The Raising of Chicago: Manually Lifting The Windy City in the 19th Century
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Published 2020-11-17
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All Comments (21)
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"So...apparently we built a city too low" *Slams beer down* "OK...hear me out...."
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"Listen, lad. I built this kingdom up from nothing. When I started here, all there was was swamp. Other kings said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built it all the same, just to show 'em. It sank into the swamp. So, I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So, I built a third one. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp, but the fourth one... stayed up! And that's what you're gonna get, lad: the strongest castle in these islands."
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Chicago, reminds me of another side or mega project; the Chicago tunnel system. Built to transport coal, remove ashes, and other goods beneath the streets of Chicago using small electric trains (mining locomotives). Shutdown in the Fifties and caused a flood in the Nineties.
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Simon: "every new aircraft is a Mega project" Also Simon: "They lifted an entire city!?!? That's totally not a mega project*
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Maybe a video could also be done on the reversal of the Chicago River.
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this was definitely a mega project lol
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This is really just one piece of the story. First the city was raised so that sewage would drain into the river. Then the river was reversed so the sewage didn't drain into the lake. More recently a new river was essentially dug 300ft underground so that sewage didn't drain into the actual river.
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I'll bite on Simon's invitation to say that this deserves in the megaprojects. To underscore this point, European observers to the 1860 Republican convention were shocked when the city they arrived in was not the backwater frontier town reported in books on the United States, so quick was the Rise of Chicago.
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While driving on Archer Ave. you would notice older building that have raised sidewalks seemingly leading to the front entrance. As you look down you notice a lower level with a door and window/s. Archer Ave. was a old cattle trail leading to the famous stockyards. They raised Archer Ave. fianally to cover the muddy trail after trains became the way to send animals for processing.
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As a lifelong Chicagoan, I love it when you tell her stories.
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Bloody Christ ! How the hell is this not a megaproject?
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I figured it should have been on Mega Projects more for the sheer scale of the project and the fact that they literally jacked the city up with jacks. That they did so in 2 decades is all the more impressive. As well as that they did part of this project during the Civil War is also of some note.
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You left out the part where they reversed the flow of the Chicago river. It now runs from Lake Michigan rather than into Lake Michigan. This was done because Lake Michigan is the source of drinking water for the city and the sewage drained into the river. To enter the lake even today from the river you must go through a series of locks. The Chicago river now drains into the Mississippi Watershed.
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Next Chicago story, moving the U505 to and into the museum?
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Chicago: were sinking in a swamp. James Brown: Get up!
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Dude, this was big enough to be a megaproject.
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Megaprojects - Hey here's another story about a really expensive airplane Sideprojects _ That's cool, here's a story about PHYSICALLY LIFTING AN ENTIRE CITY SEVERAL FEET I think the channels are backwards on this one Simon, but okay
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OK Simon, Chicago actually has several mega projects stories. This one, the 40 feet below mail railroad, the el and subway, changing the direction of the river, the water pumping stations, the white city Columbian expo, rebuilding after the 1871 fire, 1931 expo, and did you do something on the deep tunnel, I've lost track.
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Chicagoan here! Sounds weird to hear people who aren’t from Chicago say our street names. I appreciate this video though, I never knew the full story of how our city was raised
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I knew this happened, just didn't know enough about this, hence lower Level of the city. Also imagine their disappointment when the city burned 20 year later.
