Building the Canal to Save Chicago

Chicago was the fastest growing city in the late 1800s, but its location had one big disadvantage - poor drainage. Cholera and typhoid were rampant and Chicago had one of the highest mortality rates. The Chicago River was a public nuisance, polluted and smelly. The building of a canal solved these problems and allowed the city to continue to grow, the mortality rate plummeted and the river became enjoyable. The building of the canal required the creation of a new government and the development of pioneering construction technology that helped in the building of the Panama Canal. The reversal of the flow in the Chicago River remains a wonder of the world and it remains critical to a sustainable future for the Chicago metropolis.

Come and hear Author and former Director of the MWRD Richard Lanyon discuss his latest publication “Building the Canal to Save Chicago”. This is a free program sponsored by the Worth Park District Historical Museum. For more information please visit www.worthparkdistrict.org or call 708 448 7080 x 107.