De geschiedenis van de Windy City is nauw verweven met de geschiedenis van de rivier de Chicago - de imposante aanwezigheid van de waterweg kan overal in de stad worden gevoeld en de invloed ervan op de metropool is immens geweest. In veel opzichten zou je zelfs kunnen zeggen dat de geschiedenis van de Chicago rivier de geschiedenis van de stad zelf is.

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.

Inheemse volkeren die in het gebied leefden noemden de rivier de Chigagou

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.

De stad Chicago werd gesticht door Europese kolonisten

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.

Obstakels overwinnen op de rivier de Chicago

Naarmate het nieuws over de locatie zich verspreidde, werden steeds meer mensen aangetrokken tot het gebied, gretig om de vruchten te plukken van de ideale ligging aan een belangrijke handels- en uitwisselingsroute. Voordat de rivier door de mens werd gemanipuleerd, keerde deze echter naar het zuiden bij wat nu Michigan Avenue is en daarom moesten zeelieden bij het binnenvaren of verlaten van de haven nauwgezet om een zandbank heen varen.

Het was vooral een uitdaging, zo niet onmogelijk, voor grotere schepen, die vaak net buiten de haven voor anker gingen en hun goederen overlaadden op kleinere schepen die wel om de zandbank heen konden varen.

Tussen 1816 en 1828 werden er een paar kanalen door de zandbank gegraven, maar geen enkele was succesvol en vulde zich steeds weer met zand. In 1833 gaf het Congres van de Verenigde Staten groen licht om pieren te bouwen en andere maatregelen uit te voeren om de haven te versterken en te verbeteren. Deze missie was over het algemeen een succes en grotere schepen konden eindelijk met weinig moeite de haven in- en uitvaren.

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.

Grote verbeteringen aanbrengen aan de belangrijkste waterwegen van Chicago

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

Nog meer pogingen om de plaatselijke drinkwaterkwaliteit te verbeteren werden in 1910 ondernomen met de aanleg van het 8 mijl lange North Shore Channel en het 16 mijl lange Cal-Sag Channel, dat in 1922 werd voltooid. Beide pogingen breidden de jurisdictie van het Sanitary District uit en de projecten waren gedeeltelijk succesvol in het omleiden van de stroming van de rivier weg van Lake Michigan. In 1929 werd een zeer grote bocht in de rivier rechtgetrokken om de stroom van rivier- en treinverkeer te vergemakkelijken.

De rivierscene van Chicago in het moderne tijdperk

In meer recente jaren hebben de inwoners van Chicago gepleit voor en stappen ondernomen om de rivier met meer respect te behandelen, hoewel de traditie om de rivier groen te verven voor de St. Patrick's Day parade nog steeds bestaat en in 2022 haar 60e verjaardag viert.

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.

Veel bedrijven en restaurants hebben zich gevestigd langs de oevers van de rivier, vooral sinds de bouw van de Chicago Riverwalk in 2001 begon. Het laatste deel van het pad werd in 2016 geopend en vandaag de dag loopt de populaire route langs de waterkant in westelijke richting langs de rivier en Wacker Drive, helemaal van Lake Michigan naar Lake Street.

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.

Oorspronkelijke postdatum: 26 oktober 2022