Chicagos history and geography (American, good)

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by linicx

The true southerners did not begin to move into central Illinois until after the Civil War. Even so, many had strong English roots as their ancestors were very early settlers in Virginia.

But they'd moved into southern Illinois long before the War of the Rebellion, indeed it was the strong southern ties of the region that made loyal southern Illinois Democrat politicians such as John McClernand (born like Lincoln in Kentucky) and John Logan (The Hero of Atlanta) vitally important to Lincoln, enough so that both McClernand and Logan were made generals and each reached corps command in the Army of the Tennessee and Logan even commanding that army for a short time after the death at the Battle of Atlanta of James MacPherson. (But Logan didn't get along with George Thomas who commanded the Army of the Cumberland, Sherman's largest army. So Oliver Howard, one of Thomas's corps commanders, was given permanent command of the Army of the Tennessee by Sherman, something Logan was evidently somewhat bitter about though he manfully hid his disappointment and contined to dutifully and capably command the 15th Corps.)

In general terms the state was settled by southerners up to Shelbyville and by northeasterners above it with southerners settling the wooded and more broken southern part of the state and the Yankees tackling the Grand Prairie. Of course there are exceptions like the town of Tennessee in McDonough County.

We can see the two main patterns of early Illinois settlement in Lincoln, who came from Kentucky (via Indiana) in 1830, and Douglas who came from Vermont in 1833.

[gardener34]

A very interesting thread, my ancestors were living in the (mostly Irish) neighborhood where the Chicago fire began in 1871 and survived it to later move into the near west suburbs.
My spouse's side of the family were originally from Effingham, the other posters are right, that they were southerners who moved there for the excellent quality farmland. From W-VA > TN > IN > IL. Many of the people from southern IL were from the south. Whereas it seems that many of the earlier people who settled in Chicago area were Germans, English and Irish most famously. Also Swedish.
Later on came the eastern europeans of course.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by linicx

Did the black man who founded Chicago look at the lake as a source for major transportation?

Entirely as a transportation resource. The Chicago Portage was where various Indian tribes came to trade each year. The idea of wading out into the lake to get drinking water would have struck DuSable as ludicrous, when there were perfectly useable springs and creeks everywhere across the landscape.

Chicago was an untouched forest then and 15 miles was a full day ride by horseback.

Relatively little woodlands, except along the rivers. Cross-country travel was by canoe, not horseback, in DuSable's time.

The Illinois plains are a good example. You can drive miles and never see a stream.

Nonsense. Name any place in the entire state that you think is more than three miles from a running stream. We'll look it up.

If not for Chicago ingenuity there would be no waterway system between Chicago and St. Louis - but, it was not finished until 29 years after the Great Fires of 1871.

Well, if you don't count the Ohio & Erie Canal (1832), the Wabash & Erie Canal (1843), and the Illinois & Michigan Canal (1848). All three provided ways to go by water from New York to St. Louis a half-century before the Sanitary & Ship Canal opened.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

The idea of wading out into the lake to get drinking water would have struck DuSable as ludicrous, when there were perfectly useable springs and creeks everywhere across the landscape.

Indeed, a spring that fed a creek that flowed into the river rose near where City Hall now is. There was also a spring in the River North area that fed a creek that flowed into the river around where the Merchandise Mart now is.

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohisto...ages/3604.html

[linicx]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Entirely

Nonsense. Name any place in the entire state that you think is more than three miles from a running stream. We'll look it up.
.

I accept you challene as I am quite curious about the streams. This is a section of Illinois which is primarily farm and ranch where three large settlements emerged. My thoughts are IF the stream wa of suffient size there should be a settlement. If not, why not?

Find a map dated 1800 or before. Plot between Peoria located on the Illinois River South to Springlfied Lake and as far West as Bloomington Lake. You should find communities on the Spoon River, Sanganois River, Mackinaw River, Eureka Lake, Canton Lake. Sand Lake and possibly near Mud Creek and also Kickapoo Creek.

There is a question is my mind as to whether or not Anderson Lake and Banner Marsh were in existence then as they are both fed by the Illinois River, but today they are conservation areas.

