ABSTRACT
Endless glacial movements over millions of years created the unassuming landscape that defined the Chicago region on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. Flat prairie and waterlogged swampland prone to flooding dominated the area wedged between the lake to the east and rivers running west and south. Chicagou, meaning “wild garlic (onion) place” in the Miami-Illinois Indian language, was sparsely inhabited and largely ignored prior to European exploration. The area’s inhospitable terrain, combined with harsh winters, made the surrounding lands unsuitable for most agriculture. Despite these shortcomings, the city’s impressive expansion in the nineteenth century highlights the unique set of circumstances that gave rise to the “City of the Century.”
