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Untitled
(Plan for Proposed Canal, Pier, Street, & Bridge for the Chicago Dock & Canal Co.)
By:
Anonymous
Date:
Unknown (circa 1863 – 1866)
Dimensions:
29 x 26.25 inches (73.7 x 66.7 cm)
This large format map centers on the entrance to the main branch of the Chicago River from
Lake Michigan. The inferred purpose of the map was to illustrate a proposed plan for a short
canal just north of the river to act as a ship basin for unloading goods and raw materials. This
canal when built would be named the
Michigan Canal
and eventually be renamed,
The Ogden
Slip
. For more than a century the canal was used for industrial purposes until the 1990s when the
buildings were turned into retail spaces. Today the canal is surrounded by shops, restaurants,
condominiums, and art galleries.
A proposed new pier is shown extending out into Lake Michigan from the canal. The pier would
serve two purposes. First it would shield the basin and entrance into the canal from waves so
that ships could easily guide themselves in and out of the canal. The second use of the pier
would be to aide in sediment buildup and the extension of the lakeshore with new land. Over
time the city of Chicago would grow eastward into the lake and the new land would provide an
opportunity to dredge a second canal. Plans for this second canal can be seen in faint pencil
markings on this map and are even more defined on other maps within this collection.
The estimated date of this map comes from a compilation of known facts. The Rush Street
swing bridge was constructed in 1857. The street formally known as Sand had its name changed
to St. Clair in 1858. In maps from 1861 Seneca Street runs through blocks 20 – 44 and by 1863
it was shortened to the length of block 19. Finally in 1868 the shoreline was surveyed to reach
the northwest corner of the lighthouse at the end of the U.S. Pier. This map shows the shoreline
reaching only the very beginning of the U.S. Pier. So between the shortening of Seneca Street,
whose original length can be seen faintly on the map, and the progressive expansion of the
shoreline, one can give an approximate date of this map between the years 1863 and 1866.
Condition:
Printed map on fine cloth with contemporary manuscript annotations. Ink staining
apparently resulted from use as a working document. Some wear along the outer fringes of
margins.