What are important or defining moments in the history of Chicago?

What are important or defining moments in the history of Chicago?

1851: Chicago’s first institution of higher education, Northwestern University, is founded. 1852: Mercy Hospital becomes the first hospital in Illinois. 1853: October: State Convention of the Colored Citizens held in city. 1854: A cholera epidemic took the lives of 5.5% of the population of Chicago.

What was happening in Chicago in the 1950s?

Between 1950 and 1960 Chicago’s population shrank for the first time in its history, as factory jobs leveled off and people moved to the suburbs. Poor neighborhoods were razed and replaced with massive public housing that solved few of the problems of poverty and violence.

What historical events happened in Illinois?

Notable Events in Illinois History

  • 1673. Marquette and Jolliet descend the Mississippi, return to Wisconsin via Illinois River and Lake Michigan.
  • 1675. Marquette founds mission near Starved Rock.
  • 1680. La Salle builds fort Crevecoeur near Peoria.
  • 1682. La Salle erects Fort St.
  • 1691-92.
  • 1699.
  • 1717.
  • 1720.

What was Chicago known for in the 1880s?

Beginning in the early 1880s, the Chicago School pioneered steel-frame construction and the use of large amounts of glass. These were the first modern skyscrapers. Since he was based in Chicago and many of his buildings were built there, this new form of architecture became known as the “Chicago School”.

What made Chicago grow so rapidly?

Chicago’s manufacturing and retail sectors, fostered by the expansion of railroads throughout the upper Midwest and East, grew rapidly and came to dominate the Midwest and greatly influence the nation’s economy. The Chicago Union Stock Yards dominated the packing trade.

What are 5 interesting facts about Illinois?

2 Illinois was the first state in the U.S. to ratify the Constitution’s 13th amendment which abolished slavery. 3 The first McDonald’s was built in Des Plaines, IL. 4 Illinois produces more nuclear energy than any other state in the country. 5 Twinkies were first invented in River Forest, IL in 1930.

Why is Chicago called The Big Onion?

The most-accepted Chicago meaning is a word that comes from the Algonquin language: “shikaakwa,” meaning “striped skunk” or “onion.” According to early explorers, the lakes and streams around Chicago were full of wild onions, leeks, and ramps.