In this excercise, students will have an opportunity to further investigate the "Growth of a City" era. This was a period when Carter William Butler Ogden (see picture below) and Carter Harrison, Sr., served as mayors of Chicago, whose visions contributed extensively to the city's growth.  The examination of primary sources from the American Memory collection will serve as the basis of our inquiry.  Below, included for your review are seven "bird's-eye-view" maps and eight railroad maps.  Following an analysis of that material (click here for information on how to read these maps) , students will prepare a five page paper that comments on the rapid growth of Chicago (create and/or import appropriate illustrations, maps and/or diagrams that support your points).   The  questions below may be employed to assist your work.  Please note that when you work with the maps you have the ability to zoom in and out.  That gives you an opportunity to survey the landscape in a closer manner.  Be sure to compare the maps since they depict different historical periods.

(1) How did the geography/spatiality of Chicago evolve?

(2) How did larger, national economic trends affected Chicago and how did Chicago's development impacted national advancement?

(3) What observations can be made about the economic changes locally?

(4) What about the residential structure of the city?  

(5) How about public services and social organization? (churches, police and/or fire stations, schools, etc...).  

(6) What other observations from these fifteen maps reveal the growth (qualitative and quantitative) of Chicago in the second part of the 1800's. 

                                  Bird's-eye-view Maps     Railroad Maps