Tracks Laid in Muddy Streets

Abstract

In 1848, Chicago, Illinois, was a bustling frontier settlement of about 20,000 nestled in a swamp between the banks of Lake Michigan to the east and a vast prairie to the west. In the 1870s, the city had grown to more than 300,000 inhabitants. The intensive development of a railway network during this period made Chicago an important railway hub. At the same time, the problems that went hand-in-hand with this development became obvious. The aldermen of Chicago’s Common Council had given extremely generous rights-of-way. The railroads were often given permission, with few conditions, to build their tracks down the middle of public streets, which hardly caused problems in the early years. A few years later, a number of hazards and inconveniences accompanied the regular interaction of urban dwellers and the steam railroads. The Common Council began to enact safety ordinances in the 1850s to address these issues, but it was unsuccessful in doing so. The situation changed in the 1860s, though. Chicago received two new municipal charters in 1861 and 1863 from the state of Illinois that equipped the Common Council to more effectively deal with the issues attendant with a large, industrial city. Ted Mitchell analyses clearly the evolution from the early years of a Council of boosters that cared above all about economic development to a Council that acted on behalf of the public interest. By the 1870s, the Common Council had shown a dramatic change regarding its response to the railroads.