A história da Windy City está profundamente ligada à história do rio Chicago - a presença imponente da via fluvial pode ser sentida em toda a cidade e o seu impacto na metrópole tem sido imenso. Em muitos aspectos, pode mesmo dizer-se que a história do rio Chicago é a história da própria cidade.

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.

Os povos indígenas que viviam na região chamavam o rio 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.

A cidade de Chicago foi fundada por colonizadores europeus

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.

Ultrapassar obstáculos no rio Chicago

À medida que a notícia da localização se espalhava, cada vez mais pessoas eram atraídas para a área, ansiosas por colher os benefícios do seu posicionamento ideal numa importante rota de comércio e trocas. No entanto, antes da manipulação humana, o rio virava para sul no local que é hoje a Michigan Avenue e, como tal, os marinheiros eram obrigados a contornar meticulosamente um banco de areia quando entravam ou saíam do porto.

Era especialmente difícil, se não impossível, para os navios de maiores dimensões, que muitas vezes ancoravam mesmo à beira do porto e recarregavam as suas mercadorias em embarcações mais pequenas que conseguiam contornar o banco de areia, pelo que as autoridades conceberam planos para remediar a complicação.

Entre 1816 e 1828, foram escavados alguns canais através do banco de areia, mas nenhum foi bem sucedido, enchendo-se repetidamente de areia. Em 1833, o Congresso dos Estados Unidos deu luz verde à construção de cais e à adoção de outras medidas para reforçar e melhorar o porto. Esta missão foi amplamente bem sucedida, e os navios de maiores dimensões puderam finalmente entrar e sair do porto com pouca dificuldade.

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.

Realizar grandes melhorias nas principais vias navegáveis de 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

Em 1910, foram feitas mais tentativas para melhorar a qualidade da água potável local, com a construção do Canal da Costa Norte, com 8 milhas, e do Canal Cal-Sag, com 16 milhas, que ficou concluído em 1922. Ambos os esforços expandiram a jurisdição do Distrito Sanitário, e os projectos foram parcialmente bem sucedidos no redireccionamento do caudal do rio para longe do Lago Michigan. Em 1929, foi endireitada uma curva muito grande do rio para facilitar o fluxo do tráfego fluvial e ferroviário.

A cena fluvial de Chicago na era moderna

Nos últimos anos, os habitantes de Chicago têm vindo a defender e a tomar medidas para tratar o rio com mais respeito, embora a tradição de o tingir de verde para o desfile do Dia de S. Patrício persista, celebrando o seu 60º aniversário em 2022.

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.

Muitas empresas e restaurantes estabeleceram-se ao longo das margens do rio, especialmente desde o início da construção do Chicago Riverwalk em 2001. A última secção do caminho multiusos foi inaugurada em 2016 e, atualmente, a popular rota à beira-mar estende-se para oeste ao longo do rio e da Wacker Drive, desde o Lago Michigan até à 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.

Data de publicação original: 26 de outubro de 2022