Wednesday, March 7, 2012

On Chicago's 175th Birthday-- Part 2

A Year-by-Year look at the last 175 years, but I will be skipping a lot of them. You can see the whole list at the Chicago Tribune.

1850-- City planks 6.7 miles of streets, including 12,000 feet on State Street, that Great Street.

1851-- Public Water Board organized to handle recurring cholera epidemics.

1852-- First public transportation (a large horsedrawn carriage).

1855-- Lager Beer Riots in April protest higher saloon taxes and anti-beer laws.

1856-- City raises streets out of the swamps.

1858-- Police get uniforms and fire department switches from volunteer to paid.

1859-- First horse-drawn street railway, or horsecars begins operation.

1860-- Republicans meeting in the Wigwam nominate Abraham Lincoln for president.

1861-- The Chicago Zouaves, Irish Brigade and Lincoln Rifles are among the companies to march off to the Civil War.

1862-- Camp Douglas converted to prison for Confederate soldiers.

1865-- Union Stockyards open.

The Lager Beer Riots Are Interesting in Themselves. I Wrote About Them in This Blog. Check Labels for Chicago Beer Riots.

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