Page 21 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Chicago

THE HIST OR Y OF CHIC A GO  19

the nickname “The Loop.” Chicago
celebrated the 400th anniversary of
Christopher Columbus’ journey to the
Americas with the 1893 World’s Columbian
Exposition, held in Jackson Park (see p107).
Over 25 million visitors came to it, the largest
fair yet to be held in the Americas. Despite
a deep national economic depression, the
city built a fabulous fairground, dubbed
Protesters clash with police in the 1873 Bread Riot the “White City” because of its Neo-Classical
white plaster buildings. It was to have a
demanding the short ening of the workday huge impact on US architecture. Most of
to eight hours. A bomb exploded in the the buildings burned down or were
midst of the police officers, starting a riot vandalized after the fair.
that eventually killed seven officers. It was
never determined who threw the bomb, Growth and Growing Pains
and the ensuing trial, in which eight men By 1890, the population climbed past one
were charged with murder and four million. Awareness of public health issues
subsequently executed, is considered one of led to concern that the city discharged,
the worst miscarriages of justice in the US. directly or indirectly, most of its waste into
Into this social tumult stepped Jane the Chicago River, and from there into
Addams (see p33) and Ellen Gates Starr. In Lake Michigan, the source of drinking
1889, they founded Hull-House to help settle water. In 1900, the Chicago Sanitary and
immigrants (see p118). It would soon become Ship Canal opened, and the direction of
a leader in US social welfare and reform. the Chicago River was reversed so that
the river flowed away from the lake, not
Progress, and the 1893 World’s into it (see p59).
Columbian Exposition In 1903, a disaster affected both urban
Downtown, other initiatives were design and bylaws nationwide.
underway. The Art Institute of Nearly 600 people died when a
Chicago (see pp48–51) was fire tragically destroyed the
founded in 1879, and the Iroquois Theater (see p53).
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Investigators blamed the fatalities
(see p166) and the University of on the doors. Many opened
Chicago (see pp102–3) in 1890. inward: impossible to open with a
The first elevated tramway frantic crowd pressed against
opened in 1892, and in 1897 a them. Most US cities now require
circle around the commercial Guidebook for the 1893 that doors of all public buildings
core opened, giving downtown World’s Columbian Fair open outward.

1890 Chicago becomes second- 1900 Chicago Sanitary 1907 University of Chicago’s Albert
largest US city, its population over and Ship Canal opens, Michelson is first US scientist to
1 million
1886 reversing flow of win a Nobel Prize in Physics, for
Haymarket 1892 Elevated tramway Chicago River measurement of the speed of light
Riot (“The Loop”) opens
1890 1900 1910
1889 Hull- 1893 Chicago hosts World’s 1909 Plan of Chicago
House Columbian Exposition (see p32), the first civic
(see p118) blueprint for a city,
founded 1890 University of Chicago Opening of the published
(see pp102–3) founded new canal

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