Chicago's Reason For Existing is a Relatively Unknown Canal Which Shutdown in the 1930s

Why is the city of Chicago located where it is? It is all due to the fact that it sits at the closest point where a river flowing into the Great Lakes could connect with a river flowing into the Mississippi River system. The connection was made by the Illinois and Michigan Canal which joined the Chicago River, which flows into Lake Michigan, with the Des Plaines River which eventually leads to the Mississippi via the Illinois River. The Illinois and Michigan Canal made Chicago a major city, but today it is just a small creek that most residents do not know exists. The canal was a dream as far back as the 1700s but did not become a reality until 1848, when twenty-four years of grueling construction was finally completed. The canal provided a continuous path from the mouth of the Mississippi to the Atlantic (thanks to the Erie Canal) and brought an incredible amount of commerce to Northeastern Illinois, creating a city that would become America's second largest for many decades (It has been the third largest since the 1960s). The canal was finally closed as a waterway in 1933. This video presents the interesting stories surrounding the Illinois and Michigan Canal and explains how its history is Chicago's history. Yes, this does include a significant deal of history from outside of the 1930s. However, it was in the 1930s that the last great canal project of Chicagoland was completed and led to the official closure of Chicago's life granting canal.

[@jayviolajay]

Hi Tim, it’s Janis! I think your videos are fascinating and I love how informative they are hope you are doing well! 😊

[@loboheeler]

I lived in Summit, which is very close to the waterways mentioned. The Des Plaines river is still very natural there, and even had beavers. The Sanitary and Ship Canal is what it is. There are locks on the end of the Chicago river at Lake Michigan, which you go through in the extended boat tour, and is well worth doing. .

[@mikejanarch]

Chicago history is one of my favorite topics. I'm a life long Minnesotan, but have been visiting Chicago every now and then since the 1960s. I've read much more about the early railroads serving Chicago. Have you found any information on how much shipping (and of what kind) there was on the Illinois and Michigan canal (up until 1933)? Thanks for your 'historic' efforts, and keep it up!

[@Daninater]

Great video, Tim!

[@that1930sguy]

Interestingly, I later also learned that Illinois' politicians were instrumental in blocking, over many decades, repeated efforts to build a multi-national St; Lawrence waterway (around the prohibitive St; Lawrence River rapids between New York and Canada) which would have greatly benefited all the other Great Lake states in providing an alternative route to the Atlantic and avoiding the expenses and bottlenecks of the Chicago canal system. There was a big push by the state of New York to make the St. Lawrence waterway a New Deal project in the mid-1930s, but the Congressional delegation of Illinois was able to rally nearly all the Mississippi River states to block the project. The St Lawrence waterway finally became a reality during the Eisenhower Administration.

[@Daninater]

@@that1930sguy I first heard about the importance of Chicago's waterways and railways in my Canadian history class. It's importance to agricultural trade for Canada. It's really cool to see you modern day on the infrastructure though. I wish I could go metal detecting or magnet fishing around the old canals and see what shows up.