Cold and wet is not my best look.
Fort Dearborn was built in 1803 on the south bank of the Chicago River. In 1835, piers to protect the harbor entrance and a lighthouse to guide shipping were built.
Today’s skyline was a powerful reminder of that past. Our tour guide connected the dots, or should I say skyscrapers and parks, mentioning visionaries like Aaron Montgomery Ward (yes, as in the now defunct Montgomery Ward), who helped guide the development of Grant Park;
Those truly familiar with Chicago’s history know that “Chicago’s front yard,” Grant Park, was mostly landfill going back as far as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when debris from the fire (2,000 acres of land, 17,500 buildings and 73 miles of roads were destroyed) was used to fill in the swampy lagoon bordering Lake Michigan just east of Michigan Avenue.
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