Ideas of Nature: The History of the Chicago River

Introduction 

The Chicago River, a 156-mile waterway made up of a series of rivers and waterways, played a critical role in the establishment of the city of Chicago. The Native Americans were the first to discover the crucial portaging role of the river in linking the Great Lakes and the Mississippi valley. Early traders and explorers embraced the importance of the river and began building settlements at its mouth. Most notable among the early settlements at the mouth of the Chicago River was that of fur trader Jean Baptiste DuSable. 1 DuSable is famed as the founder of the town of Chicago. The settle, built in the late 18th Century was the trigger for other settlers and Natives to construct their houses along the River. 2 The settlements, however, lead to the escalation of tensions between the Natives and the settlers resulting in several bloody attacks in the decades that followed. The violence delayed the rapid growth of the town although trade later flourished. Certainly, the river together with the re-engineering that later took place shaped to the history of the city of Chicago. 

Contribution to the History of Chicago 

The contribution of the Chicago River in shaping the history of the city cannot be understated. The river is solely responsible for the establishment of Chicago as a major port city in America. As early as the beginning of the 19th Century, settlements were steaming along the river as European settlers began the quest to expand westwards. 3 They, however, faced stiff resistance from the Natives who viewed the settlements as an infringement on their land. Although the quest was largely unsuccessful across the River in the early years, the River played a pivotal role in the American progress westwards. This was a westward movement towards enlightenment by the White Colonists that is largely responsible for modern America. The Blackhawk War and the Chicago treaty of 1833 is the most notable event in the lead up the rapid growth of Chicago. The treaty was the aftermath of the Native Americans defeat in the war and led to the ceding of large territories in Illinois. The Natives consequently moved to reservations further westward. More settlers moved to territories along the river aiding to0 transform a previously small port center into a city. 

Development of Chicago into a major port city was preceded by the establishment of the shipbuilding industry. The industry blossomed in the 1850s going forward due to the great geographical location of the city and the availability of river. 4 At one point, almost all the ships built in America passed through the Chicago River. The growth of the industry meant that thousands sought employment within the city, resulting in the growth of human settlements and flourishing of other businesses. The heavy traffic and growth in the size of the ships used necessitated wider canals to build hence the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canals. The new canals meant that the industry grow further and the city as well. The presence of more people in the city meant that other economic and recreational activities were in demand. People traveled across the River to vocational spots hence the growth of the hospitality industry in the city. The 20th century was especially busy and was marked by exponential growth in Chicago’s various sectors. Access to beaches on the shores of Lake Michigan was mainly through the Chicago River. Hence, the city of Chicago owes its growth to the flourishing of activities along the river and its surrounding areas. 

Human Influence 

Human settlement introduced new dimensions to the flow and conservation of the Chicago River. Unlike in the precolonial period where the Natives relied on the river mainly for portage and food, the 19th and 20th Century brought with them events such as the re-engineering of the river and increased pollution. The most severe negative human influence on the river was witnessed in the period of manifest destiny when the westward expansion was at its peak. This was a period of rapid industrial growth in America fueled by the belief that America was destined to bring enlightenment to the whole North American region. 5 The Chicago River was a critical point to the fulfillment of the idea since it served as a key transport route for goods and people. Several engineering works along the course of the river highlight the level of human influence on the River and the general outcomes. The first major engineering works on the river were carried out in 1848 through the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canals. The canal was built to allow large vessels to use the river as a crossing to Lake Michigan. Later several moveable bridges were constructed along the course of the river to facilitate movement. The movable bridges could be adjusted to allow passage of larger vessels before being returned to their original positions for people and vehicles to pass. Chicago’s rapid population growth meant that there was increased pollution of the river due to domestic and industrial waste. The river water becomes smelly and unpleasant sight. The city’s management in 1889 decided to change the flow of the river and the project was ultimately successful by the turn of the 20th Century. 6 Reversing the flow meant that polluted water did not flow into Lake Michigan, the city’s source of drinking water. Other engineering and cleaning projects followed in an attempt to ease transport and make the river water cleaner. 

Direction of Flow 

Pollution was a major concern for the city’s management with constant outbreaks of typhoid and cholera linked to the dirty water in the river. Although scientific knowledge had not developed to the level of pinpointing the exact cause of the outbreaks, all stakeholders were in consensus that the flow of polluted water into the city’s source of drinking water was not the best idea. Consequently, an ambitious plan was put forward in 1889 to reverse the flow of the Chicago River such that the water flowed away from the lake. 7 Attempts to reverse the flow had been made in the 1870s using pumps but the engineering was a spectacular failure hence this project was critical in the re-engineering of the river. A completely different approach was adopted where a canal was built westward, growing deeper as it was constructed away from the lake7-video 1. Thus, the main Stem and the southern channel of the river were reversed such that they flowed away from the lake. As a result, clean water now flowed from Lake Michigan into the river channel. Upon its completion in 1900, the project completely transformed the =bioregional history of Chicago. The previously polluted river flowed in the opposite direction with cleaner water hence helping to conserve the biodiversity of the river. 

