the protection of the fort. The original town was laid out on north and south lines in 1830. It occupied the oblong bounded by State, Madison, Desplaines, and Kinzie streets--about sixty blocks. It embraced the junction of the two branches of the Chicago River, but did not reach the lake front. The census area of 1900 was over 190 square miles, with a lake frontage of twenty-six miles. The territory outside of the two arms of the river is now called West Chicago, that between the south branch and the lake is South Chicago, and that between the north branch and the lake is North Chicago. When first occupied there was little to indicate that this was to be the site of a populous city. In 1823 the United States commander at Fort Dearborn wrote to the secretary of war as follows: "I have the honor to inform you that this post should be abandoned, because the country surrounding it is such that it is impossible for a population to live here sufficient to justify the expense of keeping a fort at this place." The mouth of the river was obscured by a sand bar. The original trading post and stockade were located here. It was the lake terminus of a canoe route by way of the Illinois River and the south branch of the Chicago between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi. In 1833 Congress appropriated sufficient money to cut a passage through the bar. All this is in marked contrast with a present valuation of $30,000 per front foot as indicated by a recent transfer of property at the corner of Jackson street and Wabash avenue. Immigration poured into the prairie region and Chicago became a lively lake port, a basis of farmers' and small traders' supplies. In 1852 the Michigan railways reached the city. Growth thenceforth was by leaps and bounds. The harbor, the fact that northwestern railways almost necessarily pass through Chicago on the way eastward around the southern end of Lake Michigan, and the immense area of fertile territory that naturally buys and sells at Chicago, are the three natural factors that have caused the phenomenal growth of this city. Sunday evening, October 8th, 1871, a great fire swept the central portion of Chicago. It started in a barn on the west side, tradition says, by a cow's knocking over a lamp. In twenty-four hours' time, the heart of the city, over 2,000 acres, was a mass of ruin. The heat was so intense that iron work became as soft as wax, and stone structures crumbled like sand. The loss of life is estimated at 300 persons. The loss of property is placed at $187,000,000. The loss was so enormous that many insurance companies went to the wall, and yet $46,000,000 insurance was paid. Notwithstanding this setback, the demand for business blocks was so great that in two years' time the city was rebuilt more solidly than ever. A stranger would not have noted that a fire had done any damage. A noteworthy event in the history of the city was a world's fair held in 1892-3 to commemorate the four-hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America. It was called the Columbian Exposition. Six hundred sixty-six acres having two miles of lake front were set aside in South Chicago and beautified with lagoons of water and buildings on an enormous scale. The array of structures was built of dazzling stucco work, and known as the White City. The largest building, that devoted to manufactures, covered an area of thirty-one acres. A central hall in which great meetings, including a series of world's congresses were held, seated 75,000 people. Much taste was shown in adorning the buildings and grounds with statuary. Congress aided the fair with $5,000,000. The total cost was $43,000,000. The total number of admissions was 27,529,401. Chicago is governed by a mayor and a council of seventy members, two for each of its thirty-five wards. The city sends ten congressmen to Washington. Public education is administered by a board of over twenty members. The system includes a normal school , 18 high schools, and about 250 elementary schools, 6,000 teachers, and 300,000 pupils. The annual expenditure for schools is over $10,000,000. seven-eighths of which is defrayed by local taxation. Each of the three great divisions of the city has a park board and a system of parks. The most noted parks are Jackson Park in South Chicago, where the exposition was held, and Lincoln Park, also on the lake shore, in North Chicago. The latter contains a celebrated collection of wild animals and plant houses. Every visitor to Chicago should go to see the bears, monkeys, eagles, seals, elk, deer, ostriches, and the rare orchids of this park. A fine statue of Lincoln, standing on a pedestal in front of a chair, is a prominent feature of the chief boulevard. A down-town park has been secured by filling in the lake front. The Field Columbian Museum and the Art Gallery are located in this tract. The total park and boulevard area of the city is over 2,000,000 acres with plans for increase in the near future. City water is obtained through tunnels or enormous intake