Chicago

by Cutler, Irving

• ISBN13: 9780809327027
• ISBN10: 0809327023
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-06-30
• Publisher: Southern Illinois Univ Pr

Summary

Chicago: Metropolis of the Mid-Continentprovides a comprehensive portrayal of the growth and development of Chicago from the mudhole of the prairie to today's world-class city. This completely revised fourth edition skillfully weaves together the geography, history, economy, and culture of the city and its suburbs with a special emphasis on the role of the many ethnic and racial groups that comprise the "real Chicago" of its neighborhoods. Cutler demonstrates how the geography of "Chicagoland" and the influx of a diverse population spurred transportation, industrial technology, the economy, and sporadic planning to foster rapid urban growth, which brought both great progress and severe problems.Through insightful analysis, Cutler also traces the demographic and societal changes to Chicago, critically examining such problems as the environment, education, racial tension, crime, welfare, housing, employment, and transportation. Richly illustrated with nearly three hundred drawings, photos, maps, and tables, the volume includes six appendices with sections dedicated to Chicago facts, population growth and income data, weather and climate, significant dates, and historic sites.

Author Biography

Irving Cutler, a professor emeritus of geography at Chicago State University, has published several books and numerous articles on Chicago, including the award-winning The Jews of Chicago: From Shtetl to Suburb. He serves on the board of directors of several historical and geographic societies, including the Chicago Jewish Historical Society, of which he was a founder, and the Geographic Society of Chicago, of which he was the president. He has spent more than twenty years giving lectures and leading tours addressing the sociological, historical, geographical, economic, and architectural features of Chicago.

Table of Contents

Foreword
James F. Marran	xi
Preface	xiii
1. INTRODUCTION	1	(4)
Yesterday and Today	1	(1)
Chicago's Geographic Attributes	1	(4)
2. THE PHYSICAL SETTING	5	(16)
In the Beginning	5	(1)
Effect of the Glaciers	5	(2)
The Lake Plain	7	(3)
After the Glaciers	10	(2)
The Chicago River	12	(2)
The Calumet River	14	(1)
The Drainage Pattern	14	(2)
The Vegetation	16	(1)
The Climate	17	(4)
3. THE EVOLUTION OF CHICAGO	21	(28)
Early Settlement	21	(2)
Town and City	23	(8)
The Street Pattern	31	(2)
Mudhole of the Prairies	33	(3)
The Fire	36	(3)
Rebuilding and Further Expansion	39	(2)
Protecting the People's Health	41	(3)
From Fair to Fair	44	(5)
4. PEOPLE AND SETTLEMENT PATTERNS: THE EUROPEANS	49	(106)
Sources of Early Settlers	49	(2)
European Immigration	51	(2)
An Ethnic Checkerboard	53	(2)
Recent Population Trends	55	(3)
The Irish	58	(6)
The Germans	64	(9)
The Scandinavians	73	(8)
The Jews	81	(15)
The Czechs and Slovaks	96	(9)
The Poles	105	(9)
The Lithuanians	114	(8)
The Italians	122	(10)
The Greeks	132	(4)
The Ukrainians	136	(4)
Other European Groups	140	(10)
Chicago's European Neighborhoods	150	(5)
5. PEOPLE AND SETTLEMENT PATTERNS: RECENT MIGRATION AND TRENDS	155	(70)
Population Changes	155	(1)
The African Americans	156	(18)
The Hispanics	174	(14)
The Asians	188	(18)
The Native Americans	206	(1)
Socioeconomic Patterns	207	(13)
Theoretical Internal Arrangement of Chicago	220	(5)
6. THE ECONOMY OF CHICAGO	225	(40)
Early Industry	225	(2)
The Union Stock Yards	227	(3)
Pullman	230	(4)
Present Industry	234	(6)
Wholesale and Retail Trade	240	(4)
Organized Industrial Districts and Parks	244	(1)
The Calumet Industrial Complex	245	(7)
The Changing Role of the Central Business District	252	(13)
7. CULTURE, EDUCATION, AND RECREATION	265	(36)
Recreation Facilities	265	(7)
Education	272	(3)
The Literary Field	275	(5)
Art	280	(6)
Music	286	(5)
Architecture	291	(10)
8. TRANSPORTATION: EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL	301	(38)
From Portage to World Port	301	(3)
The Modern Port of Chicago	304	(5)
The Railroads Spin a Web	309	(6)
Road Transportation	315	(6)
Pipelines	321	(1)
Air Transportation	321	(4)
The CTA and Its Predecessors	325	(7)
Pace, the Suburban Bus System	332	(1)
Metra, the Commuter Rail System	333	(3)
Transportation Trends	336	(3)
9. EXPANSION OF THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA	339	(34)
Suburban Growth	339	(4)
Suburban Characteristics	343	(4)
North Suburban Growth Patterns	347	(8)
West Suburban Growth Patterns	355	(3)
South Suburban Growth Patterns	358	(5)
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore	363	(2)
Regional Shopping Centers	365	(3)
The Rural-Urban Fringe	368	(2)
Midwest Megalopolis	370	(3)
10. PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE	373	(18)
Problems and Principles	373	(1)
The Burnham Plan	374	(1)
Later Chicago Planning	375	(4)
Planning for the Metropolitan Area	379	(5)
The Challenge	384	(7)
APPENDIX A: Chicago Population	391	(2)
APPENDIX B: Chicago Weather arid Climate	393	(2)
APPENDIX C: General Facts about Chicago	395	(2)
APPENDIX D: Significant Dates in Chicago History	397	(6)
APPENDIX E: Chicago Historic Sites	403	(8)
APPENDIX F: Statistical Data for Incorporated Communities of the Chicago Area	411	(8)
Notes	419	(4)
Selected Bibliography	423	(14)
Index	437