History Unfolds
Commissioned by the French government in 1673, Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette became the first explorers of Chicago. It was with the help of the Illinois Indians that the two were guided through the land. Around 1780, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, a Haitian fur trader, and his family came to the area and settled. The town of Chicago expanded its boundaries and became a city in March 1837. The development of the railroad and the Illinois/Michigan Canal in 1848 proved necessary for Chicago's growth. Both helped the city become prominent in the cattle, hog, lumber and wheat industries, and the city's population tripled in the six years following the opening of the canal.

As the city continued to grow, there were setbacks along the way, one of the largest being the Great Chicago Fire. On October 8, 1871, the fire that began near West DeKoven and South Jefferson Streets destroyed most of the city's central area - nearly four square miles. At least 250 lives were lost, 100,000 residents were homeless and more than 17,000 buildings were destroyed. The fire became a turning point. The citizens resurrected the city and even built momentum for more development afterward. Within a few years, Chicago was chosen to host the 1893 World Columbian Exposition. The event was a huge success and put the city on the map. The first Ferris wheel made its debut in 1893 at the exposition; as such the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier is particularly symbolic.

Between the time of this event and World War I, ideas and machines created in Chicago shaped modern American civilization. By 1900 Chicago had built the longest cable car and streetcar lines in the world. Today the “L” or “el” (elevated train) mass transit system is a convenient way to see the city. Stops are well marked and detail locations from the very center of the city. Many attractions offer directions with the closest stops.

The city became second only to New York in manufacturing activities, and first in the meatpacking and rail industries. Other Chicago firsts and inventions are softball, the zipper, daytime TV soap operas, McDonald's restaurant, the electric iron and cooking range, the grain reaper, the reactor to produce electricity from atomic energy, bifocal contact lens, the winding watch, and the Twinkie.

With 54 museums, more than 200 theaters and approximately 15,500 restaurants in the metropolitan area (5,600 in the central business district alone), Chicago is an incredibly diverse city. Add to these 77 neighborhoods, 31 miles of lakefront, 550 parks, 15 miles of bathing beaches, more than 200 annual parades, and there is always something waiting to be experienced in the whirlwind city of Chicago

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Chicago Visitor Center Chicago Cultural Center 77 East Randolph Street (Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue) Chicago, IL (312) 567-8500 Chicago Landmarks The Magnificent Mile Chicago Architecture Foundation

Chicago Visitor Center Chicago Water Works 163 East Pearson Street (Pearson Street and Michigan Avenue) Chicago, IL (312) 567-8500