[linicx]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

But they'd moved into southern Illinois long before the War of the Rebellion, indeed it was the strong southern ties of the region that made loyal southern Illinois Democrat politicians such as John McClernand (born like Lincoln in Kentucky) and John Logan (The Hero of Atlanta) vitally important to Lincoln, enough so that both McClernand and Logan were made generals and each reached corps command in the Army of the Tennessee and Logan even commanding that army for a short time after the death at the Battle of Atlanta of James MacPherson. (But Logan didn't get along with George Thomas who commanded the Army of the Cumberland, Sherman's largest army. So Oliver Howard, one of Thomas's corps commanders, was given permanent command of the Army of the Tennessee by Sherman, something Logan was evidently somewhat bitter about though he manfully hid his disappointment and contined to dutifully and capably command the 15th Corps.)

In general terms the state was settled by southerners up to Shelbyville and by northeasterners above it with southerners settling the wooded and more broken southern part of the state and the Yankees tackling the Grand Prairie. Of course there are exceptions like the town of Tennessee in McDonough County.

We can see the two main patterns of early Illinois settlement in Lincoln, who came from Kentucky (via Indiana) in 1830, and Douglas who came from Vermont in 1833.

In the 17th centry when the Europeans began to inhabit the New World before the RW the settled in areas we now know as the states of Vermont. NY and Virginia. This was before transportaion on the Erie Canal was performed by mules and men.

The Vermonters and New Yorkers were joined by Pennsylvanians and few Virginians, The moved westward through Ohio partly on Zane's Trace as as early as 1810 and they stayed. Their children pushed westward into Illinois where some settled near the IN/IL border and remained. Others moved west into what is now the Quad Cities and thence turned South to Knox County. The others moved into Fulton County. Their childen moved into Chicago. Another Ohio branch moved into Kansas and thence into Oklahoma Territory.

My Virgininas were tobacco growers of English parentage. They moved South into Kentucky, Tennessee, NC and Ga. These families folowed the southern route and first settled near Springfield. Not liking the prairie, they moved farther north into central Illinois and were well settled long before the Civil War began.

I think it is fair to say that many of our ancestors came to Illinois following different trails and settled where they found a source of potab;e water, food, timber to build cabins and land to support farming. I am sure that is entirely or clearly understood why some communities continued to grow while others withered and died barring catastrophic events. .

[linicx]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Well, if you don't count the Ohio & Erie Canal (1832), the Wabash & Erie Canal (1843), and the Illinois & Michigan Canal (1848). All three provided ways to go by water from New York to St. Louis a half-century before the Sanitary & Ship Canal opened.

There were two portanges (Chicago and Calumet) when Joliet and Marquette arrived in Chicago. Joliet's canoe was swamped. Marquette stayed behind. It is unknown which portage he took but his notes survived.

"Marquette wrote that connecting Lake Michigan to the Illinois River (and thus, the Mississippi) would require digging a canal of "but half a league" (a league was roughly 3 miles). This statement caused much debate in the 1800's between historians as the Chicago Portage was much longer than half a league, even during very wet times, whereas the Calumet Portage was just about that length during normal weather."

The history of the canal, the development of Chicago, and an explanation as to how Chicago became the capitol of the midwest is below. If it was not for canal and the Chicago engineers who dumped Lake Michigan into the Illinois River there would not be a waterway sufficient to carry a barge through either portage today.

Illinois and Michigan Canal Paddling/Fishing.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by linicx

You should find communities on the Spoon River, Sanganois River, Mackinaw River, Eureka Lake, Canton Lake. Sand Lake and possibly near Mud Creek and also Kickapoo Creek. . . .
IF the stream was of suffient size there should be a settlement. If not, why not?

I'm having a little trouble following your logic. In an agrarian landscape, settlements don't arise at random, nor along watercourses simply because they provide drinking water. Agricultural service and market centers will arise at regular intervals, and industrial towns will arise where there is a waterfall or other evidence of water power with a strong "head." A few towns will also arise where bridges or ferries offer river crossings, or for military reasons. Towns don't magically appear just because you can paddle a canoe to the site or because there's open water.

Agrarian settlements and even small cities don't require running water supplies. Springs and wells are perfectly sufficient for their needs. But if you look at the original General Land Office surveyors notes for any Illinois township you will see that pretty much every township had a spring or small creek providing running water for cattle or small mills.

It is unknown which portage [Marquette] took

I don't think there's much question among historians today that it was the Mud Lake (Chicago) portage, which was 1.5 miles or less in spring. The Calumet portage required two separate portages.

[linicx]

Would you agree that 400 years ago when the first white setllers came to the New World they needed oxygen and water to survive? er nearby?

[Mr Downtown]

Well, no. Oxygen wouldn't be discovered for another century and a half. And it was unusual for Europeans to drink water.

So the white settlers didn't particularly go looking for either one.