Another inspiration for the engineering feat was the need to ease transport across the river’s course. Previously, big ships could not use the narrow and shallow channel of the river. However, with the newly constructed deeper and wider channels, the ships could easily transport goods and people to various accessible destinations. Despite the achievements of the new tunnel, the pollution problem still persisted in the Northern section of the river. The pollution in this section greatly undermined the gains achieved in the first project. Engineers embarked on the construction of the Northern Shore Channel which would also reverse the direction of flow and flash the river with clean water from the lake. The North Shore Channel was completed in 1910 and the Cal-Shag Channel later in 1922. Reversal of the river flow redefined the way the Chicago River was utilized for transport and eased the problem of disease outbreaks in the city. 

Ideas of Nature 

The landscape of the Chicago River remained mainly unaltered before the age of enlightenment. The age of enlightenment was a period of westward expansion as America’s founding fathers moved westwards to exploit the resources that remained unutilized. Borrowing from the assertions in “The Ecological Indian”, the age of enlightenment brought with it environmental changes that not only threatened the survival of the natural environment in the river but destroyed a significant percentage of this environment. Previously, an unaltered landscape of wetlands, marshes, dunes, beaches, and forests existed along the course of the river. The Indians existed in this environment for thousands of years until their natural lifestyle was interrupted by the arrival of the white settlers. 8 A review of the ideas of nature with regard to the Chicago River takes into account the social, economic and environmental values related to the transformation of the river through history. Settlement of the native tribes along the banks of the river did not adversely affect its ecology. As earlier stated, environmental and economic factors are responsible for the change in the ecological outlook of the river. 

The earlier years of the 19th century were characterized by environmental injustice and blatant disregard for environmental safety in people’s interaction with the Chicago River. Bloody clashes between the settlers and the Natives aimed to push the Native Indians away from the river to allow for its economic use. After the Indians defeat, settlements were built along the river’s course by the settlers and pollution began. However, most of those involved were unaware of the consequences of their actions until later in the 1870s when the effects became apparent. Broderick cites the construction of bridges and canals along the river as the development of second nature for economic gains which adversely affected the natural state of the river. 9 Reengineering of the river resulted in transformations of its ecosystems where the first nature was almost completely destroyed. The 20th century brought with it greater awareness as people became aware of the need to conserve the River, efforts were made to achieve a clean flowing river that would support aquatic life and improve human interaction with the river. Environmental justice was better served during this period through the involvement of communities and the creation of sustainable policies. The benefits of the approach were soon felt as the Chicago River water become more accommodating for aquatic life. 

Reengineering of the Chicago River remains a monumental feat in the history of civil engineering. The inspirational nature of the project and its success has benefitted generations since its completion. The location and nature of Chicago River were responsible for the growth of Chicago from a small outpost to a pivotal city that set the pace for river re-engineering. Shipbuilding, transport and other related industries flourished further due to the reversal of the river. Human influence on the river has reached both positive and negative extremes although increased knowledge of environmental justice is changing the way people interact with the River. 

Bibliography 

Broderick, Andrew. “ A strategy for the Chicago Riverwalk.” Chicago River Edge Ideas Lab. 2017. Accessed October 23, 2018. https://www.chiriverlab.com/visions/third-nature. 

Friends of the Chicago River. " Brief History of teh Chicago River." Friends of the Chicago River. n.d. Accessed October 23, 2018. http://s3.amazonaws.com/chicagoriver/rich/rich_files/rich_files/147/original/chicago-20river-20history.pdf 

Joy, Mark.  American Expansionism, 1783-1860: A Manifest Destiny? Routledge, 2014. 

Kling, Samuel. "Wide Boulevards, Narrow Visions: Burnham’s Street System and the Chicago Plan Commission, 1909–1930."  Journal of Planning History  12, no. 3 (2013): 245-268. 

Krech, Shepard. The ecological Indian: myth and history . New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 1999.  

Labedz, Grant and Jimmy Lee. " How Did Engineers Reverse the Chicago River ." [February 4, 2015]. YouTube video, 10:15. Posted [February 4, 2015]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ9tYix2wlM. 

1 Friends of the Chicago River, "Brief History of teh Chicago River," Friends of the Chicago River, n.d, Accessed October 23, 2018, http://s3.amazonaws.com/chicagoriver/rich/rich_files/rich_files/147/original/chicago-20river-20history.pdf 

2 Ibid., 2 

3 Ibid., 3 

4 Friends of the Chicago River. Brief History of the Chicago River, 2. 

5 Mark Joy,  American Expansionism, 1783-1860: A Manifest Destiny? [Routledge, 2014],5. 

6 Samuel Kling, "Wide boulevards, narrow visions: Burnham’s street system and the Chicago plan commission, 1909–1930,"  Journal of planning history  12, no. 3 (2013): 245 

7 Grant Labedz, and Jimmy Lee, " How Did Engineers Reverse the Chicago River, " [February 4, 2015], YouTube video, 10:15. Posted [February 4, 2015], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ9tYix2wlM 

8 Shepard Krech, The ecological Indian: myth and history , [New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1999], 26. 

9 Andrew Broderick, “A strategy for the Chicago Riverwalk,” Chicago River Edge Ideas Lab, 2017, Accessed October 23, 2018, https://www.chiriverlab.com/visions/third-nature.