Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Chicago 1854 industries

Paul Petraitis posted, 1854
Paul's comment:
Chicago started experiencing all kinds of "big city" problems in the late 1840's...here's an interesting map of "non sewage polluters"
The "agricultural tool maker" under "3" was probably McCormick Reaper. That would have been his first plant that got destroyed by the 1871 fire. There were a four more under "8" because plows were farm tools.
I wonder what the "locomotive engine builder" under "5" was. I counted 10 foundries including the copper and brass foundry. There 4 brewers and 2 distillers. I wonder what the "lumber merchant" under "6" did to cause pollution. There had to a lot more lumber dealers down on the South Branch. And what powder did the 3 "gowder dealers" deal? Gun-powder? Evidently grain elevators did not pollute because I know there were a lot of them along the river.

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