Chicago has been named the city of the century and why not?
After all the developments of this great city it deserved something like this.
Invention is the creation of something new but what really matters for economic
growth is innovation, the act through which the new inventions are successfully
introduced. At first something has to be invented but over time it has to be
modified to get the best value out of the invention. Chicago is famous for many
inventions and also innovations.
The first known reference to the site of the current city of
Chicago was “Checagou” since a wild garlic, called “chicagoua” grew abundantly
in the area. The area was first inhabited by Native American s then the first
permanent settler in Chicago arrived who was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, an
African and European descent. He is known as the “Founder of Chicago”
Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 and experienced
rapid growth in the mid-nineteenth century to become the fastest growing city
in the world for several decades. Due to the site of Chicago it became an
important transportation hub between the eastern and western United States.
Chicago’s first railway, Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, opened in 1848,
which also opened the Illinois and Michigan Canal. The canal allowed ships and
boats on the Great Lakes to connect to the Mississippi River.
The growing economy brought residents and immigrants from
abroad and manufacturing, retail and finance sectors became dominant which
influenced the American economy. The Chicago Board of Trade which was
established in 1848 became the first ever standardized “exchange traded”
forward contracts, which were called future contracts. This concept was first introduced
here and this was one of the many firsts.
The Chicago River divided the city into three parts which
made the “Chicagoans” to become leading innovators in bridge technology. The first
bridge was constructed in 1832 but it was a fixed span so it had some problems.
Later the engineers came up with the idea based on a seesaw principle which was
an ideal solution to Chicago’s bridge problems. The Tower Bridge in London was
built on the same principle and the seesaw principle became “Chicago style.”
In 1830s Augustine Taylor came up with the “balloon-frame” structure
for buildings. Today most buildings are based on this same structure. Chicago is
called the home of architectural giants and greats. The Home Insurance Building
built in 1885 is considered the world’s first skyscraper standing 138 feet
tall. Sears tower is currently the tallest building standing at 1451 feet.
First Skyscraper
Refrigeration was a critical innovation which transformed
livestock business and changed meatpacking from a local business to a national
business operating all around the year. The meatpacking business was really popular
in Chicago and was the meatpacking center of the country, and acknowledged
headquarters of the Industry.
Chicago firms were innovators in the emergence of the
electronics industry and extension of electric power. Chicago’s urban
transportation system introduced electric trolley cars and Essanay Studios,
which made motion pictures in Chicago before the film industry moved to
Hollywood.
The first McDonalds franchise, the first ferris wheel, first
deep dish pizza, first vacuum cleaner, first electronic dishwasher, first
softball game, the first open heart surgery and some other firsts were done in
Chicago. The city is still developing and getting better and better.
This is how the city looks now
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago#mediaviewer/File:Chicago_sunrise_1.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago#mediaviewer/File:Chicago_sunrise_1.jpg
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