Chicago History Museum – Monday, June 8, 2009

| View Show | Create Your Own

Monday, June 8, 2009

Today we headed to the Chicago History Museum via our first Chicago Subway ride, after buying a $23 pass at CVS Pharmacy. The ride was uneventful and we made it to our class with our lecturers Dr. Sarah Marcus and Heidi Moisan. Dr. Marcus lectured on Chicago’s history discussing why a unlikely city, like Chicago would become a metropolis. One reason was that there was a constant waterway here and large wealthy speculators bought land and wanted to see it make a profit for them. They were able to get the federal government to spend approximately $250,000 on improving the mouth of the Chicago River where Fort Dearborn stood. The Illinois and Michigan Canal was a major permanent waterway that opened in 1848, as well as the first railroad came into Chicago. Then Chicago became a major hub. Within three years the population grew from 150 to 5000 people. By 1870 there were 300,000 people who needed a place to live, and since lumber was abundant in Wisconsin and Michigan it was cut and floated down to Lake Michigan and everything was built from wood. For example, sidewalks, houses, etc. Fire danger was always prevalent and Chicago had a paid fireman staff before New York. During the fire of October 7, 1871, it was said that Katherine O’Leary’s cow kicked a lantern, but it may have been some boys who were doing something they shouldn’t have been who in their haste to put things away, knocked over the lantern. Regardless, of how the fire started the firemen went to the wrong address, and by the time they arrived the fire had been burning about 45 minutes. It burned the slick spots on the river and eventually jumped to the other side. Trees exploded, limestone and iron melted. When the fire had burned about 36 hours, it ran out of fuel in Fullerton. About 2000 acres burned and 300 people were killed. 100,000 people were homeless. Mrs. O’Leary was cleared of any wrong doing regarding the fire, but some people expressed anti-Irish or immigrant sentiments, by continuing to blame her for the fire. Dr. Marcus spoke of another town Peshitigo, Wisconsin where a fire broke out and then she asked questions about why Chicago would be the city that is remembered for the great fire rather than Peshitigo. I thought this was a cool exercise and would be great to do in class. Some reasons were: There was not water in Peshtigo, speculators wanted to get Chicago back on its feet to retain their investment etc.

Dana and I found the long sought after Lincoln hands at the gift shop at this museum and were happy to purchase them. I will never forget when Dr. Heidler brought his to our classroom during our Lincoln class, and passed it around. It was so cool! Now I will have this artifact to show in my classroom. Hopefully, it will bring Mr. Lincoln alive to these students as well.

| View Show | Create Your Own

I really enjoyed the website that Heidi Moisan showed us regarding Chicago history (www.chicagohistory.org). This is sooo cool and will be great to use with my students. Reading artifacts was also fun, as I love collecting antiques and enjoy looking for them at yard sales. It is amazing what you can find.

After viewing the museum and seeing the bed that Lincoln died in, some of us went to Navy Pier. Melissa, Kelli Jo and I rode the huge ferris wheel and at Billy Goat Tavern and Grill which was on Saturday night live long ago. That was the cheapest and tastiest meal I have had the entire time here. While we were on the pier, the clouds suddenly opened up and rained on us. The next thing we knew a beautiful rainbow appeared to be going into Lake Michigan. It was beautiful and special meaning for a couple of us. Great day!