pipes built far out under Lake Michigan, to a point where the water is pure. To avoid danger of contamination $40,000,000 has been expended in constructing a drainage canal from the mouth of the Chicago River, by way of the Des Plaines River, into the Illinois, twenty-eight miles away. A current of clear water from the lake now runs up the old channel of the Chicago carrying the sewage of the city toward the Mississippi instead of into Lake Michigan. The least width of the canal is 110 feet; the least depth, 22 feet. It is proposed to enlarge it into a ship canal. The figures required to express the extent of municipal undertakings are too large to mean much. There are over 4,000 miles of streets and alleys, and 1,500 miles of sewers. The city uses 130,000,000,000 gallons of water yearly. A public library with branch reading rooms expends $284,000 a year, and guards nearly a third of a million volumes. Of other libraries, the Newberry on the north side has 260,000 books; the John Crerar on the south side has 89,000; the law library in the Courthouse, 40,000; the University of Chicago, 500,000. Chicago is well provided also with institutions of learning. Armour Institute, on the south side, a technical school, has an endowment of $4,500,000, and an enrollment of 1,300 students. Lewis Institute, on the west side, has an endowment of over $2,000,000 and an enrollment of 1,400 students. The State University of Illinois maintains schools of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy here. The University of Chicago, endowed by John D. Rockefeller, the oil magnate, has an endowment (1909) of about $17,000,000. It was opened in 1892. It is already one of the world's great universities, with an attendance approximating 5,000 students. While undenominational, its endowment requires that the balance of power must be held by Baptists. Chicago ranks next to New York in volume of commercial printing. In 1909 one-tenth of the printing of the United States was done in the offices of Chicago. Over 25,000,000 telephone directories were printed for various cities. It is not uncommon for a mail order house to place an order with a job printer for 1,000,000 catalogs. The volume of printing business for 1909 was estimated at $60,000,000. Chicago is one of the greatest wholesale and jobbing cities in the world. No other city equals Chicago as a railway center. Trains carrying express and trains carrying freight convey goods to all parts of the Mississippi Valley and the region westward. Chicago ranks second only to New York in the value of its manufactures. The census of 1900 gave 19,203 establishments, employing 262,621 wage earners and turning out $888,000,000 worth of manufactures a year. One-fourth of the farm machinery used in the Union is made at Chicago. The largest hog, sheep, and cattle markets and the largest meat packing industries in the world are here. In 1908 the stockyards received 3,305,000 cattle, 422,000 calves, 7,715,000 pigs, 1,148,000 sheep, and 85,500 horses and mules. Receipts of poultry products are heavy. In his annual report for 1909 the city statistican estimated the population of Chicago at 2,572,835. According to this report the residents are three-fourths foreign, under which term he includes children whose parents were born abroad. The residents represent nearly forty European and Asiatic countries grouped as follows: Americans (including persons whose parents are not foreign-born) ... 699,554 Germans 563,708 Irish 240,560 Poles 173,409 Swedes 143,307 Russians 123,238 Bohemians 116,549 These are the large groups, but thirty other nationalities are included in the list. The Chinese number 1,801, and the Japanese only 257. It is predicted freely that the population will reach 5,000,000 ere the year 1940 arrives. The following additional statistics are significant of Chicago's recent growth and present commercial importance: Manufactures-- 1900 $789,000,000 1905 $955,000,000 1910 (estimated) $1,782,935,000 Wages, 1909 $140,000,000 New investments, 1906-9 $200,000,000 Deposits in banks $810,000,000 Railroads-- Trunk lines 25 Passenger trains daily 1,600 New buildings yearly 9,000 Cost of same $80,000,000 Northwestern station $20,000,000 La Salle hotel $6,500,000 Grocery stores, number of 5,200 Saloons, number of 7,300 Saloon receipts yearly $115,000,000 Elevator capacity, bushels 54,000,000 Bank clearings, 1909 $11,853,814,943 Wholesale trade $1,892,949,000 Insurance losses $4,901,000 Receipts of lumber, board feet 2,577,000,000 Real estate transfers $140,000,000 Fur sales $19,000,000 Library circulation, volumes 2,500,000 Live Stock Receipts-- Cattle 2,932,000 Calves 410,000 Hogs 6,614,000 Sheep 4,440,000 Horses 9,300 Customs receipts $10,142,634 Telephones 207,000 Deaths per 1,000 people 14 Post Office, Chicago Art Institute, Chicago 2026 Editor's Note: By way of comparison, Chicago today has about 2.7 million residents — up from the 1,698,575 of 1900 noted here, though it peaked near 3.6 million in 1950 and has slipped since. (Ed: BR 2026-06-08)