ウィンディ・シティの歴史は、シカゴ川の歴史と深く絡み合っている。水路の堂々たる存在感は街の至る所で感じられ、その影響は計り知れない。多くの点で、シカゴ川の歴史は街の歴史そのものであるとさえ言えるかもしれない。

An excellent way to learn about the history of the Chicago-area waterway system is on a City Cruises river tour, such as the classic Seadog River & Lake Architectural Tour.

Enriching the local economy and bolstering commerce while occasionally posing significant challenges to its communities, the Chicago River system has both a natural and unnatural history, and not just when it’s dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day.

From Lake Michigan to the South Branch, here’s how the Chicago River has influencedthe  Windy City over the centuries.

この地域に住んでいた先住民は、チガグー川と呼んでいた。

Before the onslaught of European occupation and colonization, the Chicago area was teeming with wild flora and fauna—deer, foxes, black bears, and most significantly, beavers. Beaver, in essence, was a cash cow, one that eventually fueled European colonization, as beaver fur and castoreum (an essence extracted from beavers, often used in colognes and perfumes) were much coveted in Europe.

Indigenous peoples who lived in what is now Chicago called the river Chigagou, or the “wild garlic place.” The Archaic, Upper Mississippian, and Woodland peoples (and the Potawatomi and Miami peoples who moved to the area later) were highly skilled at navigating the Chigagou’s waters, relying on it as a source of drinking water and food and a means of transportation for trading and hunting.

シカゴの街は、ヨーロッパの植民者によって築かれた。

The early settlers lacked the skill of the Indigenous people whose land they took, but over time, they picked up smart techniques for navigating the river, including a shortcut that greatly reduced travel time. It wasn’t easy, though—it required carrying canoes across a few miles of muddy portage to reach the Great Lakes.

That shortcut eventually inspired European colonizers to establish a city where Chicago stands today, thanks to the ideal location for fast travel between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes—two of North America’s key trade and transportation routes.

The 1795 Treaty of Greenville was agreed upon by the United States and a confederation of Native American tribes. As a result, the former gained ownership of a 6-mile plot of land at the mouth of the river, and essentially, the rest is history: any city founded at this hub was bound to become a commercial success.

シカゴ川で障害を乗り越える

この地の噂が広まるにつれ、商業と交流の主要ルートに面した理想的な立地から利益を得ようと、ますます多くの人々がこの地に集まるようになった。しかし、人間が手を加える以前は、川は現在のミシガン・アベニューで南に曲がっていたため、船乗りは港に出入りする際、砂州を苦労して迂回しなければならなかった。

大型船は港の手前で錨を下ろして、砂州を迂回できる小型船に荷物を積み替えることが多いので、当局はこの複雑さを改善する計画を練った。

1816年から1828年にかけて、砂州を貫通する水路がいくつか掘られたが、どれもうまくいかず、何度も砂で埋め立てられていた。そして1833年、合衆国議会は桟橋を建設し、港を補強・改善するためのその他の措置を講じることを許可した。この作戦は大筋で成功し、大型の船舶もほとんど問題なく港に出入りできるようになった。

In 1836,  the Illinois General Assembly commenced work on the massive Illinois and Michigan Canal that would bypass the sandbank. The construction of the 96-mile ditch took some 12 years to complete, using Irish immigrant laborers. After the completion of the canal, the United States and its position in the world would change forever.

シカゴの主要な水路に大規模な改良を施す

Over time, more alterations were made to the Chicago River’s harbor and landscape. An extensive sewer system was built and the city essentially rose out of the mud: the harbor was expanded, and the river dredged and widened, so its flow reversed to run west from Lake Michigan.

In 1900,  the 28-mile Sanitary and Ship Canal was completed, in hopes of improving the local water quality—an effort that was thwarted by those dumping pollutants, both accidentally and knowingly, into Lake Michigan, the city’s source of drinking water. The canal successfully reversed the flow of the Chicago River, sending sewage away from Lake Michigan and toward the Mississippi River. But despite this major achievement, pollution from factories and weak environmental rules continued to harm the water for years. The project was a huge engineering success, but it also showed the ongoing struggle to balance city growth, clean water, and protecting the environment.x

1910年には、8マイルのノースショア水路と、1922年に完成した16マイルのカル・サグ水路が建設され、地元の飲料水の水質改善が試みられた。いずれも衛生地区の管轄を拡大するもので、川の流れをミシガン湖から遠ざけることに部分的に成功した。1929年には、河川と列車の往来を容易にするため、河川の非常に大きな湾曲が直線化された。

現代におけるシカゴのリバーシーン

2022年に60周年を迎えるセント・パトリックス・デーのパレードのために川を緑色に染める伝統は根強く残っている。

It’s still not a source of drinking water—you don’t even want to swim in it, really—but deindustrialization in the mid-20th century helped with environmental issues contributing to the poor water quality, and it’s seen some improvements.

特に2001年にシカゴ・リバーウォークの建設が始まって以来、多くの企業やレストランが川沿いに店を構えている。2016年に多目的道路の最後の区間が開通し、現在では人気のウォーターフロント・ルートが川とワッカー・ドライブに沿って西へ、ミシガン湖からレイク・ストリートまで続いている。

The Chicago River was once known as a vital transportation route for trade and commerce, and played a crucial role in the city’s early growth and industrialization. Explore the history of the Chicago River with City Cruises, offering a unique perspective on the city’s architectural evolution. As you glide along the water, you’ll uncover fascinating stories about the river’s pivotal role in Chicago’s development and transformation. Consider enjoying the beauty of the Chicago River on a Premier Plus Dinner Cruise. Indulge in an exquisite evening of gourmet dining, dazzling skyline views, and unparalleled entertainment on a Premier Plus Chicago Dinner Cruise. Enjoy a decadent plated dinner and craft cocktails that will delight your palate while captivating panoramas of Chicago’s iconic architecture in a luxurious, glass-enclosed vessel. Take in the city from a Sights & Sips Cocktail Cruise and revel in striking views of the Chicago architecture. No matter the occasion, this cocktail cruise is perfect for friends and family looking to escape routine and enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the water.

元の投稿日2022年10月26日